Sporting Kansas City returns to MLS action this weekend when the team plays host to the San Jose Earthquakes at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and will be available to stream for free on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV in English and Spanish. The match will also be available on the radio locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish).
1. BACK FOR THE STRETCH RUN
Sporting Kansas City is set to return to MLS regular-season play this weekend for the final stretch run of the 2023 campaign when the team hosts the San Jose Earthquakes at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night.
Sporting bowed out of Leagues Cup 2023 following a 4-1 defeat to Toluca FC in the Round of 32 on Aug. 4. Sporting surprised many by advancing out of their group in Leagues Cup, having been paired with MLS Supporters’ Shield leaders FC Cincinnati and Liga MX leaders Chivas Guadalajara, but Sporting picked up results in both matches (3-3 at CIN, 1-0 vs. CDG) to advance to the knockout stage.
Peter Vermes’ side now shifts full focus to the business end of the regular season, as Sporting has just nine matches to attempt to claw into the postseason. Sporting has the advantage of playing five of their nine at home so Saturday’s home match with the ‘Quakes will be crucially important to the team’s hopes to qualifying for the postseason.
Since the start of May, Sporting have gone 6-4-5 in MLS play and rank second in MLS with 28 goals scored (1.87 goals per match). The team went 0-7-3 and scored just three goals in its first 10 league matches through the end of April.
2. CRUCIAL HOME MATCH vs. ‘QUAKES
Sporting Kansas City returns to MLS regular-season action this weekend when the team plays host to the San Jose Earthquakes at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday during Throwback Night where the club will honor the 10-year anniversary of the 2013 MLS Cup championship team.
Sporting and San Jose have already faced off once this season, with Sporting suffering a 3-0 setback at PayPal Park on April 15, 2023. Earthquakes star man Cristian Espinoza gave the hosts an early lead before Sporting center back Robert Castellanos was shown a straight red card for a foul in the box on Jeremy Ebobisse. The San Jose striker converted the spot kick and added a third early in the second half to condemn Sporting to defeat.
The last time the ‘Quakes visited Children’s Mercy Park was on Aug. 27, 2022 with Sporting emerging as narrow 1-0 victors. Daniel Salloi slotted home the only goal of the match early on and Sporting coasted to victory from there.
Sporting leads the all-time regular-season series 29-26-10 against the Earthquakes, including a 22-8-2 mark at home. Sporting is unbeaten in their last six home games against the Earthquakes in the MLS regular season, going 5-0-1 since late in the 2016 campaign.
3. AGADA’S BACK ON THE FIELD & THE SCORESHEET
Sporting Kansas City forward Willy Agada made his return to action following knee surgery that kept him sidelined for over three months in the club’s most recent match, the 4-1 loss to Toluca FC in the Leagues Cup Round of 32 on Aug. 4 at Children’s Mercy Park.
Agada was an instant threat for Sporting after entering as a substitute in the 71st minute, rattling the crossbar with a well-taken effort before finding the back of the net on his return with a consolation goal in the 88th minute, scoring his own rebound after seeing his header saved by Toluca goalkeeper Tiago Volpi.
The goal is Agada’s second of the campaign having also tallied against Seattle on March 25. It also saw the Nigerian rise to 10 goals across all competitions since joining the club last summer, coming in just 22 appearances (16 starts). Agada averages 0.57 goals per 90 minutes across all competitions, which is the second best mark in club history among players to have made at least 20 appearances, only trailing iconic striker Miklos Molnar’s mark of 0.76 goals per 90.
4. PULIDO RETURNS FROM SUSPENSION
Sporting Kansas City forward and Designated Player Alan Pulido is set to return to action this weekend after missing Sporting’s final two matches of Leagues Cup 2023 through suspension following his red card against FC Cincinnati on July 23 at TQL Stadium. Pulido missed the club’s 1-0 victory over his former club Chivas Guadalajara and the 4-1 loss to Toluca FC in the Leagues Cup Round of 32.
With Sporting holding a 2-0 lead in the 30th minute of the clash against Cincinnati, Pulido retaliated following a shove from defender Yerson Mosquera and was shown a straight red card. Pulido was hit with an additional match on his suspension.
Pulido has nine goals in the past nine MLS games and also leads MLS with nine goals since the start of June. Pulido leads SKC with 14 goal contributions in all competitions this season (11 goals, three assists). Pulido’s 10 goals in MLS play has him tied for sixth in the Golden Boot race behind only Hany Mukhtar (13), Denis Bouanga (12), Lucho Acosta (12), Cristian Espinoza (12) and Giorgos Giakoumakis (12).
5. SPORTING TO CELEBRATE THROWBACK NIGHT
Sporting Kansas City will celebrate the club’s 2013 MLS Cup championship season with a special Throwback Night on Saturday, Aug. 26 when the team takes on the San Jose Earthquakes at Children’s Mercy Park.
Held in conjunction with a series of festivities this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the memorable 2013 campaign, Throwback Night will kick off a week-long celebration of Kansas City as the Soccer Capital of America that culminates with Sporting’s first home match against st. louis city sc on Saturday, Sept. 2.
Throwback Night will be headlined by the return of numerous players from Sporting Kansas City’s 2013 season with the following individuals anticipated to be in attendance on Aug. 26 for a special on-field recognition at haltime of #SKCvSJ: Matt Besler, Christian Duke, Kevin Ellis, Benny Feilhaber, Josh Gardner, Jon Kempin, Eric Kronberg, Kyle Miller, Chance Myers, Paulo Nagamura, Jimmy Nielsen, Lawrence Olum, Ike Opara, Jacob Peterson, Brendan Ruiz, Seth Sinovic and Graham Zusi.
