Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes and defender Jake Davis were selected to the MLS Team of the Matchday presented by Audi on Monday for Matchday 34 of the 2023 MLS regular season. In addition, goalkeeper Tim Melia earned a spot on the Team of the Matchday bench after the club's 2-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo on Saturday at Children's Mercy Park.
Despite playing down a man for more than an hour after a controversial first-half red card to Johnny Russell, Sporting Kansas City struck for the game-winning goal while playing shorthanded and held off Houston defensively to snap the Dynamo's seven-match unbeaten run.
Melia made five saves -- none bigger than his stop on Corey Baird in second-half stoppage time - to earn his 100th career win in MLS competitions for Sporting Kansas City, while the 21-year-old Davis led the team with 69 touches, 41 passes, 12 possesions won, nine final-third entries and two chances created.
Sporting Kansas City is now within one point of playoff position as the club returns to the road to face rivals St. Louis CITY SC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at CITYPARK in the third and final meeting in the inaugural season series.
Saturday's showdown against first-place St. Louis will be available to watch free on Apple TV in English and Spanish via MLS Season Pass. Local radio coverage will also air on Sports Radio 810 WHB as well as La Grande 1340 AM with streams in the Sporting KC app. In addition, pub partners in the Sporting Pub Network will show all of the action including an enhanced watch party at No Other Pub (1370 Grand Blvd.) in the KC Power & Light District starting at 5:30 p.m. and featuring $4 domestics, $5 wells, $20 beer buckets, and 50% off select appetizers.
