Russell propels Sporting KC to 3-0 victory over Earthquakes

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Johnny Russell had a goal and an assist to propel Sporting Kansas City to a 3-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night.

Sporting KC (7-11-8) jumped out to an early lead when Dániel Sallói used an assist from Russell in the third minute to score for a sixth time this season.

Russell stretched the lead to 2-0 at halftime when he took a pass from Nemanja Radoja in the 42nd minute and scored for a fourth time this season.

Radoja notched another assist in the 69th minute on Erik Thommy’s fourth goal of the campaign to complete the scoring.

Tim Melia tallied two saves to earn the clean sheet for Sporting KC. Daniel de Sousa Britto saved three shots for San Jose (9-8-8).

Sporting KC improves to 16-1-3 in its last 20 home matches with the Earthquakes in all competitions. The club improves to 7-4-5 in its last 16 regular-season matches after losing four straight to close out April.

San Jose, which beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 on the road its last time out, has not won two straight away from home since July of 2019 when they posted victories over the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Whitecaps.

The Earthquakes’ Cristian Espinoza had his second four-match goal streak of the season come to an end.

San Jose had gone 1-0-3 in its previous four trips to Kansas City after losing 10 straight there.

San Jose returns home to host the Los Angeles Galaxy on Wednesday. Sporting KC will host St. Louis City on Saturday.

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