Minnesota United FC saved their decisive work for the final 20 minutes, overturning a halftime deficit to beat Sporting Kansas City 3-1 at Allianz Field on Wednesday, October 28.
Taylor Calheira put Sporting ahead in the 31st minute, but Anthony Markanich’s 72nd-minute header sparked a dramatic turnaround. Mauricio Gonzalez made it 2-1 in the 76th minute before Kelvin Yeboah sealed the Major League Soccer victory in the 88th.
Calheira gives Sporting the advantage
Calheira’s 31st-minute opener gave the visitors a lead they carried into the interval. It also left Minnesota facing a test of patience: despite ultimately finishing with the stronger attacking numbers, the hosts were still chasing an equalizer deep into the second half.
Sporting remained ahead through the 71st minute, putting an away victory within reach. What followed transformed the fixture.
Markanich starts a four-minute turnaround
Markanich restored parity with a header in the 72nd minute, finally breaking Sporting’s resistance. Just four minutes later, Gonzalez struck in the 76th to put Minnesota ahead for the first time.
In that brief spell, the hosts turned a looming defeat into a winning position. Sporting still had time to pursue a draw, but Yeboah’s 88th-minute goal gave Minnesota a two-goal cushion and settled the contest.
Minnesota’s attacking edge pays off
The final statistics underlined Minnesota’s greater attacking output. The hosts held 57.5 percent possession, outshot Sporting 18-10 and registered eight attempts on target to the visitors’ two. Minnesota also earned eight corners, twice Sporting’s total.
Those advantages took time to translate into goals, but three strikes from the 72nd minute onward ensured the hosts finished with all three points. For Sporting, Calheira’s first-half breakthrough ultimately proved insufficient against Minnesota’s late response.
Next fixtures
Minnesota United next face LAFC on Sunday, November 1, at 5:30 p.m. PST. Sporting Kansas City return to action against FC Dallas on Saturday, October 31, at noon PDT.
