Dejan Joveljic scored his fifth goal of the season and Sporting Kansas City salvaged a 1-1 draw against the Seattle Sounders on Saturday afternoon to snap a six-match losing streak.
Joveljic’s 18th-minute tally halted a 351-minute scoreless stretch across all competitions for Sporting (1-7-2, 5 points), which has still won only twice in its last 23 MLS matches dating back to last July.
Paul Rothrock scored his fourth goal of the season early as Seattle (6-1-2, 20 points) saw its league win streak halted at three but extended its league unbeaten run to seven.
The visitors held 61% of the possession and outshot the hosts 27-11 but were punished for an uncharacteristic mistake by American World Cup hopeful Cristian Roldan.
Rothrock put the visitors in front two minutes into the match.
Alex Roldan got up the right and played an early diagonal ball from midfield toward Jesus Ferreira in the center channel.
Either Ferreira, his defender or both players deflected the ball, and Rothrock was first to the redirection on the left side of the penalty, where he guided a first-time finish across Stefan Cleveland’s body and inside the far-right post.
Joveljic leveled 16 minutes later.
As Seattle tried to play out of the back against Kansas City’s creeping pressure, Cristian Roldan badly mis-hit a backpass that appeared intended for his goalkeeper.
Joveljic reacted to reach it at the top of the penalty arc and drove a low, first-time finish through goalkeeper Andrew Thomas and over the line.
Both teams had chances to win it after halftime despite Seattle’s possession dominance.
Sounders striker Danny Musovski flashed a promising header over the goal in the 57th minute, and in the 65th, Seattle substitute Paul Arriola saw his strike from a dangerous position on the left blocked accidentally by teammate Albert Rusnak.
In the 70th minute, Cleveland recovered from his own bobble on the initial attempt to make a double save of Kalani Kossa-Rienzi and Musovski.
On the other end, Thomas thwarted Joveljic in the 82nd minute and Taylor Calheira on a difficult, spinning effort inside the box in the 85th.
–Field Level Media
