Sporting Kansas City II (8-12-2, 29 points) soundly defeated Colorado Rapids 2 (6-10-6, 28 points), by way of a 5-0 scoreline in the 2022 home finale at Children's Mercy Victory Field on Monday night. Three first half goals had Sporting KC II feeling nice, but Bakary Bagayoko's second half brace sealed the deal in the MLS NEXT Pro contest. First-team loanee Jake Davis and SKC II attacker Josh Coan both picked up their second goals of the season and an own goal late in the first marks all of the scoring on the night.
Head coach Benny Feilhaber began the match with Carlito Saylon the backstop for a back four of Mikey Lenis, Kaveh Rad, Esai Easley and Nati Clarke. The midfield consisted of captain Collin Fernandez alongside Davis and Coan. Up top Bagayoko was accompanied by Guy Michaeli and Ryan Reid who made his first pro start.
Reid, in his first start, took the first shot of said start in the fourth minute. He cracked one on frame from just beyond the 18, forcing Rapids 2 goalkeeper Abraham Rodriguez into his first of six saves on the night. A few ticks later and K. Rad sprayed the ball out wide to Coan along the sideline. The eventual scorer cut inside looking for a lane but was chopped down inches outside the box. The ensuing free kick was blocked by the Colorado wall.
The visitors went on the attack in a 10-minute spell following Coan's advancement. Yosuke Hanya took the first attempt, dragging a shot across the goal mouth and out of play on the far side of the pitch. In the 12th, Colorado had two shots go wanting. The first of which came off the foot of Omar Gomez from close range and the second from even closer on a redirected cross. Both shots wound up over the top of the goal.
SKC II got back into Colorado's third in the 20th, working the ball around all parts of the field for what seemed like ages. A seam finally opened up for Coan as he slipped Bagayoko in on goal. The eventual scorer caught Rodriguez flat-footed, however, his finesse shot bent around the back post and over the endline. Two minutes later Collin Fernandez was the first player to go into the book with a yellow card.
The first SKC II goal came a minute before the half-hour mark off a Davis volley. Clarke served a ball up for Michaeli but left it just short. The ball was headed once, and then twice by Colorado before Davis latched onto it with a furious strike. The ball sailed past Rodriguez and into the back of the net to give SKC II the lead.
Not a moment later and Bagayoko went for goal again. This time he found the frame but the keeper was able to turn it aside with a dive and two outstretched hands. In the 35th Rapids 2 picked up a corner kick after Easley forced the ball out. The service connected with its target but was sent over the goal.
Four minutes before halftime Coan beat Rodriguez with a tenacious effort. Davis dropped the ball off to the midfielder's run behind the backline before Coan settled his feet to generate a shooting lane. His first attempt was saved but as he was falling down he composed himself enough to blast it back on goal past Rodriguez.
A minute before halftime, Clarke bounced a cross into the area that took a wicked deflection off Daniel Garcia. The ball skipped near Michaeli but never collided with the SKC II forward resulting in an own goal for Colorado and a 3-0 SKC II lead at the half.
Right out of the break Rapids 2 came out looking to make it a ballgame. Daouda Amadou took the away side's most dangerous chance of the match in the 47th, ripping a shot past the near post, and rattling the poles behind the goal. Saylon made his first save of the night in the 52nd, dropping to one knee, blocking the shot away and scooping up the remains before any rebounders could get a foot on it.
On the following SKC II attack, Bagayoko got his first goal. Lenis centered the ball to the striker at the spot with a rolled pass. Bagayoko settled the ball, turned and rifled one off the hands of Rodriguez and into the goal for the fourth.
Feilhaber went to his bench bringing on Julian Vazquez for Michaeli following a save of Coan's shot by Rodriguez. Only 30-seconds into his shift, Vazquez got on the end of a perfectly placed pass and poked his shot just off target on the back post. Later, Saylon made his second save, again smacking the ball down and gathering it.
Davis put an attempt over the bar off a ball from Vazquez before Edgar Bazan entered for Fernandez in the 66th. The brace came for Bagayoko in the 68th on a deflected Vazquez shot that he picked up and put away into the empty net.
Philip Mayaka tried to cut into the deficit but smacked his shot high and wide of Saylon's net. The Rapids 2 man then received a yellow card for dissent after a foul was called on SKC II near midfield. Easley strutted his stuff in the box, sliding into the ball, sticking with the play and clearing it away all while on the ground.
Coan nearly had a two-goal game of his own in the 84th but Rodriguez stood his ground, blocking the shot with his chest. Colorado found the goal in the 85th but it was immediately called off due to an offside runner. The final action yielded no shots on goal and Jahon Rad took his twin brother Kaveh off in stoppage time as SKC II claimed a 5-0 win over Rapids 2.
SKC II's 5-0 win is the largest margin of victory in team history since the side was founded in 2016. Saylon picked up his first pro clean sheet and Bagayoko had his first two-score game for SKC II on this historic night. The MLS NEXT Pro home season has concluded for SKC II after eight games at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, KS and four back at Children's Mercy Victory Field.
The season finale for SKC II will take place Sunday, Sept. 18 against St Louis City2 at Centene Stadium, the future home of their Major League Soccer club. Feilhaber and SKC II will look to conclude the season on a high note against their rivals, and all the action can be viewed for free at MLSNEXTPro.com.
2022 MLS NEXT Pro | Match 23
Children's Mercy Victory Field | Kansas City, MO
Weather: 77 degrees and sunny
Score |
1 |
2 |
F |
|---|---|---|---|
Sporting KC II |
3 |
2 |
5 |
Rapids 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Sporting Kansas City II: Carlito Saylon; Mikey Lenis, Kaveh Rad (Jahon Rad 90+1'), Esai Easley, Nati Clarke, Collin Fernandez (Edgar Bazan 67'), Jake Davis, Josh Coan; Bakary Bagayoko, Guy Michaeli (Julian Vazquez 56'), Ryan Reid
Subs Not Used: Ethan Bandre, Cam Duke, TJ Fatah, Curtez Kellman, Rauf Salifu, Joseph Addo Tetteh
Colorado Rapids 2: Abraham Rodriguez; Omar Gomez (Josh Hardin 39'), Blake Malone, Daniel Garcia, Steve Flores; Robinson Aguirre, Daouda Amadou (Jack Sullivan 73'), Philip Mayaka; Connor Miller, Yosuke Hanya, Maclovio Swett (Keith Chavarria 73')*
Subs Not Used:* Adam Beaudry, Michael Harris
Scoring Summary:
SKC – Jake Davis 2 (unassisted) 29'
SKC – Josh Coan 2 (unassisted) 41'
SKC – Daniel Garcia (own goal) 44'
SKC – Bakary Bagayoko 3 (Mikey Lenis 1) 53'
SKC – Bakary Bagayoko 4 (unassisted) 68'
Misconduct Summary:
SKC – Collin Fernandez (yellow card; unsporting conduct) 21'
COL – Philip Mayaka (yellow card; dissent) 75'
Stat |
SKC |
COL |
|---|---|---|
Shots |
15 |
10 |
Shots on Goal |
11 |
2 |
Saves |
2 |
6 |
Fouls |
15 |
9 |
Offsides |
1 |
3 |
Corner Kicks |
3 |
2 |
Referee: Anya Voigt
Assistant Referee: Justin Mack
Assistant Referee: AJ Franklin
Fourth Official: Velimir Stefanovic
