Sporting Kansas City II will travel east to face rivals Saint Louis FC for the second time in as many games, visiting West Community Stadium for a 7 p.m. CT kickoff on Saturday night as the USL Championship campaign continues.
As two of the four teams in Group E of the reconfigured USL Championship, Sporting KC II and Saint Louis FC will meet four times over the course of the season in Fenton, Missouri. The first head-to-head battle took place last Wednesday, Aug. 5, and resulted in a thrilling 1-1 draw. Enoch Mushagalusa gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 56th minute, bundling home after Wilson Harris' shot was blocked, but Saint Louis salvaged a last-gasp equalizer when captain Phanuel Kavita slotted low into the corner with 96 minutes on the clock to deny Sporting KC II a third consecutive away win.
Led by head coach and former Sporting Kansas City great Paulo Nagamura, Sporting KC II has been tasked with navigating most of the 2020 season away from home. The revamped 16-game slate includes 14 road fixtures, with the club's lone remaining home match scheduled for Aug. 22 against OKC Energy FC at Swope Soccer Village. Four of those 14 away games will see Saint Louis FC serve as the opponent.
Although Sporting KC II has yet to reach the halfway point of its season, Saturday's contest carries legitimate playoff implications. Saint Louis FC currently holds the second and final playoff spot in Group E, three points ahead of third-place Sporting KC II and fourth-place Louisville City FC. Indy Eleven has a six point lead at the top of the group.
Harris, a 20-year-old Sporting KC Academy product and Los Angeles native, leads his team with two goals this season, while fellow forwards Mushagalusa and Dominik Resetar have also found the back of the net in recent weeks. Captain and 29-year-old Christian Duke and 18-year-old Jake Davis, both Academy products themselves, have settled into consistent midfield starting roles, with Nagamura rotating the squad elsewhere as games come thick and fast.
Saint Louis FC will look to avoid a second straight home loss, having suffered a 2-0 setback to unbeaten FC Tulsa on Saturday night. Under the guidance of head coach Steve Trittschuh, the club boasts a pair of prolific forwards in former Sporting KC II attacker Tyler Blackwood and Olathe South High School alum Kyle Greig.
Match Information
USL Championship: Match 7 of 16
Date: Saturday, Aug. 15
Kickoff: 7 p.m. CT
Location: West Community Stadium (Fenton, Missouri)
Live Stream: ESPN Plus
Sporting Kansas City II: 2-3-1, 7 points (3rd place in Group E)
Saint Louis FC: 3-3-1, 10 points (2nd place in Group E)
ESPN+ Live Stream Link: Click here
USL Championship MatchCenter: Click here
Match Notes: Click here
SOCIAL TAGS
Match-specific hashtag: #STLvSKC
Sporting KC II
Twitter: @SportingKCII
Instagram: @SportingKCII
Saint Louis FC
Twitter: @SaintLouisFC
Instagram: @saintlouisfc
