Sporting Kansas City remains at home this weekend as the team hosts Austin FC in the MLS Match of the Week at Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday night. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and will be available to stream on MLS Season Pass. The game will also be broadcast locally on the radio via ESPN 94.5 FM, while tickets are available via SeatGeek.com.
1. LOOKING TO BUILD ON HOME WIN
Sporting Kansas City kicked off a two-game homestand in perfect fashion last weekend, earning a dramatic 4-2 come-from-behind victory over the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park. Sporting will be looking to use that performance and result as a springboard when the team hosts playoff hopefuls Austin FC on Sunday Night Soccer.
Sporting is set to close out a run that sees the team play nine straight games against teams currently above the playoff line. After curtailing a particularly tough portion of that run with the loss in Seattle on Aug. 24, Sporting snapped a six-game winless run with the victory over Colorado last weekend.
On their way to recording the club’s 300th home victory in all competitions, Sporting scored three goals in an eight-minute span from the 73rd to 81st minutes to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 victory. It marked the third time this season that Sporting has scored three goals in the space of eight minutes, following a 5-3 road win over San Jose on April 19 and a 3-3 draw against the New England Revolution on May 24.
Sporting has gained 14 points from losing positions (three wins and five draws) during the regular season, fifth most in MLS. Sporting’s playoff hopes remain slim as the team sits eight points out of the ninth and final postseason spot with six games remaining.
2. WELCOMING AUSTIN TO TOWN
Sporting Kansas City remains at home this weekend as the team plays host to Austin FC at Children’s Mercy Park in the MLS Match of the Week on Sunday night.
The two sides last met on the opening weekend of the MLS season, with Austin claiming a narrow 1-0 victory at Q2 Stadium on Feb. 22, 2025. Three days after Sporting opened their campaign with a home match against Inter Miami in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the team was closing in on a scoreless draw in Texas before Osman Bukari bundled home from a corner kick in the 76th minute to seal all three points for the hosts.
Sporting last hosted Austin over a year ago on June 29, 2024, cruising to a 2-0 victory. Tim Leibold saw his speculative strike deflect into the bottom corner to give Sporting the lead in the first half before Stephen Afrifa converted Johnny Russell’s cross at the back post to seal the points in the second half.
Sporting trails the all-time series against Austin 3-6-1, including a 3-1-1 mark at Children’s Mercy Park. Sporting are yet to earn a result on the road in the series, with Austin holding a 5-0-0 mark at Q2 Stadium following their one-goal victory earlier this season.
3. JOVELJIC REACHES CENTURY OF GOALS
Sporting Kansas City forward Dejan Joveljic scored a pair of goals to lead his side to a dramatic 4-2 comeback victory over the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night - leading to a spot on the MLS Team of the Matchday.
The Serbian frontman, who entered the game with 99 professional club goals, scored his team’s first and final goals in the win as he eclipsed 100 goals in his professional club career by scoring twice, recording his third multi-goal game of the season.
Joveljic now has a team-leading 16 goals this season, tied for third most in MLS and tied for third most in a single regular season in club history alongside Dom Dwyer (2016) and Daniel Salloi (2021). His 16 goals this season are the most by a Kansas City newcomer since Preki scored 18 in the club’s inaugural 1996 campaign.
Joveljic, whose 37 MLS goals since the start of 2024 are second most in the league behind Lionel Messi, has now scored all three of Sporting’s headed goals in the 2025 campaign.
Joveljic has hit 15 goals for the second straight regular season after scoring 15 times for the LA Galaxy last year. He is the third player in MLS history to score 15 goals in consecutive regular seasons with different clubs after Raul Diaz Arce (DC in 1996, NE in 1997) and Evander (POR in 2024, CIN in 2025).
4. TOYE NOTCHES GAME-WINNER
Sporting Kansas City forward Mason Toye continued his hot streak in front of goal this past weekend, coming off the bench to score Sporting’s winning goal in the 4-2 comeback victory over the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night.
Toye, who recorded an assist at Orlando on Aug. 16 and scored at Seattle on Aug. 24, now has goals in back-to-back games for the fourth time in his MLS career and goal contributions in three straight matches for the third time in his MLS career.
Forward Santi Munoz assisted Toye’s winning goal last weekend and now has five goal contributions this season (three goals and two assists). His assist to Toye was his first goal contribution as a starter this year.
5. SALLOI SCORES STUNNER, TIES DWYER & RUSSELL
Sporting Kansas City forward Daniel Salloi got back on the scoresheet with a stunning effort this past weekend, helping spur a 4-2 comeback victory against the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night. Salloi was honored with a spot on the MLS Team of the Matchday following his game-turning performance.
With his team trailing 2-1 in the 73rd minute, Salloi received a pass on the right wing, meandered through several Colorado challenges before striking a brilliant effort into the side-netting to give the stadium life. The goal was the Hungarian’s seventh of the season to go along with four assists, and his 11 goal contributions place him in a tie with Manu Garcia for second on the team behind Dejan Joveljic (18).
With seven goals and four assists this season, Salloi has eclipsed double-digit goal contributions for the fourth time in the last five MLS seasons since 2021.
Salloi has now scored 67 career goals for Sporting in all competitions, tying both Dom Dwyer and Johnny Russell for second most in club history and only trailing Sporting Legend Preki with 81.
