Sporting Kansas City returns to U.S. Open Cup action this week when the club hosts USL Championship side FC Tulsa in the Round of 16 at Children’s Mercy Park on Tuesday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and will be available to stream on MLSsoccer.com, while 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. FOCUS SHIFTS TO OPEN CUP
Following a disappointing 3-2 loss to Austin FC at Q2 Stadium on Saturday night, Sporting Kansas City now prepares for a hectic schedule of matches starting with Tuesday night’s U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 matchup with USL Championship side FC Tulsa at Children’s Mercy Park.
Starting with the match in Austin, Sporting is in the midst of a stretch that will see the team play five matches in the space of 15 days from May 18 through June 1. Sporting has an impressive recent run in the Open Cup, especially at home where the club is unbeaten in their last 13 matches in the competition dating back to 2015.
Both Sporting (2-6-5) and Tulsa (2-3-4) find themselves second from bottom in their respective Western Conferences in MLS and USL Championship, respectively. Under the guidance of first-year head coach Mario Sanchez and top scorer Stefan Stojanovic, Tulsa has yet to win a home match in league play this year but has won twice on the road and will be hoping to take that road form into Tuesday’s clash at Children’s Mercy Park.
2. TACKLING TULSA
Sporting Kansas City shifts focus back to the U.S. Open Cup this week as the team prepares to host USL Championship outfit FC Tulsa at Children’s Mercy Park in the Round of 16 on Tuesday night. Sporting are coming off a tough 3-2 loss against Austin FC at Q2 Stadium on Saturday night, while Tulsa were also handed a road defeat this weekend, suffering a heavy 5-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday.
Led by first-year head coach Mario Sanchez – a former draft pick of the Kansas City Wizards in 1998 – FC Tulsa and Sporting Kansas City will meet for the first time in each club’s history on Tuesday. FC Tulsa competes in the USL Championship and has reached the Round of 16 for the first time after a 1-0 win over Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
Sporting, who advanced to the Round of 16 following a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Union Omaha in the Round of 32 two weeks ago, has a strong record against lower division teams in the Open Cup, going 17-5-4 in the club’s history. Sporting’s last loss to a lower division team in the Open Cup came against a then-USL Orlando City team in 2013, though the team was eliminated by USL Championship side Sacramento Republic on penalties following a 0-0 draw in the 2022 semifinals.
Tulsa is off to a middling start in 2024, posting a 2-3-4 record in the USL Championship Western Conference - though both victories have come on the road. The Oklahoma side currently occupies 11th place in the 12-team Western Conference.
3. RUSSELL OFF THE MARK IN 2024
Sporting Kansas City captain Johnny Russell broke his duck for the 2024 campaign over the weekend, firing home the opening goal in an eventual 3-2 defeat against Austin FC at Q2 Stadium on Saturday night.
After Memo Rodriguez had clipped a delightful pass into the path of Alan Pulido, the Mexican frontman found Russell bursting into the area and he made no mistake, firing a low shot that took a slight deflection on its way into the back of the net.
With the goal, Russell now has 57 regular season goals for Sporting, tying Dom Dwyer for second most in club history and only trailing legendary figure Preki who leads the club with 71 regular season goals.
Russell, who now has five goal contributions (three goals, two assists) in seven career regular season appearances against Austin, ranks third in club history with 63 goals across all competitions, trailing only Preki (81) and Dwyer (67).
4. DAVIS SCORES SCREAMER FOR 2nd MLS GOAL
Sporting Kansas City Homegrown defender Jake Davis scored his second goal of the season and second of his MLS career during Saturday night’s 3-2 defeat against Austin FC at Q2 Stadium, with both of his goals nominated for MLS Goal of the Matchday.
With his team trailing 3-1 midway through the second half, Davis received a pass from Erik Thommy 25 yards from goal and rifled a stunning effort into the top corner, beyond the despairing dive of Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver. Both of Davis’ MLS goals have come from distance, having also thundered home a Goal of the Matchday candidate against Toronto FC on March 30.
Davis’ goal was the latest edition of a fine strike from distance finding the back of the net for Sporting this year, as the club leads MLS with six goals from outside the box during the 2024 season.
The 22-year-old broke in to the Sporting first team early in the 2023 campaign and has made the right back spot his, tallying two goals and four assists in 53 appearances across all competitions.
5. MELIA PROVES PENALTY CHOPS ONCE AGAIN
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia continued his remarkable record when facing penalty kicks, saving yet another spot kick from Austin FC star Sebastian Driussi in Sporting’s 3-2 loss at Q2 Stadium on Saturday night.
After bringing down the Argentine midfielder in the 83rd minute, Melia picked himself up to dive to his right and repel Driussi’s penalty kick and keep Sporting within reach of a result on the road.
Melia has now conceded just 22 of the 38 penalty kicks he’s faced in MLS regular-season action - a goals conceded percentage of just 57.9 percent. That mark is the lowest in MLS regular season history among keepers with at least 20 penalty kicks faced.
The 38-year-old has saved 16 penalty kicks in the regular season since the start of 2015, the most in MLS during that time. Melia has also won all seven penalty shootouts he has participated in throughout his professional career, including a perfect 5-0 record with Sporting.
