Sporting Kansas City vs. Chicago Fire | MLS Match Preview

MLSsoccer staff

SPORTING KANSAS CITY vs. CHICAGO FIRE
SPORTING PARK, Kansas City, Kan.
May 3, 2015 (Week 9, MLS Game #85)
5 pm ET (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes in US, TSN1 in Canada)

Sporting Kansas City will look to get back to their winning ways when they face a suddenly ascendant Chicago Fire as the clubs face off Sunday afternoon at Sporting Park before an ESPN2 audience. Sporting have gone three games without a victory, coming back for a wild 4-4 draw last weekend at the Houston Dynamo. The Fire returned from a long layoff and won their third game on the trot last time out, netting the game’s only goal in a win against New York City FC.

DOWNLOAD FULL GAME GUIDE (PDF)

Benny Feilhaber had the first multiple-goal game of his MLS career, hitting for the equalizer deep in stoppage time as Sporting came back to claim a 4-4 draw with the Houston Dynamo on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Fire Designated Player David Accam opened his MLS account by scoring the game’s only goal, as his club won their third match in a row with a victory Friday against New York City FC at Toyota Park.
Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson recorded his second consecutive shutout in the win vs. NYCFC; he now has a personal goalless run of 249 minutes, tied for seventh-longest in MLS this season.
The teams evenly split their season series a year ago. Each team won on their home ground; they also played to a 1-1 draw at Sporting Park. The Fire haven’t won in Kansas City since 2012; SKC have two wins and two draws in the home meetings since.

REFEREE: Jose Carlos Rivero. AR1 (bench): Jeff Hosking; AR2 (opposite): Eric Weisbrod; 4th: Nima Saghafi
Rivero MLS Career: 41 games; FC/gm: 26.9; Y/gm: 3.8; R: 11; pens: 20

SUSPENDED: KC: Servando Carrasco (through May 3) … CHI: Matt Watson (through May 3)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: none
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (49 meetings): Sporting 13 wins (0 shootout), 58 goals … Fire 25 wins (1 shootout), 85 goals … Ties 11
AT KC (26 meetings): Sporting 9 wins (0 shootout), 36 goals … Fire 8 wins (1 shootout), 38 goals … Ties 9

LAST YEAR (MLS):
5/18: CHI 2, KC 1 (Magee 7, 15 – Dwyer 68)
7/6: KC 1, CHI 1 (Dwyer 33 – Magee 40)
10/10: KC 2, CHI 0 (Zusi 80; Dwyer 92+)

This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
The teams evenly split their season series a year ago. Each team won on their home ground; they also played to a 1-1 draw at Sporting Park.
The Fire haven’t won in Kansas City since 2012; SKC have two wins and two draws in the home meetings since.
Coaches' records:
Peter Vermes vs. CHI: P14 W4 L6 D4
Frank Yallop vs. KC: P28 W13 L9 D6