Sporting Kansas City concludes the team’s 2025 road slate this weekend with a trip to take on Minnesota United at Allianz Field on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and will be available to stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV, while the game will also be broadcast locally on the radio via ESPN 94.5 FM.
1. CLOSING OUT ROAD SLATE
Sporting Kansas City will close out the club’s 2025 road schedule this weekend when the team heads north to take on third-pace Minnesota United at Allianz Field on Saturday night.
Fresh off the news that David Lee has been named the club’s President of Soccer Operations and General Manager, Sporting will conclude a disappointing campaign with a road match at Minnesota this weekend before hosting the Houston Dynamo at Children’s Mercy Park on Decision Day on Oct. 18.
While Sporting will embark on a new era following the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, the team still has a chance to play spoiler in their final two matches of the season. Minnesota currently sit two points off first place in the West and Houston are still fighting to make it into the postseason.
Sporting will be idle during the upcoming October international break - when midfielder Zorhan Bassong (Canada) and young goalkeeper Jack Kortkamp (U.S. U-17s) will represent their countries - meaning both should be back for the season finale on Oct. 18.
2. MEANDERING UP TO MINNESOTA
Sporting Kansas City will play the club’s penultimate match of the 2025 season this weekend with a road trip to take on Minnesota United at Allianz Field on Saturday night.
Sporting and Minnesota met back on March 15, 2025 in a turbulent 3-3 draw at Children’s Mercy Park. The visitors stormed into a 3-0 lead by the 46th minute following a brace from Tani Oluwaseyi and a stunning goal from Hassani Dotson and looked to be on their way to a comfortable victory. Sporting had different ideas and produced a rousing response as a goal from Daniel Salloi and a Loons own goal pulled Sporting back within one before Dejan Joveljic fired home the equalizer in the 80th minute to salvage a point.
Sporting last visited Minnesota on June 1, 2024 and fell to a 3-1 defeat at Allianz Field. Minnesota got goals from Oluwaseyi, Robin Lod and Kervin Arriaga to put the hosts into a commanding lead before Johnny Russell struck a consolation goal from distance late on in the match.
Sporting leads the all-time regular-season series against Minnesota 11-7-5, including a 2-5-4 mark on the road.
3. DAVID LEE NAMED PRESIDENT OF SOCCER OPERATIONS & GM
Sporting Kansas City announced on Sept. 30 that David Lee has been appointed as the club’s President of Soccer Operations and General Manager. Lee has signed a seven-year contract with the club through 2032.
Lee will serve as the club’s chief soccer officer and will play an executive leadership role in all areas of Sporting’s soccer enterprise, including first-team roster management, player recruitment, scouting, analytics, technical staff oversight and the continued development of Sporting KC II and the Sporting KC Academy. He will report directly to the club’s ownership group and will oversee Sporting Director Mike Burns and interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin.
Lee, who most recently served as Sporting Director at New York City FC, brings extensive leadership experience within Major League Soccer. He joined NYCFC in 2014 as part of the club’s inaugural technical staff, specializing in player recruitment and scouting operations before his promotions to Technical Director in 2017 and Sporting Director in 2019.
NYCFC enjoyed sustained success during Lee’s tenure, winning the 2021 MLS Cup and 2022 Campeones Cup in addition to making seven straight playoff appearances from 2016-2022, returning to the postseason in 2024 and 2025 as the club currently occupies third place in the Eastern Conference. In the last 10 seasons from 2016-2025, NYCFC leads MLS in regular season points (523) and playoff appearances (nine).
4. JOVELJIC CONTINUES SCORING ROMP
Sporting Kansas City forward Dejan Joveljic returned to his old haunts this past weekend and got himself on the scoresheet during the team’s 4-1 loss to former club the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday night.
With his team trailing 2-0 midway through the first half, Joveljic linked up with Memo Rodriguez and Mason Toye before firing a shot low beyond fellow Serb and friend Novak Micovic for his 18th goal of the season.
The 26-year-old now ranks fourth in the Golden Boot race with 18 goals, while he has tied Preki for the second most in a single regular season in club history - only trailing Dom Dwyer’s 22 from the 2014 season. Joveljic’s 39 MLS goals since the start of 2024 are the third most in MLS, only trailing stars Lionel Messi (45) and Denis Bouanga (44).
5. BASSONG SELECTED FOR CANADA DUTY
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Zorhan Bassong will return to the Canadian National Team for two friendly matches during the FIFA international window in October.
Bassong and Canada are slated to host Australia on Oct. 10 at Saputo Stadium in Montreal before facing Colombia on Oct. 14 at Sports illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey.
Bassong has enjoyed a busy 2025 with his national team after competing for the Reds at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup this summer and rejoining head coach Jesse Marsch’s side in September. He made two appearances in the Gold Cup group stage - helping the team to an emphatic 6-0 victory over Honduras and playing the full 90 minutes at left back in a 1-1 draw against Curacao - before earning his sixth and most recent cap in a 3-0 friendly win at Romania on Sept. 5.
