SPORTING KANSAS CITY vs. REAL SALT LAKE
CHILDREN'S MERCY PARK, Kansas City, Kansas
MAY 18, 2016 (WEEK 12, MLS GAME #117)
8:30 pm ET (MLS LIVE, KMCI-38, KMYU)
A Western Conference match-up that has built into a real rivalry over the last few years, Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake face off for the second time this season when the clubs meet Saturday evening a Sporting Park. SKC put a stop to their winless run after seven games last weekend, coming back for a 2-1 win against Orlando City SC at Sporting Park. Real have started a five-game road swing with back-to-back shutout defeats, last a 1-0 loss at the Houston Dynamo last Sunday. RSL took a 2-1 win when the clubs met in April at Sporting Park.
Sporting put an end to their seven-game winless run – the team’s longest since a club record-tying 10-game stretch without a victory in 2011 – in their 2-1 win against Orlando City SC on Sunday afternoon at Children’s Mercy Park.
Real have started their five-game road swing with back-to-back 1-0 losses, falling to the Houston Dynamo on Sunday afternoon at BBVA Compass Stadium in a match delayed a day due to weather. RSL do not play at home again until June 18.
The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Justen Glad and Luke Mulholland scored on either side of halftime as Real Salt Lake claimed a 2-1 win April 2 at Children’s Mercy Park.
The first meeting victory was Real’s first ever at Children’s Mercy Park, in seven meetings lifetime, including MLS Cup 2013. RSL had last won in Kansas City in 2009 (at CommunityAmerica Ballpark).
Real have a three-game winning streak alive vs. Sporting, having won the last two league meetings a year ago, both by 2-1 scorelines, and both at Rio Tinto Stadium (June 21 and July 24) – their first wins against KC since the 2011 season. RSL haven’t lost in five consecutive regular season matches vs. SKC (3-0-2).
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REFEREE: Ricardo Salazar. AR1 (bench): Jeff Hosking; AR2 (opposite): Jeffrey Greeson; 4th: Edvin Jurisevic
MLS Career: 217 games; FC/gm: 26.6; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 62; pens: 74
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: RSL: Kyle Beckerman, Tony Beltran
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (21 meetings): Sporting 8 wins, 26 goals … Real 8 wins, 26 goals … Ties 5
AT KC (11 meetings): Sporting 5 wins, 13 goals … Real 2 wins, 9 goals … Ties 4
FUTURE MATCH: 10/16: Real Salt Lake vs. Sporting Kansas City, 7 pm ET (FS1)
- Coaches record: Peter Vermes vs. RSL: P12 W3 L6 D3 … Jeff Cassar vs. KC: P5 W3 L0 D2
LAST MEETING
4/2: KC 1, RSL 2 (Feilhaber 94+ -- Glad 29; Mulholland 79)
- Real took the lead after 29 minutes when Justen Glad scored his first professional goal, heading home a free kick sent into the goalmouth by Joao Plata.
- The lead was doubled with 11 minutes when a corner kick was only partially cleared outside the area, and Luke Mulholland curled in a low shot just inside the post.
- Sporting won a penalty late in stoppage time when Diego Rubio was hauled down just on the edge of the area and referee Ted Unkel pointed to the spot. Benny Feilhaber converted, but Sporting could not come all the way back.
- SPORTING KANSAS CITY (4-1-2-3): Tim Melia - Chance Myers, Nuno Andre Coelho, Kevin Ellis, Amadou Dia - Soni Mustivar - Benny Feilhaber, Jordi Quintilla (Jimmy Medranda 73) - Brad Davis (Diego Rubio 80), Dom Dwyer, Graham Zusi.
- REAL SALT LAKE (4-2-3-1): Jeff Attinella - Tony Beltran, Justen Glad, Aaron Maund, Chris Wingert (Demar Phillips 59) - John Stertzer, Sunday Stephen - Jordan Allen, Luke Mulholland, Joao Plata - Yura Movsisyan (Devon Sandoval 70).
