Sporting Kansas City continues the club’s Leagues Cup 2023 campaign this Monday when the side hosts Liga MX powerhouse Chivas Guadalajara at Children’s Mercy Park in the finale of Group 3 of the Central Region. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. CT and will be available to stream for free on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV in English and Spanish, while the game will be televised nationally on FS1 (English) and UniMas & TUDN (Spanish). The match will also be available on the radio locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish).
1. WIN AND IN
Sporting Kansas City enters Monday night’s showdown with Liga MX powerhouse Chivas Guadalajara knowing that only a win will be enough to secure a spot in the next round of Leagues Cup 2023.
Central Region - Group 3 Scenarios
- Sporting KC can not win the group
- Sporting KC can advance as runner-up with a win (in regulation or in penalties) against Chivas Guadalajara on Monday
Both Sporting and Chivas will be down a player on Monday, as former Chivas star and current Sporting forward Alan Pulido is suspended for his reunion match with Guadalajara while Chivas center back Gilberto Sepulveda is also suspended after receiving a red card against Cincinnati on Thursday night.
It’s a winner-takes-all matchup as Chivas also knows anything but a win and they’re out of the tournament after falling 3-1 to FC Cincinnati in their opener.
2. MEXICAN POWERHOUSE CHIVAS TO VISIT CMP
Sporting Kansas City is preparing for a pivotal Leagues Cup clash this coming Monday when the side hosts Mexican powerhouse Chivas Guadalajara at Children’s Mercy Park knowing that a win in regulation or on penalties will take the team through to the knockout round.
Sporting last faced a Mexican team in 2021 when a heavily rotated lineup fell 6-1 to Club Leon in the Leagues Cup Quarterfinals. Prior to that, Sporting advanced all the way to the Semifinals of the 2019 Concacaf Champions League before suffering an unceremonious 10-2 aggregate defeat to eventual champions C.F. Monterrey over two legs.
The result against Monterrey soured what was a positive tournament for Sporting KC, who had dominated Liga MX team Toluca in the Round of 16, winning 5-0 on aggregate, before dumping Panamanian Cinderella story CA Independiente out of the tournament by a 5-2 aggregate scoreline in the Quarterfinals.
Sporting and Chivas Guadalajara have numerous connections to one another, with current Sporting DP Alan Pulido starring for Chivas from 2016-2019 and Mexican legend Omar Bravo moving from Chivas (2009-2010) to Kansas City (2011) as well. The two clubs also played out a 2-2 draw in a friendly match at Children’s Mercy Park on Oct. 12, 2011.
3. ROSERO BACK-TO-BACK ON THE SCORESHEET
Sporting Kansas City defender Dany Rosero scored his second goal in as many games when he headed home Gadi Kinda’s free kick in the 3-3 draw against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium last Sunday during the club’s Leagues Cup opener.
Rosero’s goal was his third of the season having joined the club in March from Colombian outfit Atletico Junior and all three have been headers off set pieces - two off corners from Daniel Salloi and now one off a Kinda free kick. He has accounted for three of Sporting’s five headed goals this season in all competitions
The imposing Colombian joined Sporting in March 2023 after spending the entirety of his career in South America. He’s started 17 of the club’s 20 MLS matches since signing and has struck up a solid partnership with Andreu Fontas at the heart of Sporting’s backline, especially at home where Sporting have gone 4-0-1 when the pairing of Rosero and Fontas starts.
4. GADI KINDA PRODUCES MAN OF THE MATCH PERFORMANCE
Sporting Kansas City Designated Player Gadi Kinda produced a brilliant performance during last Sunday’s 3-3 draw with FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium in Leagues Cup group stage play, tallying a goal and an assist en route to being named the official Man of the Match.
Kinda recorded his first goal contribution outside of MLS regular-season play for Sporting when his free kick was headed home by Dany Rosero in the 12th minute of the match to give Sporting a 2-0 lead early on.
After Sporting went down a man following Alan Pulido’s 30th-minute red card, Kinda moved into a false 9 role for the team, a departure from his usual position as an attacking midfielder. Down a man for over 60 minutes of the match, Sporting were pegged back to 2-2 by league-leading Cincinnati but retook the lead in the 69th minute when Kinda buried a penalty kick following a handball by Alvas Powell.
Kinda now has 31 goal contributions (14 goals, 17 assists) in 68 career appearances across all competitions. Sporting are 19-3-3 in all competitions when Kinda scores or assists.
5. PULSKAMP SHINES IN RETURN
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper made his first appearance for the club since May 10 during last Sunday’s 3-3 draw against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium in the Leagues Cup group stage.
Pulskamp, 22, enjoyed a solid return to the side by making six saves on the night - including several of high difficulty - to keep 10-man Sporting in the match following Alan Pulido’s 30th-minute red card.
Unfortunately, Pulskamp was powerless to repel Lucho Acosta’s penalty kick with the final play of the game as Sporting saw their one-goal lead evaporate in the 98th minute of the match. Penalty kicks would decide who earned an extra point in the standings, with Cincinnati claiming a 4-2 victory in the shootout.
Pulskamp has made eight appearances this season across three separate competitions, posting three shutouts and a 1.38 goals against average. All-time with Sporting across all competitions, Pulskamp has made 31 appearances (30 starts), tallying nine shutouts and a 1.45 goals against average.
