Sporting Kansas City Reserves 0-2 Ventura County FC | MLS Next Pro | 7 May 2026

Ventura County FC produced a disciplined away performance to secure a 2-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City Reserves at Swope Soccer Village. The win moves the California side up the Western Conference standings, while the hosts remain rooted in the lower half after another frustrating outing.

Match Overview

From the first whistle, Ventura County looked the more organized and purposeful team. Their pressing game forced SKC Reserves into long balls that rarely found a teammate. The breakthrough arrived in the 31st minute when Sebastian Desmedt latched onto a through ball from midfielder Jalen Neal and coolly slotted past the home keeper.

The second half followed a similar pattern. Sporting KC Reserves struggled to create clear-cut chances, with their best effort coming from a curling shot by John Klein that sailed just wide. Ventura County sealed the result in the 74th minute when substitute Aaron Herzog pounced on a loose ball inside the box to double the lead.

Key Moments

• 31’ – Goal Ventura County: Sebastian Desmedt finishes a clinical counter-attack.
• 56’ – Missed chance: John Klein’s shot whistles past the post for the hosts.
• 74’ – Goal Ventura County: Aaron Herzog’s tap-in from a rebound makes it 2-0.
• 82’ – Goalkeeper save: Ventura’s keeper Damian Las denies a close-range header to preserve the clean sheet.

Tactical Story

Ventura County’s head coach set up his team in a compact 4-4-2, clogging the central channels and forcing SKC wide. The home side’s full-backs were pinned back by the pace of Desmedt and Daniel Flores, limiting their attacking contributions. SKC’s midfield trio of Jacob Bartlett, Graham Smith, and Kyle Hiebert were outnumbered and overrun, leading to a lack of service for striker Preston Semenyo.

The introduction of Ozzie Cisneros for the hosts late on added some energy, but Ventura County’s defensive organization held firm.

Standout Players

• Sebastian Desmedt (Ventura County): A constant threat with his movement, scored the opener.
• Jalen Neal (Ventura County): Controlled midfield and provided the assist.
• Damian Las (Ventura County): Solid when called upon, kept a clean sheet.

Standings Context

With this win, Ventura County FC climbs to 5th place in the Western Conference with 14 points from 9 matches. Sporting Kansas City Reserves, meanwhile, remain in 11th place with just 7 points. The gap between the two sides in both form and quality was evident, and SKC will need a rapid turnaround if they hope to challenge for a playoff spot in the MLS Next Pro season.