Recap: Sporting KC eliminated from Leagues Cup in loss to Columbus

Sporting Kansas City was eliminated from Leagues Cup 2024 following a 4-0 road loss to the Columbus Crew on Friday at Lower.com Field.

Diego Rossi notched a brace to give the Crew a commanding lead before Columbus debutant Dajuan Jones and Dylan Chambost added late goals to secure victory in the Round of 32 and bounce Sporting from the competition.

Sporting is slated to return to action on Saturday, Aug. 24, with an MLS home match against Orlando City SC at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets for the Retro Night showdown are available at SeatGeek.com.

Four days removed from a 2-1 group stage loss to Deportivo Toluca FC, Sporting deployed a lineup featuring six changes as John Pulskamp, Kayden Pierre, Dany Rosero, Jake Davis, Erik Thommy and Daniel Salloi all stepped into the starting XI.

The first chance of the night fell to the reigning MLS Cup champions, who ran out 4-0 victors the first time Sporting visited Lower.com Field on June 22. After switching the point of attack, Rossi found a pocket of space to receive a square pass and fire from the top of the box, but his shot under duress carried over the crossbar in the 13th minute. Four minutes later, Thommy thought he had vaulted Sporting into the lead with a delectable chip shot from close range, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.

Crew striker Cucho Hernandez entered the night with 15 goals this season in all competitions and almost opened the scoring at the half-hour juncture. The Colombian unleashed a low screamer from 22 yards that Pulskamp did well to cast aside at full extension, keeping the game goalless. Sporting survived another major scare in the 34th minute as left back Tim Leibold intervened heroically on the goal line, applying a slight touch with his foot to prevent Rudy Camacho’s glancing header from finding the back of the net off a corner kick.

At the opposite end, Sporting immediately responded with a tantalizing near miss of their own. Pierre galloped down the right flank and delivered a pinpoint cross to the opposite side of the box, where Salloi’s sweetly struck side volley was repelled by Crew goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen.

Columbus broke the deadlock a minute before halftime. Hernandez turned goalward from a central position and slipped an incisive through ball into the path of Rossi, who finished low across Pulskamp with a shot that kissed off the right post and nestled home to make the score 1-0 in favor of the hosts.

Rossi bagged his brace a dozen minutes into the second half. A quick throw-in from the right side allowed the Uruguayan forward to send a 24-yard piledriver into the far left corner as Columbus doubled its advantage just seconds after Sporting’s Stephen Afrifa and Willy Agada entered as substitutes.

Pulskamp denied Rossi a spectacular hat trick in the 75th minute, diving at full stretch to punch away another long-range blast. The Crew would find their third goal shortly thereafter, however, as Jones scored a minute into his Columbus debut with a pinpoint finish from the left side of the box. Chambost pushed the score to 4-0 with 11 minutes left, pouncing on a loose ball after Pulskamp had made an initial save and tapping home on the doorstep.

Leagues Cup 2024 | Round of 32
Lower.com Field | Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 20,397
Weather: 79 degrees and sunny

Sporting Kansas City: John Pulskamp; Kayden Pierre (Khiry Shelton 80'), Dany Rosero, Robert Voloder, Tim Leibold (Logan Ndenbe 67'); Jake Davis, Remi Walter; Johnny Russell (Willy Agada 56'), Erik Thommy (Alenis Vargas 80'), Daniel Salloi (Stephen Afrifa 56'); Alan Pulido

Subs Not Used: Tim Melia, Ryan Schewe, Zorhan Bassong, Robert Castellanos, Andreu Fontas, Sebastian Cruz

Columbus Crew: Nicholas Hagen; Steven Moreira, Rudy Camacho, Malte Amundsen (Yevhen Cheberko 62'); Mohamed Farsi, Sean Zawadzki, Darlington Nagbe (C), Max Arfsten (Dajuan Jones 76'); Christian Ramirez (Dylan Chambost 68'), Diego Rossi (Jacen Russell-Rowe 76'); Cucho Hernandez (Alexandru Matan 68')

Subs Not Used: Patrick Schulte, Aziel Jackson, Derrick Jones, Cole Mrowka, Yaw Yeboah

Scoring Summary:
CLB -- Diego Rossi 1 (Cucho Hernandez 1) 44'
CLB -- Diego Rossi 2 (unassisted) 57'
CLB -- Dajuan Jones 1 (Jacen Russell-Rowe 1) 77'
CLB -- Dylan Chambost 1 (unassisted) 79')

Misconduct Summary:
None

Referee: Juan Calderon
Assistant Referee: William Arrieta
Assistant Referee: William Chow
Fourth Official: Marianela Araya
VAR: Ricardo Montero
AVAR: Priscila Perez Borja