Sporting KC
Preview: Sporting KC at San Jose Earthquakes
A tired Sporting KC faces San Jose
Sporting Kansas City at San Jose Earthquakes
2024 MLS Regular Season | Match 24
Saturday, July 13 | 9:30 p.m. CT (9:40 kickoff)
PayPal Park | San Jose, California
Broadcast Schedule:
Apple TVÂ | Free on MLS Season Pass
English Radio | Sports Radio 810 WHB
Spanish Radio | La Grande 1340 AM
Sporting Kansas City heads west for a pair of matches. First up, Sporting KC (5-13-5, 20 points) will face the San Jose Earthquakes (4-16-2, 14 points) Saturday evening. SKC will then play the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday. Manager Peter Vermes will again have to carefully manage his gameday roster after a late night win over FC Dallas in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals Wednesday. The two teams battled through a lengthy weather delay and extra time before Kansas City pulled out the win.
The players were given the next day off to get some rest and to mentally recover before returning to the training ground Friday but the schedule is not their friend. Sporting KC is in the midst of seven games stretch playing weekend and midweek with no break.
Sporting KC has struggled in 2024 but are on their hottest streak of the season, winning their last three home matches. San Jose currently sits in the fourteenth spot in the Western Conference with just 14 points in 22 games. Sporting KC is one spot higher in the standings with 20 points in 23 games. The Earthquakes have just one win and a draw in their last ten matches. That win was a 1-0 defeat at home over the equally hapless Chicago Fire.
The Earthquakes have the worst goal differential (-26), scoring 30 goals while allowing a league-leading 56 goals. SKC has a better, but not great goal differential (-11), scoring 37 and allowing 48.
Historically
Sporting KC leads the all-time series with a 31-26-10 record against the Earthquakes. The two sides met in March with SKC earning their first win of the season in a 2-1 victory in Kansas City. San Jose took the lead in the 11th minute when VÃtor Costa scored. SKC bounced back with goals by Rosero in the 18th and Pulido in the 29th.
Availability
Sporting KC is playing on short rest and traveling in the midst of an arduous schedule so Vermes will be challenged in finding fresh legs. Â Kayden Pierre will be available after resting for the Open Cup so he may get the start.
Remi Walter saw his first minutes in a long time Wednesday and Vermes said he might have 30-45 minutes in him against San Jose. Adding Walter back into the mix is a welcome addition for SKC, especially with Jake Davis joining the US Olympic squad.
Tim Leibold played the full 120 Wednesday but there is not another left back available for this match after Zorhan Bassong received a red card last weekend. Will Leibold be ready to play or will Vermes be forced to get creative with the formation again remains to be seen.
Sporting Kansas City
Questionable
N/A
Out
Zorhan Bassong – Not Due to Injury (Red Card Suspension)
Jake Davis – Not Due to Injury (Olympics)
Felipe Hernández – Not Due to Injury
Logan Ndenbe – ACL
John Pulskamp – Not Due to Injury (Olympics)
San Jose Earthquakes
Questionable
Niko Tsakiris – Lower Body
Out
Carlos Akapo – Lower Body
Daniel Britto – Lower Body
JT Marcinkowski – Knee Surgery
Jamar Ricketts – Lower Body
Bruno Wilson – Lower Body
Officials
Referee: Alexis Da Silva
Assistant ref: Corey Rockwell
Assistant ref:Â Cory Richardson
4th official: Calin Radosav
VAR: Fotis Bazakos
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Jereko Signs Permanent Deal with HB Køge
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Hailie Mace Says Goodbye to Kansas City and the Current
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While I have no idea what to expect tonight, I do know I got some of the best tickets I’ve ever had at PayPal for 40 bucks a pop (including fees) this morning. So, there are some perks to your team being bottom of the table playing against another plagued side. Though I do owe my husband because back in February I told him I wouldn’t spend a dime on Sporting this year and he said I’d change my tune when they came to town.
I’m glad you are going. I know it would be hard to not go if I only saw them once a year.
Yeah, it felt wrong to not go for the first time in 10 years. We’re still broken up, but I’m more open to reconciliation now than I was a month or two ago!
It’s hard to truly quit a team one has invested life energy in. I’m glad you went! If there was an SKC match I’d consider going to this year it’s the upcoming one against St. Louis, but I have a scheduling conflict.
I had a really great time, I think taking a break the first half of the season served me well! That’s a bummer about STL, I’d love to go myself and experience the rivalry in person.
$40 WITH fees? Your husband owes YOU money because of how much you saved…
They were excellent seats, center pitch a few rows back! And once he got a beer he had a very nice night of sports ball 🙂
Bassong and Ndenbe are here in a luxury box.
Cool. With the team staying out west they brought Bassong along. I don’t think Ndenbe is ready but maybe he is. It could be getting him back in the rhythm of travel and game days.
Sorry. Probably a dumb thing to post.