Calvin Harris Scores and Sets Up Two as Sporting Kansas City Beat LA Galaxy 3-1

Sporting Kansas City has its own Calvin Harris, and no, this one does not play festival main stages. On Wednesday night at Sporting Park, he headlined anyway.

Harris assisted on both first-half goals and scored one of his own in the second half as Sporting Kansas City beat the LA Galaxy 3-1 in front of 14,188, four days after a 6-0 loss at Portland. Capita and Dejan Joveljic scored before halftime, Harris added the third in the 70th minute, and Gabriel Pec's late strike was the only consolation for the visitors.

Counterpunch Kansas City

The Galaxy had more of the ball early, and Stefan Cleveland had to stop two shots from Mauricio Cuevas in the 14th and 19th minutes. LA strung together a series of corners in the mid-20s, and Marco Reus had a shot blocked. But Sporting's game plan was clear from the start: let LA have it, then go.

It worked in the 32nd minute. According to the club, Lasse Berg Johnsen won the ball in his own half and found Harris racing down the left, and Harris played it into the middle for Capita, who finished with his left foot from the center of the box. The club says it was Capita's first goal since joining in April.

Then came the dagger right before the break. In the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, Zorhan Bassong, making his first start of the season per the club, played a long ball forward to Harris, who held off a defender and set up Joveljic for a finish into the high center of the net. ESPN logged both goals as fast breaks, and both had Harris' fingerprints all over them.

Joveljic's goal came against his former club. Sporting say he spent four seasons with the Galaxy from 2021 to 2024, helped them win a league title in his last one, and has now scored in each of his last three games against them. It was also his 150th regular-season appearance, per the club.

The Turning Point

Sporting started the second half without Capita, who had needed treatment in the 27th minute. Stephen Afrifa replaced him, and Wicky said afterward that he had no update and that "I didn't want to take a risk in the second half."

LA had the better of the early second half. Pec dragged a shot wide off a corner in the 54th minute, Lucas Sanabria missed just wide in the 57th, and Cleveland saved Joseph Paintsil's effort toward the top right corner moments later. A goal there and the night changes.

Instead, Sporting struck again. Raphael Wicky sent on Jacob Bartlett and Manu García just after the hour, and in the 70th minute García threaded a through ball to Harris, who drilled a right-footed shot from the center of the box into the bottom left corner. The club says García beat three Galaxy players on the way and that it was Harris' first goal for Sporting. JT Marcinkowski had already denied Harris twice, in first-half stoppage time and in the 63rd minute, so this one was overdue.

The Galaxy kept pushing. Erik Thommy tested Cleveland in the 76th and 78th minutes, and Cleveland also stopped Pec in the 85th. Pec finally beat him in the 89th minute with a left-footed rocket from outside the box into the top left corner, set up by Justin Haak. According to Sporting, the goal extended the Galaxy's run of scoring in 22 consecutive MLS matches, the longest active streak in the league.

Star Turns

Calvin Harris. One goal, two assists, five shots and three on target. Wicky was thrilled for him: "He creates these chances, and I'm happy for him as well, that he got his first goal."

Stefan Cleveland. Six saves, per ESPN, against a Galaxy side that put seven shots on target.

Gabriel Pec. The best player in white, with four shots, two on target and a goal. Sporting's recap notes that he now has the Galaxy's last three goals after a brace on Saturday.

Stats That Matter

• Possession: LA held 59.8 percent of the ball and completed 464 passes to Sporting's 288.
• Shots: LA had 18 attempts to Sporting's 15, and both teams put seven on target.
• Saves: Cleveland made six saves, Marcinkowski four.
• Corners: LA earned eight corners to Sporting's four.
• Fouls: Sporting committed 19 fouls to LA's six.

What It Means

Sporting improved to 2-2-8 with eight points. It was their first home win of the season, as Bassong said postgame, and the club says it snapped an eight-game winless run across all competitions and completed a season sweep of the Galaxy after a 2-1 road win over LA on March 14. The three goals were a season high, per the club.

"I have to say, it feels good to sit here after a win. It's been too long to wait for this, but I'm very proud of the reaction of the team," Wicky said. He was honest about the turnaround from the Portland loss: "I would be lying to you if I was sitting here and said I expected exactly that."

Bassong summed up the locker room: "This is the first home win of the season so the emotions are high, and everybody's super proud and happy." He also credited a pregame speech from Roger Espinoza, saying, "This really hyped us."

The Galaxy fell to 4-4-5 with 16 points, ending a three-match unbeaten run that included wins over Real Salt Lake and Atlanta United. Sporting head to Austin FC on Saturday for their final road match before the World Cup break, per the club, while the Galaxy visit the Seattle Sounders the same day.

Closing Take

Four days after a 6-0 nightmare in Portland, Sporting looked like a different team, sharp on the counter and fearless with the ball. One win does not fix a season, but if you are going to build a comeback playlist, starting it with a track called Calvin Harris is not the worst idea.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by Sporting Kansas City's official site.