Sporting Kansas City is back on their travels this weekend when the team heads to Texas to take on the Houston Dynamo at Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and will be available to stream on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The game will also be broadcast locally on the radio via Sports Radio 810 WHB.
1. SPORTING LOOKING TO TURN DRAWS INTO WINS
Sporting Kansas City closes out a hectic month of May this weekend when the team jets south to take on the Houston Dynamo at Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday night. Sporting has navigated a tricky stretch of matches throughout the month - notably playing three road games in eight days from May 10-17 - to pick up a 1-1-3 record, including three consecutive draws.
Sporting came back from a two-goal halftime deficit both at St. Louis on May 14 and at home against New England on May 24 to pick up points, while the team also defended staunchly at San Diego on May 17 on their way to a 0-0 draw. Sporting has drawn three straight regular season matches after drawing just three of its previous 37 regular season matches between April 27, 2024, and May 10, 2025.
Sporting has trailed by two goals at halftime three times this season and, on each occasion, Sporting has rallied to secure a point. Sporting trailed 2-0 at halftime (and 3-0 in the 46th minute) of a 3-3 home draw against Minnesota United on March 15, 2-0 at halftime of a 2-2 road draw at St. Louis on May 14, and 2-0 at halftime of last weekend’s 3-3 home draw against New England. Prior to this season, Sporting had lost 13 consecutive regular season matches when trailing by two or more goals at halftime.
Sporting has earned three results in its last five away matches (1-2-2 record) since April 19 after earning just two results in its previous 18 away matches (1-16-1 record) from April 2024 through March 2025.
2. BACK IN HOUSTON FOR FIRST TIME IN 15 MONTHS
Sporting Kansas City is back on the road this weekend to face off against longtime foes the Houston Dynamo at Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday night. After visiting Houston four times in the space of 10 months from May 2023 to February 2024, Saturday’s trip to Texas marks Sporting’s first visit to Shell Energy Stadium in over 15 months.
The two sides last met at Children’s Mercy Park on May 11, 2024, with Houston claiming a rare win in Kansas City throughout the series. After a stunning goal from Hector Herrera gave the visitors a first half lead, Sporting pulled themselves level through Daniel Salloi only for Ibrahim Aliyu to score the game-winner in the 78th minute and seal Houston’s second regular-season road win at Children’s Mercy Park since 2014.
Sporting last visited Shell Energy Stadium in the club’s 2024 season opener on Feb. 24, 2024, playing out a 1-1 draw. Erik Thommy scored a brilliant solo effort in the 61st minute to give Sporting the lead but Gabe Segal - who scored his first career brace midweek in Houston’s 3-0 win over NYCFC - equalized eight minutes later to salvage a point for the hosts.
3. SALLOI SPARKS COMEBACK
Sporting Kansas City forward and Academy product Daniel Salloi sparked the club’s furious comeback against the New England Revolution at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night, scoring his team’s first goal early in the second half as Sporting turned a 2-0 halftime deficit into a 3-2 second-half lead in the eventual 3-3 draw.
Salloi, who dedicated his goal to the memory of former teammate Gadi Kinda, scored fired home the rebound after Erik Thommy’s shot had been saved in the 53rd minute to give Sporting hope.
Salloi now has 111 career goal contributions (65 goals, 46 assists) for Sporting in all competitions, fourth most in club history behind only Preki (185), Graham Zusi (125) and Johnny Russell (119). The Hungarian ranks fourth in club history in both regular-season goals (52) and goals across all competitions (65).
4. JOVELJIC SCORES TEAM-LEADING SEVENTH GOAL
Sporting Kansas City forward Dejan Joveljic found the back of the net in his second consecutive appearance this past weekend, scoring from the penalty spot in the club’s wild 3-3 draw with the New England Revolution at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night.
Joveljic’s goal was his team-leading seventh goal of the season and the 41st goal of his MLS regular season career. The Serbian had previously scored the equalizer in the club’s 2-2 draw with rivals St. Louis at Energizer Park on May 14 before remaining home for the 0-0 draw at San Diego FC on May 17 as he and his wife awaited the birth of their first child.
Joveljic has now converted an MLS-best three penalties this season, converting three of the four penalty kicks he has taken - only being denied by Portland’s James Pantemis late on in the 4-2 home defeat on April 13. Sporting have won four penalties in the MLS this season, more than any other team.
Joveljic and his wife Andjela welcomed the birth of their daughter, Daša Joveljic, on Sunday.
5. GARCIA CAPS FURIOUS EIGHT MINUTE PERIOD
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Manu Garcia capped a brilliant eight-minute period early in the second half of Sporting’s 3-3 draw with the New England Revolution at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night, scoring the team’s third goal as the squad turned a 2-0 halftime deficit into a 3-2 lead in the second half.
The goal was Garcia’s second of the season since joining Sporting back in February, having also tallied in the club’s 5-3 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park on April 19.
Midfielders Erik Thommy and Zorhan Bassong both earned assists on the goal, with Thommy clipping an inch-perfect cross to Garcia after Bassong had won the ball in his own half to spark the attack.
Thommy now has three assists this season, all coming in substitute appearances, and 20 assists in his MLS regular season career. Bassong’s assist was his first of the season and first in the MLS regular season since June 19, 2024.
