His love affair with the Open Cup began back in 2017 with an auspicious introduction.
“Whenever anyone asks I always say that it’s the top soccer moment for me,” the 28-year-old Salloi told usopencup.com thinking back on his winning goal in the 2017 Open Cup Final against NYRB – adding a capper to Latif Blessing’s headed opener in a 2-1 win in the 104th Open Cup Final. “It’s the top memory. Scoring a winning goal in a Cup final at home, you can’t match that.”
But Salloi, previously of Budapest side Újpest, who signed with KC as a pro in 2016 after an impressive year in the club's academy, wants to do just that. He’s yet to score in any of SKC’s four 2024 Open Cup games, but his opener in last year’s Third Round rout of Division II Tulsa Athletic was his eighth Open Cup goal in an SKC shirt.
The 2024 Final, against western conference high-flyers LAFC later this month, presents another opportunity for him to prove he’s a man for the big stage in his favorite competition.
Salloi, a hybrid striker-winger conspicuous for his elegance on the ball, has gone from gifted youngster to team leader. And he takes his contributions seriously.
Chasing Records & Revival
While most players dismiss individual honors as unimportant in the grand scheme, Salloi is refreshingly honest. He sees his Cup scoring record as part of a continuum of progress.
“I chase these records,” said the attacker, who followed in the footsteps of his father, István Sallói – once a teammate of current Kansas City coach Vermes at Hungarian side Győri ETO FC – by earning his first of four international caps for Hungary in 2021.
