Sporting Kansas City II (7-9-5, 28 points) will host Austin FC II (3-6-10, 22 points) in the teams' third and final meeting of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro regular season on Sunday at Children's Mercy Victory Field. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT from Swope Soccer Village and tickets are on sale at SeatGeek.com for just $10. The match will stream live on MLSNEXTPro.com and the MLS YouTube Channel.
The two sides have split the first two meetings with the hosts claiming a shootout victory in each of the last two contests. The first clash occurred on May 17 in Austin where the Black and Verde claimed the extra point. A rematch took place on June 30 where SKC II won in kicks from the spot in front of the home fans.
Entering Sunday, SKC II boasts five straight results at home and seven in their last eight. The last time they played at Swope Soccer Village came on April 14 against Houston Dynamo 2 where they dismantled Dynamo Dos 4-0. Sporting KC Academy product Sebastian Cruz struck against Houston and led SKC II in assists with five to his name. The California native will be back with SKC II after rostering with the first team in their League's Cup Knockout match at Columbus Crew.
Fellow Academy product Cielo Tschantret has played in numerous matches with Cruz this season in the midfield. The Baltimore-born player has started 13 of 17 appearances in 2024 and scored once. He netted his second career pro goal a season ago at Austin FC II and earned MLS NEXT Rising Star of Matchdya 24 honors for doing so.
Forward Maouloune Goumballe has been one of the most consistent players for Sporting this year. The rookie has seven goals and has appeared in every match but one. He has been joined in the attacking third by Beto Avila who has eight goals in 16 starts. Midfielder Kamron Habibullah also has eight goals, while adding three assists.
First-team loanee Chris Rindov has seen an uptick in minutes in 2024, anchoring the backline in 18 matches. The first-team loanee has been massive for SKC II helping out younger Academy defenders Ian James and Leo Christiano as well as Academy goalkeeper Jacob Molinaro. Outside backs Mason Visconti and Carson Klein have burst onto the scene, playing together on either side of the back four in four straight matches.
Austin has competed in more shootouts than any other team in MLS NEXT Pro. The Texas team has 10 draws this season, one more than their combined wins and losses total. They have 24 goals scored, four from forward Sebastian Pineau and four from forward CJ Fodrey. Goalkeeper Marcus Alstrup has 16 starts and has made 51 saves. He has appeared in nine of Austin FC II's 10 shootouts.
Only eight matches remain in the regular season and things are getting tight in the Western Conference playoff race. Currently, SKC II sits three points back of Portland Timbers 2 and the playoff line. After the game against Austin the group will travel for three straight weeks before returning to Kansas City for the final three matches. Fans can follow along with everything happening with SKC II by checking out @SportingKCII on X, Facebook and Instagram.
Match Information:
MLS NEXT Pro: Match 22
Date: Sunday, August 18, 2024
Kickoff: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Children's Mercy Victory Field (Kansas City, MO)
Watch: MLSNEXTPro.com
Tickets: SeatGeek.com
SOCIAL TAGS:
Match-specific hashtag: #SKCvATX
X: @SportingKCII
Instagram: @SportingKCII
X: @AustinFCII
Instagram: @AustinFCII
