Daniel Salloi scored his third of the season early, Diego Rubio added his fifth before halftime, and Sporting Kansas City held on to defeat the LA Galaxy 2-1 victory and move back within a point of the Western Conference lead on Sunday afternoon.
Salloi's strike comes just four days after poking home what proved the winner in SKC's 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls in the U.S. Open Cup Final. His latest helped Sporting remain MLS's only unbeaten side at home this season.
Romain Alessandrini scored his 10th of the season on a blistering second-half free kick, but couldn't prevent the Galaxy from falling to a seventh defeat in nine games. The result all-but-mathematically makes the postseason out of reach for LA, who sit 12 points beneath the playoff line with four matches to play.
- SKC:For Daniel Salloi's family, trip to Kansas City comes at the perfect time
- LA:Landon Donovan says LA Galaxy don't "look like they have a real plan"
Goals
Three Things
A NEW ROLE FOR GYASI?:
Sunday afternoon’s game began with Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid naming
Gyasi Zardes
as a surprise starter at outside back. Just how much of a shock was it? Even Zardes himself told FOX sideline reporter Katie Witham after pregame warm-ups that he hadn’t expected to see his name in that position.
FEAST VS. FAMINE:
Kansas City allowed one goal or fewer for the 25th time in 29 league matches this season, anchored by an exceptional season from goalkeeper
Tim Melia
. Their 23 goals allowed this season is by far the fewest in MLS, 10 ahead of
Toronto FC
's 33. By contrast, the pair of goals LA conceded put them at 58 goals conceded this season, only one better than Minnesota United’s league-worst total of 59.
