Preview: Sporting KC on the Road at Real Salt Lake

When: Saturday, April 4, 2026 at 3:30 PM CT

Where: America First Field

How to Watch/Stream: Apple TV

Sporting Kansas City are returning from the international break to face long-time rivals, Real Salt Lake. Sporting KC will be looking to bounce back after a tough 4-1 loss at home last time out against the Colorado Rapids. The game was a bit of a surprise after the team had looked so good the week prior beating the LA Galaxy in California.

So much so, Jake Davis pulled the KC Soccer Journal aside in the locker room to say, “the result doesn’t reflect what we’re doing here.”

Davis and his teammates will get a chance to prove that, though travelling to Sandy, Utah is a tough place to play. SKC are just 5-13-3 during the regular season when playing at the altitude of Salt Lake. In 2025, RSL won 2-1 at home and drew 1-1 when they made the trip to Kansas City.

But the 2025 team for Sporting KC is mostly gone. While there are holdovers, new coach Rapha Wicky has tried a lot of different formations and lineups in the first five games of the season, going 1-3-1 (4 points, 15th in the West) so far. While new players are added to the injury report this week, Wicky confirmed Ian James will return from injury and new signing Diego Borges could make his debut as well.

Injury Reports

Sporting KC

OUT – Stefen Cleveland (ankle), Wyatt Meyer (ankle), Jayden Reid (ankle), Ryan Schewe (hand)

QUESTIONABLE – None

Cleveland and Meyer are new additions to the report, but Meyer was a known injury that occurred in the game against the Rapids. Zorhan Bassong is fully off the report and new signing Capita Capemba has received his P-1 visa. However, Capemba isn’t likely to play based on what Wicky told the gathered media on Friday.

Real Salt Lake

OUT – Emeka Eneli (knee), Aiden Hezarkhani (groin), Ari Piol (achilles), Juan Manuel Sanabria (not due to injury), Tyler Wolff (shoulder)

QUESTIONABLE – Juan Jose Arias (groin), Zach Booth (knee), Kobi Henry (hamstring), DeAndre Yedlin (hamstring)

RSL continue to remain banged up, but it hasn’t hurt their form. They are unbeaten in their last four (3-0-1) and sit sixth in the MLS standings. Superstar Diego Luna could be in line for his first start after working his way back from injury.

SKC Lineup

It’s tough to know what to expect from Sporting KC each week. At times they’ve appeared to play both a back four or a back five.

One key is Justin Reynolds should be healthy for the first time since week one. If he’s able to start after a cameo last time out, that would allow Jake Davis to move to his more natural midfield spot. That will instantly add some bite in the middle of the park and put the best midfield on the field together to start a game for the first time all year. He would be joined by Designated Player Manu Garcia and new Targeted Allocation Money signing Lasse Berg Johnsen, who could be making his third start.

Another potential first-time starter is the recently re-signed Zorhan Bassong. He could slot in at left back, something the team needs with Reid still unavailable. The likely first choice center backs would be Ian James and Ethan Bartlow, but it’s unclear if James has 90 minutes in him, or if Wicky may opt for a back five. It seems more likely James may start, and Borges may come in as they work towards full fitness.

With Capemba unlikely to play, that would leave a front three of Shapi Suleymanov, Dejan Joveljic and Calvin Harris.

Predictions

Sporting KC are still finding who they are as a team. They’ve continued to add players and tinker with lineups but haven’t been healthy enough to put a first choice XI on the field (let alone practice) for much of the season. The challenges of playing in Salt Lake is something most of the team isn’t used to. Garcia missed time last year and Berg Johnsen hasn’t yet made that trip. The altitude can be crushing.

Despite all of RSL’s missing pieces, they’ve found a way to continue to be successful. Pablo Mastroeni is in his fifth year as Real Salt Lake’s coach and it seems to be plug and play when one guy is out. With young stars like Gozo and Luna and a new DP like Morgan Guilavogul, they have many ways to punish you.

It’s possible Sporting KC pull off a surprise road win with two weeks to plan, but it seems more likely RSL continue their home turf dominance.

Score: 1-0 RSL