SportingKC.com "Five Things" feature will highlights the top storylines, players to watch, and more for upcoming matches.
Sporting Kansas City returns to Children's Mercy Park as they host the New England Revolution on Saturday. Tickets are available at SeatGeek.com with live coverage starting at 7:30 pm CT on FSKC, FOX Sports GO, Sportsradio 810 WHB, and La Grande 1340 AM. Here's five things to know for #SKCvNE.
Homecoming
Saturday's match will be a homecoming for former Sporting KC players Teal Bunbury, Kei Kamara, and Krisztian Nemeth. None of the three players started in Wednesday's loss at Atlanta but are likely to feature in Saturday's match. Kamara (one goal, two assists in two matches) and Bunbury (two goals, one assist in four matches) have had success against their former club.
Return to Children's Mercy Park
Saturday's match will be Sporting KC's first home match since a 2-0 win over FC Dallas on August 19. It kicks off a crucial set of matches that include the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final on September 20 along with regular season matches against Western Conference sides LA Galaxy (September 24) and Vancouver Whitecaps (September 30). With games in hand on Portland and Seattle (2nd and 3rd in West), three points would boost Sporting KC's chances of finishing in the top two.
Players to watch
- Lee Nguyen (NE): The attacking midfielder has been in fine form with four assists against Orlando two weeks ago and the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Montreal last Saturday.
- Tim Melia: Sporting KC's goalkeeper has made timely saves the entire season and one of the major reasons for the club's stellar defensive numbers.
Intriguing Match-ups
- Kei Kamara vs Ike Opara: Since 2010, Kamara leads all MLS players with 27 headed goals but will be up against one of the best aerial defenders in Ike Opara.
- Benny Feilhaber vs Scott Caldwell: As with most MLS matches, the battle in the midfield tends to dictate how matches are won or lost. Saturday should be no different with Sporting KC's number ten likely to be up against New England defensive midfielder Scott Caldwell.
Keys to the match
- Fast start: Sporting KC holds a 10-0-5 record when scoring first and 7-0-1 record when leading at halftime. A quick start Saturday at Children's Mercy Park will be key to getting three points.
- Fresh legs: After a busy week of traveling for two road matches. Sporting KC will have a clear advantage with a full week of training and rest while New England will be coming off a midweek trip to Atlanta United FC. In addition to traveling, New England will be shorthanded with Xavier Kouassi and Antonio Mlinar Delamea unavailable due to red cards.
