Sporting Kansas City heads west this weekend to take on the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park in California on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. CT and is available to stream for free on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app in both English and Spanish, while the match will also be broadcast on the radio locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish).
1. TARGETING FIRST VICTORY
Sporting Kansas City remain in search of the club’s first victory of the 2023 season as the team heads west to take on the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park on Saturday night. Sporting are 0-2-2 on the road this season, while the Earthquakes are an unbeaten 3-0-1 at home, taking 10 of their 11 points on the season at PayPal Park.
Sporting were boosted by the return of Designated Player Alan Pulido to the starting lineup for the first time since the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs last weekend, but it wasn’t enough as the team fell 1-0 to the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park. The result leaves Sporting with zero wins through seven matches to open the year, marking just the second time in club history that’s occurred along with the 1999 campaign.
Sporting have struggled to find the back of the net in 2023, highlighted by the fact that according to Opta, Sporting has underperformed its expected goals by 4.74, the fourth most in MLS (two goals scored, 6.74 expected goals).
The loss to Colorado marked the fourth time in seven matches this year that Sporting has outshot their opponent, and across the season Sporting has outpaced their opposition 108-78 in shots and 38-26 in shots on goal. However, many of those shots have been blocked, as Sporting ranks second in MLS with 39 blocked shots.
2. ‘QUAKES QUARREL
Sporting Kansas City hits the road this weekend as the team heads west to take on the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park in California. Sporting are still searching for their first win of the year and heads to visit a San Jose team that are an unbeaten 3-0-1 at home this year.
Sporting claimed the season series against the ‘Quakes in 2022, going 1-0-1 across two contests. The first match took place at PayPal Park on May 22, 2022, ending in a 1-1 draw. Johnny Russell, playing as a center forward, gave Sporting the lead late in the first half off Cam Duke’s cutback, but Jackson Yueill equalized seconds into the second half for the Earthquakes.
The return fixture took place at Children’s Mercy Park on Aug. 27, 2022 and Sporting emerged as 1-0 winners. Daniel Salloi fired home an opportunistic strike after the ball had ricocheted around the penalty area and while Sporting was unable to add a second goal, the team saw the game out to claim all three points and the season series against San Jose.
SKC leads the all-time series 29-25-10, including a 7-17-8 mark on the road. However, Sporting are 8-1-3 against San Jose since late 2016 with a 3-1-2 mark on the road.
3. MAKESHIFT BACKLINE CONTINUES TO PRODUCE
Sporting Kansas City’s makeshift backline has put together a pair of resolute performances over the club’s last two matches, a 0-0 draw on the road in Philadelphia and a 1-0 home loss to the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park.
Goalkeeper Tim Melia has been restored to the lineup these past two weeks for the first time since July 23, 2022 while longtime right back Graham Zusi has also provided a veteran presence at the back. To his left, center back pair Dany Rosero and Robert Castellanos have played their first two games for the club in April, while center back Robert Voloder has deputized as an emergency left back with regulars Tim Leibold and Logan Ndenbe sidelined through injury.
Despite the relatively new faces and Voloder playing out of position, Sporting has conceded just one goal in the last two matches and have limited their opponents to just six shots on goal in that time. Since his debut on April 1, Rosero ranks fourth in MLS with a 75 percent duel success rate amongst players with 20 or more duels.
4. PULIDO ENJOYS SOLID FIRST START IN 16 MONTHS
Sporting Kansas City Designated Player Alan Pulido earned his first start for the club in 16 months when the striker was a member of the starting lineup during Saturday night’s 1-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park.
Pulido looked sharp throughout the contest, spinning away from his marker on several occasions, almost setting up Felipe Hernandez with what would have been a brilliant assist late in the first half and forcing William Yarbrough into a diving save early in the second period. Pulido also completed 23 of his 25 passes, completed two of four dribbles and won four of his six duels.
The Mexican international went 65 minutes on Saturday having made his return with a 27-minute substitute appearance the previous week in Philadelphia.
Pulido has tallied 15 goals and eight assists across 38 appearances for Sporting KC since joining the club ahead of the 2020 campaign. After an impressive first two seasons in MLS, Pulido underwent knee surgery in January 2022 and missed all of last season.
5. WALTER’S IRONMAN RUN CONTINUES
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Remi Walter continued his impressive streak of consecutive starts with another 90-minute outing during the team’s 1-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night.
Dating back to Sept. 29, 2021, Walter has started 49 consecutive MLS regular-season matches and has gone the full 90 minutes in all but four contests. Walter’s active 49-match streak of successive starts ranks third among field players, trailing Philadelphia defender Jakob Glesnes (79) and Columbus midfielder Darlington Nagbe (73).
Walter currently ranks eighth in Sporting KC’s all-time most consecutive regular-season starts and fifth among outfield players.
In 2022, Walter became just the third outfield player in Sporting KC history to start every match in a 34-game regular-season, joining teammate Graham Zusi and former midfielder Ilie Sanchez, who both accomplished the same feat in 2018.
