Sporting Kansas City is set to host the San Jose Earthquakes this weekend in the club’s MLS home opener on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and will be available to stream in English and Spanish on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. Tickets are available on SeatGeek.com.
1. SEARCHING FOR FIRST POINTS OF 2025
Sporting Kansas City is still looking to pick up the club’s first points of the 2025 campaign, falling to 0-2-0 (0 pts.) on the season following last Saturday’s frustrating 2-1 defeat to San Jose in the team’s MLS home opener at Children’s Mercy Park.
Sporting is one of four teams yet to pick up a point so far this season, joined by reigning MLS Cup champions the LA Galaxy, Houston Dynamo FC and CF Montreal. Saturday’s opponents D.C. United are also searching for their first win of the nascent season, having drawn their opening two matches of the season by a 2-2 scoreline - at home against Toronto FC on Feb. 22 and on the road at Chicago Fire FC on March 1.
Sporting is looking to build on the promising performances of the club’s attacking newcomers Dejan Joveljic, who scored his first goal for the club last Saturday, Manu Garcia, who ranks first in the league in shot creating actions this season (14), and Shapi Suleymanov, who ranks second in MLS in progressive passes received (30).
Sporting is desperate to curtail a nine-game losing streak dating back to the closing stages of the 2024 campaign, having last won a match on Sept. 18, 2024 - a 4-1 home victory over the Colorado Rapids.
2. RETURNING TO AUDI FIELD FOR FIRST VISIT IN SIX YEARS
Sporting Kansas City travels east this weekend to take on D.C. United in the club’s first visit to Audi Field in almost six years when the sides face off on Saturday night.
Sporting last visited the nation’s capital for a match on May 12, 2019, which to this day is still the club’s only match played at Audi Field which opened in 2018 after D.C. had hosted the opening 22 years of their existence at the now-defunct RFK Stadium. Paul Arriola scored a late winner that night as Sporting was in the throes of a burgeoning injury crisis - only dressing 15 players with 10 first team players out.
The most recent meeting between the two sides took place at Children’s Mercy Park on Sept. 13, 2022. In a late-season contest, Sporting ran out comfortable 3-0 victors behind goals from Khiry Shelton, Robert Voloder and Daniel Salloi.
The all-time regular-season series between the two sides is currently deadlocked at 22-22-13, though Sporting trails 6-14-8 on the road with their last victory coming almost 13 years ago on March 10, 2012.
3. JOVELJIC OFF THE MARK IN SPORTING BLUE
Sporting Kansas City forward Dejan Joveljic got off the mark for his new club this past weekend, scoring his first goal for Sporting KC in the 2-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night.
Joveljic, who arrived in Kansas City in the first-ever cash-for-player trade in MLS history on Feb. 1, 2025, registered for the first time since tallying the game-winner in the 2024 MLS Cup on Dec. 7, 2024. The Serbian frontman has enjoyed facing the Earthquakes during his time in MLS, as he has scored more goals against San Jose than any other MLS team - tallying seven goals to go along with two assists.
The goal marked Joveljic’s 50th goal contribution in MLS regular-season play (35 goals, 15 assists). By converting the penalty, Joveljic scored Sporting’s first penalty in five attempts across all competitions since Johnny Russell scored the opener in a 2-1 home victory over Houston on Sept. 23, 2023.
4. REUNION ON DECK FOR BARTLETT FAMILY
Sporting KC Academy product Jacob Bartlett is set for a momentous moment this weekend when the team travels to the east coast to take on D.C. United at Audi Field.
Bartlett - who has started all four of Sporting’s matches so far in 2025 - could face off against older brother and D.C. defender Lucas Bartlett on Saturday night. Jacob and Lucas are one of eight pairs of brothers currently playing in MLS:
- Jacob Bartlett (SKC) and Lucas Bartlett (DC)
- Isaiah Jones (NSH) and Malachi Jones (NYC)
- Dylan Nealis (NY) and Sean Nealis (NY)
- Hugo Mbongue (TOR) and Ralph Priso (VAN)
- Alex Roldan (SEA) and Cristian Roldan (SEA)
- Jared Stroud (DC) and Peter Stroud (NY)
- Cavan Sullivan (PHI) and Quinn Sullivan (PHI)
- Owen Wolff (ATX) and Tyler Wolff (RSL)
Bartlett comes from an accomplished soccer family and is the third sibling to reach the professional ranks. Alec Bartlett, his oldest brother, played for the USL’s Charlotte Independence in 2016 while Lucas, his other brother, is entering his fourth MLS season and his second year with D.C. United after previous spells with FC Dallas (2022) and St. Louis (2023). His sister, Grace Bartlett, plays collegiately at Grand Canyon University.
5. LONGTIME SKC DEFENDER FONTAS RETIRES
Former Sporting KC defender Andreu Fontas announced his retirement from professional soccer last Friday following a 17-year career at the highest levels of the sport, including a decade in his native Spain, seven MLS seasons in Kansas City and 369 total club appearances. Fontas and his family were formally honored during a halftime ceremony at Sporting’s MLS home opener against San Jose last Saturday.
Fontas made 147 appearances for Sporting in all competitions from 2018-2024, helping the club to four playoff appearances as one of the best ball-playing defenders in MLS. In three combined regular seasons from 2021-2023, he led MLS in total passes, successful passes and touches while leading SKC in interceptions and clearances.
In four combined seasons from 2021-2024, Fontas also led all MLS center backs in goals added, an advanced metric that measures a player’s total on-ball contribution in attack and defense.
