Sporting Kansas City II will host USL Championship rivals OKC Energy FC on Friday, May 7, in the club’s 2021 home opener at Children’s Mercy Park.
The USL Championship announced on Tuesday the home openers for all 31 clubs, including Sporting KC II’s visit to FC Tulsa on Saturday, May 1, at ONEOK Field. The league will announce the full 2021 regular season schedule—including kickoff times and broadcast details—as well as the postseason structure in the near term.
Children’s Mercy Park will host Sporting Kansas City II home games in 2021. USL Championship matches at the venue will be held without fans in attendance until further notice.
Under the guidance of fourth-year head coach and former Sporting Kansas City midfielder Paulo Nagamura, Sporting KC II will embark on a 32-game regular season campaign as one of eight teams in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The club will play all seven Central Division opponents four times each—twice at home and twice on the road against Energy FC, FC Tulsa, Atlanta United 2, Birmingham Legion FC, Indy Eleven, Louisville City FC and Memphis 901 FC. The remaining four matches will be played against regional or cross-conference opponents.
Slated to play 16 home matches in 2021 after competing just twice at home during a shortened 2020 campaign, Sporting KC II are 3-1-1 in their five previous home openers—including a 3-1 victory over Energy FC to kick off the 2017 season. Sporting KC II owns a 6-4-0 regular season record against OKC and famously defeated Energy FC on penalty kicks in the 2017 Western Conference Final at Children’s Mercy Park.
Sporting KC II will feature nine players returning from last season, including talented Sporting KC Academy products Jake Davis, Christian Duke, Jahon Rad and Kaveh Rad. Goalkeeper Remi Prieur, defenders Danny Barbir and Petar Cuic, and forwards Enoch Mushagalusa and Domink Restetar are also back for year two with the club.
