Sporting Kansas City’s quest for a second straight Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title begins Wednesday with a trip to face rivals Real Salt Lake in the Fourth Round at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.
The match will kick off at 9 p.m. Central time and stream live on SportingKC.com, while the Sporting KC Uphoria app will provide live updates.
The U.S. Open Cup Fourth Round will see 32 teams take the field – 20 from MLS, nine from the second-division United Soccer League and three amateur sides – with winners advancing to the Round of 16 later this month.
Sporting KC and Real Salt Lake will square off in one of four all-MLS fixtures in the Fourth Round, pitting two teams who enter Wednesday in strong form.
Real Salt Lake endured a rocky start to the 2018 campaign, going 3-5-1 through early May, but head coach Mike Petke’s side has caught fire since then by winning four of their last five. RSL has been particularly excellent on home soil, claiming six straight victories at Rio Tinto Stadium since dropping their home opener to LAFC on March 10.
On the opposite sideline, Sporting KC leads the Western Conference in points (28), wins (eight), goals (28), goal difference (plus-14) and fewest goals allowed (14).
The club has allowed just five goals in their last 10 games since March 31, the fewest in MLS during that time, while a balanced attack has seen 12 different players find the back of the net, more than any other team.
Manager Peter Vermes’ men have lost just once since dropping their season opener to New York City FC and and sit one point behind Atlanta United FC in the Supporters’ Shield race.
The Western Conference rivals have met twice previously in Open Cup competition, with Real Salt Lake earning a 2-1 win in the 2007 qualifying phase and Sporting KC prevailing 3-1 in the 2015 semifinals. The sides also met in the 2013 MLS Cup at Children’s Mercy Park as Sporting KC triumphed 7-6 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw.
Winner of three straight games, Real Salt Lake is coming off a 2-0 home win over Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday. Homegrown forward Corey Baird bagged his team-leading fourth goal of the season on 57 minutes before Luis Silva sealed the victory with a strike in second-half stoppage time.
The following night, Sporting KC cruised to a 4-1 triumph over Minnesota United FC at Children’s Mercy Park that gave the side a two-point lead at the top of the West.
Daniel Salloi’s sublime opener set the stage for a dominant performance that included further goals from Cristian Lobato, Diego Rubio and 19-year-old Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal, who became the second-youngest Kansas City player to score in an MLS regular season match.
Sporting KC owns four Open Cup titles in team history, tied with the Chicago Fire and Seattle for the most among MLS clubs.
Vermes has guided the side to three Open Cup championships over the last six seasons, hoisting the trophy in 2012, 2015 and 2017 to go with the club’s first title in 2004. Real Salt Lake posted its best Open Cup finish in 2013, finishing as runners-up to D.C. United.
The 2018 U.S. Open Cup began May 6 with 97 teams from all levels of American soccer. The 105th edition of the storied tournament features a single-tiered bracket with eight rounds of single-elimination play until a champion is crowned in September.
– Story from Sporting KC