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Loons stave off playoff elimination with win over Kansas City

Mauricio Gonzalez scored the go-ahead goal in the 76th minute

Minnesota United FC defender Cherrion Valerius (52) and Sporting Kansas City forward Stephen Afrifa (17) compete for the ball on Oct. 28, 2026, in St. Paul.

Mauricio Gonzalez scored the go-ahead goal in the 76th minute as Minnesota United scored three goals in the final 20 minutes to rally for a 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday night in St. Paul.

Anthony Markanich and Kelvin Yeboah also scored goals and Drake Callender made two saves for Minnesota United (9-12-11, 38 points), who kept their playoff hopes alive heading into a game at Los Angeles FC on Sunday.

Taylor Calheira scored a goal and Stefan Cleveland made five saves for Sporting Kansas City (6-22-4, 22 points), who lost their fourth straight match and are winless in six matches this month.

Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute when Calheira scooped up a deflected pass at the top of the box and then drilled a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner for his fifth goal.

SKC had a chance to double their lead in the 64th minute but a shot by Andre Luiz from the top right side of the box caromed off the post.

Minnesota tied it in the 72nd minute when Markanich headed a corner kick from Joaquin Pereyra into the net for his ninth goal.

Gonzalez then put the Loons in front four minutes later when he took a pass from Nectarios Triantis in the middle of the box, dribbled to his left and drilled a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner for his third goal. It was the 79th goal allowed this season by SKC, breaking the MLS single-season record of 78 set by the San Jose Earthquakes in 2024.

Yeboah then sealed the win with his team-leading 18th goal in the 88th minute, drilling a right-footed shot from the edge of the 6-yard box into the left corner of the net off an assist from Tomas Chancalay.

After the damaging scoreless draw against Houston last weekend, the Loons (9-12-11, 38 points) needed a victory to ward off being eliminated and Minnesota got a comeback to do so against last-place Sporting (6-22-4, 22 points).

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