Sporting KC returns home with a point after 1-1 draw at Colorado Rapids

Sporting Kansas City remains in first place in the Western Conference with a 1-1 draw at the Colorado Rapids Saturday night. After a poor performance in their last match, surviving two injuries, going down a goal and losing a player to a red and walking away from Colorado with a point was a positive step for Sporting KC.

The two injuries were the main story in the first half. Roger Espinoza was replaced by Felipe Hernandez in the 16^th minute and Roberto Puncec came in for Winston Reid when he pulled up with an apparent groin issue in the 40^th.

The forced substitutions limited the options for Manager Peter Vermes in the second half, leaving only one more sub opportunity other than halftime.

Two Homegrown players, one for each side made the difference in the second half.

The Rapids jumped on the scoreboard first in the 57^th when 19-year-old Cole Bassett found the back of the net. Younes Namli gets the assist but it may have been former SKC forward Diego Rubio’s best play when he let the ball through to Bassett who had the better opportunity.

Not to be outdone in the Homegrown department, 18-year-old Sporting KC midfielder Gianluca Busio leveled the score in the 67^th when a corner kick was cleared out to him. A well struck ball dipped in through the crowd where fellow Homegrown player Jaylin Lindsey was able to duck out of the way and the shot slipped past William Yarbrough.

Busio celebrated the goal with the Wakanda Forever salute to honor the passing of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman earlier this week.

Sporting KC went a man down when Gadi Kinda received his second yellow in the 82^nd. Colorado was unable to take advantage as SKC managed to limit their opportunities.

Vermes will be forced into some changes with Kinda’s red and the possibility of Espinoza and Reid being unavailable when they return home to face FC Dallas on Wednesday, September 2^nd.