Sporting Kansas City returns home this week to face off against the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park on Wednesday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 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 Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish). Tickets are available via SeatGeek.com
1. ENTERING HOMESTAND
Sporting Kansas City returns home to the friendly confines of Children’s Mercy Park for a pair of matches this week, hoping to bounce back from Sunday’s disappointing 2-0 setback against the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field. Sporting, who are 2-1-1 in all competitions since the Leagues Cup break, will now host the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday night before taking on Minnesota United FC at home on Saturday.
With one eye on the U.S. Open Cup Final next Wednesday, Sept. 25 against LAFC at BMO Stadium, Sporting will look to navigate a congested two weeks containing five games in 13 days starting with Sunday’s match in Seattle and ending with a trip to rivals St. Louis on Sept. 28.
Sporting will host an in-form Colorado side that currently sits in a tie for third place in the Western Conference and have won three regular-season games on the bounce - scoring the winning goal after the 70th minute in all three wins. Colorado has not won four consecutive regular-season games since 2003.
2. CLASHING COLORADO
Sporting Kansas City returns home this week for the first time this month as the club hosts the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park on Wednesday night before a quick turnaround to face Minnesota United FC at home on Saturday.
Sporting and Colorado met earlier this season at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado for an Independence Day clash on July 4, 2024. Johnny Russell gave the visitors the lead early in the second half before Olivier Larraz headed home an equalizer for the Rapids. With the game headed for a stalemate, Djordje Mihailovic stepped up to convert a stoppage-time penalty to gift Colorado the win.
The last meeting between the sides to take place at Children’s Mercy Park came almost a year and a half ago on April 8, 2023. In the midst of Sporting’s dismal 10-game start to the campaign, the Rapids escaped Children’s Mercy Park with a 1-0 victory that night courtesy of a goal from former Sporting striker Diego Rubio.
Sporting leads the all-time regular-season series against Colorado 29-27-19, including a 23-7-6 mark at home. However, Sporting has won just one of their last seven matches against the Rapids, going 1-3-3 since midway through the 2021 season.
3. MELIA PROVES PENALTY PROWESS
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia proved once again why he’s one of Major League Soccer’s all-time greats when it comes to saving penalty kicks during the club’s 2-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field on Sunday night.
With the team trailing 2-0 late in the first half, Zorhan Bassong was adjudged to have brought down Obed Vargas just inside the penalty area, giving Albert Rusnak the chance to give his side a three-goal lead heading into the interval. Rusnak fired toward the bottom left corner and Melia sprung to make the save at full stretch before Dany Rosero cleared the rebound away for a corner.
Melia now has a penalty kick save percentage of 42.5 percent (saved 17 of 40 faced), the highest percentage in MLS regular season history among keepers with at least 20 penalties faced. Melia’s 17 penalty saves in the regular season since 2015 are most in MLS during that time.
In addition, Melia moved above Kevin Hartman into second-place all-time in regular-season penalty saves, only trailing legendary goalkeeper Nick Rimando.
4. PETER VERMES COACHES 500th REGULAR-SEASON MATCH
Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes reached another major milestone during Sunday’s 2-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field, ascending to rarefied air in games coached in the MLS regular season.
The match marked the 500th regular season match of Vermes’ coaching career (2009-present). Vermes becomes one of only three individuals in MLS history to reach the milestone and the first to do so with one club.
Most Matches as Manager - MLS Regular Season | |
|---|---|
Manager | Matches Coached |
Sigi Schmid | 548 |
Bruce Arena | 545 |
Peter Vermes | 500 |
Most Matches as Club's Manager - MLS Regular Season | ||
|---|---|---|
Manager | Club | Matches Coached |
Peter Vermes | Sporting KC | 500 |
Jim Curtin | Philadelphia Union | 341 |
Ben Olsen | D.C. United | 334 |
5. DAVIS TO SERVE SECOND AND FINAL MATCH OF SUSPENSION
Sporting Kansas City Academy product Jake Davis will serve his second and final match of the two-game suspension during Sporting’s match against the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday night at Children’s Mercy Park.
Davis served the first match of his suspension during Sporting’s 2-0 setback against the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field on Sunday night.
Davis received the two-game suspension during the club’s 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on Sept. 7. In the 87th minute, Davis picked up a yellow card for a foul in midfield, earning him a suspension for yellow-card accumulation. Five minutes later, Davis received an unfortunate second yellow card after being penalized for a 50-50 challenge, meaning that he would be forced to miss two matches - one for yellow-card accumulation and one for the red card.
