Dejan Joveljić and Manu García help Sporting KC slip past Minnesota United 2-1

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Dejan Joveljić scored in the first half, and Manu García found the net in the second to help Sporting Kansas City hold off Minnesota United 2-1 on Wednesday night.

Joveljić used assists from rookies Capita Capemba and Lasse Berg Johnsen to score his team-leading seventh goal of the season and give Sporting KC (4-10-2) a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute that stood through halftime.

Capemba's assist was his first in his 10th career appearance and Berg Johnsen collected his fourth in 13 matches.

Defender Jake Davis and Calvin Harris set up García's second goal of the campaign to give Sporting KC a 2-0 lead in the 54th minute. It was the third assist for Davis and a career-high fifth for Harris.

Minnesota United (6-6-4) cut it to 2-1 in the 75th minute when defender Devin Padelford took a pass from Joaquín Pereyra and scored with a header for his first goal this season and his second in 59 career appearances. Pereyra's helper was his sixth.

Stefan Cleveland had six saves for Sporting KC.

Drake Callender saved five shots for Minnnesota United.

Minnesota United entered with a 4-0-1 record in the last five matchups with Sporting KC, including back-to-back 3-0 victories at home in the two most recent.

Sporting KC leads the all-time series 13-10-5 in all competitions and had a 4-0-1 streak in the series prior to Minnesota United's run. Sporting KC is 11-2-1 in the series at home.

Sporting KC was coming off a 3-2 road loss to St. Louis City on Thursday, but the club has picked up three wins in its last five matches.

Minnesota United is 0-3-2 in its last five outings.

Minnesota: Hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.

Sporting KC: At Los Angeles FC on Saturday.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer