Sporting KC get second consecutive draw with rival St. Louis City

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Sporting Kansas City ended MLS play before the Olympic break with a 1-1 draw in the Missouri Derby against state rival St. Louis City SC in a matchup of the bottom of the Western Conference.

Sporting still leads the short all-time series with the second-year club with three wins, two losses, and two draws.

St. Louis City’s Nökkvi Thórisson started the scoring in the 42nd minute with a goal moments after he made a play on SKC midfielder Nemanja Radoja that saw him lift his leg up for the ball and stomp on Walter’s foot without a card shown to him from referee Rubiel Vazquez.

“It’s a second yellow card at a minimum. I mean, it’s not even a question,” head coach Peter Vermes said. “What’s amazing to me still is that the VAR could have sent the center (referee) over to look at it for a possible red in which he could have came back and then said, second yellow. I firmly believe that he chose not to give the second yellow because of how quick (it came after) his first yellow. It was just back-to-back and he didn’t want to do it.”

Thórisson received a yellow card eight minutes prior to his goal for pulling on Sporting striker Willy Agada. Vazquez doubled down on his decision in the pool report.

“The challenge was committed in a careless manner and did not rise to the level of serious foul play, due to the negligible force,” he said. “The challenge was committed in a careless manner but did not rise to a cautionable offense, due to the negligible contact.”

Captain Johnny Russell said Vazquez told him that Thórisson won the ball during his challenge.

“I think everyone can see clearly that it’s 100% a second yellow if not straight,” Russell said. “The contact starts just below Radoja’s knee. There’s very little contact on the ball so I think it’s a red card. It’s definitely a second yellow if you don’t want to give it the straight red. He’s been let away with it. I don’t know why. And then obviously he’s the one that gets the goal as well. We have to do better on the play defensively, especially from our own set piece, our own corner. We have to get back quicker. But the guy, for me, shouldn’t be on the field to score that.”

“That is just kind of crazy to me,” goalkeeper Tim Melia said. Melia had a save and seven recoveries on the night where Sporting held St. Louis to 0.97 xG.

“A professional foul on the first one when he holds Willy — an easy yellow card. A player comes over the ball — I haven’t seen a replay and I don’t care if he touches the ball — and goes through the shin of a player. That is a (second yellow). Not enough for a full red card. That is the easiest decision in the world to be a second yellow. And the fact that’s the player that scores, it’s just unfortunate. But to me, that’s an easy, easy second yellow and shouldn’t even be a discussion.”

“A foul is a foul is a foul,” Vermes said. If a guy trips you, whether he crushes you or he trips you it’s still a trip. And this is the same thing in this situation. He goes through with a straight leg. He never touches the ball. You see it all the time. Guys stand on guys legs all the time. Sometimes guys get red cards for that. But the fact that he just blows it off like it was nothing, it’s because he didn’t want to give him red card.

Firmly believe that he chose not to give the second yellow because of how quick the first yellow was.”

Willy Agada equalized the match with a header in the 72nd minute off of a high cross from Alan Pulido that sat in the air for a good two seconds before it came down to Agada at the far post.

Sporting created plenty of chances throughout the match with 20 shots (six on goal) to STL’s 10 shots (three on goal) and a 2.30 xG. It was an SKC lineup that was without usual starters center back Dany Rosero and midfielder Memo Rodriguez due to injury at the end of a stretch where Sporting played six matches in 17 days.

SKC also is coming off of a game in Canada against the Vancouver Whitecaps, one of their longest road trips of the season.

Sporting have Leagues Cup matches to fill the void left by the Olympic break. They hosts Chicago Fire FC on Sunday for the first match in the group stage at 8 p.m. They also host Toluca

The spaced-out matches should help Sporting recover for the late stretch of MLS games where they are still nine points out of a playoff spot in 12th place.

“I think the guys need some rest,” Vermes said. “I think we’ll get a day or two here. I think we have been going after it here for a couple of weeks. Anytime we have the opportunity to play in those quicker competitions for a trophy, I think it’s exciting. We’re at home. These are all things that we should really enjoy and try to really not let slip out of our fingertips.”

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