Sporting Kansas City vs. Philadelphia Union | MLS Match Preview

MLSsoccer staff

SPORTING KANSAS CITY vs PHILADELPHIA UNION
SPORTING PARK, Kansas City, Kan.
April 5, 2015 (WEEK 5, MLS Game #45)
6 p.m. CT (FS1; FOX Deportes; TSN1)

Now in different conferences, Sporting Kansas City and Philadelphia Union will be looking to begin a charge up their respective divisional tables when they meet Sunday afternoon at Sporting Park before a FOX Sports 1 audience. Sporting are coming off their first win of the season in four games, defeating New York City FC 1-0 on the road. Union are still looking for their first triumph of the year, suffering a second consecutive defeat in a 1-0 loss at the Chicago Fire in their last match.

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Center back Ike Opara scored his second goal in four games as Sporting Kansas City won for the first time this season, defeating New York City FC 1-0 at Yankee Stadium.
Philadelphia Union lost for a second consecutive match and saw their season-opening winless streak extended to four games following their 1-0 defeat at the Chicago Fire on Sunday.
The all-time series is evenly tied, each club with four victories in 12 meetings, with four draws. Each team has won twice, lost twice and drawn twice on their home ground.
The Union won last year’s lone meeting between the teams at PPL Park, a 2-1 win on Oct. 18, ending a two-game Sporting KC winning streak in Chester.

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REFEREE: Ismail Elfath. AR1 (bench): Adam Garner; AR2 (opposite): Kevin Klinger; 4th: Younes Marrakchi
MLS Career: 43 games; FC/gm: 25.7; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 12; pens: 12

SUSPENDED: PHI: Zach Pfeffer (through April 5); Fred (through April 12)
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (12 meetings): Sporting 4 wins, 14 goals … Union 4 wins, 15 goals … Ties 4
AT KANSAS CITY (6 meetings): Sporting 2 wins, 7 goals … Union 2 wins, 6 goals … Ties 2

LAST YEAR (MLS):
5/14: KC 1, PHI 2 (Dwyer 80 – Cruz 49; Maidana 81)
8/1: KC 1, PHI 1 (Zusi 54 – Brown 71)
10/18: PHI 2, KC 1 (Brown 45; Ribeiro 71 – Dwyer 54)

This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
The all-time series is evenly tied, each club with four victories in 12 meetings, with four draws. Each team has won twice, lost twice and drawn twice on their home ground.
Union won last year’s lone meeting between the teams at PPL Park, a 2-1 win on Oct. 18, ending a two-game Sporting KC winning streak in Chester.
Coaches record: Jim Curtin vs. KC: P2 W1 L0 D1 … Peter Vermes vs. PHI: P12 W4 L4 D4