Sporting Kansas City II (3-18-6, 17 points) suffered their first loss in the month of September, falling 2-1 to Ventura County FC (11-10-6, 41 points) on Sunday afternoon at Children's Mercy Victory Field. Maouloune Goumballe notched his fifth goal of the season on Hal Uderitz's first SKC II assist. Fourteen-year-old Academy midfielder Zamir Loyo Reynaga also made his professional debut, subbing on in the 73rd minute for Carter Derksen.
Interim head coach Ike Opara started Jack Kortkamp in goal with Uderitz, Pierre Lurot and Gael Quintero in a back three. Cielo Tschantret and Blaine Madbie worked as dual sixes while Shane Donovan, Zane Wantland and Johann Ortiz played in front of them. Derksen and Goumballe began the match up top together.
Neither side could gain a foothold in the first 20 minutes of the contest as the teams grew into the game. Jason Bucknor picked up a yellow card in the 20th minute and was lucky not to be sent off after another late challenge on Anthony Samways early in the second half. Ventura took their first real chance right before the half-hour mark when Dylan Vanney flashed just wide from up close. Goumballe forced the first save of the day from Brady Scott when he ripped a shot on frame. The keeper was able to drop down and push the shot away for a corner.
Former SKC Academy forward Sean Karani opened the scoring in the 37th, tapping in a cross from Bucknor on the back post. The lead was short-lived for the guests as Goumballe needed just eight minutes to even up the scoring.
After a terrific pass from H. Uderitz, Goumballe sent his defender the wrong way with a superb cutback. The striker then clinically beat Scott with a placement into the far post.
Opara made two swaps at the half, bringing on Samways and Medgy Alexandre for Wantland and Ortiz. Mere minutes into the second, Bucknor went in hard on Samways, prompting a foul call and a quick contemplation from the referee but no yellow was brandished. Ventura missed a pair of chances well high in the following moments, both coming from outside the box.
Goumballe nearly broke the deadlock before the 60th minute with another nifty turn inside the 18; however, his shot was pushed wide. Derksen, who scored in SKC II's draw with WFC 2 last Friday, almost had his third goal of the season, but a terrific save from Scott kept the game even. Another opportunity from Goumballe moments later also just missed as his left-footed strike drifted away from the target.
Alexandre was denied by Scott a few ticks before Ventura reclaimed the lead. Second-half substitute Gino Vivi, who came on in the 58th, tucked in a close-range shot off an assist from Karani. Loyo Reynaga came on in the 73rd, setting a new SKC II record for the youngest player to ever appear in a match at 14 years, eight months and one day. He is also the sixth youngest player to appear in an MLS NEXT Pro game.
The midfielder hit a one-time shot off a defender to win a corner late in the match, but SKC II was unable to find a second goal and suffered their first defeat in their last four matches.
Sporting KC II will travel to Minnesota to face MNUFC 2 on Sunday, Oct. 5. The MLS NEXT Pro Decision Day showdown is set for 3 p.m. CT and will air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Score | 1 | 2 | F |
Sporting Kansas City II (3-18-6, 17 points) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Ventura County FC (11-10-6, 41 points) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Sporting Kansas City II: Jack Kortkamp; Hal Uderitz (Nati Clarke 65'), Pierre Lurot, Gael Quintero (Beckham Uderitz 79'); Cielo Tschantret, Blaine Mabie, Shane Donovan, Zane Wantland (Anthony Samways 46'), Johann Ortiz (Medgy Alexandre 46'), Maouloune Goumballe, Carter Derksen (Zamir Loyo Reynaga 73')
Subs Not Used: Jacob Molinaro, Luis Cruz-Ayala
Ventura County FC: Brady Scott; Mason Vanney, Luis Jose Magana Jr., Max Middleby (Enrique Martinez 70'), Riley Dalgado; Dylan Vanney, Thomas Musto, Mateo Tsakiris (Gabriel Arnold 89'); Nick Sullivan, Sean Karani (Levon Saribekyan 89'), Jason Bucknor (Vivi Gino 58')
Subs Not Used: James Rhodes, Christian Coreas, Eric Preson
Scoring Summary:
VCFC -- Sean Karani 3 (Jason Bucknor 2) 37'
SKC -- Maouloune Goumballe 5 (Hal Uderitz 1) 45'
VCFC -- Gino Vivi 3 (Sean Karani 5) 72'
Misconduct Summary:
VCFC -- Jason Bucknor (Yellow Card; Unsporting Conduct) 20'
SKC -- Carter Derksen (Yellow Card; Unsporting Conduct) 45+1'
Stat | SKC | VCFC |
|---|---|---|
Shots | 12 | 15 |
Shots on Goal | 4 | 3 |
Saves | 1 | 3 |
Fouls | 5 | 9 |
Offsides | 1 | 4 |
Corner Kicks | 4 | 3 |
Referee: Gloria Martinez Resendiz
Assistant Referee: Eric Burton
Assistant Referee: Jake Brochu
Fourth Official: Jacob Larson
