As Sporting Kansas City’s 2022 MLS regular season home opener looms, SportingKC.com is rolling out a 15-day countdown until MLS is back at Children’s Mercy Park. Sporting begins its 2022 campaign with a visit to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Feb. 27 for a matchup with Atlanta United FC at 2 p.m. CT. Sporting will then host longtime rival Houston Dynamo FC at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 5 at Children's Mercy Park.
The 2022 Preseason Countdown will provide fans with key storylines to keep an eye on as we approach Sporting’s home opener. From player highlights and coaching spotlights to new features at Children’s Mercy Park, the 2022 Preseason Countdown will highlight the many reasons to be excited for what’s ahead.
Sunday marks the beginning of Sporting’s 2022 MLS regular season and the club’s 27th all-time season. Being an MLS original, Sporting has had plenty of time to play in exciting matches and form a plethora of rivalries with multiple clubs. While every Sporting match is exhilarating and full of their own intriguing storylines, these select matches present the most compelling narratives.
March 5 – Houston Dynamo FC – Children’s Mercy Park
How could we not talk about our home opener in our countdown to the home opener? Despite this being the shortest offseason in MLS history, it has been far too long since there has been Sporting Kansas City soccer at Children’s Mercy Park. In 2021, the Blue Hell was in peak form as Sporting posted a 9-3-5 record in front of the home crowd.
We will take a closer look at the matchup with Houston Dynamo as the numbers dwindle in our countdown to MLS being back at Children’s Mercy Park but there are some tantalizing facts about this match. For one, former Sporting midfielder and Sporting KC II head coach Paulo Nagamura is now in charge of the Dynamo with Jimmy Nielsen and Chris Martinez also a part of his staff. Nagamura and Nielsen played major roles in the early days of the rivalry between Houston and Sporting, with both starting in the 2013 Conference Finals match at Children's Mercy Park. They will both return to CMP early in the season.
March 26 – Real Salt Lake – Children’s Mercy Park
One of MLS’s best rivalries will be renewed in late March with Real Salt Lake returning to Children’s Mercy Park. RSL beat Sporting twice at CMP in 2021, the first being the controversial 1-0 Decision Day match and the final blow coming in the Western Conference Semifinals. Sporting still has bragging rights over Salt Lake, after beating them in the 2013 MLS Cup Finals at Children’s Mercy Park but last season’s defeats are fresh in Sporting’s mind.
RSL was dealt a massive blow in the offseason losing their talisman in the midfield, Albert Rusnak to the Seattle Sounders. Rusnak finished 2021 with 22 goal contributions (11 goals, 11 assists) and was a focal point of their offense for five seasons. It is never dull when Sporting takes on Salt Lake, and the first rendition of this rivalry is set for March 26 at CMP.
May 7 – New York City FC – Citi Field
The Audi 2021 MLS Cup holders are gearing up for their title defense. Last season's Golden Boot winner Valentin Castellanos is back with the Pigeons despite multiple rumors of him being transferred abroad. Many MLS analysts have NYCFC finishing in the top four of the eastern conference with Sporting KC getting a crack at them on May 7 at Citi Field. Sporting has not faced NYCFC on their turf since July 26, 2019, and holds a 1-2-0 record against them in the Empire State. Another storyline to keep an eye on in this one is Ben Sweat’s return as the newly acquired Sporting left back spent three seasons with New York.
June 12 – New England Revolution – Children’s Mercy Park
Two MLS originals duel it out over the summer when the New England Revolution come to town. While NYCFC is the holder of MLS Cup, New England currently has possession of the Supporters’ Shield. The Revs have Bruce Arena (2021 MLS Coach of the Year), Carles Gil (2021 MLS MVP and Comeback Player of the Year) and may still have Matt Turner (2021 MLS Goalkeeper of the year) if his summer transfer to Arsenal has not been completed at that point.
This will be the 56th meeting between the two sides in the regular season since MLS's inaugural 1996 season. Presently, Sporting holds the edge over New England with a 25-18-12 record. New England is coming off a record-setting season and brings a very similar core group of players to Kansas City on June 12.
June 25 – Seattle Sounders FC – Lumen Field
In the last decade, Sporting Kansas City and the Seattle Sounders have been model MLS teams. During that time, Sporting has won three Lamar Hunt US Open Cup titles (2012, 2015, 2017) and one MLS Cup title (2013). Seattle has two MLS Cups (2016, 2019), a Supporters’ Shield (2014) and an Open Cup title (2014) in that same span. The two teams consistently finish at the top of the Western Conference and their matches tend to be extremely consequential.
Seattle added Rusnak to their midfield from RSL and get 2020 MLS Best XI forward Jordan Morris back from injury. The Sounders have won four trophies in this decade but that has not intimidated Sporting. Since 2017 Sporting holds a 5-3-1 advantage over the Sounders including three straight road wins at Lumen Field. June 25 gives Sporting the golden opportunity to extend that streak to four and start the second half of the MLS season off right.
