Sporting Kansas City returns to Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup action this week with a rematch against FC Dallas at Children’s Mercy Park on Wednesday night. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. CT and will be available to stream for free on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. The match will also be available on the radio locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish). Tickets are available via SeatGeek.com.
1. OPEN CUP BECKONS
Sporting Kansas City continues the club’s quest for a record-tying fifth U.S. Open Cup trophy this Wednesday, July 10 against MLS foe FC Dallas in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals.
The winner between Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas will host the winner between Atlanta United (MLS) and Indy Eleven (USL Championship) in the semifinals.
The U.S. Open Cup, named in honor of former Kansas City Wizards owner Lamar Hunt, has crowned a champion since 1914 and Sporting (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017) are four-time winners of U.S. Soccer’s national championship, tied for most among MLS clubs.
Sporting have prevailed in 27 U.S. Open Cup matches since 2012, more than any other team in American soccer, during a run that includes an active 14-match home unbeaten streak in U.S. Open Cup play since the start of 2015. Sporting and Dallas have met five times in the U.S. Open Cup - all in Kansas City - with Sporting advancing on all five occasions while outscoring Dallas 20-6.
2. ROUND TWO WITH DALLAS
Sporting Kansas City will face a familiar foe on Wednesday night with a spot in the U.S. Open Cup Semifinals on the line. Sporting will take on FC Dallas at Children’s Mercy Park for the second time in four days, having already earned a 3-2 victory in MLS regular-season action on Sunday night.
Sunday’s match unfolded in hectic fashion with Sporting racing into a 2-0 lead behind a brace from Willy Agada before Dallas pulled themselves level with goals either side of the halftime interval. Texas native Memo Rodriguez stepped up in the 82nd minute to fire home the winner with a brilliant half-volley before substitute Zorhan Bassong was shown a red card deep into second-half stoppage time.
The two sides last met in the U.S. Open Cup during Sporting’s run to the Semifinals in 2022, facing off in the Round of 32. Dallas cruised into a 2-0 halftime lead before Sporting produced a rousing second-half comeback. Nikola Vujnovic scored his only goal for the club to reduce the deficit before Marinos Tzionis headed home the equalizer in the 98th minute to take the game to extra time where Khiry Shelton forced an own goal and later scored himself to seal a 4-2 victory.
Sporting is 5-0-0 against Dallas all-time in the Open Cup, outscoring the Texans 20-6.
3. AGADA FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS AT HOME
Sporting Kansas City forward Willy Agada scored another pair of goals to help the club secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over FC Dallas at Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday night. Agada was named to the bench of the MLS Team of the Matchday for his performance.
First, Agada rose highest to meet Memo Rodriguez’s corner kick in the 11th minute and powered a header into the back of the net from close range. Twelve minutes later, Agada again showed his striker’s instincts as he drifted to the back post and headed home Alenis Vargas’ tantalizing delivery from the right wing.
Agada leads the team with seven goals this season and tied for the team lead alongside Rodriguez with eight goal contributions in 2024. Sunday’s match marked Agada’s sixth multi-goal performance for Sporting, placing him in a tie for fifth all-time alongside teammate Alan Pulido.
Remarkably, Agada has now scored 16 goals in 16 starts at Children’s Mercy Park since joining the club midway through the 2022 campaign. Agada has scored all seven of his goals in 2024 at home and 17 of his 19 goals across all competitions have come at Children’s Mercy Park.
4. RODRIGUEZ WILLS SKC TO VICTORY
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Memo Rodriguez produced a brilliant performance on Sunday night to lead his team to a dramatic 3-2 victory over FC Dallas at Children’s Mercy Park. The 28-year-old was named to the bench of the MLS Team of the Matchday for his performance.
Rodriguez first set up Willy Agada’s opener off a pin-point delivery from a corner kick in just the 11th minute before showing up when the team needed him most late on. With the score tied 2-2 heading into the closing stages of the match, Rodriguez followed up after Agada’s shot was blocked and lashed a stunning half-volley into the side-netting to give Sporting all three points.
Rodriguez and Agada now share a tie for the team-lead in goal contributions this season with eight, while Rodriguez leads the squad with six assists.
The Texas native tallied a goal and an assist in an MLS match for the second time in his career on Sunday, first doing so on May 22, 2021 with the Houston Dynamo.
5. LEIBOLD & VARGAS COMBINE TO SET UP GOAL
Sporting Kansas City defender Tim Leibold continued his fine attacking form during the club’s 3-2 victory over FC Dallas at Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday night, tallying his third assist of the campaign on the team’s second goal in the 23rd minute.
Leibold, who had scored his first goal for the club against Austin on June 29 before tallying an assist at Colorado on July 4, recorded his third goal contribution in as many matches when he was credited with a secondary assist after he drove forward from left back and found Alenis Vargas on the right wing who beat his man and stood a cross up to the far post where Willy Agada was waiting to head home his second goal of the night.
Leibold now has one goal and three assists on the season, while Vargas’ assist was his first for the club since moving up from SKC II ahead of the 2024 campaign.
