A television in Derby, England was locked on American soccer for the better part of a year, with Johnny Russell sitting on his living-room couch, pondering his inclusion. His English club was prime for a promotion to the Premier League, but there was something about MLS that drew his wonderment. “How might I fit in?” he would later describe it.
In six weeks, the answer has been convincing.
During a progression in which Russell has taken Children’s Mercy Park by storm, he found his signature moment Friday.
Russell recorded the eighth hat trick in Sporting KC history, lifting his club to a 6-0 victory against an overmatched and eventually undermanned Vancouver team.