SPORTING KANSAS CITY VS. D.C. UNITED
CHILDREN'S MERCY PARK | Kansas City, Kansas
MAY 27, 2016 (WEEK 13, MLS GAME #125)
9:30 pm ET (UDN, MLS LIVE, KMCI-38)
It's a critical interconference match for a pair of clubs hovering around the red line when Sporting Kansas City play host to D.C. United at Children's Mercy Park on Viernes de Fútbol. Sporting sit in seventh place in the Western Conference, with just one win in their last nine matches, following their 3-1 home loss to Real Salt Lake last weekend. United are also in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, still winless away from home with a second defeat in their last three matches overall after a 1-0 loss at Philadelphia Union last Friday evening.
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- Dom Dwyer scored for a second consecutive game, but Sporting lost for a sixth time in their last nine starts, falling 3-1 to Real Salt Lake on Saturday evening at Children’s Mercy Park.
- United saw their streak of three consecutive road draws come to an end, but they are still winless away from RFK Stadium following their 1-0 loss at Philadelphia Union on Friday evening.
- D.C. United have a four-game undefeated streak alive in the series between the teams. The teams reached a 1-1 draw last May 9, at RFK Stadium, in the only meeting between the clubs; Sporting was winless in the three meetings between the teams in 2014 with United winning two, one at each ground.
- The Sporting goal in last year’s matchup was their first vs. United since the last meeting in 2013, a 1-0 win Oct. 18 in Kansas City, also SKC’s last victory in the series. The goal snapped a 308-minute goalless streak vs. United.
- United won on their last visit to Kansas City, a 3-0 win Aug. 23, 2014. Sporting last won at RFK Stadium in 2012. United was winless against Sporting over three consecutive seasons, 2011-13 (0-6-1).
REFEREE: Alan Kelly. AR1 (bench): Frank Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Eric Weisbrod; 4th: Chris Penso
MLS Career: 43 games; FC/gm: 26.5; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 11; pens: 19
SUSPENDED: KC: Roger Espinoza (through May 29)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: DC: Sean Franklin, Steve Birnbaum
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: KC: Roger Espinoza -- DC: Luciano Acosta, Marcelo Sarvas
DISABLED LIST: DC: Bill Hamid, Andrew Dykstra, Chris Korb
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: KC: Matt Besler, Graham Zusi (USA; vs. Ecuador 5/25; vs. Bolivia 5/28); Soni Mustivar (Haiti; vs. Colombia 5/29) -- DC: Steve Birnbaum (USA; vs. Ecuador 5/25, vs. Bolivia 5/28); Alvaro Saborio (Costa Rica; vs. Venezuela 5/27)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (52 meetings): Sporting 20 wins (0 shootout), 74 goals -- United 20 wins (1 shootout), 67 goals -- Ties 12
AT KC (26 meetings): Sporting 14 wins (0 shootout), 47 goals -- United 7 wins (1 shootout), 31 goals -- Ties 5
LAST YEAR [MLS]
5/9: DC 1, KC 1 (Arrieta 42 - Dwyer 45)
- This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
- Coaches record: Peter Vermes vs. DC: P15 W7 L4 D4 -- Ben Olsen vs. KC: P11 W2 L6 D3
