Sporting Kansas City get winning start to life after Peter Vermes | OneFootball

By José Nuñez

After arguably the most tumultuous week in club history, Sporting Kansas City welcomed the post-Peter Vermes era with an emotional 2-0 home win over cross-state rivals St. Louis CITY SC.

Marquee winter arrival Dejan Joveljić netted both goals in front of 18,116 raucous fans at Children's Mercy Park as interim manager Kerry Zavagnin gave SKC their first victory of the season while snapping a 13-game winless skid (all competitions) that dated back to September 2024.

“The spirit of the guys… they were not going to give in," Zavagnin said post-match. "First time in a while that I heard at halftime, ‘We are not losing tonight.’

"With that mentality, that spirit, you can overcome a lot of things."

With the victory, Zavagnin joins Ron Newman (1996) as the only coaches in club history to record a shutout win in their first MLS match in charge.

“As the guys grew in confidence, which had been missing for a while, we started getting in and around the goal," the former US international said.

"... And defensively, the commitment to defend from all 11 on the field was fantastic."

Star signing delivers

Joveljić, a 2024 MLS Cup winner with the LA Galaxy who joined SKC in the first cash-for-player trade in MLS history, provided the offensive spark for a Kansas City side that had only produced one multi-goal game heading into Matchday 7.

“The determination and commitment of Dejan, to be a nonstop workhorse up there, it’s no surprise he scored 20-plus goals last year,” said Zavagnin. “It was just a matter of breaking out, and he did that tonight.”

The 25-year-old Serbian international now has 4g/0a for Sporting, who moved out of last place in the Western Conference with a 1W-5L-1D record (four points).

Turning the page

Saturday's cathartic result came five days after the club mutually parted ways with Vermes, officially ending a nearly 20-year collaboration that left a massive impact at both the club and league levels and will be felt for generations to come.

“This entire week – for all of us, not just me – has been an emotional one," said Zavagnin, Vermes' longtime assistant. "I’ve had to compartmentalize a lot of my emotions and feelings because I knew what I, and we, needed to do tonight.

“I know how badly they wanted to do well. They’re a great group of men, and they just needed to trust each other a bit more.”

Sporting will look to carry their newfound momentum when the Portland Timbers come to town on April 13 (2:15 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+; FOX, FOX Deportes).

WATCH: Sporting KC kick off new era with rivalry win over St. Louis