Sporting Kansas City returns to MLS action this week when the team heads east to take on the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 6:30 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 ESPN 94.5 FM (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish).
1. BACK TO MLS ACTION FOLLOWING BYE WEEK
On the backs of a refreshing bye week for the club, Sporting Kansas City returns to MLS action this weekend with a road trip to the east coast to face off against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night. The match marks Sporting’s first visit to New Jersey since the club’s season opener in 2021 - a 2-1 victory for Peter Vermes’ side.
Sporting are riding high after winning both matches via shutout coming out of the Leagues Cup break - a 3-0 victory over Orlando City SC in MLS play and a 2-0 win over Indy Eleven in the U.S. Open Cup Semifinals.
Sporting will now endure a tough two-game road test, first visiting the fourth-in-the-east Red Bulls whose five losses are the third fewest in all of MLS before traveling to take on Seattle Sounders FC at Lumen Field next Sunday. New York lost their first home match of the regular season this past weekend, suffering a 2-0 defeat to the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night.
Sporting has seven matches remaining in the 2024 MLS regular season and currently remains in 12th place in the West, nine points out of the ninth and final playoff spot.
2. HEADING TO NEW JERSEY FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2021
Sporting Kansas City heads to the east coast this Saturday night for their first visit to take on the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena since the club’s season opener in 2021. Sporting and the Red Bulls are tied 22-22-14 in the all-time regular-season series, while Sporting has a 7-12-8 mark on the road in New Jersey.
In their last visit to Harrison, New Jersey, Sporting emerged as 2-1 victors following an entertaining second half at Red Bull Arena on April 17, 2021. After Caden Clark had given the hosts the lead early in the second period off a brilliant volley, Sporting equalized through Gadi Kinda’s penalty kick before Daniel Salloi converted Khiry Shelton’s pin-point cross to turn the game on its head and give the visitors all three points.
The most recent meeting between Sporting and the Red Bulls came on July 3, 2022 in in ill-tempered match at Children’s Mercy Park. After Sporting had controlled much of the first-half proceedings, New York found the opener shortly after the interval through Aaron Long and despite VAR intervening to show Sean Nealis a red card for handling the ball away from Cam Duke who was in on goal in the 73rd minute, Sporting was unable to find an equalizer.
3. RUSSELL ON TARGET AS SKC REACHES OPEN CUP FINAL
Sporting Kansas City captain Johnny Russell opened the scoring with the eventual game-winner during the club’s 2-0 victory over Indy Eleven in the U.S. Open Cup Semifinals last Tuesday, as the Scotsman continues to rise up the club’s goal-scoring record books.
With his stunning strike from distance in the 14th minute, Russell scored his 67th career goal for Sporting in all competitions, tying Dom Dwyer for second most in club history and only trailing legendary forward Preki who retired with 81 goals in all competitions for the Kansas City Wiz(ards) across two separate stints from 1996-2000 and 2002-2005.
Russell also now as five career goals for Sporting in the Open Cup, tied for third most in club history, only trailing teammate Daniel Salloi (eight) and Dwyer (six). Russell’s goal was his ninth goal contribution for Sporting in the Open Cup, tied with Salloi and former teammate Graham Zusi for second most in club history behind Benny Feilhaber (12).
Russell, who is second on the team with 13 goal contributions in all competitions this season (five goals, eight assists) behind only William Agada (14), has now tallied 67 goals and 51 assists in 225 appearances since joining the club in 2018.
4. HEADSTRONG ROSERO
Sporting Kansas City defender Dany Rosero scored the club’s second goal in the 2-0 victory over Indy Eleven in the U.S. Open Cup Semifinals last Tuesday night to seal a spot in the club’s fifth U.S. Open Cup Final set to played on Sept. 25 against LAFC at BMO Stadium in California.
Rosero’s goal was scored his seventh goal for Sporting in all competitions since joining the club in early 2023. All seven of his goals for the club have been headers. Rosero also scored in his second straight Open Cup appearance, having scored the extra-time winner in Sporting’s 2-1 Quarterfinal win over FC Dallas on July 10.
The Colombian center back also played an important role as Sporting posted just their fifth shutout of the season across all competitions (three in the MLS regular season, two in the U.S. Open Cup). Following the team’s 3-0 victory over Orlando City SC on Aug. 24, Sporting has now posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time since March 4-11, 2023 and back-to-back shutout wins for the first time since Sept. 11-15, 2021.
5. SPORTING ADVANCES TO OPEN CUP FINAL
Sporting Kansas City advanced to the club’s fifth Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final following a 2-0 victory over Indy Eleven at Children’s Mercy Park on Tuesday, Aug. 27 and will now visit LAFC at BMO Stadium as the team looks to become the first team in the MLS-era to win the tournament five times and tie the record held by Maccabi Los Angeles and Bethlehem Steel in the competition’s 109-year history.
Sporting will visit an LAFC team that has spent the 2024 season close to the summit of the Western Conference. Sporting advanced to the final with a 2-1 win in extra time at Union Omaha (USL League One) in the Round of 32, a 4-0 victory over FC Tulsa (USL Championship) in the Round of 16, a 2-1 triumph in extra time against FC Dallas (MLS) in the Quarterfinals and a 2-0 win over Indy Eleven (USL Championship) in the semis.
Sporting has prevailed in 29 U.S. Open Cup matches since 2012, more than any other team in American soccer, during a run that includes an active 16-match home unbeaten streak in U.S. Open Cup play since the start of 2015.
