Sacramento Legend was the hero on the night we are getting set for kickoff this is the big one folks this is where we're going to settle our first finalist in this year's competition five changes from their game over the weekend great to see Logan and demb the Belgian back though his first start since he did his ACL November of the 2023 season but I'm looking at the wing play tonight Daniel shallow Johnny Russell their ability to stretch this game and then invert to find Alan pedo up top who struggled in the nine but great to play playoff of En Tien it spaces here's a look at our refereeing crew our main man is going to be Rosendo Mendoza he is not refereed in a US Open Cup game since 2019 the last match in that tournament he officiated was a quarterfinal between Atlanta United and St Louis FC a game in which Atlanta came away Victorious and of course went on to win the competition under Frank dor meanwhile in charge of all the ambiguity tonight is Daniel Radford and Jonathan Johnson in the v facility back in Arlington Texas [Music] and now taking a look at the starting 11 for Shawn mcau he was in his first season with Indie 11 Devin eight changes from their loss over the weekend big loss on the backline Adrien D pay there left Center back unavailable for selection but this is the same back three that kept Atlanta United at Bay really didn't give up any opportunities you want to watch within the Midfield though how Quinn cam Linley and Jack Blake hold formation there they've struggled with a little bit of space but if they can stay tight and allow those transitional moments to Augie Williams and Douglas Martinez they'll be just fine after a more than two and 1 half hour weather delay the first semi-final and the 109th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open cup is officially underway as we invite you to turn off the world expected 3 hours ago isn't his present with the understanding though that that adversity created a Brotherhood that he didn't necessarily think would have taken shape as quickly as it did because of the fact that that news came out and you had to face some skeletons didn't you the other side of that is some of these guys were involved with the San Diego loyal organization that holded an USL Championship last season also recognizing them that they didn't know what the future days were going to be like so some experience on an individual level that works itself into the collective that has produced semi-final appearance for lower division Squad twice in the last three seasons of course Sacramento Republic falling just short to Orlando city in 22 here's Tommy from a long way out and he rocks the woodwork that ball set up perfectly for the German oh the understanding that with all the rotation you're going to get I mentioned this Ellen pedo in that pocket just in front of the back line very comfortable that allows this man Eric [Applause] Tommy fter on the turn now Daniel shallow poo it's a good initial Challenge from Callum Chapman paage and these are the moments in terms of suffering and that was the operative word that Shawn Malla used even before the Atlanta game and knowing that there are going to be large stretches like this but even more so against the likes of sport in Kansas City as Eric Tommy finding Davis little faint to cut inside and now Russell now he fancies it from a distance that he loves Johnny Russell the heartbeat of this club draws first blood in this semi-final and it's one [Applause] n sporting getting everything that they want right now it's flat lines for indie1 but more importantly they're drawing them out and recognize the vision here of Jake Davis from the outside the one-on-one that cut back right there you've stretched your wing back deeper and then all of a sudden you have to ask one of your midfielders step up to the inside and they don't recognize that it's a 2V1 Aiden Quinn doesn't get help on the weak side Johnny Russell recognized the separation and just it will be Eric Tommy it's a great effort and it's off the post hter salt he's got to be oh so careful because of the two Marksman he's got over it but the woodwork full force that big 6'7 frame fully ex second time he struck the woodwork tonight and all he needs is the right stick that's guarded by Hunter salt and they'll have the trifecta necessarily go after some of these movements coming away and that's exactly what's happening if you watch defensively even when they have the mark scorting step on it play a 5yd ball and it's Douglas Martinez it's Jack Blake stepping out it's allowing Sporting Kansas City to get Indie into these uncomfortable spots on the field that opens up this real estate and they're just happy to step right into it take their passages of play and continue the other direction here's the substitute musu came on about seven or eight minutes ago for the injured Callum Chapman page and then a beautiful switch from Aiden quinnn on that wand of a left Peg now neidlinger early in slip from rosero and then Augie Williams had a great chance on the first chance of the night for Indie 11 condens the middle a little bit we talked to sha mcau about it bringing Jack Blake more to the interior in front of Aiden Quinn and Ken Linley almost operating as a single 10 instead of two which they try and do with the single Striker if you bring him in you're going to expose yourself more on the wings but you've got two very good Wing backs and Aiden Stanley and nightlinger that are capable in transitional play and it clogs the middle up to remove some of the movements from sporting right here and shallow just making sure that Hunter salt is awake back there cam Linley taking over calm step though from Andre fontas and now sends Daniel shallow on his way gets on the better side of ofu waiting for Alan pedo and Hunter salt needed to be sharp when you do play out the group's exhausted stagnant in their actions Sal got a touch to it Russell brings it down got a clip from behind now Remy voler gets a right back rosero two n lovely ball for the Frenchman and it's Dany Ros Z the hero in the quarterfinal registering another goal here in the semi and sporting are [Applause] cruising all of a sudden Danny rosero in the last 43 minutes wants to throw his name in the Hat for the Golden Boot he's been incredible coming off the back line lack of organization got to be smarter here if you're Auggie Williams there's no communication whatsoever but how clever of a ball this is to the back a lot of injury and some Personnel issues over the course of this season Danny rosero has remained a constant as Jack Lake decides to take this from distance and easily gobbled up by timia prior to Sporting Kansas City's second goal and that's going to do it for the first half what a performance from sporting in the first 45 5 minutes there's Rosendo Mendoza our head referee for tonight gets things started in this second half Sporting Kansas City 45 minutes away from getting to their first final Carvey Shelton back to the left hand side for Logan and dembe linking up with Eric Tommy looking for an Avenue to pull the trigger still Tommy around the bend as it took a deflection on the way in and made it quite easy for Hunter Sultan the end of the sequence look at the lineups for both of these sides Peter verise again going with the 4231 that we've seen a number of times throughout this campaign no changes from the first half Douglas Martinez was shielding it out of play only to figure out after the fact that the assistant Referee on this near side Brian Dunn was pointing in favor of sporting meanwhile for sha mccol and in the 11 no changes from the first half either other than the substitution that MCCA was forced to make James Musa coming on and replacing Ken Chapman page along the back line Aiden Quinn with the only disciplinary action in the first half picking up a yellow card they have changed down underneath though the change that we were calling for gives them a different look Jack Blake jumping just in front of Cam Linley and Aiden Quinn Al be it just shielding a tad to that left hand side now it's going to make dougas Martinez and Augie Williams up top work a little bit more but if they can work in unison quickly Force The Narrative to the outside there's going to be space out there but quick rotation it allows you to create the ability to remove that interior ball that was so efficient in the first half for Sporting Kansas City finding Jake Davis Remy Vol lot of overload on that left hand flank but beautiful builds throughout James Musa picking out Aiden Stanley beautifully now infield for Jack Blake who decides to unload from distance and Tim Melia was interested in that enough to be able to get a touch to it it looked like it might have trickled wide in the end but IND the 11 are able to generate a corner out of it I don't really mind it from Jack Blake on the back side of things yes it's from distance he doesn't get all of it but he doesn't really have a lot of options if he wants to slip Augie Williams through here he's got to thread the needle much higher percentage to try and have a strike from distance and if you were going to pick one or two on this team to have a Go Jack Lake would be right near the top of the list and now the Brickyard Battalion trying to get involved and spur their side onto a goal that would certainly change the complexion of this semi-final back for Linley and denied by Eric Tommy and now it's a Sprint to the ball between Tommy and neidlinger but hunter Sal ends up beating both of them out it's got to be a little debilitating that you ear in your first corner of the night Devon you don't even get delivery off again I would go back to the fact that the emotional side of the game creates such a fragile mind for these players you know when you chase it's one thing physically you get tired and you actually think that okay let me start to play long take some chances when in fact if you just put the ball on the deck let it do the work it makes it much easier but you have to fight that tendency that you want to play it early certainly giving up the two goals didn't help Alan pedo always falling away from goal and difficult to get that on [Applause] frame good ball from ND linger Martinez back for Jack Blake just trying to tuck it inside of that far post indor claiming there was a deflection referee thinks it's a goal kick delivery from Aiden Quinn always dangerous but this one angled a little bit too far out wide Stanley back in this is much better and then dougas Martinez just barely sends it wide and now those substitutions are going to take place and it will be the Belgian in dembe who's going to make wave for Lial and then fontas will come off and be replaced by Robert voler Martinez again sends it across what a touch that is from timila and then it's sent all the way across again and India 11 somehow don't get their first of the [Music] night again one goal will completely change the tone of this night Quinn sends it in one by Indie 11 cleared Away by rosero SS up nicely for Jack L and timil again and C into action two when they got to a final against Orlando city I got it wouldn't gotten the way let's see how much Freedom sha mcau gives Malik Foster you're going to have to start to gamble even more down the stretch here in the profile he was very clear that it is quite different than what they currently have a guy who out on the wing he's got speed for sure but very comfortable in that half Channel whether forward facing or back to goal that should allow him more link up play with the front line shallow how good is that good game gets through [Applause] O'Brien can't finish it off could do no wrong one-on one's distribution everything so drilled towards the back post a dangerous spot again rosero again jack Blake on the first time follow up off the side of the [Applause] post sometimes there's no magic within the game and it feels like as limited as the opportunities have been for Indie 11 when they have poked their head through toia lordy can't believe it on the second one watch him hit the deck after Auggie Williams stings the side again just perfect position towards the dying Embers of this match ins swinger from Russell the skipper again bong clever little ball rosero up for the header he throws it off the backside of shallow and sporting will go again William AATA sends it into the eighth row of The Cauldron be able to chase a fifth US Open Cup trophy which no other major league soccer team has achieved them Seattle and Chicago all sit on [Applause] four a freea Jake Davis took a deflection and just over the [Applause] crossbar Jake Davis very clear that he had an aha moment coming back from Olympic Camp his first national team call up said I know I belong at that level and I know that I belong within this Midfield and there are great things for me in my future and he has been playing like it lights out out for Sporting Kansas City Club Now country add a dimension to what has been a star studded cast of rotational pieces for Sporting Kansas City in the Midfield the past couple of [Applause] Seasons Challenge from behind inside the area and it's a penalty that's really tight on the outside but won't work rate by William AATA ah he's got a point Gwen zadi where does the contact actually occur I think he catches that trailing Alan pedo saved by [Applause] su how well is this taken by Hunter Soul that's just athleticism right there he's a little slow off his line slow to react it's not doesn't get a ton of pace behind it doesn't move it away from the goalkeeper and yet still able to get a hand on it but that will be [Applause] it Peter for and Sporting Kansas City convincing in their efforts tonight