Sporting Kansas City (4-3-0, 12 points) travels to face the San Jose Earthquakes (3-2-2, 11 points) on Sunday in the second of three consecutive road games.
The match will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT at Avaya Stadium with live television coverage on ESPN, WatchESPN and ESPN Deportes. A Spanish radio broadcast will be available in the Kansas City area on La Grande 1340 AM.
Losses to the Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas last week have dropped Sporting KC to fourth place in Western Conference. The three teams currently ahead of Kansas City in the conference standings account for each of the club’s losses this season (including Real Salt Lake).
While the Earthquakes enter the weekend coming off a 3-1 loss to the Portland Timbers on the road last Saturday, the team also remains undefeated at home during the 2016 regular season, with three wins and a draw.
San Jose sits two notches below Sporting KC at sixth place with 11 points. Manager Peter Vermes’ men will be up against history on Sunday, as Sporting KC last won in San Jose on Aug. 16, 2000. The team has collected 12 losses and five draws in their last 17 visits to the Earthquakes ever since (including playoffs).
San Jose swept the 2015 series with a pair of wins, including a decisive 5-0 triumph at Children’s Mercy Park on Aug. 19.
Chris Wondolowski, Cordell Cato and Anibal Godoy each accounted for two of the six goals San Jose scored against Sporting KC last season. However, Cato is likely to miss Sunday’s matchup with a right hamstring injury. Wondolowski, meanwhile, is tied for the MLS lead with six goals and has reached double-digit goals in each of the past six seasons — the only player in MLS history to accomplish that feat.
On the Sporting KC injury front, Matt Besler is back on the pitch after being sidelined for nearly a month with a concussion suffered during his time with U.S. Men’s National Team.
Another regular fixture of the back line, veteran Chance Myers, remains out with a hamstring injury. Defender Kevin Ellis (groin) and midfielders Soni Mustivar (hamstring), Paulo Nagamura (calf) and Justin Mapp (toe) also remain on the injury list heading into the weekend.