Sporting Kansas City resumes preseason action tonight against the Colorado Rapids in the opening match of the 2015 Diamond Desert Cup in Tucson, Ariz.
The friendly is set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. at Kino North Stadium and will be streamed live on SportingKC.com.
The club returned to Tucson on Sunday for the second phase of preseason training and will play four matches in the Desert Diamond Cup, at least three of which against teams from Major League Soccer’s Western Conference.
Tonight’s contest is followed by a meeting with defending Supporters’ Shield champion Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday at 9 p.m. and a rematch of MLS Cup 2013 vs. Real Salt Lake on Feb. 25 at 9 p.m.
The tournament’s six-team field also includes MLS side New England Revolution and hosts FC Tucson of the USL Premier Development League, and will conclude Feb. 28 with placement matches for first, third and fifth place.
All four of Sporting KC’s matches in the Desert Diamond Cup will be streamed live on SportingKC.com. In addition, SKCTV’s Nate Bukaty (play-by-play) and Andy Gruenebaum (color) will provide the call for Saturday’s clash with Seattle.
After splitting a pair of matches against the Portland Timbers (2-0 loss) and FC Tucson (4-2 win) during the first leg of preseason, Sporting KC is back in the desert with a few additional players.
Captain Matt Besler and homegrown goalkeeper Jon Kempin have returned to the squad after competing in January Camp for the U.S. Men’s National Team, while winger Graham Zusi and defender Ike Opara could see their first action after recovering from long-term injuries.
Haitian midfielder Soni Mustivar will join Sporting KC after the club receives his P-1 Visa, and Canadian international Marcel de Jong is currently with the team for a trial period.
– Story from Sporting KC