Sporting Kansas City can stretch their winning run at Children's Mercy Park to five matches in Major League Soccer when they host Los Angeles FC on Saturday.
KC are currently holding the final playoff position in the Western Conference following a 4-1 home victory over Austin FC, while LA are winless in six successive matches in all competitions, falling 1-0 versus the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday.
Match preview
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Despite suffering through another difficult beginning to an MLS campaign, Peter Vermes has adjusted and found a way to get his Kansas City side back on track, currently on a four-match unbeaten run.
They are only one win shy of equalling their longest winning run at home in this competition from 2022, scoring multiple goals in each of those four previous victories, boasting a 100% record on the campaign when netting more than once in a game.
Their attacking quality has come to the forefront at home lately, with SKC scoring 13 combined goals in its previous four matches played at Children's Mercy Park after managing just one from its first four MLS fixtures played in Kansas City this year.
For now, the top players on this squad are stepping up and contributing, and that has enabled them to claim at least a point in seven of their previous eight domestic affairs against Western Conference opponents, including a 1-1 draw at LAFC last month.
Last Saturday was the 250th competitive home game for them at Children's Mercy Park, and Sporting once again got off to a fast start, having now scored at least once in the opening half in each of its previous four home contests while only allowing one over that stretch heading to the interval.
SKC have led or been tied at the half in their last four matches, only losing once all season in this competition when they are in front heading into the final 45 minutes.
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With a CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) defeat perhaps still fresh in their memories, we have seen some uninspiring performances from the Black and Gold lately.
The reigning MLS Cup champions have failed to find the back of the net in four successive matches in all competitions, their longest goalless drought as a team since Steve Cherundolo took charge ahead of the 2022 campaign.
This franchise had only gone goalless in consecutive regular season encounters once before this year, but should they fail to score on Saturday it would mark the first time they had not netted in three straight matches in this competition.
LAFC have not emerged victorious after 90 minutes in six of their last seven away fixtures, losing 4-0 in a previous MLS road clash versus the Houston Dynamo, the worst domestic defeat for this club since their inaugural campaign in 2018 when they were beaten 5-1 by Minnesota United and 5-0 versus Atlanta United.
They have given up the opening goal in four straight league games away from home, while they have not lost all season when drawing first blood.
Los Angeles hold a 100% record in the 2023 regular season when scoring multiple times in a match, while winning three of four games in which they had conceded more than once.
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Team News
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Sporting were without numerous players last weekend in their home triumph versus Austin, with Dany Rosero, Andreu Fontas, Johnny Russell, Graham Zusi, Kayden Pierre and Logan Ndenbe all nursing hamstring strains, Willy Agada has a tibia stress fracture, Kortne Ford is recovering from Achilles surgery and Tim Melia continues to deal with a nagging quad injury.
Marinos Tzionis was called-up to the Cyprus national team for the upcoming international window, Alan Pulido had a brace, while Khiry Shelton and Robert Castellanos also scored in their victory last weekend.
On Saturday Gadi Kinda can earn his 50th appearance for SKC in all competitions, Roger Espinoza has a chance to surpass Matt Besler for the second-most regular-season starts with the club, currently stuck on 285, while Nemanja Radoja made his 300th senior professional club appearance a week ago.
Timothy Tillman, Kellyn Acosta and Sergi Palencia all missed the last LAFC road contest with problems to their lower extremities, Aaron Long has a head injury, Kwadwo Opoku will not be available following his expulsion in midweek and Maxime Crepeau continues to nurse a broken left leg.
Diego Palacios and Jose Cifuentes were selected to the Ecuadorian national team for their upcoming international games, Opoku was called up to the Ghana Under-23 squad, Denil Maldonado will join Honduras and the joint top-goalscorer in MLS this year, Denis Bouanga, is with Gabon.
John McCarthy has conceded five goal in his last two MLS starts after giving up one or fewer in three of his previous four league fixtures.
Sporting Kansas City possible starting lineup:
McIntosh; Davis, Castellanos, Voloder, Leibold; Thommy, Kinda, Walter; Shelton, Pulido, Salloi
Los Angeles FC possible starting lineup:
McCarthy; Hollingshead, Chiellini, Leone, Murillo; Duenas, Sanchez, Bogusz; Biuk, Vela, Torres
We say: Sporting Kansas City 1-1 Los Angeles FC
Sporting are catching LAFC at a good time as the reigning MLS Cup champs are still getting over their CCL defeat and have not got much time to rest ahead of this match.
While Cherundolo has plenty of dependable attacking players, the best one, Bouanga, is unlikely to see the field, and the international window should enable the home team to face a weaker squad.
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Top tip
Joel Lefevre
