Sporting Kansas City remains at home this weekend as the team plays host to Minnesota United FC at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday 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. BUILDING ON EMPHATIC VICTORY
Sporting Kansas City will be looking to build on the club’s rout of the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park this past Wednesday when the team hosts Minnesota United FC at home on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT. Sporting are now 3-1-1 in all competitions since the Leagues Cup break and are looking to round into form at the right time ahead of next Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup Final against LAFC at BMO Stadium.
Sporting is currently navigating a congested two weeks containing five games in 13 days starting with the Sept. 15 match in Seattle and ending with a trip to rivals St. Louis on Sept. 28. Manager Peter Vermes made seven changes to the team on Wednesday - rolling out the 29th unique lineup in the team’s last 29 matches - and will continue to delicately manage the roster heading into the Open Cup final.
Sporting has been dominant against Minnesota at home since the Loons joined MLS in 2017, going 9-0-0 and outscoring their Midwestern foes 25-3. Minnesota currently occupy the ninth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 39 points - eight points ahead of Sporting who have just four matches left to play.
2. HOME DOMINANCE vs. LOONS
Sporting Kansas City remains at home this weekend when the team plays host to Minnesota United FC at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night looking to continue a remarkable stretch of home dominance against the Loons.
Sporting is a perfect 9-0-0 against Minnesota United since the Loons joined MLS as an expansion team in 2017, outscoring their Midwestern counterparts 25-3 at Children’s Mercy Park. The last time Sporting hosted Minnesota was on a dramatic Decision Day on Oct. 21, 2023 where Johnny Russell scored twice and Remi Walter also got on the scoresheet as Sporting clinched a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs on the final day.
The two sides have already met twice since then, both coming at Allianz Field up in St. Paul, Minnesota earlier in 2024. The Loons took care of business on both occasions, claiming a 2-1 victory on April 27 and a 3-1 win on June 1 as Alan Pulido and Johnny Russell could only muster consolation goals in each contest.
Sporting leads the all-time regular-season series against Minnesota 11-5-4. Sporting had won four in a row (three home, one away) against the Loons prior to the pair of losses at Allianz Field earlier this season.
3. PULIDO SCORES MATCH-WINNING BRACE
Sporting Kansas City forward Alan Pulido was back to his best during Wednesday night’s 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park, firing home a match-winning brace with goals either side of halftime. Pulido was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for his performance.
Pulido gave the hosts an early lead with Sporting’s second-quickest goal of the season, coming when he rifled into the bottom left corner in the eighth minute. Four minutes into the second half, Pulido doubled his side’s lead with a piece of individual brilliance, wriggling between three Colorado defenders before firing into the corner for his eighth goal of the season in all competitions.
With the brace, Pulido recorded his seventh multi-goal match in the MLS regular season, tying Preki and teammate Johnny Russell for third most in club history, while he also now has five goal contributions in his last five MLS matches.
4. THOMMY SHINES OFF THE BENCH
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Erik Thommy struck twice off the bench during the club’s 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park on Wednesday night.
Thommy replaced Alan Pulido - who also had two goals to his name - in the 59th minute of the match and went on to fire home his side’s third goal in the 69th minute before completing the rout with Sporting’s fourth in the 82nd minute. Thommy’s seven goals in all competitions are third most on the team behind William Agada (11) and Alan Pulido (8). The German was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for his performance.
With a brace off the bench on Wednesday, Thommy becomes the fifth player in club history – and first in 17 years – to score multiple goals in an MLS regular season match as a substitute. It was also Thommy’s second brace of the season, his first coming in Sporting’s 3-2 loss to Inter Miami CF at Arrowhead Stadium on April 13.
Sporting KC Players to Score Twice as a Substitute | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Player | Date | Opponent | Result |
Erik Thommy | Sept. 17, 2024 | vs. Colorado Rapids | W 4-1 |
Yura Movsisyan | June 16, 2007 | at New York Red Bulls | D 3-3 |
Matt Taylor | June 19, 2004 | at New England | W 3-1 |
Roy Lassiter | July 14, 2001 | vs. FC Dallas | W 3-2 |
Chris Klein | July 22, 1999 | vs. Tampa Bay | W 4-3 |
5. DAVIS SERVES SUSPENSION, AVAILABLE SATURDAY
Sporting Kansas City Academy product Jake Davis has served both matches of his two-game suspension and is set to return when the team hosts Minnesota United FC on Saturday 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 last Sunday night before again sitting out the midweek 4-1 thumping of the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park.
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.
