Sporting Kansas City remains on the road this weekend with a trip to the Pacific Northwest to face off against the Seattle Sounders in a nationally televised contest at Lumen Field on Sunday night. Kickoff is set for 6:15 p.m. CT and will be available to stream for free on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV, while the match will be nationally televised on FS1 (English) and FOX Deportes (Spanish). The match will be available on the radio locally on ESPN 94.5 FM (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish).
1. BUILDING ON SOLID FORM
Sporting Kansas City will look to continue the club’s solid recent run of form this weekend when the team pays a visit to Seattle to take on the Sounders at Lumen Field on Sunday night. Sporting are 2-0-1 in all competitions since the Leagues Cup break and 6-3-2 across their last 11 matches.
Sporting will visit Lumen Field for the first time since a monumental 2-1 victory at the venue on May 7, 2023 that snapped a 10-game winless run to start the season and spurred a historic turnaround as Sporting made the MLS Cup Playoffs and advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals in 2023.
Seattle are in fine form recently, going 8-2-1 in their last 11 MLS matches since falling to Sporting 2-1 at Children’s Mercy Park on June 8, 2024, while Sporting will be smarting after seeing a late lead evaporate in the club’s 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls last weekend as the team remains eight points outside the ninth and final playoff position. Manager Peter Vermes will be hoping to pick up all three points as he coaches his 500th regular-season match for the club on Sunday.
2. COAST-TO-COAST
Sporting Kansas City follows up last week’s visit to the Northeast with a trip to the Pacific Northwest this coming weekend when the team heads up to Washington State to face off against the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field on Sunday night.
Sporting has won their last two matches against Seattle - both snapping 10-game winless runs for club. Sporting went winless (0-7-3) in their first 10 matches in 2023 before a 2-1 victory at Lumen Field on May 7, 2023 that spurred a remarkable run as Sporting qualified for the postseason on the final day. Erik Thommy and Alan Pulido each got on the scoresheet that day before Nico Lodeiro pulled a goal back from the spot.
Thirteen months later, Sporting was again in the midst of a 10-game winless run (0-8-2) after a decent start to the campaign when Seattle came to visit Children’s Mercy Park on June 8, 2024. After falling behind to Jordan Morris’ early goal, Sporting rallied an equalized through Johnny Russell before youngster Alenis Vargas struck in the 85th minute to get Sporting back in the win column.
The regular-season series between the two sides is remarkably and delicately poised, as the two teams are deadlocked at 12-12-4 with identical 6-6-2 records home and away with 36 goals scored each.
3. PULIDO BACK ON TARGET
Sporting Kansas City striker Alan Pulido was back on the scoresheet this past weekend when he opened the scoring in Sporting’s eventual 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night.
Pulido showed his finesse and poise by receiving Jake Davis’ pass on his head before volleying a finish between the legs of Ryan Meara in the New York goal. Pulido now has six goals this season in all competitions, second most on the team behind William Agada (11), while he also has goal contributions in three straight MLS matches.
The Mexican frontman now has 36 career goals for Sporting in all competitions, passing Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi for sole possession of ninth most in club history. Pulido was named to the bench of the MLS Team of the Matchday following his goal.
4. SHELTON NAMED TO TEAM OF THE WEEK
Sporting Kansas City forward-turned-defender Khiry Shelton enjoyed another fine performance in the club’s 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena last Saturday, culminating in a spot on the MLS Team of the Matchday.
Shelton marked his 200th career appearance in MLS competitions with a strong shift at right back on Saturday, recording the most duels won (11), most recoveries (10) and most interceptions (2) of any player in the match as part of a defensive performance that saw Sporting KC hold the Red Bulls to their fewest shots and shots on goal at home this season.
Shelton has spent the vast majority of his 10-year career playing across the frontline of Sporting, New York City FC and SC Paderborn in Germany. Following a few cameos at right back throughout the 2023 season, Shelton has been given a run of games in the position over the last three months - an experiment that’s become increasingly critical with Jake Davis’ resurgence in midfield and the departure of Kayden Pierre to KRC Genk in Belgium.
Shelton has started 10 matches across all competitions at right back in 2024, eight of which have come in the team’s last 10 games dating back to July 10 - helping Sporting go 5-1-2, with the only loss coming against Liga MX high-fliers Toluca FC in the Leagues Cup.
5. AFRIFA MAKES CANADA DEBUT IN KANSAS CITY
A familiar face earned a career milestone during the United States Men’s National Team’s friendly match against the Canadian Men’s National Team at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday afternoon.
In the first USMNT match after Copa América, the Americans fell 2-1 to a rampant Canadian side that saw Sporting KC forward Stephen Afrifa make his international debut late on after a breakout campaign in MLS.
Afrifa checked into the match in place of star striker Jonathan David deep into second-half stoppage time for a brief cameo, a reward for a fine sophomore season in Kansas City where he’s tallied five goals and three assists in all competitions while starting just eight matches. Afrifa earned his second cap against Mexico in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday.
The result snapped the USMNT’s unbeaten streak all-time at Children’s Mercy Park (8-1-2). A host city for FIFA World Cup 2026, Kansas City has a rich history of supporting the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams, who are a combined 16-2-6 in Kansas City and 12-1-4 at Children’s Mercy Park.
