Sporting KC is going back to Disney World tonight to play in the MLS is Back Tournament against the Colorado Rapids.
The soccer match in Florida will be broadcast at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, and also will be on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
Played under the Friday night lights, this pivotal Group D encounter pits two teams that began the 2020 campaign with consecutive wins before dropping their MLS is Back Tournament opener on Sunday.
Sporting (2-1-0, 6 points) surrendered a second-half stoppage time lead in a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Minnesota United FC, while the Rapids (2-1-0, 6 points) suffered a 2-0 setback at the hands of Real Salt Lake.
The 24 participating clubs in the MLS is Back Tournament have been divided into six groups of four, with the top two finishers in each group and the four best third-place finishers progressing to the Round of 16.
With Minnesota and RSL in early pole position, Sporting and Colorado will view Friday as a golden opportunity to regain ground in Group D. All group stage matches in the competition will also count toward the 2020 regular season standings, meaning a win for either team would be a boost in the Supporters’ Shield race.
Sporting dominated the first hour of action against Minnesota last weekend, taking a first-half lead through forward Khiry Shelton, only to come undone late as the Loons struck in the 92nd and 97th minutes.
A flashbulb moment that contributed to Sunday’s momentum swing was the ejection of goalkeeper Tim Melia in the 74th minute, which forced Sporting to play a man down for the rest of the game. With Melia serving a red card suspension, goalkeeper Richard Sanchez is set to make his first start in a Sporting uniform. The 26-year-old joined the club last November and has nine seasons of professional experience under his belt, including a three-year stint with the Chicago Fire from 2017-2019.
Shelton, who played for Sporting in 2018 before spending 2019 in Germany with SC Paderborn 07, has returned to the club with conviction in 2020. The 27-year-old has scored in back-to-back matches for the first time in his 77-game MLS regular season career and ranks among the league leaders in chances created from open play.
Fellow forward Alan Pulido has been equally as impressive, scoring or assisting in his first three appearances as Sporting’s marquee offseason acquisition from Mexican side Chivas de Guadalajara. Pulido is one of two MLS players with two goals and two assists this season, alongside Columbus Crew SC playmaker and fellow Liga MX import Lucas Zelarayan.
Colorado lost its tournament curtain raiser on Sunday, but not before winning back-to-back games to begin the regular season for the first time since 2012. The Rapids appear to be headed in the right direction under head coach Robin Fraser, who has gone 7-3-0 since taking over on Aug. 25, 2019. Colorado notably scored 58 goals, second-most in club history, during a 2019 campaign that fell just short of a playoff berth despite a dismal 0-9-2 start.
A pair of former Sporting Kansas City forwards were instrumental in Colorado’s offensive uptick last year. Kei Kamara led the side with 14 goals, while Diego Rubio was close behind with 11. The 35-year-old Kamara has recorded five straight MLS seasons of at least 12 goals, while Rubio scored in both appearances against Sporting last season-a 1-1 tie in Colorado followed by a 3-2 Rapids win at Children’s Mercy Park.
Sporting and Colorado have squared off 78 times in all competitions, making the Rapids the most frequent opponent in Kansas City history. Sporting holds a narrow advantage at 31-29-18, including a 25-24-15 mark in the regular season. Vermes’ side went 6-0-5 against Colorado from 2009-2015, but Colorado has gone 7-2-2 in the series since August 2015.
Vermes’ side boasts a clean bill of health heading into Friday, with defender Andreu Fontas and midfielder Felipe Gutierrez the lone players on the club’s injury report. Fontas remains in Kansas City recovering from a quad strain, while Gutierrez-named the club’s most valuable player in 2019-is out for the season after undergoing successful knee surgery last month. On the Colorado sideline, defender and Olathe, Kansas, native Kortne Ford will miss out with a knee ailment.
The MLS is Back Tournament represents the historic and unprecedented return of Major League Soccer after a four-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following 16 straight days of group stage action from July 8-23, the knockout rounds will unfold with the Round of 16 (July 25-28), Quarterfinals (July 30 – Aug. 1), Semifinals (Aug. 5-6) and Final on Aug. 11. The tournament winner will receive a berth in the 2021 Concacaf Champions League and a sizable share of the $1.1 million prize pool.
Sporting KC also announced today the team has added league pool goalkeeper Charlie Lyon to the club’s roster for tonight’s match against the Rapids. Lyon has been in Orlando and has undergone the same testing and medical procedures as other players involved in the competition.
- Information from Sporting KC