Sporting Kansas City became the first team in MLS history to win a match without a shot attempt, as they defeated the defending champion Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 on a first-half own goal Sunday in Kansas City, Kan.
Sporting Kansas City (3-7-1, 10 points) is now 3-2-0 in five matches under interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin. It was the first time in club history that SKC has not managed a shot.
The Galaxy (0-8-3, 3 points) are off to the worst start in MLS history for a defending MLS Cup champion. The Galaxy are one of two winless teams (Montreal), tying the MLS record for matches without a win to start at season.
The stat sheet looked like a dominating win for the Galaxy. They held an 11-0 advantage in shots and 12-1 in corner kicks. But they wasted those chances. They have scored just eight goals in 11 matches this season, after scoring 21 in their first 11 matches in 2024.
To make matters worse, the Galaxy lost two of their star forwards to injury in the second half. Gabriel Pec left in the 74th minute with a back injury. Then Joseph Paintsil left in the 79th minute with what appeared to be a leg injury.
Los Angeles nearly leveled the match in the 50th minute. Maya Yoshida headed a corner kick from close range, but it hit Jansen Miller in the back and fell to the hands of SKC keeper John Pulskamp.
Marco Reus nearly leveled the match in stoppage time. He put a free kick from just outside the box off the crossbar in the fourth minute of six minutes of stoppage time.
Sporting KC took a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute on an own goal by Yoshida. With SKC pushing forward, Nemanja Radoja found Salloi in the left-hand side of the box. Salloi centered it, looking for a teammate, but it went off Yoshida’s leg into the net.
The Galaxy dominated the stat sheet in the first half, with nearly 65 percent of the possession and a big advantage in shots (6-0). But SKC held the advantage where it mattered most, with a 1-0 lead.
–Field Level Media
