Sporting Kansas City II (4-3-1, 13 points) hosts Colorado Rapids 2 (1-5-1, 4 points) on Sunday at Rock Chalk Park in the third and final match of a three-game homestand for Sporting KC II. The two sides met a little over a month ago at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium, playing in an exhilarating eight-goal shootout that ended in three points for SKC II.
Sunday's showdown can be streamed for free at MLSNEXTPro.com or via the MLS YouTube page. Tickets are on sale for just $10 at SeatGeek.com.
MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Month for April, Kamron Habibullah tallied his first of two hat tricks in 2024 against Colorado back on April 8. His three goals added to Beto Avila's brace propelled SKC II past Rapids 2 after falling behind 3-1 in the first half. The win jump-started a stretch of four consecutive results for Sporting KC II in which they became the league's highest-scoring offense before falling to North Texas SC at home.
A seven-goal month for Habibullah puts him atop the SKC II goal charts while Avila's three goals place him in second. Six other players have found the back of the net for Sporting in 2024 including 2023's leading scorer Pau Vidal who has been out for the last several matches due to an injury he sustained against St. Louis City2.
The team has seen a boost in Acadmey minutes in 2024 with several amateur players contributing valuable time. Pacing the Acadmey players is the versatile Jacob Bartlett. The 18-year-old has started all six of his appearances, slotting in at outside back, center back and midfielder. He fired two shots in the match against North Texas SC after picking up his first pro assist against MNUFC 2 on April 31.
Fellow Academy member Cielo Tschantret inked his first pro deal back in April elevating him from amateur to professional. The midfielder has four starts and five appearances this season after striking twice last year. Defender Nati Clarke is another rookie Academy player in his rookie season. Clarke is the only member of the team to start every match and leads the team in minutes (665).
Goalkeeper and first-team loanee Ryan Schewe has been the main keeper for the team to start the campaign, starting six matches between the pipes. The Georgetown alum boasts a record of 3-2-1 and has made 17 saves. Homegrown first-teamer John Pulskamp has one start, a 4-1 win over Minnesota, on the season. He started Sporting Kansas City's extra-time win in the Round of 32 of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Wednesday. Academy goalkeeper Jacob Molinaro started last week against North Texas SC, making his professional debut at 17 years old.
Colorado comes to Kansas in the midst of a four-match losing skid. Their last result came back in March, a 4-3 shootout loss to LAFC 2. After winning their opening match of the season against St. Louis they have yet to earn three points in a contest.
Rapids 2 is led by head coach Erik Bushey in his second season in charge. They are headlined by midfielder and 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Best XI member Marlon Vargas. The former Tacoma Defiance mid has five goals this season, four more than any other player. Former Sporting KC II goalkeeper Ethan Bandre was the number one keeper for Rapids 2 before he inked a first-team deal with Colorado on April 25.
Match Information:
MLS NEXT Pro: Matchweek 9
Date: Sunday, May 12, 2024
Kickoff: 2 p.m. CT
Location: Rock Chalk Park (Lawrence, KS)
Watch: MLSNEXTPro.com
Tickets: SeatGeek.com
SOCIAL TAGS:
Match-specific hashtag: #SKCvCOL
X: @SportingKCII
Instagram: @SportingKCII
X: @Rapids_2
Instagram: @ColoradoRapids_2
