Sporting KC officially eliminated from MLS playoff contention with loss to Minnesota

Sporting Kansas City was officially eliminated from MLS postseason play with a 2-0 loss to Minnesota United on Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park, a match that was affected by a long weather delay.

Trailing 1-0 in the 88th minute, Sporting KC earned a last-gasp penalty kick. But William Agada blasted it off the corner of the goal frame.

Sporting has missed five straight penalty kicks, including one from last season. Agada has two of those misses.

Sporting manager Peter Vermes didn’t have much to say about Agada’s missed penalty after the match. Captain Johnny Russell, on the other hand, said he should’ve stepped up to take it.

“Willy said he was feeling it, so I allowed him to take it,” Russell said. “But you know, that’s definitely on me. I should have taken the ball.”

With Agada and Alan Pulido attempting to claim the penalty kick, Russell said he didn’t want to turn it into an ugly scenario where multiple players were arguing over the attempt. Alas, he acknowledged it’s part of his job to lead in that moment.

“(There) shouldn’t have been any doubt, and I should have taken the penalty,” Russell said. “That’s my job as the leader of the team. You have to lead. Just wanted to let a guy who is in good form and feeling confident, he wanted to hit it.”

Added Russell: “I’ll speak to him and let him know that it (a missed penalty) happens. We just need to bounce back for it.”

As for the rest of the match, the first 45 minutes were scoreless. Sporting’s best chance of the first half was Agada’s header off a corner kick that went wide just before the referee called an end to the period.

Due to a severe weather delay, halftime extended for around two hours, with the match resuming around 10:30 p.m.

Sporting KC made a few subs after the delay, bringing on Russell and Pulido. While Sporting created most of the chances at the start of the second half, none were cashed in for a goal.

“We deserved a lot more than we got,” Vermes said.

On the flip side, Minnesota needed only one chance to open up the scoring.

Kelvin Yeboah dribbled into Sporting KC’s penalty area; he was marked by Dany Rosero but created a tiny window of space to get a shot off and curled it past a sprawling Tim Melia into the side netting.

Vermes felt neither defender near Yeboah did enough to eliminate the shot angle.

“Unfortunately, in regards to that goal, that’s happened way too many times,” Vermes said. “That’s why we’re in the position that we’re in this season.”

Sporting desperately pushed for an equalizer but never found one, including Agada’s penalty kick miss.

Bongi Hlongwane scored Minnesota’s second goal with the last kick of the match in stoppage time.

For Sporting and its supporters, all eyes turn to the U.S. Open Cup Final on Wednesday. Kickoff from BMO Field in Los Angeles is slated for 9:50 p.m. Central.

Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.