Dramatic turnaround for Sporting Kansas City continues... with club in playoff position

Saturday night’s rain may have just as well signified the end of a scoring drought for Sporting KC, which is in the midst of a dramatic turnaround.

Sporting’s Alan Pulido extended the club’s unbeaten streak to four while adding to the at-home win streak of the same number in a 4-1 victory over Austin FC on Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park.

Pulido finished his night helping the club tally three of its four goals. He scored two of his own and added an assist. Saturday marks the first time in his Sporting career he’s accomplished that feat, in addition to his first multi-goal match since May 2021.

For Pulido, his first goal of the night came in the 19th minute and put Sporting in front 1-0. Sporting took advantage of a corner conceded by Austin defender Julio Cascante, as Pulido notched his third goal of the MLS season. He has now scored in back-to-back MLS matches for the first time since August of 2021.

“I remember saying to him that when I sit back and imagine in my mind how (the) center forward plays in our team, he fits perfectly,” manager and sporting director Peter Vermes said of Pulido. “I know that it’s been very frustrating for him (sitting out due to injury) because he’s a guy that wants to be on the field. It’s his passion, it’s what he loves to do.”

Of course, the first goal wasn’t the end of Pulido’s productive night. With Sporting maintaining a 1-0 lead through the end of the first half, Pulido found defender Robert Castellanos to set the stage for another goal in the 47th minute.

Saturday’s goal was Castellanos’ first for Sporting, and his first MLS goal since his Nashville SC debut in August 2021.

“Tonight was a night that I had to show up and be there for the team, and we got a couple of other chances,” Castellanos said. “It was just good to get the win and get three points.”

Austin FC received its first yellow card of the night, which went to Cascante, in the 52nd minute. That led to an attempt by Sporting midfielder Erik Thommy that could’ve added to the lead. Nevertheless, Pulido struck again minutes later, finishing off an assist by defender Tim Leibold in the 55th minute to put Sporting in front 3-0.

Kendall McIntosh was in goal for Sporting on Saturday as he continues to fill in for Tim Melia, who is recovering from a quad injury. He allowed one goal — in the 61st minute from Austin FC midfielder Sebastián Driussi — but otherwise was impressive through the final whistle.

Sporting attacker Khiry Shelton added the last goal in the 89th minute.

“I had a really good feeling tonight before the game. I had a feeling I was going to score tonight,” said Shelton, who played in college at Oregon State. “Glad I could do it against my home team.”

Shelton made his first appearance in the 77th minute, as Pulido’s night wrapped up. But his number of minutes didn’t diminish his impact. In an attempt to take advantage of an open net, Shelton scored a goal that was taken off the board when he was deemed offside.

But he found his way back into prime scoring position for his first goal of the season.

“It’s amazing, you know. I believe in this team,” Shelton said. “I show up every day, I give my 110% every day. Things don’t work out sometimes, but I don’t give up hope.”

For Sporting, this current stretch has lifted them above the playoff line at 8th in the Western Conference after a start to the season that was plagued with injuries and a long winless stretch.

With Sporting now in a better position, Vermes had one word to sum up the path for the remainder of the season: believe.

“I said that from the beginning, I believe in the group,” Vermes said. “I think it all comes down to the fact that there is a belief in the group, everybody believes that we’re doing and working towards the right goals.

“Our trainings, our game plans were there. We just had times (where) we’re falling short but we knew it was going to come. ... We still have a lot of work to do. We haven’t even come close to what I believe we can (do).”

Sporting (5-8-5) will next play host to Los Angeles FC on June 17 at Children’s Mercy Park.