Sporting Kansas City brings improved attack to FC Cincinnati
Sporting Kansas City will travel to FC Cincinnati with a renewed sense of morale, while fresh off a 5-3 victory at San Jose last Saturday.
Sporting KC started the season 0-5-1, which cost head coach Peter Vermes his job. But under interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin, the club has two victories in three matches.
Sporting KC's Daniel Salloi had two goals and two assists in the victory over San Jose. As the longest-tenured player on the SKC roster, Salloi is seeing signs of progress.
"Obviously the attack has been getting better and better these last games," Salloi said after SKC followed a 4-2 loss to the Portland Timbers with their highest scoring match of the season. "We could all see that we had our big chances in Portland. This time, we scored them all, pretty much.
"That's key. When you go on the road, you have to (take) the momentum and score at the right time. You have to show up individually."
Salloi has four goals, second on the club to the five from new addition Dejean Jovelic.
SKC (2-6-1, 7 points) will show up in Cincinnati trying to derail one of the hottest teams in MLS. FC Cincinnati (6-2-1, 19 points) is tied for the top spot in the Eastern Conference after winning four consecutive matches, while going unbeaten in five straight.
Cincinnati is coming off a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Fire last Saturday when Evander scored a pair of goals in his first match after missing two games with an injury.
"Me, as a player, I just hate being off the field, missing two games, but this shows how strong we are as a group," Evander said. "So coming on today, progressing from an injury, helping the team to three points tonight was like, it couldn't be better now. I'm so, so happy and proud to be part of this group."
Evander leads FC Cincinnati with six goals, while Kevin Denkey has scored four times as the duo has combined for all but three of the team's goals this season.
--Field Level Media
Game Information
MLS Standings
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | +11 | 20 |
| Austin FC | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | -1 | 16 |
| Minnesota United FC | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | +4 | 16 |
| Portland Timbers | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | +3 | 15 |
| Colorado Rapids | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 15 |
| San Diego FC | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | +3 | 14 |
| LAFC | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | -1 | 13 |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | +1 | 12 |
| FC Dallas | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | -1 | 12 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | +2 | 10 |
| Real Salt Lake | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | -6 | 9 |
| St. Louis CITY SC | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 9 |
| Sporting Kansas City | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | -4 | 7 |
| Houston Dynamo FC | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | -6 | 7 |
| LA Galaxy | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | -10 | 3 |
MLS Standings
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte FC | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | +9 | 19 |
| FC Cincinnati | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | +2 | 19 |
| Inter Miami CF | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | +7 | 18 |
| Columbus Crew | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | +5 | 18 |
| Philadelphia Union | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | +7 | 16 |
| Nashville SC | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | +1 | 13 |
| Orlando City SC | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | +3 | 13 |
| Chicago Fire FC | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | +1 | 12 |
| New York Red Bulls | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | +1 | 12 |
| New York City FC | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 11 |
| New England Revolution | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | -1 | 10 |
| Atlanta United FC | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -5 | 9 |
| D.C. United | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -8 | 9 |
| Toronto FC | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | -5 | 7 |
| CF Montréal | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | -9 | 3 |
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