Sporting Kansas City II (8-5-5, 32 points) will host the MLS NEXT Pro Supporters' Shield leading Colorado Rapids 2 (12-1-5, 45 points) at Rock Chalk Park on Sunday, July 30 in an MLS NEXT Pro regular season showdown. The crucial conference clash is set for 6 p.m. CT and tickets are on sale at SeatGeek.com for just $10. Fans can also stream the contest on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV or follow @SportingKCII on Twitter for updates throughout the contest.
The two sides met in the first match of the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season at DICK'S Sporting Goods Park. After Nassim Mekideche opened the scoring early in the match, Rapids 2 netted two goals in the second to take all three points. Since that match, Colorado has suffered just one defeat, opening the season with a 12-match unbeaten run before being bested by Tacoma Defiance in June. Sporting KC II hovered around the .500 mark at the start of the season before rattling off seven results in their last nine contests to jump to third place in the Frontier Division and fourth in the West.
In SKC II's last outing, they took down North Texas SC 2-1 at Choctaw Stadium, erasing a one-goal deficit late in the first half. Following a concession in the 11th minute, Kansas City roared back, scoring twice after the 40th minute to take the lead. Sebastian Cruz found the back of the net on a cheeky chipped volley off a beautiful ball from Andrew Draper in the 41st and Josh Coan sank his third penalty of the season in stoppage time. The defense blanked the hosts in the final 45 and took home a second straight victory.
In the last three matches at Rock Chalk Park, first-team loanees have played a major role in the SKC II starting XI. At least seven of the eleven have been first-teamers. In those three matches, SKC II has two wins and a draw with 10 goals scored and just three given up. Sporting KC Academy product Ozzie Cisneros has been the leader of the first teamers throughout the entire season. The 19-year-old has 17 appearances, logged over 1000 minutes, leads the team with 151 duels, and has three goals and an assist. Danny Flores follows closely behind Cisneros with 13 matches played, two goals and one assist.
On the backline, 2023 MLS SuperDraft second-round selection Chris Rindov has been a staple. Rindov has started in eight straight matches and has been a large part of the team's successful run of form. Mekideche has played alongside Rindov on the back four after scoring the first goal of the SKC II season against Colorado in late March. The Algerian centerback has 14 starts, one goal, one assist and ranks third on the team with 19 interceptions.
Pau Vidal has been a revelation for head coach Benny Feilhaber this season, burying 10 goals in 11 starts. Lately, Cruz has burst onto the scene as a formidable threat, scoring in back-to-back bouts. Cruz, a Cal-State Fullerton alum, has three goals in 2023 and has been a model of consistency in the front three, playing in 16 matches. Alenis Vargas and Draper have formed a lethal tandem on the opposite side of Cruz. Draper's four assists trail Vargas' five for the team lead as both players have been serving sensational crosses all year.
In the middle third, Ethan Bryant has been one of the top performers, tallying four goals. Coan's three goals and two assists put him among the top five contributors on the team with Cruz, Draper, Vargas and Vidal. Lucas Rosa has provided some offense from the right-back position as well, gathering a goal and two assists. He leads the team in minutes played (1427) as one of the most reliable players in the club.
Sunday pits two of the best teams in the Western Conference and two of the hottest teams in MLS NEXT Pro against each other. Rapids 2 enters with 45 points, 45 goals scored and a plus-25 goal differential, all the best in MLS NEXT Pro. They are led by head coach Erik Bushey in the technical area and Yosuke Hanya on the pitch. Hanya is tied with Vidal at 10 goals scored but has tallied five assists for 15 total goal contributions.
One of the best matchups of the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro regular season is set for Sunday. SKC II, one of the most in-form teams in MLS NEXT Pro since May, takes on the MLS NEXT Pro mid-season team of the year. With just 10 matches left and the playoffs right around the corner, both teams are hungry for all three points.
Match Information:
MLS NEXT Pro: Match 19
Date: Sunday, July 30, 2023
Kickoff: 6:00 p.m. CT
Location: Rock Chalk Park (Lawrence, KS)
Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
SOCIAL TAGS:
Match-specific hashtag: #SKCvCOL
Twitter: @SportingKCII
Instagram: @SportingKCII
Twitter: @Rapids_2
Instagram: @ColoradoRapids_2
