Coming off the heels of another home win, D.C. United will return to Audi Field on Sunday, May 12th to face Sporting Kansas City. The Black-and-Red are currently equal in points with the Philadelphia Union, who they are battling for the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference. To claim that spot this week, they will have to take down a Western Conference opponent traveling to Audi Field for the first time. Here is everything you need to know about Sporting Kansas City.
Recent Matches
Sporting Kansas City has struggled so far this season, with just 10 points across nine games. They are 0-2-3 in their last five matches, with draws against the New England Revolution, the New York Red Bulls, and FC Cincinnati. Their most recent match was a 3-0 loss to Atlanta United.
Kansas City hasn’t won a match since March 30th, but their win was an offensive masterpiece as SKC. The team dropped seven goals on the Montreal Impact, with a hat trick from Krisztian Nemeth and a brace from Johnny Russell.
Players to Watch
Sporting Kansas City has shown that they have offensive power, even if they have slowed down in the month of April. They have scored 19 goals so far this season, with their top three goal-scorers being Krisztian Nemeth (6 goals), Johnny Russell (4 goals), and Felipe Gutierrez (4 goals). They have failed to score in just one game: their most recent match against Atlanta United.
As for the defense, Sporting Kansas City has been consistent in giving up goals. They have only one clean sheet so far this season, in their second match against the Philadelphia Union. Sporting has allowed 18 goals this year, an average of two goals per game. With D.C. United’s attack reignited this weekend against Columbus, they will definitely look to exploit the weaknesses of this Sporting Kansas City side.
Head-to-Head
D.C. United and Sporting Kansas City met once in 2018, at the beginning of the season. Sporting Kansas City won 1-0 thanks to an early goal from Felipe Gutierrez. With both clubs being two of the oldest in MLS, they have met a total of 51 times over 23 years. The total record is tied at 21-21-13, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
