Sporting Kansas City will visit FC Dallas tonight at Toyota Stadium in Dallas.
The game starts at 8 p.m. and will be televised on Channel 38, KMCI-TV.
Sporting KC, 10-11-4, fifth in the Western Conference standings, is trying to stay ahead of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Dallas, 13-6-5, is going after the title.
Sporting Kansas City remains in the playoff picture despite failing to win 10 straight road games in the regular season.
Peter Vermes’ men are coming off a 3-0 setback at the Portland Timbers last week, a result made all the more sour by Soni Mustivar’s first-half red card and Roger Espinoza’s second-half caution. Both midfielders will serve one-game suspensions on Saturday, joining an injured quartet on the sidelines that includes Matt Besler (MCL strain), Justin Mapp (calf strain), Tim Melia (back spasms) and Chance Myers (hamstring strain).
The lengthy list of absences will test the team’s depth, especially with Tuesday’s CONCACAF Champions League opener looming at Central FC in Trinidad and Tobago.
FC Dallas is presently juggling three competitions, having booked a spot in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final with a remarkable 2-1 extra time win at LA Galaxy on Wednesday.
Oscar Pareja’s men fell behind via Mike Magee’s 101st-minute penalty kick, but completed a stunning comeback thanks to a pair of goals off Mauro Diaz corner kicks – the first from defender Matt Hedges in the 116th minute and the second from midfielder Victor Ulloa in the 121st.
FC Dallas also claimed victory in its first Champions League match last Thursday, a 2-1 victory over Real Esteli of Nicaragua.
Dallas boasts a 9-0-3 home record in regular season play, outscoring opponents 25-7 at Toyota Stadium, and rides a 19-game home unbeaten streak (including playoffs) since August 2015.
– Information from Sporting KC