LA Galaxy outplayed by Sporting Kansas City in 2-1 loss

LA put in a frustrating performance Saturday evening at the StubHub Center on Pride Night. Tired legs and a performance to forget from Clement Diop made things easy for Sporting Kansas City, who cruised to a easy 2-0 victory.

With a shorthanded and fatigued Galaxy side up against one of league’s fittest sides in SKC, this game was always going to be challenging for LA. But Sporting Kansas City dominated from the outset, bossing possession and moving the ball with ease.

It wasn’t a surprise when SKC got on the board in the 22nd minute, but the matter in which they scored was a shock to everyone in attendance: Roger Espinoza waltzed down the center of the park untouched, probing further and further until launching a dipping rocket straight at Clement Diop, but when the keeper punched the ball, it squirted under his hands and into the net.

Sporting Kansas City would double their lead not too long afterwards, with neither the Galaxy defense nor Diop fully committing to a hopeful long ball and Ike Opara swooping in to execute an athletic bicycle kick past the keeper and in.

The Galaxy picked things up in the second half, and Dave Romney would squeeze a header off Tim Melia’s hands and past the goal line to give LA hope of a late comeback, but Sporting held on for the road victory.