Recap: Remi Walter on target as Sporting falls in 2-1 thriller to Nashville

Sporting Kansas City (2-5-0, 6 points) saw its perfect home record snapped in a narrow 2-1 loss to Nashville SC (3-2-1, 10 points) on Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park.

In an entertaining and hotly contested battle that saw both teams eclipse 18 shot attempts—only the second such MLS match in the 12-year history of Children’s Mercy Park—Sporting went ahead on a blistering 25th-minute strike from French midfielder Remi Walter. Nashville fought back in the second stanza, however, as Dave Romney’s header restored parity and C.J. Sapong put his former club to the sword with a game-winning tally in the 68th minute.

Having lost five of their first seven matches for the first time since 2011—when they wound up finishing atop the Eastern Conference—Sporting will look to bounce back on April 17 by visiting Western Conference heavyweights LAFC (4-1-1, 13 points) for an Eastern Sunday showdown at Banc of California Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. CT with national coverage on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and the ESPN app.

Both Sporting Kansas City lineup changes from a 1-0 road loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC last weekend came in the midfield, as 21-year-old Cam Duke stepped in for Felipe Hernandez and Roger Espinoza replaced the injured Uri Rosell. It was also a milestone evening for Sporting’s dynamic wing duo, as 2021 MLS MVP finalist Daniel Salloi earned his 100th start for the club in all competitions and captain Johnny Russell eclipsed 10,000 career minutes played in a Kansas City uniform.

Russell, who on Friday turned 32 years old, was inches away from opening the scoring in spectacular fashion after four minutes. The Scottish forward isolated himself on the left wing, cut centrally onto his patented left boot and unleashed a curler that screamed past Nashville goalkeeper Joe Wilis and marginally wide of the far post.

Nashville conjured an immediate response of their own, as Alex Muyl’s cushioned header across the face of goal was nearly prodded home by the lurking Hany Mukhtar, only to be crucially cut out by Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia. The visitors threatened once more in the 12th minute and Muyl thought he had given his side the lead after slamming home off a cushioned header from Sapong, but the offside flag was raised and the goal was disallowed.

Referee Ismael Elfath awarded Nashville a penalty kick a few moments later as Nicolas Isimat-Mirin tackled Mukhtar to the turf, but the prolific playmaker was foiled by the magisterial Melia on the subsequent spot kick. Mukhtar placed his penalty straight down the middle and Melia held his ground, casting the shot aside for his 12th career penalty kick save in the regular season—six more than any other goalkeeper since 2015.

The early stages of the contest continued to unfold in breathless fashion and Sporting crafted a pair of excellent chances near the 20-minute mark. Left back Ben Sweat ran onto a pinpoint long ball from Andreu Fontas and forced a reflex save from Willis at the near post. Willis produced an even more impressive stop shortly thereafter, getting an outstretched hand on Salloi’s powerful header off a delectable Graham Zusi cross.

Manager Peter Vermes’ side were rewarded for their attacking intent with a wonderfully worked goal in the 25th minute. Salloi slithered past Nashville midfielder Randall Leal on the left sideline and burst into the final third before slipping a clever through ball to the overlapping Sweat. The veteran defender then sent a lovely pullback pass across Nashville’s penalty area that found an unmarked Walter, whose ruthless finish rippled the back of the net and sent Children’s Mercy Park into delirium. The goal, whjch punctuated a flowing 17-pass sequence from the hosts, was Walter’s second of the season and Sporting’s maiden first-half goal of 2022, with Sweat tabbing his first assist as a Kansas City player.

Faced with a 1-0 deficit, Nashville remained committed to pushing numbers forward themselves and entered halftime with 11 shot attempts—the third-most by a visiting team in the first half at Children’s Mercy Park since 2012—but were made to wait until the 51st minute for their equalizer. Mukhtar spread his free kick wide right to an open Leal, whose curling delivery into the six-yard area was met by Romney and nodded past a helpless Melia for his first MLS goal since August 2020. Mukhtar was credited with a secondary assist on the play and is now tied for second in MLS with four assists this year.

The teams exchanged punches in the 10 minutes that followed. Mukhtar was denied on the breakaway by the imperious Melia, while Hernandez—who had replaced Duke at halftime—uncorked a venomous, long-range free kick that Willis leapt to parry away.

Nashville surged ahead with a fortuitous goal in the 68th minute. Romney’s long throw into the box pinged around a crowded penalty box, taking touches off Muyl and Sean Davis before falling to the feet of Sapong, whose close-range finish under Melia gave him two goals on the season and his first goal at Children’s Mercy Park since he played for Sporting in 2014.

With 69 minutes on the clock, Melia made a superb near-post stop to deny Leal and keep Sporting’s deficit at one goal. At the opposite end, Davis bailed out Nashville by blocking Russell’s headed attempt on the goal line and clearing the ball upfield.

Zusi and Sporting were left ruing their luck with under 10 minutes remaining. The 35-year-old veteran was afforded space 30 yards from goal and hammered a heat-seeking strike that bent wide of the right post by the slimmest of margins. Frustrations were further compounded in the 89th minute as Russell’s pass near the top of the box was dummied by substitute Marinos Tzionis and reached Salloi, whose shot beat Willis at the far post but caromed off the woodwork.

A back-and-ford affair dripped into extra time and Sporting continued their desperate hunt for a leveler, with Vujnovic winning possession and playing to Salloi for a scorching shot that lifted over the crossbar. Russell was next to see his late bid go begging, running onto a cutback from Logan Ndenbe and firing wide inside the box.

2022 MLS Regular Season | Match 7
Children's Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Attendance: 18,852
Weather: 59 degrees and clear

Sporting Kansas City: Tim Melia; Graham Zusi, Nicolas Isimat-Mirin, Andreu Fontas, Ben Sweat (Logan Ndenbe 84'); Remi Walter, Roger Espinoza (Marinos Tzionis 76'), Cam Duke (Felipe Hernandez 46'); Johnny Russell (C), Khiry Shelton (Nikola Vujnovic 76'), Daniel Salloi

Subs Not Used: Kendall McIntosh, Kortne Ford, Robert Voloder

Nashville SC: Joe Willis; Jack Maher, Walker Zimmerman (C), Dave Romney; Alex Muyl, Tah Anunga (Anibal Godoy 77'), Sean Davis, Taylor Washington; Randall Leal (Luke Haakenson 90+1'), C.J. Sapong (Ake Loba 90+1'), Hany Mukhtar (Ethan Zubak 90+2')

Subs Not Used: Bryan Meredith, Josh Bauer, Daniel Lovitz, Eric Miller, Handwalla Bwana

Scoring Summary:
SKC -- Remi Walter 2 (Ben Sweat 1, Daniel Salloi 1) 25’
NSH -- Dave Romney 1 (Randall Leal 2, Hany Mukhtar 4) 51'
NSH -- C.J. Sapong 2 (Alex Muyl 1, Sean Davis 1) 68'

Misconduct Summary:
SKC -- Cam Duke (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 17'
SKC -- Roger Espinoza (yellow card; time wasting) 52'
SKC -- Felipe Hernandez (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 63'
NSH -- Taylor Washington (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 79'

Referee: Ismail Elfath
Assistant Referee: Cory Richardson
Assistant Referee: Diego Blas
Fourth Official: Greg Dopka
VAR: Jair Marrufo
AVAR: Eric Weisbrod