Sporting Kansas City returns to MLS action this weekend with a trip to the eastern border of Missouri to take on rivals St. Louis at Citypark on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and will be available to stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. The match will be available on the radio locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish).
1. BACK TO MLS ACTION WITH RIVALRY CLASH
Sporting Kansas City won’t have much time to heal their wounds following Wednesday night’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final defeat to LAFC at BMO Stadium, as it’s right back to MLS regular-season action with a visit to rivals St. Louis at Citypark on Saturday night.
Sporting played 120 minutes on Wednesday night in California, as Erik Thommy’s strike cancelled out Olivier Giroud’s opener to take the game to extra time. LAFC substitutes Omar Campos and Kei Kamara delivered the dagger in extra time as Sporting lost their first-ever final under Manager Peter Vermes, and just their second ever in club history.
Sporting were officially eliminated from MLS Cup Playoffs contention with the 2-0 defeat to Minnesota United FC at Children’s Mercy Park last weekend. St. Louis currently sits below Sporting in the standings but are yet to be mathematically eliminated from postseason contention since they have a game in hand.
With only three matches left in 2024 for Sporting - at STL, vs. LAFC and at DAL - Saturday’s match contains the enticing possibility of ending St. Louis’ season as a Sporting win or draw at Citypark will officially terminate any slim hopes John Hackworth’s side has of making the postseason.
2. LOOKING TO REPLICATE PLAYOFF SUCCESS AT CITYPARK
Sporting Kansas City will look to bounce back quickly this weekend and put the despair of Wednesday night’s U.S. Open Cup Final loss behind them when the team heads east to take on rivals St. Louis at Citypark on Saturday night.
Sporting and St. Louis have already met twice this season, both coming at Children’s Mercy Park. The first matchup resulted in a wild 3-3 draw on April 20, 2024. After William Agada had set up Alan Pulido for a well-taken opener, St. Louis raced into a 2-1 lead before halftime with goals from Joao Klauss and Celio Pompeu. The second half was a different story as Sporting equalized through a Roman Burki own goal before Erik Thommy gave the hosts a late lead, only for it to evaporate as Tomas Totland made it 3-3 in second-half stoppage time.
The next showdown came exactly three months later on July 20, 2024 with the two sides again splitting the points following a 1-1 draw. Moments after being spared a second yellow card by the referee, St. Louis forward Nokkvi Thorisson struck to give the visitors the lead before halftime. Sporting responded in the second half and found an equalizer through Agada’s header off Pulido’s pin-point cross.
Saturday’s match marks Sporting’s first visit back to Citypark since thrashing St. Louis in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2023. Sporting thumped their rivals 4-1 on Oct. 29, 2023 behind goals from Logan Ndenbe, Remi Walter, Gadi Kinda and Daniel Salloi as Sporting would go on to sweep the Round One Best-of-3 Series.
3. THOMMY STRIKES IN OPEN CUP FINAL
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Erik Thommy showed up on the biggest stage this week, firing home the equalizing goal in the club’s eventual loss to LAFC in the U.S. Open Cup Final at BMO Stadium on Wednesday night.
With Sporting trailing by a single goal in the 60th minute, Thommy stepped onto Daniel Salloi’s lay-off on the edge of the area and rifled a shot into the top corner to equalize and force the game to extra time.
Thommy now has three goals in his last three matches across all competitions, moving him to eight goals and five assists this season. His 13 goal contributions are tied for third most on the team this year behind only William Agada (15) and Johnny Russell (14).
The German - whose goal on Wednesday was his first goal for Sporting KC outside of the MLS regular season - has 16 goals and 20 assists in all competitions since joining the club midway through the 2022 campaign.
4. SALLOI BAGS ASSIST IN FINAL
Sporting Kansas City forward Daniel Salloi once again displayed his knack of producing in the U.S. Open Cup during the club’s 3-1 loss in the Final against LAFC on Wednesday night at BMO Stadium.
Salloi recorded the assist on Erik Thommy’s equalizing goal, taking him to eight goals and two assists in 19 career U.S. Open Cup appearances. His 10 U.S. Open Cup goal contributions moves him past Graham Zusi for a share of second on the team’s all-time chart, trailing only Benny Feilhaber (12).
The Hungarian - who scored the game-winning goal in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup Final - has 103 goal contributions (60 goals, 43 assists) for Sporting in all competitions, fourth most in club history behind only Preki (181), Graham Zusi (125) and Johnny Russell (118).
5. RUSSELL RISES OPEN CUP CHARTS
Sporting Kansas City captain Johnny Russell was credited with a secondary assist on Erik Thommy’s goal in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final loss to LAFC at BMO Stadium on Wednesday night.
Russell sprayed the ball out wide to Daniel Salloi who in-turn fed Thommy to strike home a lovely goal to make the score 1-1 and take the game to extra time. Russell now has five goals and five assists in 12 career U.S. Open Cup appearances. Russell’s five assists in the U.S. Open Cup are third most in club history behind Graham Zusi (6) and Benny Feilhaber (9).
Russell is also the only player in club history with five goals and five assists in the U.S. Open Cup, while his 10 U.S. Open Cup goal contributions moves him past Graham Zusi for a share of second on the team’s all-time chart, trailing only Benny Feilhaber (12).
Russell - who leads the team with nine assists this season in all competitions - has 14 total goal contributions this season (five goals, nine assists), second most on the team behind William Agada (15).
