The New England Revolution are officially winners of the 2021 MLS Supporters' Shield after Johnny Russell's late second-half strike granted Sporting Kansas City a 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field Saturday afternoon.
The Revs needed Seattle to either lose or draw at home against Sporting to clinch the Supporters' Shield, and late heroics from Russell ensured just that. With three points, Sporting have clinched a spot in the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs and edge closer to the Sounders in the race for the Western Conference's No. 1 seed. At the end of Week 32, Seattle are in first with 58 points while Sporting sit a spot behind them with 55 and a game in hand.
Russell's 79th-minute goal came on the counter-attack against the run of play after a Roger Espinoza feed, hitting his shot first-time across goal and past goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
Sporting are now 16-0-0 this season when scoring two goals in a game, while Russell notched a goal for the seventh straight game. It was a chippy contest, featuring eight yellow cards between the two sides and a whopping 35 fouls called.
Sporting began on the front foot, finding the back of the net inside the opening five minutes after a sluggish start from the Sounders. After a sequence of commotion in the box and two failed clearances from the Sounders, SKC midfielder Remi Walter ripped home a curling effort in the fourth minute.
Nicolas Benezet equalized in the 58th minute after a high-pressing sequence from the Sounders, with the hosts driving into the Sporting box. However, just two minutes prior, controversy occurred after Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia appeared to pick up and throw Cristian Roldan to the ground in the box. Melia was given just a yellow card for the incident, much to the dismay of Sounders players and fans alike.
The intensity picked up between the clubs, with plenty of end-to-end action but a lack of clinical finishing from the hosts proved to be their downfall. Sporting pulled ahead in the 79th minute, with Russell scoring the game-winner and stunning the home crowd.
In a last-chance effort, Roldan ripped a powerful shot from atop the box but hit the crossbar in dramatic fashion in the 93rd minute.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Sporting edged closer to Seattle, just three points out with a game in hand, meaning there's still everything to play for with only four matchdays remaining. For the Sounders, it’s a tough home loss but a sluggish start cost them. The result also means that SKC take the regular-season series 2-1-0. Could another meeting beckon in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs?
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Tim Melia’s 56th-minute yellow card incident. Judge for yourself: What actually happened here? This was the turning point for both sides, as the pressure and intensity ramped up for the remaining stretch.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Tim Melia was stellar in net for Sporting in the second half. He made four saves, with the Sounders posting an expected xG of 1.9.
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