Fresh off impressive away victories over Louisville City FC and Indy Eleven, Sporting Kansas City II (2-3-0, 6 points) will look to continue their winning ways Wednesday when the club visits rivals Saint Louis FC at West Community Stadium in Fenton, Missouri. The USL Championship Group E clash will kick off at 7 p.m. CT with a live stream on ESPN Plus and additional in-game updates available on Twitter at @SportingKCII.
Wednesday will mark the continuation of Sporting II's seven-game road swing since the USL Championship resumed in mid-July, and if recent results are any indication, head coach Paulo Nagamura' side is more than capable of amassing points on their plentiful travels. Forwards Dominik Resetar and Wilson Harris struck in last Wednesday's 2-1 defeat of Louisville, while defender Danny Barbir bagged a long-range stunner in Saturday's 1-0 result against Group E leaders Indy Eleven.
The momentous triumph in Indianapolis on Saturday snapped Indy's 28-game home unbeaten run in USL Championship action and gave Sporting II consecutive road wins for the first time since July 2017. Goalkeeper Brooks Thompson made four saves en route to the shutout as Indy also saw its 11-game home winning streak shattered.
With matches coming thick and fast, Nagamura has rotated his youthful squad over the course of recent weeks and given playing time to seven different Sporting KC Academy products. Harris leads the side with two goals this season, having scored 12 in his last 16 league appearances dating back to 2019, while pacy wingers Fredinho Mompremier and Enoch Mushagalusa have an assist apiece.
A member of the USL Championship since 2015, Saint Louis FC advanced to the playoffs for the first time in 2018 before falling a single point short last year. Head coach Steve Trittschuh is in his first season at the club, having spent 2015-2019 at the helm of Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. The team's roster is highlighted by former Sporting II winger Tyler Blackwood, who scored back-to-back match winners in 1-0 defeats of Louisville and Indy on July 18 and 26, respectively. Saint Louis FC is aiming to rebound from Saturday's 1-0 setback at Memphis 901 FC.
Wednesday will serve as the 11th all-time meeting between the rivals. Saint Louis holds a 4-2-4 advantage in the series, but Sporting II won the most recent meeting by a 1-0 scoreline on June 30, 2019 at Children's Mercy Park as Felipe Hernandez scored a first-half winner.
The revamped 2020 USL Championship season has divided 35 clubs into eight groups. The top two finishers in each group will advance to the 16-team, single-elimination playoffs beginning in October. The formidable Group E consists of Sporting II, Saint Louis FC, Indy and Louisville. Sporting II will visit all three opponents four times each over the course of the season, with their lone remaining home game scheduled for Aug. 22 against OKC Energy FC at Swope Soccer Village.
Match Information
USL Championship: Match 6 of 16
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 5
Kickoff: 7 p.m. CT
Location: West Community Stadium (Fenton, Missouri)
Live Stream: ESPN Plus
Sporting Kansas City II: 2-3-0, 6 points (3rd place in Group E)
Saint Louis FC: 3-2-0, 9 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
