Sporting Kansas City vs. D.C. United
2018 MLS Regular Season – Week 5
Children's Mercy Park — Kansas City
8:30 pm ET – March 31, 2018
WATCH: MLS LIVE
The in-game roller coaster continued for Sporting Kansas City, which fell into a two-goal hole only to dramatically climb out late to equalize in second-half stoppage time in a 2-2 draw with the Colorado Rapids.
There would be no late-game for D.C. United for a second straight week, though, as Ben Olsen’s side conceded twice late in the first half and were outclassed by arguably the best in the league in a 3-1 defeat to Columbus Crew SC.
- Free-scoring SKC think goal droughts are in past
- Warshaw: What's wrong with the SKC defense?
- Durkin focused on continued growth after first start
Sporting Kansas City
For the fourth time this season, Sporting KC conceded multiple goals as the Colorado Rapids struck twice inside of 10 minutes. That’s something Peter Vermes is trying to clean up with SKC leading the league in goals against (9) after four games after conceding the least amount of goals in 2017 with 29 in 34 games.
The positive is that SKC are showing resilience with Felipe Gutierrez and Diego Rubio scoring after halftime to salvage a road draw. Gutierrez, who was named to the MLS Team of the Week presented by Audi for Week 4, also scored the late winner in a wild 4-3 victory over the Chicago Fire on March 10.
- Suspended: None
- Suspended after next caution: None
- International duty: None
- Injury Report: None
Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3, right to left)
GK: Tim Melia — Graham Zusi, Ike Opara, Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic — Roger Espinoza, Ilie Sanchez, Felipe Gutierrez — Johnny Russell, Khiry Shelton, Daniel Salloi
- Notes: Gutiérrez has four goals in four games this season, tied for the league lead. Only four players scored more than four goals in MLS play in 2017 for Sporting. … Sporting Kansas City are winless in their last six games against D.C. United, getting outscored 6-1 over that span (3L-3D).
D.C. United
Yamid Asad scored on the half-hour mark to level for D.C. United 10 minutes after Milton Valenzuela put Crew SC ahead, but Ricardo Clark and Pedro Santos struck two minutes apart in the final five minutes of the first half to do in the visitors.
After playing an influential role off the bench in a 2-2 draw with the Houston Dynamo a week earlier, Chris Durkin played the entire 90 minutes in his first career MLS start.
“I think getting 90 minutes is definitely a dream of mine. To achieve that here was awesome," the Homegrown 18-year-old said after the match. "You know, putting my ego aside, I want to win. Sure I like reflecting on getting 90 minutes, but you know I want the team to win."
- Suspended: None
- Suspended after next caution: None
- International duty: None
- Injury Report: OUT: M - Russell Canouse (knee); D - Taylor Kemp (groin), M - Junior Moreno (hamstring)
Projected Starting XI
(4-1-4-1, right to left)
GK: David Ousted — Nick DeLeon, Frederic Brillant, Steve Birnbaum, Oneil Fisher — Chris Durkin — Zoltan Stieber, Luciano Acosta, Ulises Segura, Yamil Asad — Darren Mattocks
- Notes: United’s Darren Mattocks is one of just six players to have taken at least 10 shots from inside the box so far this season. … D.C. United have conceded an average of 2.7 goals per game over their last seven road games, going winless over that span (5L-2D).
All-Time Series
- Overall: Sporting Kansas City 20 wins, 74 goals … D.C. United 21 wins, 68 goals … Ties 13
- At Kansas City: Sporting 14 wins, 47 goals … D.C. United 8 wins, 32 goals … Ties 5
- Last meeting at Kansas City: Sporting Kansas City 0, D.C. United 1 (May 27, 2016)
Referees
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
Assistant Referees: Apolinar Mariscal, Peter Manikowski
4th Official: Ted Unkel
VAR: Jorge Gonzalez
