Eight goals, 10 cards, two penalty kicks, and one particular referee — Holy Toledo.

Sporting KC’s 4-4 draw with New England had just about everything a soccer match can possibly have, and somehow both teams managed to finish it with a point. After going up 3-1 at the half, New England held off Kansas City’s offense in the final seven minutes with just nine men. 

FloFC dissected a match that had just about everything.  

Juan Fernando Caicedo nets a brace for first MLS goals 

Tejon, DeJuan, Juan, and Juan — the Revolution’s rookie loaded backline — has definitely not missed a beat. 

In a match Saturday evening that featured eight goals, New England’s Juan Fernando Caicedo and DeJuan Jones each netted their first goals in the MLS. Caicedo finished with a brace with two first-half goals, and Jones netted his off an initially failed penalty kick in the 66th minute. 

Only having possession for less than 30 percent of the game, the Revolution’s back line managed to score four goals after entering the game with just five shots on goal over their last four outings. 

To get on the board, Juan Agudelo took off in open space off a pass from Scott Caldwell and crossed the ball into Caicedo with Sporting KC’s goalkeeper on the ground. Later in the half, Tejon Buchanan beat defender Abdul Rwatubyaye and found Caicedo again for his brace and second of the season. 

“I thought today you started to see the reason that we signed him in the first place,” Revolution coach Brad Friedel said after the game. “He made a lot of forward runs. He holds the ball, he's strong. I'm sure it will do his confidence a world of good to score those goals.”

On loan from Independiente Medellín of Columbia’s Categoria Prímera A, Caicedo entered the Revolution with 89 goals in nearly 300 appearances across a nine-year professional career. 

He was injured for much of preseason, but has now managed to play 318 minutes across eight games played with three starts. 

“I think he’s gradually got a little bit more time here and there, and he did excellent tonight,” Caldwell said. “Holding the ball, making forward runs, getting him behind, and obviously scoring.” 

The second of the three rookies, DeJuan Jones, came to New England after leading Michigan State to a national semifinal appearance in 2018. Jones scored 16 goals and 14 assists in his four years with the Spartans. 

On Saturday, Jones scored on a controversially awarded penalty kick to a Sporting KC handball. Jones’ shot was initially stopped by Melia, but Jones found the ball on its second rebound to score the Revolution’s fourth goal of the game. 

“They were excellent,” Caldwell said of Buchanan, Jones, and Caicedo. “They really gave the backline of Kansas City trouble with their pace and their runs well timed. Tejon put a couple of great crosses in and DeJuan was really smart filling up the penalty. It just shows they’ve been working hard and it's really great to see them succeed today.”

What is happening to KC’s defense? 

Still unbeaten at home in the MLS, Sporting KC gave up their 21st goal in its last six matches to finish the month of April without a win and with an injured list that now has eight. Sporting’s goal count was lifted to 19 on Saturday — the second most in the MLS — yet the club sits in eighth place in the Western Conference. 

“We started this week with nine starters out of practice, that changes the consistency and the continuity within the team,” manager Peter Vermes said. “If we’re going to deal with it, I am glad we’re dealing with it now to start the season, and I hope that a bunch of those guys get better as time goes on because we need that kind of continuity within the team.”

Announced earlier in the week, Roger Espinoza (PCL) is out two to three months, Rodney Wallace (hip) is out four to six months, and Matt Besler (hamstring) is expected to be back by the end of May. On Saturday, Gerso Fernandes sustained what appeared to be a left wrist injury, needing X-rays after the game. 

Rwanda native Abdul Rwatubyaye made his first career start at center back, Yohan Croizet started at left back, and Andreu Fontás started at center back after being listed as questionable.

Asked whether he thinks the personnel he’s putting out can fix the defensive miscues, Vermes added, “I’ll tell you this: I’ll win, because I’ll keep working. At some point, they’ll be better. For sure.”

Kansas City (2-2-4) plays host to Atlanta at 8 PM Sunday, and New England (2-6-2) travels to face Philadelphia at 6:30 PM Saturday.