In the stands, Sporting Kansas City supporters will celebrate Retro Night. On the field, Manager Peter Vermes’ side will square off against the Colorado Rapids in perhaps the biggest game of the 2021 season thus far.
Simply put, Saturday will be a must-see, must-experience spectacle at Children’s Mercy Park. Tickets for the matchup between two of the top three teams in the Western Conference is slated for 8 p.m. CT and tickets remain available at SeatGeek.com while supplies last.
In his customary appearance on Sports Radio 810 WHB this week, Sporting defender Graham Zusi told Border Patrol hosts Nate Bukaty and Steven St. John that Saturday’s showdown holds tremendous importance in the race for first place.
Sporting occupies second place in the West, three points behind Seattle. The Rapids are third, two points behind Sporting but with two games in hand.
“This is a big one—one of those swing matches in the season,” Zusi said. “If we can jump on Colorado early and maybe get a goal, they’ll have to chase the game. When a team is chasing the game against us, it usually bodes well for our performance. It allows us to keep the ball and them punish them on the counter or in a situation where we’ve stretched them out a little bit. I think that’s hugely important for us.”
Sporting have been phenomenal away from home this summer, posting a 4-0-2 record in their last six road matches. Points have been harder to come by in the friendly confines of Children’s Mercy Park, where Vermes’ men have taken a loss and two draws since the start of July.
Zusi is confident that Sporting can resurrect their home form at the expense of Colorado, although he did shower praise on the Rapids for their recent surge as one of the league’s top teams.
“We feel like we need to get back to our true form at home,” Zusi said. “As a group, we feel like we’ve left some points out there on the table. This one is a massive game all around. It’s a huge opponent in Colorado, who are close to us in the standings. This is a massive three-pointer that could really go a long way this season.”
Fans attending the match can click here for their comprehensive guide to Retro Night.
For supporters watching from home, Saturday’s game will air live on Bally Sports Kansas City and Bally Sports Midwest Plus with three hours of live coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT. The match will also stream live on BallySports.com and the new Bally Sports app. Local radio broadcasts will air on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM, with The Final Whistle postgame show immediately following the match on 810 WHB, and fans can access the Sporting KC app for in-game updates and exclusive offers.
