Sporting Kansas City II returns to Children's Mercy Victory Field on Wednesday night for a midweek match with MNUFC2. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT as the two sides face off for the first of three games in 2025.
Ticekts are on sale at SeatGeek.com for just $10. The match can also be streamed for free at MLSNEXTPro.com or on the MLS YouTube channel.
Istvan Urbanyi and his squad enter the game off a bye week, but their last match ended in a 3-3 draw at North Texas SC. SKC II erased a late two-goal deficit before taking the extra point in kicks from the spot at the seemingly impenetrable Choctaw Stadium, which hosted the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Cup Final.
Maouloune Goumballe notched his first two assists of the season, and three different players opened their scoring accounts as SKC II earned their first two points of the season.
Team captain Cielo Tschantret smashed in his first goal of the campaign against North Texas to start the scoring, giving him four career goals. Fellow SKC Academy product Johann Ortiz also got off the mark. His goal halved the North Texas lead as he headed home a corner kick. The two SKC Academy players are joined by Nati Clarke, Shane Donovan and newly acquired Jacob Molinaro as SKC Academy players on professional contracts with SKC II.
It was also a milestone game for rookie Gael Quintero, who leveled the match in the dying moments of the contest with a one-touch strike inside the 18. This came just minutes after Bryan Arellano picked up his first assist in Sporting Blue to set up Ortiz's goal. Arellano was a part of the 2023 Austin FC II team that won MLS NEXT Pro Cup and made his debut as a halftime substitute in SKC II's last match.
Academy Amateurs continued to play a major role in Sporting's season. Leo Christiano started his fourth straight match on the backline, while Carter Derksen earned his third MLS NEXT Pro appearance. Both sank their kicks in the shootout, including the winner from Derksen. Molinaro, who made his final amateur appearance in goal, saved two kicks in the shootout.
MNUFC 2 enters Wednesday with just two matches under their belt, both wins. They have defeated Austin and Houston Dynamo 2, both on the road. Head coach Jeremy Hall, in his third season in charge, has gotten goals from four different Loons and allowed just one goal this season.
Following this midweek clash, SKC II will be off until Wednesday, April 23, when they welcome the Tacoma Defiance to Kansas City. Tickers for all SKC II home matches are on sale at SeatGeek.com for only $10.
Game Information:
MLS NEXT Pro: Game 5
Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2025
Kickoff: 6:00 p.m. CT
Location: Children's Mercy Victory Field (Kansas City, Missouri)
Tickets: SeatGeek.com
Watch: MLSNEXTPro.com
SOCIAL TAGS:
Match-specific hashtag: #SKCvMIN
X: @SportingKCII
Instagram: @SportingKCII
