Sporting KC II falls at Memphis 3-1

Sporting Kansas City II (4-16-8, 20 points) put up a good fight for most of the match but fell 3-1 on the road to Memphis 901 FC (10-8-8, 38 points).

After a short delay to repair the baseball field that Memphis 901 FC uses, SKC II got off to a good start. Enoch Mushagalusa struck first in the 17^th minute to give SKC II the lead, but Memphis took the win on a pair of Kyle Murphy goals and a late Roland Lamah effort to clinch the win for the home side.

Memphis started strong but it did not take too long for SKC II to get their legs under them and threatening the Memphis goal. Isaiah LeFlore and Mushagalusa worked the ball into the box in the 13^th minute where Mushagalusa chipped the ball to the back post. A header from 16-year-old Mataeo Bunbury was unsuccessful and the ball fell to striker Wilson Harris but the ball was cleared before Harris could fire a shot.

Memphis was pressuring SKC II when Jake Davis cleared the ball up field to Mushagalusa. The SKC II winger ran onto the ball and fought off the Memphis defenders where he was able to slot the ball past the keeper for Mushagalusa’s eighth goal of the season.

Memphis bounced back quickly when Kadeem Dacres was able to gain enough space on LeFlore to cross to the back post where Murphy was able to knock a header past Kendall McIntosh.

SKC II and Memphis battled back and forth for the rest of the half with SKC II getting more chances but unable to finish their opportunities.

The second half opened with the visitors continuing the better play but Memphis almost took the lead in the 59^th minute when a deflected shot would have went in but LeFlore’s goal line clearance saved a goal.

A second Mushagalusa goal was called off for being offside and Memphis came close with a shot bouncing off the goal.

Fortunes changed in the 74^th minute when Roland Lamah was tripped up when chasing a ball in the box. The challenge from McIntosh was a split-second late and the referee did not hesitate to point to the spot. Murphy stepped up and buried it for his 17^th goal of the season.

SKC II worked hard to find an equalizer, but Lamah earned a goal of his own when he put away an insurance goal on a breakaway in a stoppage time.

Notes:

• The young SKC II side was captained by loanee and SKC Homegrown defender Kaveh Rad. His twin Jahon started in midfield.
• SKC II outshot Memphis 15-9 but only 3 were on target compared to 4 for Memphis.
• It was Bunbury’s first start for SKC II and just his third appearance. The younger brother of former SKC forward Teal Bunbury and son of former Kansas City Wizard striker Alex Bunbury signed an Academy contract with SKC II recently and has been splitting time between the Academy and SKC II.
• Bunbury played in SKC Academy u19’s 4-2 win over the Houston Dynamo U23’s on the weekend. He also had a hat trick and an assist the weekend before when SKC’s U17’s beat St. Louis City SC’s U17’s in a lopsided 5-1 score.

Sporting Kansas City II: Kendall McIntosh; Kayden Pierre, Graham Smith, Kaveh Rad (C), Isaiah LeFlore; Jahon Rad (Petar Cuic 80’), Ozzie Cisneros (Ropapa Mensah 80’), Jake Davis; Mataeo Bunbury (Rojay Smith 70’), Wilson Harris, Enoch Mushagalusa

Subs Not Used: Remi Prieur, Danny Barbir, Matt Constant, Jamil Roberts

Memphis 901 FC: Cody Cropper; Mark Segbers, Skylar Thomas, Niall Logue, Laurent Kissiedou (Rashawn Dally 90+2’); Dominic Oduro, Leston Paul (C); Kadeem Dacres (Dre Fortune 81’), Raul Gonzalez (Brecc Evans 68’), Alan Winn (Roland Lamah 67’); Kyle Murphy (Michael Salazar 90+2’)

Subs Not Used: Brady Scott, Zach Carroll

Scoring Summary:

SKC — Enoch Mushagalusa 8 (Jake Davis 6) 17’

MEM — Kyle Murphy 16 (Kadeem Dacres 6) 20’

MEM — Kyle Murphy 17 (penalty kick) 74’

MEM — Roland Lamah 2 (Michael Salazar 2) 90+5’

Misconduct Summary:

MEM — Leston Paul (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 25’

SKC — Kaveh Rad (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 40’

MEM — Kyle Murphy (yellow card; simulation) 60’

SKC — Jake Davis (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 69’

SKC — Kendall McIntosh (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 73’

SKC — Graham Smith (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 86’

SKC — Petar Cuic (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 87’

MEM — Dominic Oduro (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 88’