The Swope Park Rangers (5-17-7, 22 points) will take the field Monday at world-class Children’s Mercy Park when they host Birmingham Legion FC (11-12-6, 39 points) in the club’s penultimate home match of the 2019 USL Championship campaign. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT and tickets for the Eastern Conference clash are available at SeatGeek.com or at the stadium box office beginning at 5 p.m. CT on matchday.
Supporters can catch Monday's contest streaming live on ESPN Plus, while the USL Championship Match Center and @SwopeRangers on Twitter will provide additional live updates. Fans will also have the opportunity to win an exclusive prize prize package courtesy of Smile Generation—including an electric toothbrush plus an SPR scarf, beanie, bobblehead and more—by using the hashtag #RangersSmile on Twitter.
Under the guidance of second-year head coach and former Sporting midfielder Paulo Nagamura, the Rangers saw a three-game unbeaten run and shutout streak snapped Wednesday night in a 4-1 road loss to Loudoun United FC. Sporting KC Academy product Wilson Harris was on target for the visitors, dispatching a 37th-minute penalty kick for his seventh goal in a torrid eight-game stretch. Loudoun did their damage through hat trick hero Gordon Wild, ending SPR’s season-best three-match run of clean sheets.
Expansion side Birmingham currently holds the 10th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference heading into the home stretch of 2019. Head coach Tom Soehn, who previously held coaching positions with the Chicago Fire, D.C. United, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the New England Revolution, has seen his team go an impressive 8-2-2 since the start of July. Atop the club’s scoring charts are J.J. Williams and Prosper Kasim with eight goals apiece, while former Sporting KC midfielder Mikey Lopez has added three goals of his own.
The sides first met on April 20 in Alabama, battling to a 0-0 draw at BBVA Compass Stadium as SPR secured its first clean sheet of 2019. The result saw SPR limit USL Championship expansion side Birmingham to just three shots on target, none of which after the 30th minute. The visitors put six shots on frame themselves, but Legion goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel delivered a strong performance between the posts to ensure a sharing of the spoils.
Match Information
USL Championship: Game 30 of 34
Date: Monday, Sept. 30, 2019
Kickoff: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Children's Mercy Park (Kansas City, Kansas)
Swope Park Rangers: 5-17-7 (22 points, 18th place in Eastern Conference)
MLS Affiliate: Sporting Kansas City
Birmingham Legion FC: 11-12-6 (39 points, 10th place in Eastern Conference)
MLS Affiliate: None
ESPN Plus: Click here
USL Championship MatchCenter:Click here
Match Notes: Click here
SOCIAL TAGS
Game-specific hashtag: #SPRvBHM
Swope Park Rangers
Twitter: @SwopeRangers
Instagram: @SwopeParkRangers
Birmingham Legion FC
Twitter: @bhmlegion
Instagram: @bhmlegion
