An upset is followed by a certain kind of silence. It was a flat, depressing silence, not the boisterous, chaotic aftermath of a spectacular return. After losing 3-0 to the Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the Round of 32 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Sporting Kansas City most likely felt that way on the bus ride out of Colorado Springs on Tuesday night.
An MLS team was just eliminated from the tournament for the first time since 2023 by a second-division USL Championship team. Furthermore, it wasn’t very close.
Context was what made it hurt more. In 2022, Sporting KC advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup. In 2024, they finished second. The competition is not an afterthought for this club. Tuesday’s game at Weidner Field began with first-choice players. Clearly, the goal was to progress. Rather, the game had already begun to fade away in five minutes.
A player that Sporting KC itself had chosen in the third round of the MLS SuperDraft just months prior caused the early harm. Sadam Masareka, a 21-year-old loan player for the Switchbacks, gave the impression that his previous drafting club was sluggish and unsure. After Jansen Miller overpursued a routine ball in the 12th minute, he assisted on the first goal. He then scored the second goal himself, picking off a poor pass that was forced by his own pressure on Jayden Reid and finishing past John Pulskamp with an almost insulting level of poise.
In the first twenty minutes, there were two goals. They were both the result of mental mistakes rather than tactical mismatches.
Raphael Wicky, the head coach, didn’t look for an explanation later. That is noteworthy. He addressed the loss in his first season with the team by focusing on preparedness and mindset rather than personnel or formation. He discussed statistics pertaining to effort. In public, he questioned why the Switchbacks desired it more. He stated, “Cup games are fight games first,” and coming from a man in charge of professionals, that framing is both truthful and somewhat damning.
In fact, Taylor Calheira, who came off the bench on Tuesday, had previously won these kinds of upsets with Tulsa FC in 2025 and NYCFC II in 2024. He knew exactly how the Switchbacks felt. “When you get a chance to play against an MLS team, you play like it’s your World Cup final,” he stated. Although it’s not a novel observation, hearing it from someone who is in the losing locker room lends it new significance.
An additional source of annoyance was the red card Shapi Suleymanov received late in the second half. Replays revealed that Borges, not Suleymanov, may have committed the foul that set it off. Sporting KC will be closely monitoring whether that decision is reviewed prior to the tournament next year.
In the 84th minute, Khori Bennett scored a third goal for the Switchbacks, which was more evidence that the evening was truly over than a knife in the wound. Final score: 3-0.
Observing this from the outside gives the impression that Sporting KC’s issues on Tuesday had less to do with the opposition. Although they are a competitive team, the Switchbacks are still in the second division. The true problem appears to be a variation of the same problem that plagues professional teams in cup competitions each year: showing up in person but not fully engaged. Wicky appeared to comprehend that. Only the upcoming weeks will tell if his players take it in.
On Friday, Sporting KC will travel to Vancouver to play the Whitecaps, who are currently in first place. a different test, a different setting, and a different adversary. The Colorado Springs loss might serve as a helpful, if painful, reset. Or it turns out to be one of those findings that leaves more questions than answers.
The Heartland’s team is currently eliminated from a competition that they have been serious about for years. And a 21-year-old forward selected by their own front office is likely still considering that nutmeg somewhere in Colorado Springs.
