He may not have come away with a goal, but forward Johnny Russell played an instrumental role in Sporting Kansas City’s 2-1 comeback victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park. MLSsoccer.com took notice, including Russell as a midfielder on the MLS Team of the Week for Week 24.
With Sporting in dire need of three points to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff chase, Russell rose to the occasion against an upstart San Jose side that took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Scottish international, a constant menace for the Earthquakes backline, helped orchestrate a 50th-minute equalizer with a clever diagonal ball that Jimmy Medranda chested down to Benny Feilhaber, who expertly converted from the top of the box.