Sporting Kansas City vs. Orlando City SC
2024 MLS Regular Season | Match 27
Saturday, Aug. 24 | 7:30 p.m. CT (7:40 kickoff)
Children's Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Broadcast Schedule:
Apple TV | Free on MLS Season Pass
English Radio | Sports Radio 810 WHB
Spanish Radio | La Grande 1340 AM
Tickets | Know Before You Go | 5 Things | By the Numbers | Tune In on Apple TV | Watch Party | Pub Partners | SKC App | MatchCenter
Sporting Kansas City will host Orlando City SC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at Children's Mercy Park as the MLS regular season resumes following a month-long pause for Leagues Cup.
Tickets for the cross-conference clash are available via SeatGeek and college students can take advantage of the Sporting U Pass to purchase $15 Supporters' Stand tickets. All ticket holders will be allowed to enter with one 20-ounce or smaller sealed bottle of water and Children's Mercy Park concessions will also be offering $2 off value menu items (popcorn, hot dogs, nachos and pretzels).
Saturday's showdown will feature the club's annual Retro Night festivities and fans can shop the adidas x MLS Archive Collection at Children's Mercy Park -- including the team's new throwback third jersey -- or order other Wiz and Wizards apparel online in advance at SportingStyle.com for matchday pickup.
In addition, Sporting KC II head coach Benny Feilhaber will be inducted into the Sporting Legends hall of honor at halftime. The 2010 World Cup veteran and 2013 MLS Cup champion -- who had 35 goals and 58 assists in 198 matches for Sporting in all competitions across six seasons -- will interact with fans at "beer corner" prior to kickoff.
Saturday will mark the first meeting between Sporting Kansas City and Orlando City SC since April 2021 when the teams played to a 1-1 draw at Children's Mercy Park. The visitors have since won the 2022 U.S. Open Cup and finished runners-up in the 2023 MLS Supporters' Shield race, and now arrive in Kansas City riding the momentum of an eight-game unbeaten run that includes wins in each of their last three road matches.
Orlando's 13 points (4-0-1) since the start of July are the most in MLS and head coach Oscar Pareja's roster features four players who featured at major international competitions this summer. Nebraska native Duncan McGuire represented the U.S. at the Olympic Games and ranks second on the team with seven regular season goals. In addition, defender David Brekalo was selected to Slovenia's roster for the European Championship while Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena played for Peru at Copa America.
The Designated Player duo of Facundo Torres and Martin Ojeda have powered Orlando's offense in 2024. Torres leads the Lions with 13 total goal contributions during the regular season, moving him one shy of Nani for the most in team history, while Ojeda has a goal contribution in six straight regular season appearances. Veteran midfielder Nico Lodeiro has recorded a team-high nine assists this season and U22 Initiative Player Ramiro Enrique has scored in each of Orlando's last four regular season matches.
Orlando will be up against a Sporting Kansas City side that has scored in 15 straight regular season home matches and leads the league with 15 different goal scorers during the 2024 campaign. William Agada leads SKC with 11 goals this season in all competitions - including six goals in his last six starts -- with 10 of his 11 goals coming inside Children's Mercy Park, where he has scored 20 goals in 30 appearances since joining the club in July 2022.
On the opposite end of the field, goalkeeper Tim Melia is poised to pass assistant coach Kerry Zavagnin on the club's all-time appearances chart. The 38-year-old former MLS Goalkeeper of the Year is Sporting’s all-time goalkeeping leader in appearances (291), wins (123) and shutouts (78) in all competitions
SKC Appearance Leaders
(all time, all competitions)
1. Graham Zusi 411
2. Roger Espinoza 399
3. Matt Besler 348
4. Kerry Zavagnin 291
4. Tim Melia 291
All 12 MLS matches on Saturday will be free to watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV with Nate Bukaty on the call for SKCvORL. Pub partners in the Sporting Pub Network will also show all of the action, including a watch party at No Other Pub in the KC Power & Light District, and radio coverage will air on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM with live streams available in the Sporting KC App.
