Sporting Kansas City was down two goals in the second half of Tuesday’s U.S. Open Cup match against FC Dallas, but there were some secret weapons lurking in the crowd.
Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Mecole Hardman, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Marquez Valdes-Scantling were all in attendance and when the players were shown on the big screen, the entire shape of the match started to change.
Sporting KC suddenly burst into life, scoring two goals to tie the match and then adding two more in extra time to win 4-2 and advance to the Open Cup round of 16.
Was it a coincidence that the comeback started after the Chiefs stars’ presence was made clear? Maybe not.
the momentum really changed when they showed @PatrickMahomes and @tkelce on the big screen 😎😤
— daniel salloi (@danielsalloi) May 11, 2022
Salloi wasn’t the only Sporting KC player who felt that way.
“It definitely helps that they were there,” forward Khiry Shelton told reporters after the game. “A lot of people don’t really know that they come to our games.
“The crowd started going crazy and then we’re on the field chatting to one another like let’s go, let’s go. It’s for us. This game is for us.”
This was @PatrickMahomes and @tkelce's reaction to the 98th match-tying goal 💪
Show us yours: drop your Open Cup celly video 👇 pic.twitter.com/STCoVkNRTQ
— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) May 11, 2022
Mahomes buys stake in Sporting KC
Mahomes, of course, is not just a Sporting KC fan. The superstar quarterback is also a part-owner of the MLS club, joining the ownership group last July.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to join Sporting Kansas City’s ownership team and strengthen my connection to the fans and the city I love,” Mahomes said at the time.
“Sporting is a community-oriented club and I am excited to continue supporting the growth of soccer in Kansas City.”
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