"This Week in Sporting," presented by The Smile Generation, is a weekly series that highlights the biggest storylines and news updates from Sporting Kansas City.
1. Vexed in Vancouver
Sporting Kansas City (15-7-7, 52 points) suffered a 2-1 loss at the Vancouver Whitecaps FC (10-9-10, 40 points) on Sunday and remains in second place in the Western Conference. Brian White, who had scored the Whitecaps last six goals, this time played the part of provider and set up first half goals for Ryan Gauld and Russell Teibert at BC Place in the Vancouver victory.
Johnny Russell was once again on the scoresheet for Sporting, stretching his scoring streak to six straight games and in doing so became the first player in club history to score in six consecutive MLS regular season matches. The streak is the longest by an MLS player this year and ranks eighth longest in MLS history.
2. Best in the West
Next up, Sporting Kansas City (15-7-7, 52 points) will travel to face Seattle Sounders FC (17-6-6, 57 points) at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at Lumen Field. The match, featuring two of the top three goal scorers in Major League Soccer with Sporting forward Daniel Salloi and Sounders striker Raul Ruidiaz, will air live nationally on Univision and TUDN in addition to local telecasts on Bally Sports Kansas City and Bally Sports Midwest. Fans are invited to attend the club's official watch party at Mr. Brew's Taphouse (3140 Iowa St.) in Lawrence, Kansas.
3. We Want the World Cup
The KC2026 bid to bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Kansas City will host a delegation from FIFA on Thursday for an official venue visit. Representatives led by FIFA Vice-President Victor Montagliani will meet with local stakeholders, including city and stadium authorities, while inspecting essential infrastructure such as stadiums, training facilities and potential FIFA Fan Festival sites as FIFA assesses bids prior to selecting host cities in 2022.
Printable posters and social media graphics, in both English and Spanish, are available to download for soccer fans throughout the region to show their support for Kansas City's bid to bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup to the Midwest. In addition, individuals who would like to display a KC2026 sign at their home or business in downtown KC can pick up a free 18x24 poster while supplies last at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce offices in Suite 301 on the third floor of Union Station from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
4. U.S. WNT Returns
The United States Women's National Team will take on Korea Republic at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday at Children's Mercy Park live on ESPN2 and TUDN with a roster headlined by Carli Lloyd, who will play the penultimate international match of her legendary career. Tickets for the match are available online at Ticketmaster.com.
5. Breakout & Seek
On Saturday, Breakout KC has teamed up with Sporting KC to host a scavenger hunt at Children's Mercy Park. Breakout & Seek will feature teams of up to six people racing to complete puzzles and challenges throughout the stadium with prizes up for grabs. Registration starts at 10 a.m. CT and the cost to enter is $100 per team.
6. Tune In Tuesday
The Sporting KC Show will set the stage for the exciting week ahead when it airs on Sports Radio 810 WHB from 6-7 p.m. CT on Tuesday with hosts Nate Bukaty, Aly Trost and Conall McCourt. The Sporting KC Show Podcast is available on Spotify, iTunes and SportingKC.com, giving supporters a weekly destination to catch up on club storylines, player achievements, guest interviews and more.
