LAFC rebounds to defeat Sporting KC

Carlos Vela added to his MLS goal-scoring lead, while Christian Ramirez and Diego Rossi also added scores, as visiting Los Angeles FC rebounded from a rare defeat to upend Sporting Kansas City 5-1 on Wednesday night.

LAFC poured it on late as Rodolfo Zelaya and Mohamed El-Munir each scored in the closing minutes for the final margin.

LAFC, the top team in MLS, was coming off a 1-0 defeat Friday at Colorado, just their second loss all season.

Yohan Croizet prevented the shutout when he scored in the 85th minute for Sporting KC (4-6-7, 19 points), which lost for the second consecutive time and for the third time in its past six games. The club has just one victory in that stretch.

LAFC (12-2-4, 40 points) won at Children's Mercy Park for the first time ever.

With LAFC already up 2-0, Vela scored his 17th goal of the season in the 63rd minute when he caught defender Matt Besler flat-footed just inside the penalty area and drilled a shot into the back of the net with his left foot.

Vela helped to get his team on the scoreboard in the first half when drew a foul just outside the penalty area. The leading goal scorer in MLS was under tight pressure when he was fouled by former teammate Benny Feilhaber.

Ramirez stepped in for the free kick and slid a shot under a leaping defensive wall and past Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia in the 28th minute. It was Ramirez's fourth goal of the season. It was LAFC's first goal all year off a direct free kick.

Rossi made it 2-0 in the 50th minute when he took Ramirez's pass from midfield, moved just outside the penalty area and fired a shot to the right side of the goal past a diving Melia. It was Rossi's ninth goal of the season, fifth most in MLS.

LAFC goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega made five saves in his first career MLS victory. Zelaya and El-Munir each scored his first career MLS goal.