Sporting Kansas City won a shootout 3-nil over San Jose after a 3-3 tie in regulation and extra time in a first-round playoff game. Goalie Tim Melia made three stops in the quickest shootout in MLS history. KC’s Gianluca Busio became the youngest player in MLS history at age 18 to log a goal and an assist in a playoff game. Top-seeded KC advances to the second round.
Busio is one of the league’s up and coming players. According to Sporting’s website, at 15 years and 89 days, Gianluca Busio became the second-youngest player all-time to sign an MLS contract when he joined Sporting KC in August 2017. Busio earned his club debut at 16 years and nine days old, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 U.S. Open Cup win at Real Salt Lake, before landing his MLS debut against FC Dallas on July 28. In a 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo on Aug. 4, Busio became the third-youngest player to start a match in league history and the second-youngest to record an assist at 16 years and 68 days, setting up Diego Rubio’s goal in the 74th minute. In a 4-1 victory at Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Oct. 17, Busio became the second-youngest goal scorer in MLS history.
