Sporting Kansas City’s 2018 campaign delivered thrills from beginning to end, packing entertainment, emotion and drama on a weekly basis as Manager Peter Vermes’ side ascended to the top of the Western Conference table and brought the MLS Cup Playoffs back to Children’s Mercy Park.
In a year chalk full of stunning goals, wild wins and momentous developments off the pitch, assembling the top 12 moments of 2018 was no easy task. There simply hasn’t been a dull moment over the last 12 months, which is why this season will be fondly remembered well into the future.
Nevertheless, SportingKC.com has taken its best shot at counting down the dozen moments of 2018 that stood out above the rest. The countdown will run from Dec. 20-31, beginning with No. 12 on Dec. 20 and culminating with the No. 1 moment of 2018 on New Year’s Eve.
The Countdown: #12: Winning in Atlanta |#11: Signing Kalen Ricketson |#10: The comeback vs. Houston |#9: The opening of Pinnacle | #8: Melia silences Zlatan
Sporting Kansas City were in desperate need of a spark. On one of the biggest nights of their season, Manager Peter Vermes’ side faced a 1-0 halftime deficit after a lethargic first 45 minutes at BC Place in Vancouver on Oct. 17.
Faced with the reality of dropping to fourth place in the Western Conference with a loss, Sporting KC needed to find a cutting edge and a killer instinct against the stubborn Whitecaps, who were battling for their own playoff lives.
In one of the biggest single-game plot twists of Sporting KC’s 2018 campaign, Vermes’ men found just that. Down 1-0 heading into the final half hour, Sporting KC left Vancouver with a momentous 4-1 victory under their belts. The win proved pivotal in giving the team all the confidence it needed to ultimately secure first place in the Western Conference.
“I just told the guys at halftime, there was no tactics, it was more of ‘Look, you have to have the desire in this game. You have to have the intensity,’” Vermes said postgame. “And it was different in the second half. We had the desire and intensity.”
That desire and intensity translated into one of the most historic halves in club history. Indeed, this was the first time ever that Sporting KC had scored four away goals in one half. Yohan Croizet kick-started the rally with a superb 62nd-minute equalizer, Daniel Salloi bagged a late brace and 16-year-old Gianluca Busio opened his MLS scoring account.
This was also the first time ever that Sporting KC Academy products combined for three goals in an MLS match. The club’s professional pathway begins in the Academy, where Salloi and Busio both competed before turning professional. Salloi fired his side ahead with eight minutes left, Busio extended the advantage in the 94th minute, and Salloi added gloss to the scoreline with a 97th-minute tally.
Further congratulations were in order for Busio, who on this night became the second-youngest goal scorer in MLS history (16 years, 142 days) behind Freddy Adu.
