At long last, the wait is over and the dates are set. Sporting Kansas City released its 2020 MLS regular season schedule on Thursday, allowing players, coaches and fans alike to map out the year ahead.
Certain fixtures may pop out on paper, but compelling stats and storylines surround all 34 games on the docket. We blaze through each matchup in our rapid-fire rundown below — all in a maximum of 140 characters.
<strong>DATE</strong> |
<strong>OPPONENT</strong> |
<strong>FAST FACT</strong> |
Saturday, Feb. 29 |
at Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
Sporting has outscored Vancouver 14-2 across the last four meetings (3-0-1). That stretch includes consecutive three-goal wins at BC Place. |
<strong>Saturday, March 7</strong> |
<strong>HOUSTON DYNAMO</strong> |
Sporting is 14-3-7 all-time in home openers and owns a five-game home unbeaten streak against the Dynamo. |
<s>Saturday, March 14</s> |
at Atlanta United FC |
Atlanta boasts a 28-5-9 regular season record at Mercedes-Benz Stadium since 2017. Sporting delivered one of the five losses in May 2018. |
<s>Saturday, March 21</s> |
at San Jose Earthquakes |
San Jose's nine-win improvement from 2018 (four) to 2019 (13) was the most in the regular season last year. |
<s><strong>Saturday, March 28</strong></s> |
<strong>REAL SALT LAKE</strong> |
Sporting is 1-8-5 in its last 14 regular season meetings against RSL since 2014, with the lone win coming at home in April 2017. |
<s>Saturday, April 4</s> |
at LA Galaxy |
Sporting went 4-0-4 against the Galaxy from October 2015 to October 2018 before losing both meetings last season. |
<s>Saturday, April 11</s> |
at Nashville SC |
Sporting has handed six different teams their first-ever regular season loss in their current home stadium. Could Nashville become No. 7? |
<s><strong>Saturday, April 18</strong></s> |
<strong>COLORADO RAPIDS</strong> |
Regular season matches last season involving Colorado averaged 3.56 goals per game, the second-highest mark in MLS (58 GF, 63 GA). |
<s><strong>Saturday, April 25</strong></s> |
<strong>MINNESOTA UNITED FC</strong> |
Sporting owns a perfect 5-0-0 home record against Minnesota in all competitions, outscoring the Loons 14-1 at Children's Mercy Park. |
<s>Saturday, May 2</s> |
at LAFC |
LAFC has a 22-2-10 regular season home record over the last two seasons. Sporting delivered one of those losses in August 2018. |
<s><strong>Saturday, May 9</strong></s> |
<strong>TORONTO FC</strong> |
Sporting is 11-1-5 in its last 17 meetings with TFC, including 6-0-4 in the last 10. Toronto is 0-6-2 all-time at Children's Mercy Park. |
Saturday, May 16 |
at Philadelphia Union |
The Union recorded a club-record 16 regular season wins last season and also claimed their first-ever playoff victory. |
<strong>Saturday, May 23</strong> |
<strong>SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC</strong> |
Sporting was the only team to defeat eventual MLS Cup champion Seattle twice during the 2019 regular season. |
Saturday, May 30 |
at FC Dallas |
FC Dallas is 52-8-24 in regular season home games since 2015. Their eight losses are the fewest of any team that had entered MLS by 2015. |
<strong>Saturday, June 6</strong> |
<strong>ORLANDO CITY SC</strong> |
This match will mark the 25-year anniversary of Sporting’s official launch as a charter member of MLS ahead of the 1996 season. |
Saturday, June 13 |
at Portland Timbers |
Sporting has shut out Portland in eight of the last 11 regular season meetings between the clubs, going 5-2-4 during that stretch. |
<strong>Wednesday, June 17</strong> |
<strong>LA GALAXY</strong> |
The Galaxy were one of two teams last season (Colorado) to score and concede at least 58 goals in the regular season. |
<strong>Saturday, June 20</strong> |
<strong>VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC</strong> |
Sporting is 5-1-2 against Vancouver in regular season home games. Former Sporting KC II head coach Marc Dos Santos returns to Kansas City. |
<strong>Sunday, June 28</strong> |
<strong>PORTLAND TIMBERS</strong> |
Portland's six regular season away wins in 2019 were the second-most in the Western Conference (6-8-3). |
Wednesday, July 1 |
at Real Salt Lake |
This could serve as another edition of the Besler Derby, with Sporting captain Matt Besler facing his younger brother and RSL defender Nick. |
<strong>Sunday, July 5</strong> |
<strong>LAFC</strong> |
LAFC set MLS regular season records last season for points (72), goals (85) and goal differential (+48). |
<strong>Saturday, July 11</strong> |
<strong>FC CINCINNATI</strong> |
FC Cincinnati will make its first visit to Children's Mercy Park, having gone a league-worst 6-22-6 during its inaugural 2019 season. |
Saturday, July 18 |
at Minnesota United FC |
Minnesota's one home loss (10-1-6) and 13 home goals conceded were both the fewest in MLS during the 2019 regular season. |
<strong>Saturday, July 25</strong> |
<strong>FC DALLAS</strong> |
The all-time regular season series between these clubs is tied at 25-25-12. Sporting is 8-2-2 in its last 12 home games against Dallas. |
Saturday, Aug. 1 |
at Montreal Impact |
Sporting's 12 regular season wins in Canada (12-7-9) are tied for the most all-time among American MLS clubs. |
Saturday, Aug. 8 |
at Seattle Sounders FC |
After losing to Sporting at home last August, Seattle finished the year 9-3-2 (including four playoff wins en route to an MLS Cup title). |
<strong>Saturday, Aug. 15</strong> |
<strong>SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES</strong> |
Sporting has won 12 of its last 13 regular season home games against San Jose dating back to 2004, including four straight since 2016. |
Saturday, Aug. 22 |
at New England Revolution |
Sporting has lost four straight matches at Gillette Stadium and hasn't beaten New England on the road since 2012. |
<strong>Saturday, Aug. 29</strong> |
<strong>COLUMBUS CREW SC</strong> |
Sporting is 7-1-2 in its last 10 regular season meetings with Columbus since 2013, including a 4-0-1 mark at Children's Mercy Park. |
Saturday, Sept. 5 |
at Chicago Fire FC |
This will be Sporting's first match at Soldier Field since Aug. 10, 2005. |
Saturday, Sept. 12 |
at Colorado Rapids |
From May 18 onward, Colorado's 12 regular season wins in 2019 were tied for the second-most in MLS. |
<strong>Saturday, Sept. 19</strong> |
<strong>NASHVILLE SC</strong> |
The only MLS expansion team to win its inaugural game at Children's Mercy Park was the Montreal Impact in 2012. |
Sunday, Sept. 27 |
at Houston Dynamo |
Houston will be Sporting's first home opponent and final road opponent of the 2020 regular season. |
<strong>Sunday, Oct. 4</strong> |
<strong>NEW YORK CITY FC</strong> |
This is the only inter-conference game on Decision Day, which will also feature six games each in the Eastern and Western conferences. |
