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.
Another crucial Western Conference clash beckons Saturday as Sporting Kansas City (10-6-6, 36 points) battles Los Angeles Football Club (10-6-6) for the first time, kicking off at 9:30 p.m. CT inside Banc of California Stadium. The match will air live on FOX Sports Kansas City, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, FOX Sports GO, Sports Radio 810 WHB and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM as a pair of conference contenders jockey for playoff positioning.
The first week of August has been a refreshing whirlwind for Sporting KC, with a pivotal road triumph over the Houston Dynamo followed by the celebrated return of forward Krisztian Nemeth and the arrival of Spanish center Back Andreu Fontas just before the MLS summer transfer deadline. Needless to say, there are more than a few reasons to be excited for Saturday’s showdown, so without further ado, let’s take a look at five prevailing storylines ahead of #LAFCvSKC.
1. Tied for Third
One look at the Western Conference table says it all. Sporting KC and LAFC are in the thick of a competitive race for first place, boasting identical records and sitting six points behind leaders FC Dallas. Third-place Sporting KC owns the tiebreaker on superior goal difference, and a win for either team on Saturday could go a long way in deciding how the playoff picture ultimately shakes out in late October.
Saturday is the first of two meetings between Sporting KC and LAFC in 2018, with the sides slated to square off at Children’s Mercy Park in a Decision Day matchup on Oct. 28.
2. Finding Nemo
In case you (somehow) missed it, Sporting KC has rekindled its love affair with forward Krisztian Nemeth. The 29-year-old Hungarian, who notched 16 goals and seven assists for Sporting KC in 2015, has returned for his second stint in Kansas City after completing a transfer from the New England Revolution on Monday.
So this begs the question: will Nemeth be involved on Saturday at Banc of California Stadium? Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes certainly didn’t rule out the idea during Tuesday’s press conference at Pinnacle.
"Yes, absolutely,” Vermes said when asked if Nemeth could play a part against LAFC. “From everything that I can tell, he’s fit. Game fitness is always game fitness, but he’s been training every day and been doing all of that. He’s been coming into games here and there [for New England], so I am very confident that he’ll be available for selection this weekend, for sure."
3. Hollywood Hiccup
It’s possible that Sporting KC just might be catching LAFC at the right time. Bob Bradley’s side is winless in five straight games across all competitions, including Wednesday’s heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to the Houston Dynamo in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals. Diego Rossi bagged a hat-trick for the visitors, but it wasn’t enough as a 3-3 draw set the stage for Houston to prevail 7-6 on penalties at BBVA Compass Stadium.
LAFC will have just two full days of rest to recover from Wednesday’s 120-minute outing prior to hosting Sporting KC. Bradley fielded a strong lineup in Houston, with the likes of Rossi, Carlos Vela, Laurent Ciman and Jordan Harvey all playing the full 120 minutes. Three other regular starters — Benny Feilhaber, Lee Nguyen and Walker Zimmerman — were subbed off before the end of regulation. Could heavy legs prove hazardous for the hosts on Saturday night?
4. California Dreamin’
Reading into the statistics, Sporting KC fans have reason for both hope and concern. Vermes’ men are an impressive 3-0-2 in their last five visits to the state of California since the start of 2016, going 2-0-1 against LA Galaxy at StubHub Center and 1-0-1 against the San Jose Earthquakes at Avaya Stadium. Kansas City also boasts an 8-3-3 record in their inaugural meetings with expansion sides since 2005, the start of the MLS expansion era.
On the flipside, LAFC has never lost in its short history at Banc of California Stadium. The club is 8-0-5 at home in all competitions, including a 5-0-5 mark in MLS and three victories in Open Cup play. Something’s got to give on Saturday.
5. Sporting Reunion
Creative midfielder Benny Feilhaber and diminutive forward Latif Blessing have played instrumental roles in bringing silverware to Sporting KC. Feilhaber was a center figure for the club from 2013-2017, helping the team win an MLS Cup and two Open Cups, while Blessing scored in last season’s Open Cup Final at Children’s Mercy Park.
On Saturday, the duo will don LAFC uniforms and face their former employers for the first time. Both players have contributed valuably during their first year in Southern California: Feilhaber (three goals, four assists) is the only field player to start all 22 MLS matches for LAFC this season, while Blessing (five goals, six assists) is the only other LAFC field player to appear in every league game.
