Month: September 2020

Orlando to visit Sporting tonight

Children’s Mercy Park will play host to a compelling cross-conference battle on Wednesday when Sporting Kansas City (6-4-2, 20 points) and Orlando City SC (6-2-4, 22 points) square off at 6:30 p.m.

The contest will be shown nationally on FS1, FOX Deportes and the FOX Sports app in addition to airing locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM, with The Final Whistle postgame show immediately following on 810 WHB.

Tickets for Wednesday’s showdown are available online at SeatGeek.com and all fans in attendance will receive a free pop socket.

Currently a point behind first-place Seattle Sounders FC in the ultra-competitive West, Sporting will seek a bounce-back performance after slipping to a narrow 3-2 loss on Saturday against FC Dallas at Children’s Mercy Park.

The hosts fell into a 2-0 hole before Scottish international Johnny Russell bagged a second-half brace to move atop the club’s scoring charts with five goals on the season. However, Dallas hit back in the 86th minute through Ryan Hollingshead to take all three points and deliver manager Peter Vermes’ men a frustrating defeat.

Despite Saturday’s setback, Sporting remains in the thick of a wild Western Conference race, as just seven points separate leaders Seattle from 11th-place Real Salt Lake.

Vermes’ side has also scored in 12 straight league matches to start the year — tied for the longest such streak in club history — and is the only MLS team yet to be shut out in the 2020 regular season.

Sitting behind Russell with four goals apiece are midfielder Gadi Kinda and forward Khiry Shelton, while Mexican striker Alan Pulido has added three goals and four assists. Pulido has missed four straight games with a knock, but Vermes indicated last week that the club’s record signing was on the brink of returning to the pitch. Additionally, Sporting’s midfield received a lift on Saturday when Ilie Sanchez made his first appearance since the MLS is Back Tournament.

On the opposite sideline, head coach Oscar Pareja has Orlando enjoying its best season to date. The Lions currently occupy third place in the Eastern Conference, five points back of Supporters’ Shield leaders Columbus Crew SC, and boast a 4-0-2 record in their last six games. Orlando has gone 8-2-4 since MLS resumed with the MLS is Back Tournament in July, including a run to the finals of the historic competition in Walt Disney World.

Orlando has ridden a balanced and explosive attack toward the top of the East. Forward Chris Mueller is the only MLS player with at least seven goals and five assists, while fellow attacker Daryl Dike has three goals and three assists in the club’s last seven games.

Portuguese star Nani, who had a team-best 12 goals and 10 assists last season, has six goals and five assists this time around, including two goals and an assist in the MLS is Back Tournament knockout rounds. The Lions are coming off an emphatic 4-1 victory over Chicago Fire FC on Saturday that saw Mueller, Nani, Junior Urso and Benji Michel find the back of the net.

Sporting has gone 2-2-1 in five previous regular season meetings against Orlando, having won both previous matchups at Children’s Mercy Park. In Orlando’s inaugural visit to the stadium in May 2016, Sporting outshot the Lions 34-7 en route to a 2-1 comeback triumph. The most recent meeting in Kansas City took place in September 2018 when Felipe Gutierrez sealed the 1-0 result with a 53rd-minute strike.

Vermes, who took the managerial helm in Kansas City in August 2009, is notably one shy of his 150th regular season coaching win. Should Sporting prevail on Wednesday, he would become just the fifth head coach in league history to reach the 150-win milestone behind Sigi Schmid (240), Bruce Arena (213), Dominic Kinnear (169) and Bob Bradley (165).

For the fourth straight home game, SportingStyle locations will offer a variety of Kick Childhood Cancer retail items, including limited-edition scarves and beanies, in support of The Victory Project and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. For every beanie sold, Sporting will donate a beanie to Children’s Mercy Hospital for patients fighting cancer.

  • Story from Sporting KC

Police notes

Resident robbed at gunpoint

A resident in the 800 block of Lyon was robbed at gunpoint about 2:45 p.m. Sept. 22, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

The victim let a known individual into the residence, according to the report. Once inside, the suspect produced a handgun and demanded money, the report stated.

The suspect struck the victim with a gun and left the residence with about $300 in cash, according to the report.

Suspect threatens juveniles with knife

A suspect pulled a knife on two juveniles at 4:57 p.m. Sept. 22 in the 1300 block of Greeley, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

The suspect placed the knife against the face of one of the victims, according to the report. The suspect then fled.

Officers located the suspect a short distance away, according to the report. The suspect appeared to be under the influence of unknown drugs, the report stated.

The suspect was taken into custody and booked into jail, the report stated.

Armed disturbance reported on Orville

An armed disturbance was reported at 11:45 p.m. Sept. 22 in the 2900 block of Orville, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

Police had received a call of an armed disturbance related to domestic battery, the report stated.

Officers took the suspect into custody, according to the report. The victim had minor injuries, the report stated.

Today’s weather: Cloudy, becoming mostly sunny, high near 77

National Weather Service graphic
Wednesday, the high will be around 77 degrees, with a south wind of 3 to 6 mph, gusting to 9 mph. (National Weather Service graphic)

Skies will be cloudy today, then becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 77, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

Dry weather will continue for the next several days, with no appreciable chances for rain, the weather service said.

The Skycast from the Mid-America Regional Council Air Quality program is good (green) for Sept. 23.

A warming trend is expected through the upcoming weekend, with temperatures solidly in the 80s, according to the weather service. Friday could see temperatures in the high 80s.

After that will be a cool-down to below normal temperatures next week, the weather service said. A cold front will move through the region late Saturday into early Sunday, according to the weather service.

It will bring slightly cooler temperatures and drier air, which will feel more comfortable, the weather service said. A stronger push of cooler and drier air is in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday next week, according to the weather service.

Today, it will be cloudy, then becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 77 and a south wind of 3 to 6 mph, the weather service said.

Tonight, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 57 and a light south wind, according to the weather service.

Thursday, it will be sunny with a high near 81 and a south southwest wind of 5 to 10 mph, the weather service said.

Thursday night, it will be clear, with a low of 62 and a south wind of 6 mph, according to the weather service.

Friday, it will be sunny, with a high near 87 and a south wind of 6 to 11 mph, gusting as high as 21 mph, the weather service said.

Friday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 64, according to the weather service.

Saturday, it will be sunny, with a high near 86, the weather service said.

Saturday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low around 61, according to the weather service.

Sunday, it will be sunny, with a high near 83, the weather service said.

Sunday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 58, according to the weather service.

Monday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 81, the weather service said.

Monday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 56, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, it will be sunny, with a high of 71, the weather service said.