Earlier today, Sporting Kansas City released its 2022 MLS regular season schedule. Tomorrow, fans will be able to purchase tickets to the first five home matches at SeatGeek.com with the rest going on sale at a later date.
Fans can enter the My Five contest presented by Hollywood Casino in which you tell us which five home matches you are most looking forward to in this upcoming season. One winner will be selected and they will receive two free tickets to each of those five home matches.
In 2021 Children’s Mercy Park provided its typical home field advantage, lifting Sporting KC to 14 results in 17 contests. In 2022, Children’s Mercy Park will welcome 13 Western Conference opponents and four Eastern Conference teams.
Below are five home matches that should have fans amped up and a little inspiration for your My Five presented by Hollywood Casino selections.
Saturday, Mar. 26: Real Salt Lake
A rematch of the 2021 Western Conference Semifinals and an opportunity for revenge presents itself as Sporting KC hosts Real Salt Lake on Saturday, Mar. 26. Ever since Sporting’s 2013 MLS Cup Final victory over RSL, these two clubs have been anything but friendly towards one another. Despite the geographical distance between Kansas City and Salt Lake City, a rivalry has blossomed. Sporting defeated Salt Lake in the 2018 Western Conference Semifinals but could not repeat their success last season as RSL knocked Sporting out of the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs with a stoppage-time goal from Bobby Wood. With vengeance on the mind, Sporting’s second home match brings intrigue early in the 2022 regular season. Fans can purchase tickets for this match starting Thursday at SeatGeek.com.
Sunday, June 12: New England Revolution
The 2021 MLS Supporters' Shield winners end their two-year hiatus from Children’s Mercy Park when the New England Revolution return to Kansas City on Sunday, June 12. Sporting KC’s summer showdown with New England will mark the 27th all-time meeting between the two MLS originals in Kansas City with Sporting holding a 14-7-6 record in the heartland. Coming off a record-setting 2021 regular season, New England will bring the 2021 Landon Donovan MLS MVP Carles Gil, 2021 Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the year Matt Turner and 2021 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year Bruce Arena to Children’s Mercy Park this summer. The last time these two met, they fought to a thrilling, 4-4 draw in front of a raucous Children’s Mercy Park crowd.
Sunday, July 3: New York Red Bulls
Fourth of July festivities start a day early as the New York Red Bulls show their faces at Children’s Mercy Park for the first time in three seasons. The most recent meeting saw Sporting open its 2021 MLS regular season with a 2-1 victory over New York at Red Bull Arena. Sporting defeated the Red Bulls in the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup final at Children’s Mercy Park, painting the wall with the club’s fourth Open Cup title. With lots of history between these two, Sporting holds a slight edge with a 22-21-14 all-time record against New York. Coming off an Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs appearance, the Red Bulls have already begun to bolster their roster ahead of their 2022 regular season and midseason matchup with Sporting KC.
Sunday, Aug. 21: Portland Timbers
The reigning Western Conference champions are set for a late-season showdown in Kansas City. Portland, fresh off their appearance in the 2021 MLS Cup Final, will look to capture similar success in 2022 with Sporting looking to stamp out any hopes of a Timbers repeat. Sporting will try to replicate its past success against Portland at home as they have secured results in their last six regular season meetings at Children’s Mercy Park. Most recently, Daniel Salloi’s clutch, stoppage-time equalizer earned Sporting a 1-1 draw against the Timbers in Aug. of 2021. With both teams finding consistent success in the past decade, a contentious back and forth has developed between the teams with 2022 promising to be no different.
Sunday, Oct. 2: Seattle Sounders
Sporting KC’s final home match of the 2022 regular season and next-to-last regular season match pits them against a familiar foe in the Seattle Sounders. In 2021, the Sounders finished just two points ahead of Sporting KC, taking the second seed in the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs before falling at home to Real Salt Lake in the opening round. Last season Sporting suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Seattle but claimed two victories at Lumen Field during the campaign. Sporting took home the club’s second Lamar Hunt US Open Cup title after defeating the Seattle Sounders in a penalty kick shootout at Children’s Mercy Park in 2012. The final home match of the regular season against a Western Conference rival on a nice fall evening in Kansas City. What could be better?
Although these are five matches fans can look forward to, there are 12 others with their own intriguing storylines. Whatever matches you are looking forward to, make sure you let us know by entering the My Five contest presented by Hollywood Casino.
The first five Sporting KC home matches go on sale tomorrow at SeatGeek.com. Other select ticket packages, which include a few of the above matches, are available at SportingKC.com/tickets. You do not want to miss your chance to see Sporting KC in action at Children’s Mercy Park this season.
