Sporting KC II (1-4-1, 4 points) is back at Rock Chalk Park for the MLS NEXT Pro Game of the Week against Real Monarchs (0-3-2, 2 points), the MLS NEXT Pro affiliate of Real Salt Lake. The match will take place Sunday afternoon with a start time of 1 p.m. CT in Lawrence, Kansas.
Tickets are available for purchase at SeatGeek.com and the match can be live-streamed at MLSNEXTPro.com. As MLS NEXT Pro’s Game of the Week, Sunday’s showdown will receive an enhanced broadcast.
First-year head coach Benny Feilhaber and SKC II find themselves in the midst of a four-match losing streak and are looking to find their footing in their new league, MLS NEXT Pro. All four of their losses this year have come against teams currently above the playoff line. Real Monarchs come into Sunday’s match looking for their first MLS NEXT Pro win.
SKC II has plenty of talent spread across all three lines of the field. The backline is headlined by SKC II veteran and Sporting KC Academy product Jahon Rad. The defender has started all six of Sporting’s matches, leading the team with 266 accurate passes. Another key figure in the defensive third is Spencer Glass. An Indiana University graduate, Glass has started five matches in his first professional season and has won 30 duels in the final third.
Focal points in the midfield include a bevy of first-team loanees such as Kaveh Rad, Felipe Hernandez and Ozzie Cisneros. SKC II’s captain Collin Fernandez leads the charge in the midfield and leads the team with two goals. He’s assisted once, forced 12 interceptions and won a team-high 74 duels.
Commanding the attack is a handful of players as coach Feilhaber continues to get players minutes. Academy product Mataeo Bunbury scored his first professional goal this season and has appeared in five matches. Julian Vazquez leads the team in assists with two, TJ Fatah scored SKC II’s first MLS NEXT Pro goal and Dembakwi Yomba also has an assist.
Newcomer Guy Michaeli signed with SKC II from the Sporting Academy two weeks ago and has started at the number 9 in both of SKC II’s previous matches. He has become a solid target man and nearly found his first pro goal after pinging a shot off the crossbar early in the match against Whitecaps FC 2.
Looking to the other side of the pitch, Real Monarchs, led by former MLS defender Jamison Olave have yet to win a match in MLS NEXT Pro. They have two draws but dropped points in the shootout on both occasions. The 2019 USL Championship winners most recently suffered a 2-0 defeat to St Louis City2 at home.
The Monarchs' main focal point is forward Pedro Fonseca, the Real Salt Lake 2022 MLS SuperDraft selection. Fonseca is a University of Louisville alum with four goals to his name this season. The only other goals scorer for the Monarchs is defender Kurowskybob Fertil-Pierre.
The visitors have split goalkeeping duties amongst three players. Gavin Beavers and Tomas Gomez have each started two matches with Blake Kelly making one start. Gomez has started both of Real’s last two matches, conceding three goals and making 14 saves.
Sunday’s MLS NEXT Pro Game of the Week between SKC II and Real Monarchs promises to be an action-packed affair as two teams looking to get back on track square off. Tickets for the match are available at SeatGeek.com and all seating at Rock Chalk Park is general admission.
Match Information
MLS NEXT Pro: Match 7*
Date:* Sunday, May 8*
Kickoff:* 1 p.m. CT*
Location:* Rock Chalk Park (Lawrence, Kansas)
Live Stream: mlsnextpro.com
Sporting Kansas City II: 1-4-1, 4 points*
Real Monarchs:* 0-3-2, 2 points
SOCIAL TAGS:
Match-specific hashtag: #SKCvRM
Twitter: @SportingKCII*
Instagram:* @SportingKCII
Twitter: @RealMonarchs*
Instagram:* @RealMonarchs
