SPORTING KANSAS CITY vs. NEW YORK CITY FC
CHILDREN'S MERCY PARK • Kansas City, Kansas.
July 10, 2016 • Week 18 • MLS Game #182
8pm ET (FS1 in USA, MLS LIVE in Canada)
Sporting Kansas City and New York City FC meet for the only time in league play this season when the clubs face off Sunday evening at Children’s Mercy Park before an FS1 audience. Sporting have moved into playoff positioning, now sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference after extending their undefeated run to four games with a 3-2, come-from-behind win vs. Columbus Crew SC at home last weekend. NYCFC have moved into first place in the Eastern Conference, now leading by four points after winning a club-record four consecutive games following their 1-0 win at the New England Revolution at midweek.
- Matt Besler scored his first goal of the season – his first goal in MLS play since 2011 – for the stoppage-time winner as Sporting extended their undefeated streak to four games with a come-from-behind 3-2 win against Columbus Crew SC on Sunday evening at Children’s Mercy Park.
- When NYCFC defeated the Red Bulls for the first time ever, in their fifth meeting all-time, it was their third win in a row, matching the club record set three times previously. David Villa extended his lead atop the MLS Golden Boot standings with his 12th goal of the season, his fourth over the previous five matches.
- The teams met once a season ago, Sporting Kansas City claiming a 1-0 win March 28 at Yankee Stadium in the only meeting in NYCFC’s inaugural MLS campaign.
REFEREE: Ismail Elfath. AR1 (bench): Frank Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Kermit Quisenberry; 4th: Edvin Jurisevic
MLS Career: 73 games; FC/gm: 24.6; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 18; pens: 19
SUSPENDED: KC: Dom Dwyer (caution accumulation; through July 10)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: NYC: R.J. Allen, Federico Bravo
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: KC: Roger Espinoza, Matt Besler, Jimmy Medranda … NYC: David Villa, Ronald Matarrita
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (1 meeting): Sporting 1 win, 1 goal … NYCFC 0 wins, 0 goals … Ties 0
AT KC: First meeting.
LAST YEAR [MLS]
3/28: NYC 0, KC 1 (Opara 12)
