Sporting Kansas City will take the field at Children’s Mercy Park for the final time in 2022 when the team plays host to the Seattle Sounders on Sunday in the club’s annual Fan Appreciation match.
Kick off is set for 4:25 p.m. and tickets for the match are available online without fees at SeatGeek.com, including recently released standing room only tickets for $22.
The Western Conference clash will be nationally televised on FS1 and will be live streamed on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App. Radio coverage will air live on SiriusXM FC, ESPN Kansas City 94.5 FM and La Grande 1340 AM.
The first 5,000 fans in attendance on Sunday will receive a Sporting KC key chain and Sunday’s home finale will feature several more Fan Appreciation festivities.
Riding a six-match unbeaten run – the longest in the Western Conference – and a five-match home winning streak, Sporting will take on a Seattle Sounders FC side on Sunday that won the Concacaf Champions League in May, however is winless in its last eight MLS road matches (0-7-1) and in a must-win situation to stave off playoff elimination.
Two of the most successful clubs in the past decade of American soccer with four major domestic trophies apiece, Sporting has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention with two matches remaining while Seattle sits five points back of playoff position and on the brink of missing the playoffs for the first time in the club’s 14-year history.
Sporting has won four of the last six meetings with the Sounders dating back to 2019, however Seattle won the most recent matchup by 3-0 in June and also prevailed in the team’s last visit to Children’s Mercy Park with a 2-1 win last September. The pair of victories have given Seattle the all-time lead in the regular season series with an 11-9-4 record.
Club captain Johnny Russell has six goals and an assist in eight career regular season appearances against Seattle, with his six goals in the match-up tied for his most versus any MLS opponent. Recently named the team’s MVP for 2022, Russell leads the club’s Golden Boot race with eight regular season goals on the campaign – one ahead of fellow forwards Willy Agada and Daniel Salloi.
Seattle’s roster, which features a pair of former SKC teammates in defender Jimmy Medranda and midfielder Kelyn Rowe (suspended on Sunday), is headlined by a plethora of MLS All-Stars in Nicolas Lodeiro, Jordan Morris, Alex Roldan, Cristian Roldan, Nouhou, Yeimar, Joao Paulo and Raul Ruidiaz. However, Paulo suffered a torn ACL in May and Ruidiaz – the team’s leading scorer with nine goals – was injured recently while on international duty with Peru.
Similarly, Sporting remains without designated players Alan Pulido and Gadi Kinda due to season-long knee injuries, while veteran goalkeeper Tim Melia (hamstring) has missed the last two months of action and Graham Zusi (quad) is questionable after being sidelined for the past four matches.
Sporting has enjoyed a resurgence since the start of August with the best winning percentage (.750), most goals per match (2.63) and most shutouts (3) of any team in the Western Conference. Historically, Sporting is 14-3-5 all-time in regular season home finales – including a 7-2-2 mark at Children’s Mercy Park – and the club is unbeaten in 11 straight October home matches (9-0-2) dating back to 2015.
- Story from Sporting KC