Precisely 132 days after opening the 2020 USL Championship season at Children's Mercy Park, Sporting Kansas City II will make their long-awaited return Saturday with a trip to Indy Eleven at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Eastern Conference encounter is slated for 6 p.m. CT with a live stream on ESPN Plus and additional in-game updates via @SportingKCII on Twitter.
Sporting Kansas City II took a 2-1 loss to the Charlotte Independence on March 8 before the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a four-month suspension of play across the league. The reconfigured, 16-game USL Championship schedule will see head coach Paulo Nagamura's men play 14 of their remaining 15 matches away from home, with Saturday’s contest against Indy Eleven marking the start of a seven-game road swing.
As two of the four clubs in regionalized Group E of the USL Championship, Sporting KC II and Indy Eleven will become well familiar with one another in the coming weeks. Nagamura’s side is scheduled to make four visits to Lucas Oil Stadium, with Saturday’s clash followed by additional head-to-head meetings on Aug. 1, Sept. 9 and Sept. 30. Sporting KC II will also travel to face fellow Group E opponents Louisville City FC and Saint Louis FC four times each, with the club’s lone remaining home game slated for Aug. 22 against OKC Energy FC at Swope Soccer Village.
Over the last three weeks, Sporting Kansas City II has added five Sporting Kansas City Academy products to the club’s USL Championship roster. Jake Davis, an 18-year-old midfielder, has signed a full professional contract for the first time. The playmaker made five appearances for Sporting II during the 2019 campaign, recording two assists and drawing a penalty for his team, and has been an integral contributor for the Sporting KC Academy at the U-17 and U-19 levels over the last three years.
Sporting KC II has also signed four Academy players in forward Josh Chong, midfielder Ryan Fessler, defender Mason Leeth and midfielder Jahon Rad to Academy contracts. Additionally, 17-year-old midfielder Bailey Sparks has joined the side on an Academy contract, having led Texas-based academy Solar SC to a U.S. Soccer Development Academy national championship in 2019.
With a lengthy stoppage in the rearview mirror, several Sporting KC II newcomers will have the opportunity to make positive impressions over the course of the next two and a half months. Forwards Enoch Mushagalusa (pictured above), Dominik Resetar and Fredinho Mompremier all started in a 1-0 friendly defeat at OKC Energy on July 3, as did 29-year-old captain Christian Duke and former Colorado Rapids duo Sam Raben and Dillon Serna. Wilson Harris, a 20-year-old Academy product who bagged a team-leading 12 goals last year, will also bolster Sporting KC II's attack.
On the opposite sideline, Indy Eleven have opened the season with consecutive wins under head coach Martin Rennie after falling to Louisville in the 2019 Eastern Conference Final. A road victory at Memphis 901 FC on March 7 was followed by a 2-0 home triumph over Saint Louis FC last Saturday. Former Sporting Kansas City player Tyler Pasher scored in both matches and appears capable of leading the club in scoring for the second straight campaign, having bagged eight goals in 2019.
Match Information
USL Championship: Match 2 of 16
Date: Saturday, July 18
Kickoff: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Live Stream: ESPN Plus
Sporting Kansas City II: 0-1-0, 0 points (4th place in Group E)
MLS Affiliate: Sporting Kansas City
Indy Eleven: 2-0-0, 6 points (1st place in Group E)
MLS Affiliate: None
ESPN+ Live Stream Link: Click here
USL Championship MatchCenter: Click here
Match Notes: Click here
SOCIAL TAGS
Match-specific hashtag: #INDvSKC
Sporting KC II
Twitter: @SportingKCII
Instagram: @SportingKCII
Indy Eleven
Twitter: @IndyEleven
Instagram: @indyeleven
