Sporting Kansas City is set to compete for the club’s fifth Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title this week when the team heads to Los Angeles to take on LAFC at BMO Stadium on Wednesday night. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. CT and will be available to stream for free 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).
1. SPORTING HEADS TO LAFC FOR U.S. OPEN CUP FINAL
Sporting Kansas City is set to play one of the club’s most monumental matches in recent history when the team heads to the west coast to take on Los Angeles FC at BMO Stadium on Wednesday night in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final.
Sporting advanced to the club’s fifth 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 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.
2. UNDER THE LA LIGHTS
Sporting Kansas City hits the road for a massive match this week, heading to the west coast to face off against Los Angeles FC in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final at BMO Stadium.
Sporting and LAFC have met once already in 2024, facing off early in the season as Sporting earned a point during a 0-0 draw at BMO Stadium on March 9, 2024, limiting a potent LAFC attack to 15 shots on home turf as Tim Melia made six saves in his first shutout of the season.
LAFC has had the better of the series in recent years, with Sporting going 0-4-2 in their last six meetings against the Californians since a 4-1 thrashing on the road on Aug. 4, 2021. Sporting has enjoyed some success at BMO Stadium - a venue not many visitors experience much joy - going 2-3-2 in their seven visits.
Sporting trails the all-time series with LAFC 4-6-2, while Wednesday’s Open Cup final marks the first-ever meeting between the two sides outside of MLS regular-season competition.
3. HISTORY OF SUCCESS IN FINALS
Sporting Kansas City is preparing for the club’s first cup final in seven years when the team jets off to Los Angeles to take on high-flying LAFC at BMO Stadium on Wednesday night in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final.
Sporting last participated in a cup final back on Sept. 20, 2017 when goals from Latif Blessing and Daniel Salloi earned the club a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup Final at Children’s Mercy Park.
The organization has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success in cup finals throughout club history, winning six of the seven finals the team has participated in - two MLS Cups and four U.S. Open Cups, only suffering defeat in the 2004 MLS Cup against D.C. United.
Sporting KC History in Cup Finals | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Competition | Date | Opponent | Result |
2000 MLS Cup | Oct. 15, 2000 | Chicago Fire | W 1-0 |
2004 U.S. Open Cup | Sept. 22, 2004 | Chicago Fire | W 1-0 |
2004 MLS Cup | Nov. 14, 2004 | D.C. United | L 2-3 |
2012 U.S. Open Cup | Aug. 8, 2012 | Seattle Sounders | T 1-1 (W 3-2 PK) |
2013 MLS Cup | Dec. 7, 2013 | Real Salt Lake | T 1-1 (W 7-6 PK) |
2015 U.S. Open Cup | Sept. 30, 2015 | Philadelphia Union | T 1-1 (W 7-6 PK) |
2017 U.S. Open Cup | Sept. 20, 2017 | New York Red Bulls | W 2-1 |
4. FIRST FINAL FOR MAJORITY OF ROSTER
As Sporting Kansas City gets set for the club’s first cup final since 2017, remarkably just two players remain from the roster that beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 at Children’s Mercy Park in the U.S. Open Cup Final on Sept. 20, 2017.
Daniel Salloi scored the game-winning goal that day, putting his side two goals to the good midway through the second half before the Red Bulls pulled a goal back in stoppage time to make the final score 2-1.
Sporting was backstopped by goalkeeper Tim Melia that night, who also guided the team to glory in the 2015 Open Cup Final as he made two saves in the shootout as Sporting claimed the crown on penalties over the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park.
5. SPORTING’S MARCH TO THE FINAL
Round of 32: Union Omaha 1-2 Sporting KC
Sporting kicked off the club’s 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup campaign with a visit to regional foes Union Omaha at UNO Caniglia Field on May 8, 2024. After falling behind to Lagos Kunga’s first-half goal, Marinos Tzionis equalized just after the break before Alan Pulido struck a dramatic 120th-minute winner to spare Sporting from penalty kicks.
Round of 16: Sporting KC 4-0 FC Tulsa
It was much more straightforward for Sporting in the Round of 16, cruising beyond USL Championship outfit FC Tulsa at Children’s Mercy Park. Felipe Hernandez bagged a brace on the night to go along with goals from Stephen Afrifa and Tzionis.
Quarterfinal: Sporting KC 2-1 FC Dallas
After enduring a 108-minute weather delay early in the second half, Sporting took the lead through William Agada’s fine finish, only for Petar Musa to bag an unlikely equalizer taking the game to extra time. Dany Rosero headed home the eventual winner in the second half of extra time to keep Sporting’s dreams alive.
Semifinal: Sporting KC 2-0 Indy Eleven
Another weather delay impacted Sporting’s semifinal, as the match kicked off two hours and 32 minutes later than scheduled. Undeterred, Sporting got first-half goals from Johnny Russell and Rosero to propel the squad to the 2024 final.
