It was a dark and stormy Tuesday night when Sporting Kansas City earned a shot at a record fifth U.S. Open Cup trophy with a 2-0 win against Indy Eleven, a USL team from Indianapolis, in the tournament’s semi-final round. The game’s start was delayed over two and a half hours by rain and lightning before kicking off just after 9:30 p.m.
Sporting had a short turnaround from Saturday’s 3-0 win over Orlando, but five new starters in the line-up put some fresh legs on the pitch. Johnny Russell put Sporting ahead in the 14th minute, getting a pass back from overlapping Jake Davis centrally about 20 yards out.
Russell left-footed a domineering shot past Indy goalkeeper Hunter Sulte for the 1-0 lead.
Remi Walter set up Danny Rosero for Sporting’s second goal, laying the ball in front of the KC’s charging center back, who met the ball at the back post with a pile-driving horizontal header into the low left corner.
Sporting frustrated Indy’s hopes of a comeback in the second half and nearly added on a third in stoppage time when William Agada was cut down inside the penalty area. Alan Pulido’s attempt at a penalty kick was saved by Sulte to maintain the 2-0 margin.
The clean sheet wasn’t easy to maintain, but Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia posted five saves, including two that forced a leaping effort from the veteran glove-man.
After the match, team captain Russell called out his goalkeeper’s performance. “In the second half, Tim (Melia) pulled some unbelievable saves as Timmy does,” said the Scottish winger. “So he kept us in it there. He kept it a lot more comfortable than it could have been.”
In Wednesday night’s other USOC semi-final, LAFC prevailed over the Seattle Sounders 1-0. The USOC final between LAFC and Kansas City will take place on Sept. 25 in Los Angeles. Kansas City previously won the trophy in 2004, 2012, 2015, and 2017.
The Sporting and LAFC results combined will give another bonus to the KC squad — a berth in the 2025 Concacaf Champions’ Cup tournament. Kansas City last appeared in the prestigious interleague competition in 2019, reaching the semifinal.
Kansas City returns to MLS play on Sept. 7 with an away game against the New York Red Bulls. The team’s next game at Children’s Mercy Park will be Sept. 18 against the Colorado Rapids.
