Early Goal Not Enough to Secure the Three Points for STL CITY
St. Louis CITY SC U17s had a tough day against Sporting KC Academy, losing 5-1 at Children’s Mercy Victory Field. The boys had a strong start to the game, surprising the opposition with high attacking intensity and persistent pressing. In the second minute, Anthony Faupel whipped a cross in from the right, which deflected off a defender and into the back of the net, giving STL CITY the early lead.
After the goal, STL CITY continued with high intensity but were met with strong resistance as Sporting KC found their attacking rhythm. In the eighth minute, Sporting KC equalized when their forward tapped in a shot from close range. The equalizing goal shifted momentum, with Sporting KC slowly starting to take control of the game. Their pressure paid off in the 14th minute when they took the lead through their right winger who slid a shot past the onrushing STL CITY goalkeeper Owen Spore.
STL CITY hustled and tried to level the match, but a combination of good goalkeeping and narrow misses kept the boys at bay, opening the door for Sporting KC to build on their lead. Ahead of the halftime whistle, Sporting KC added a third and fourth goal, rounding out a dominant first half display.
Coming out of the break, STL CITY made a few tactical tweaks, leading to more goal scoring opportunities after pinning the Sporting KC players deep in their half. Despite generating numerous goal-scoring chances, STL CITY were unable to find the back of the net. Late in the second half, Sporting KC scored their fifth goal, sealing STL CITY’s U17s third defeat of the season.
“The game of soccer can be unfair sometimes,” explained Luis Swisher, St. Louis CITY Academy Assistant Coach. “Although we created more chances than the opposition, we just couldn’t capitalize on them. The game was won in a few key moments today, and credit to Sporting KC for taking their chances in the first half. Now, it is very important for us to remain positive as a group and learn from the mistakes we made today.”
MATCHDAY NOTES – STARTING XI
U17
Jacob Lusigan, Joshua Maher, Anthony Faupel, Max Vuong, Nolan McGuire, Aaron Heard, Nathan Yao, Frtiz Volmar, Braydon Sellers, Caden Glover, Owen Spore
To learn more about the academy, find player bios and rosters here.
Stay up to date on all things St. Louis CITY SC by downloading the official team app and follow the club on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
