Los Angeles Galaxy defender Maya Yoshida had the only score on Sunday night, but it was an own goal that led to a 1-0 victory for Sporting Kansas City. With the win, they made history, becoming the first MLS team to win a game without registering a shot on goal.
It was just the third win in 11 tries for Sporting Kansas City, this season, but their second in the last three games.
As for the Galaxy, they continued the worst start by a defending champion in league history. The Galaxy (0-8-3) are still looking for their first victory 11 matches into the season and even a 3-0-2 record in five previous matchups with Sporting KC (3-7-1) didn’t help.
In the 13th minute, KC’s Daniel Salloi sent in a cross on the ground, and it deflected off Maya Yoshida and into the net. There was no attacker near enough to the cross to threaten tapping it in, but Yoshida tried to make a defensive play and it went awry.
John Pulskamp had to make one save, and it came in the first half on the way to his second clean sheet in his 11th start of the season for Sporting KC. His save came just before halftime on a right-footed shot from the center of the box by John Nelson.
John McCarthy did not have a save for the Galaxy.
It was sweet revenge for Dejan Joveljic, who came to Sporting KC in the first cash-for-player trade in league history after helping the Galaxy win their sixth MLS Cup last season. He leads the team with five goals — all at home.
The Galaxy have missed Riqui Puig, who hasn’t played since suffering a knee injury in the playoffs. And Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec, who combined for 50 goals contributions in the championship run, have just four so far this season.
Sporting KC interim coach Kerry Zavagnin and the Galaxy’s Greg Vanney were teammates on the US men’s national team. The two coaches represented their current teams when the two clubs squared off in the conference final of the 2000 MLS Cup — won by the then-Kansas City Wizards, who went on to beat the Chicago Fire 1-0 in the championship match.
The Galaxy travel to play the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. Sporting KC travels to play the Portland Timbers on Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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