KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Indy Eleven saw its journey in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup end on Tuesday night as a pair of first-half goals by Johnny Russell and Dany Rosero proved enough to send Sporting Kansas City to a 2-0 victory after a lengthy lightning delay and a place in September’s Final.

Here are three things we took away from the action at Children’s Mercy Park.

1. SKC’S EARLY PRESSURE TAKES TOLL

The challenge for any USL Championship side going against top-flight opposition is establishing where the game is going to be played. Despite having a midfield that included three good passers in Aodhan Quinn, Jack Blake and Cam Lindley, Indy seemed intent on trying to play out to Augustine Williams at every opportunity. That resulted in numerous turnovers, kept Indy in a defensive posture that eventually lost its shape, and allowed SKC to find space outside the box for opportunities.

Erik Thommy gave the warning shot in the 11th minute with a curled effort as a quick piece of interplay provided space to shoot and hit the crossbar. Three minutes later, a similar layoff to Johnny Russell from Jake Davis gave the Scotsman time and space to shoot, and he took full advantage with a powerful strike to put Indy behind for the first time in the tournament.

By the numbers, SKC had 85.4 percent of possession in the first 15 minutes, and 43.9 percent of the game was played in Indy’s defensive third. It proved too much for the visitors to withstand.

2. INDY UNABLE TO MAXIMISE OPPORTUNITIES

While Sporting asserted itself, when Indy was able to retain possession and build attacks, it led to opportunities the visitors that could have been enough to keep the side in the contest. The first shot of the night for the Boys in Blue was arguably the best for either side in the first half when Augustine Williams gained possession near the penalty spot after a defensive misjudgment but couldn’t beat SKC goalkeeper Tim Melia with his shot.

Another chance came just past the hour-mark as Sporting began to sit back to protect its advantage when Douglas Martinez headed just wide off an angled cross from the left by Aedan Stanley. That chance sparked something, and Stanley’s cross that almost deflected in for an own goal with 20 minutes to go was rapidly followed by an effort by Jack Blake that forced a spectacular save from Tim Melia. A goal at that point could have set up a big finish, but it simply wasn’t forthcoming for the visitors.

3. BOYS IN BLUE WILL REFOCUS, PUSH FORWARD

The opportunities Indy created and the urgency it played with in the second half should at least give the side something it can try to build on given how out of sorts it looked before the break, with Hunter Sulte’s penalty save on SKC’s Alan Pulido in stoppage time a good moment for the young shot-stopper. In many ways, this game came at exactly the wrong point of Indy’s season, with the side having taken only one in its last seven league games compared to sitting in the afterglow of a 10-game winning streak that was still fresh in the memory when it vanquished Atlanta United FC in July.

The Eleven remain a side that on paper contains the experience, quality and depth to do some damage in the postseason. Now they’re going to have to deliver the results that will assure their place in the Eastern Conference field, starting on Saturday night when the side returns home to face Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. The Open Cup run is over, but there’s still a lot for this side to play for over the final two months of the regular season.