KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The beat of a drum banged through the sold-out stadium, the harmonic chant from thousands growing louder and louder for a man who grew up in an orphanage.

"Hey! Ho! Ger-so!" the voices yelled, to the rhythm of a 1976 Ramones song. "Hey! Ho! Ger-so!"

The chorus echoed through the park as Gerso Fernandes skipped the ball to his left foot and unleashed a shot that blistered the inside netting, a stunning goal to seal a victory for Sporting Kansas City. He sprinted to the north end of the field to greet the choir, a boisterous group of former strangers who treat the club's...