KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A Galaxy team that had started to shake off its slow start to the season came up empty against the league’s last-place team for the second time in two months.
Calvin Harris had a goal and two assists and Dejan Joveljić scored against his former team, leading Sporting Kansas City to a 3-1 victory over the Galaxy on Wednesday night.
Sporting KC (2-8-2, 8 points) snapped an eight-match winless streak under first-year manager Raphaël Wicky and an eight-match winless skid at home that dated to last year. The club’s only other victory this season came against the Galaxy (4-5-4, 16 points) – a 2-1 win on March 14 in Carson in which Joveljić also scored.
Kansas City grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 32nd minute when Berg Johnsen forced a turnover at midfield, played a pass wide to Harris, whose run on the ball drew a defender before his cross found a streaking Capemba whose sliding shot beat Galaxy goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski.
Kansas City doubled its lead in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time. Zorhan Bassong lofted a pass to Harris, who settled it and slipped a pass to Joveljić, whose chip shot gave SKC a 2-0 lead. It was his sixth goal this season and his 24th in 44 appearances with his new club.
Joveljić scored 34 goals for the Galaxy from 2021-24. He scored the winner in the final against the New York Red Bulls in 2024 for the Galaxy’s sixth MLS Cup title before being traded in the offseason. He has scored in three straight matches against his former teammates.
Harris found the net in the 70th minute when Garcia battled for possession at midfield and found Harris, whose shot nestled inside the back pos for a 3-0 lead. It was Harris’ first goal this season and his 12th in 113 career matches.
Pec blasted a left-footed shot from outside the box in the 89th minute – his 10th goal of the season – to cut the Kansas City lead to 3-1. Justin Haak and former SKC player Erik Thommy had assists on the play, which extended the Galaxy’s league-best scoring streak to 22 consecutive matches.
Pec scored two late goals in a 2-1 road win against Atlanta United last weekend.
A strategic adjustment to start the match paid dividends as Kansas City aligned in a 4-4-2 rather than its usual 4-3-3, giving Harris extra space to fire off a shot in the 11th minute.
The Galaxy tested SKC goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland in the 14th minute with Mauricio Cuevas’ shot from outside the box. Marco Reus sailed a shot over the crossbar from distance in the 25th minute.
Forced to settle for long-range attempts, Reus launched a right-footed shot from 18 yards out in the 39th minute that again missed high.
Moments later, Harris pressed again, but Marcinkowski smothered the shot at point-blank range to keep the visitors’ halftime deficit at 2-0.
Early in the second half, Joseph Paintsil’s shot bent from left to right from the corner of the box, but Cleveland made the save.
Both Cleveland and Marcinkowski were credited with six saves, as the Galaxy attempted 17 shots to 15 for SKC.
KLAUSS PLACED ON IL
The Galaxy officially placed forward João Klauss on the injured list before Wednesday’s match. The team announced late last month that he had ligament repair surgery on his left foot and is expected to make a full recovery. He will miss the team’s next six matches and will be eligible to return for an Aug. 1 match against FC Dallas at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Klauss suffered the injury when he collided with an FC Dallas defender early in the second half of an April 18 match in Frisco, Texas.
UP NEXT
The Galaxy visits the Seattle Sounders on Saturday at 6:15 p.m.