Sporting Kansas City II (3-7-4, 13 points) secured their second straight road win on Saturday night as Enoch Mushagalusa bagged a sensational solo goal to spark a 1-0 victory over Atlanta United 2 (3-5-5, 14 points) at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia. Goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh made two impressive late saves to collect the clean sheet and extend Atlanta’s winless run to six matches.
Head coach Paulo Nagamura deployed a Sporting KC II lineup that notably featured two sets of brothers: midfielders Cam Duke and Christian Duke started together in a professional match for the first time ever, while twins Jahon Rad and Kaveh Rad were also selected to a lineup that boasted six Sporting KC Academy products and six MLS players on loan from Sporting Kansas City.
A pair of Academy graduates combined for Sporting KC II’s first chance in the seventh minute. Right back Kayden Pierre blistered his way down the right flank and delivered a low cross into the box for forward Wilson Harris, who forced Atlanta goalkeeper Ben Lundgaard into a strong save.
The visitors drew first blood in the 38th minute thanks to a sublime individual effort from Mushagalusa. The 21-year-old winger received a short corner kick from Jahon Rad, did brilliantly to slither past Alexander Garuba and Bradley Kamdem Fewo and toe-poked a shot that deflected into the top corner beyond the outstretched Lundgaard. Mushagalusa now leads SKC II with five goals this season, three of which have come against Atlanta at Fifth Third Bank Stadium after he bagged a brace in a 2-2 draw between the teams on June 9.
Mushagalusa nearly went from scorer to provider in the 52nd minute, galloping free of the Atlanta defense and squaring the ball from the right side of the box, but Harris’ close-range strike lifted over the crossbar with the gaping net at his mercy.
Newly signed Sporting KC II forward Jamil Roberts, who on Saturday night was also nominated for Best Play at the 2021 ESPYS for his NCAA championship-winning goal with Marshall University in May, earned his professional debut as a second-half substitute. The Englishman almost marked his maiden appearance with a world-class goal, however his 28-yard thunderbolt rattled the woodwork and skipped out of play.
SKC II held Atlanta without a shot on target until the 78th minute when substitute Danial Sebhatu planted a powerful header on frame, prompting Mcintosh into a phenomenal reflex save. The hosts had another last-gasp attempt go begging four minutes into second-half stoppage time as McIntosh dove right to cast aside Darwin Matheus’ speculative strike through traffic.
Nagamura’s side is off next weekend and will return to action on July 24, visiting OKC Energy FC in a 7:30 p.m. CT showdown at Taft Stadium. The contest will stream live on ESPN Plus and @SportingKCII will provide live updates on Twitter.
2021 USL Championship | Match 14
Fifth Third Bank Stadium | Kennesaw, Georgia
Attendance: 728
Weather: 80 degrees and partly cloudy
Score |
1 |
2 |
F |
|---|---|---|---|
Sporting Kansas City II (3-7-4, 13 points) |
1 |
0 |
1 |
Atlanta United 2 (3-5-5, 14 points) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Sporting Kansas City II: Kendall McIntosh; Kayden Pierre, Kaveh Rad, Danny Barbir, Amadou Dia; Jahon Rad (Jake Davis 79'), Christian Duke (C), Cam Duke (Graham Smith 85'); Rojay Smith, Wilson Harris (Isaiah LeFlore 79'), Enoch Mushagalusa (Jamil Roberts 67')
Subs Not Used: Brooks Thompson, Matt Constant, Grayson Barber
Atlanta United 2: Ben Lundgaard; Aiden McFadden, Bryce Washington, Josh Bauer, Bradley Kamdem Fewo (C); Chris Allan (Jonathan Villal 72'), Robbie Mertz (Darwin Matheus 88'), Ajani Fortune; Connor Stanley, Matias Benitez, Alexander Garuba (Danial Sebhatu 56')
Subs Not Used: Rocco Rios Novo, Johann Chirinos, Amadou Diop
Scoring Summary:
SKC -- Enoch Mushagalusa 5 (Jahon Rad 1) 38'
Misconduct Summary:
ATL -- Robbie Mertz (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 21'
ATL -- Bradley Kamdem Fewo (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 23'
SKC -- Jahon Rad (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 77'
SKC -- Kayden Pierre (yellow card; time wasting) 89'
Stat |
SKC |
ATL |
|---|---|---|
Shots |
7 |
13 |
Shots on Goal |
2 |
2 |
Saves |
2 |
1 |
Fouls |
11 |
13 |
Offsides |
6 |
3 |
Corner Kicks |
3 |
4 |
Referee: Izlen Peksenar
Assistant Referee: Justen Lopez
Assistant Referee: Christopher Kloc
Fourth Official: Madzid Coric
