Sporting Kansas City at Minnesota United FC
2024 MLS Regular Season | Match 16
Saturday, June 1 | 7:30 p.m. CT (7:40 kickoff)
Allianz Field | St. Paul, Minnesota
Broadcast Schedule:
Apple TV | MLS Season Pass
English Radio | Sports Radio 810 WHB
Spanish Radio | La Grande 1340 AM
5 Things | By the Numbers | Tune In on Apple TV | Pub Partners | SKC App | MatchCenter
Sporting Kansas City will conclude a stretch of five matches in 15 days when the team takes on Minnesota United FC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at Allianz Field in St. Paul.
The Western Conference clash will stream on Apple TV for MLS Season Pass subscribers and radio broadcasts will be available locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM with live audio also available in the Sporting KC App. Pub Partners in the Sporting Pub Network will also show all of the action, including the club's official watch party at Bar K (501 Berkley Pkwy.) featuring $5 off Bud Light pitchers and half-price dog entry for fans wearing Sporting gear.
Sporting and Minnesota have met 23 times in all competitions since the Loons joined MLS in 2017 -- most of any opponent for either side -- and Sporting leads the all-time series with a 12-7-4 record. Allianz Field is the only stadium Sporting KC will play in twice during the regular season as Saturday's showdown is a rematch of Sporting's 2-1 loss in the Twin Cities on April 27.
The defeat began the club's current six-game regular season losing streak -- the team's longest since 2006 -- as part of a nine-match winless run in league play since the start of April (0-7-2). A year ago, Sporting went without a win in 10 regular season matches (0-7-3) before rallying to make the postseason and beat top-seeded St. Louis CITY SC in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
Each of Sporting’s eight losses this season have come by a single goal and that trend continued on Wednesday as SKC fell 2-1 at home to the reigning Canadian Championship winners Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Sporting was without six players but will be bolstered by the return of midfielder Memo Rodriguez, who has a goal or assist in each of his last three regular season matches however was suspended on Wednesday due to caution accumulation.
Marinos Tzionis scored his sixth career goal for Sporting KC in second-half stoppage time on Wednesday amidst a breakout month for the 22-year-old Cyprus international. Tzionis was the team's top scorer in May with goals in all three of SKC's mid-week matches, including U.S. Open Cup victories over Union Omaha and FC Tulsa.
Saturday marks the first of six MLS matches for Sporting Kansas City in June, the most for the team in the month since Children's Mercy Park opened in June 2011 and the most of any month during this year's regular season schedule. Last June, Sporting KC striker Alan Pulido was named MLS Player of the Month with a club record and MLS-best six goals to go along with a game-winning assist.
Minnesota is coming off a 2-0 defeat at LAFC on Wednesday that snapped the team's six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2) under new head coach Eric Ramsay. The loss leaves the Loons with 25 points (7-3-4) -- their most through 14 matches of a regular season in club history -- and in fourth place in the Western Conference.
Despite the recent departure of Designated Player Emanuel Reynoso, the Loons' midfield features the dangerous duo of Robin Lod -- who is tied for second in MLS with 10 assists, doubling his previous single-season career high -- and Joseph Rosales, who has seven assists in 12 appearances this season after recording two assists in his previous 48 career MLS matches. Up top, forward Tani Oluwaseyi has also emerged as a key contributor -- supplanting the team's highest paid player, Teemu Pukki, in the starting lineup -- and the 23-year-old Nigerian's six goals are the most of any Minnesota player.
Following MINvSKC on Saturday, Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota United's Special Olympics Unified Teams will take the pitch at Allianz Field for the first of two exchange games between the squads with the rematch scheduled for Sept. 21 at Children's Mercy Park. The Sporting Kansas City representatives, who participated in a Signing Day last month and trained at Compass Minerals National Performance Center, will travel to Minnesota alongside Sporting Kansas City players and coaches on the team's charter flight for a one-of-a-kind experience.
In addition, Sporting Kansas City II will also travel to the Twin Cities this weekend to play Minnesota United FC 2 at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday at the National Sports Center Stadium in Blaine, Minnesota. The Frontier Division match-up will be streamed live on MLSNEXTPro.com and the MLS YouTube page.
