SKC II Recap: Sporting KC II falls 4-3 at Tacoma Defiance

Sporting Kansas City II (6-6-4, 24 points) fell 4-3 at the Tacoma Defiance (8-7-1, 26 points) in an end-to-end battle at Starfire Sports Complex on Sunday night. Maouloune Goumballe scored twice in the first half, telling his fifth and sixth goals of the campaign and Ethan Bryant added his third goal of the season.

Goalkeeper Ryan Schewe saved a penalty kick and saved a season-high nine shots in a fantastic effort that fell just short. Despite holding a 3-1 halftime lead, Tacoma rallied to score three times in the second to take all three points in the two sides' only meeting of the 2024 regular season.

Head coach Benny Feilhaber placed Schewe in the net for his 12th start of the season while Jonathan Robinson, Chris Rindov, Haris Alisah and Mason Visconti played in defense. Sebastian Cruz, Cielo Tschantret and Kamron Habibullah played in the middle with Beto Avila joining Bryant and Goumballe up top.

A wide-open contest featuring 37 total shots provided 90 straight minutes of exhilarating soccer. Schewe made his first of nine saves in the fourth minute, sprawling down to the ground to deny Dylan Tevez on the near post in the fourth minute. SKC II's first box entry came four minutes later when Avila saw a shot blocked out for the match's first of seven corner kicks.

Two minutes later, Goumballe struck on a different corner kick from the far side of the pitch. A delicious ball was served toward the near post where Rindov flicked it back to a waiting Goumballe on the back post. The winger settled the ball, took a touch inside and thundered a shot through traffic past the helpless Trevor Wilson and into the back of the net.

Sporting KC II remained on the attack, firing the next shot in the 15th minute. After another entry into the 18 by Bryant, the midfielder was swarmed, losing possession. The ball skipped out to Visconti who fired an ambitious volley off the mark. Rindov received the first caution of the evening for a foul along the left sideline a minute later.

The Tacoma set piece was played short and eventually ended up in the hands of Schewe on his near post. Moments later he was called upon again to make a save, diving to deny Osaze De Rosario. Bryant and Habibullah each looked to double the lead in the 22nd and 23rd minute. Bryant's, a free kick, was turned aside by Wilson before Habibullah lofted a long-range effort over the bar.

Just over a third of the way through the night, Tevez scored a tap-in off a Danny Leya restart along SKC II's right sideline. Leya's ball soared in and pinged off the crossbar, falling right to Tevez on the goalline who let the ball deflect off his chest and in. The host's last chance of the first half came off De Rosario who pushed his shot well wide of the mark from up close.

Goumballe netted his second of the night in the 43rd. Visconti served a delectable ball to the back post, over the top of the defender's head and right into the path of the streaking Indiana alum. Goumballe simply slid in and put the ball into the back of the net for his first professional brace and Visconti's first professional assist.

Right on the cusp of first half stoppage time, Bryant attempted to center the ball, ricocheting his cross off the leaping Kalani Kossa-Rienzi. The defender's hand was outstretched and knocked the ball to the ground inside the box gifting SKC II a penalty.

Bryant then stepped up to the spot and sent Wilson the wrong way, burying his third goal of the season. The halftime whistle came shortly thereafter and Kansas City took a 3-1 lead into the break.

Tacoma came out of halftime and immediately trimmed into the lead with a 48th-minute finish from De Rosario. They almost leveled six minutes later when a looping ball over SKC II's backline was touched over the endline and off-target on the back post.

Schewe made another save in the 55th, scooping up a rolling shot put right into the middle of his goal. Alisah nearly gave Sporting an insurance goal in the 59th off another brilliant Bryant ball from a corner kick. The centerback was unlucky not to score as his header went just off the mark.

Jake Swallen came on in the 66th as the first Feilhaber substitute of the night. Schewe slapped a cross down to the turf in the 72nd and his momentum when scooping up the ball took him back toward the goal line. Shouts from the Tacoma sideline claiming that he crossed the line rang out, however, he kept the ball off the line and out.

Demarre Montoute entered for Avila in the 73rd and Ian James came on for Alisah who picked up a knock in the 87th as the other subs. Visconti was called for a foul after minimal contact inside the 18 giving the Defiance a penalty kick. Schewe made a terrific save, diving to his left to turn Faysl Bettache's attempt aside.

Tacoma then found the back of the night twice in quick succession, getting a second goal from De Rosario in the 90+2 minute before Bettache scored the winner in the 93rd. James almost got to a bouncing ball in the box, poking a half volley on target but could not get enough behind it to beat Wilson and Tacoma took all three points.

Sporting Kansas City II will return to Swope Soccer Village for a week of training before heading back out west to take on The Town FC. The matchup with the San Jose Earthquakes affiliate will begin at 7 p.m. CT with the match streaming on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Sporting Kansas City II: Ryan Schewe; Jonathan Robinson (Jake Swallen 66'), Haris Alisah (Ian James 87'), Chris Rindov, Mason Visconti; Sebastian Cruz, Cielo Tschantret, Kamron Habibullah; Maouloune Goumballe, Beto Avila (Demarre Montoute 73'), Ethan Bryant
Subs Not Used: Jacob Molinaro, Medgy Alexandre, Leo Christiano, Shane Donovan, Roberto Hategan

Tacoma Defiance: Trevor Wilson; Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, Nathan (Antino Lopez 46'), Stuart Hawkins, Cody Baker (Yu Tsukanome 46'); Sota Kitahara, Snyder Brunell (Christopher Aquino 70'), Dylan Tevez (Faysl Bettache 58'), Danny Leyva (Frank Daroma 67'), Travian Sousa; Osaze De Rosario
Subs Not Used: Lars Helleren, Blake Bowen, Sebastian Gomez, Owen O'Malley

Scoring Summary:

SKC – Maouloune Goumballe 5 (Chris Rindov 1) 10'
TAC – Dylan Tevez 1 (Danny Leyva 1) 33'
SKC – Maouloune Goumballe 6 (Mason Visconti 1) 43'
SKC – Ethan Bryant 3 (Penalty Kick) 45+1'
TAC – Osaze De Rosario 4 (Yu Tsukanome 1) 48'
TAC – Osaze De Rosario 5 (Yu Tsukanome 2) 90+2'
TAC – Faysl Bettache 7 (Osaze De Rosario 1) 90+3'

Misconduct Summary:

SKC – Chris Rindov (yellow card; unsporting conduct) 16'
SKC – Jonathan Robinson (yellow card; unsporting conduct) 33'
TAC – Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (yellow card; handball) 45'
SKC – Kamron Habibullah (yellow card; unsporting conduct) 50'
SKC – Ethan Bryant (yellow card; delaying a restart) 75'
SKC – Mason Visconti (yellow card; unsporting conduct) 84'
TAC – Christopher Aquino (yellow card; delaying a restart) 90+4'

Referee: Justin St. Pierre
Assistant Referee: Miles Crumley
Assistant Referee: Hunter Zachwieja
Fourth Official: Dion Coxe-Trieger