Five Things is a weekly series on SportingKC.com that highlights the top storylines, players to watch and matchday programming ahead of each game throughout the season.
Sporting Kansas City (5-2-2, 17 points) will look to bounce back into the victory column Saturday when they welcome the Colorado Rapids (2-3-2, 8 points) to Children's Mercy Park for a Cinco de Mayo showdown on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and tickets remain available via SeatGeek.com. The match will also air live on FOX Sports Kansas City, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, FOX Sports GO, Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM (Spanish).
With delightful weather in the forecast and a variety of compelling storylines surrounding the fixture, here are five things you need to know ahead of Sporting KC's second meeting with Colorado this season.
1. Best in the West?
The verdict is still out regarding which team is the class of Major League Soccer's Western Conference. Sitting at the summit of the table is Sporting KC, two points ahead of Los Angeles Football Club with two more games played. Coming off a frustrating 1-0 road loss to the New England Revolution last weekend, Manager Peter Vermes' men have an opportunity on Saturday to re-stamp their claim as the conference's strongest side.
And quite frankly, that's exactly what Sporting KC will be expected to do against a Colorado outfit that has just one win away from home since the start of 2017. The Rapids are 1-16-3 in their last 20 road fixtures, and anything less than three points for Sporting KC would leave a sour taste heading into next Wednesday's daunting trip to Atlanta United FC.
2. Familiar Foes
As MLS charter members, Sporting KC and Colorado are certainly no strangers. The clubs have met 75 times in all competitions since 1996, most recently on March 24 of this season when they battled to an entertaining 2-2 draw at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids jumped out to a 2-0 lead within the first eight minutes as Dominique Badji and Joe Mason entered the scoresheet, but Sporting KC effectively controlled the rest of the game. Felipe Gutierrez halved the deficit on 57 minutes before Diego Rubio came off the bench to bag a dramatic, 91st-minute equalizer. The visitors ended the night with a 20-8 edge in shots, including 9-2 in shots on target, and owned 62 percent of possession.
Expect the rematch to unfold similarly. Sporting KC ranks among the MLS leaders in possession, shot attempts and chance creation, while Colorado lingers near the bottom in each category. As is often the case, Saturday's outcome could hinge on how clinical Sporting KC is in the final third, and how many looks the Rapids can create via the counter-attack and set pieces.
3. Besler Bobbles
Arguably the greatest snapshot of Sporting KC's 2017 season came last September when captain Matt Besler painted the wall in the northwest corner of Children's Mercy Park immediately following a 2-1 win over the New York Red Bulls in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final. Fast-forward to present day, and there's a bobblehead to tribute the epic moment.
To round out the 2018 bobblehead series that began with Ike Opara and Tim Melia, the first 10,000 supporters through the stadium gates will receive a Matt Besler bobblehead courtesy of match sponsor Mainstreet Credit Union. Additionally, fans who make a $50 purchase at any SportingStyle location on Saturday night will also receive a free Besler bobblehead. (On a related note: SportingStyle.com is now accepting merchandise pre-orders that can be picked up Saturday on the Toyota Plaza beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT.)
4. Cinco de Mayo Saturday
May 5 isn't complete without a Cinco de Mayo celebration. SportingStyle will offer a Cinco de Mayo-themed scarf, while stadium graphics will feature a tricolored look of Mexico. Fans will also want to stop by the Toyota Plaza before kickoff for Modelo samples and eats at the Salty Iguana food truck.
Also worth mentioning, a limited number of college scarf and ticket packages remain available ahead of Saturday. This limited-time offer consists of a match ticket and a Sporting KC scarf co-branded with a local university, back by popular demand after a successful debut on April 20.
5. Life Without Gutierrez
Sporting KC announced Tuesday that midfielder Felipe Gutierrez will miss the next two to three months after undergoing successful sports hernia surgery. Life without one of the club's best players officially begins this weekend, but Vermes' side is already accustomed to filling his absence. Gutierrez played just 14 minutes during the month of April, with Yohan Croizet starting each of the last four matches as a direct replacement. Sporting KC has gone 2-1-1 in those games.
With Gutierrez sidelined for the next several weeks, Sporting KC has lost a major contributor who landed MLS Player of the Month honors in March. But if any Western Conference team is equipped to compensate for such a loss, it just might be Sporting KC. Wingers Johnny Russell and Daniel Salloi are off to flying starts, Roger Espinoza is tied for the MLS lead with five assists, Croizet had a breakout performance against Vancouver on April 20, and Graham Zusi is one of the best attacking fullbacks in the league.
