Sporting Kansas City vs. D.C. United
2022 MLS Regular Season | Match 31
Tuesday, Sept. 13 | 7:30 p.m. CT (7:38 kickoff)
Children's Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Local TV | 38 The Spot
Streaming | SportingKC.com, SKC App, ESPN+
English Radio | Sports Radio 810 WHB
Spanish Radio | La Grande 1340 AM
Riding a four-match unbeaten run and three-game home winning streak, Sporting Kansas City will host D.C. United at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday at Children's Mercy Park. Tickets for the match, presented by Socios.com, are available online at SeatGeek.com, including the Coca-Cola Family & Friends Pack as well as the Vamos Sporting Ticket Pack as the club kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month.
The cross-conference clash will be locally televised on 38 The Spot with three hours of coverage beginning at 7 p.m. CT. The broadcast will also stream live on SportingKC.com and in the Sporting KC app for viewers in Kansas and Missouri (excluding the St. Louis area per MLS policy), as well as ESPN+ for out-of-market subscribers. Radio coverage will air live on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
After squaring off in each of the first 24 MLS regular seasons, Sporting Kansas City and D.C. United will meet for the first time since May 2019 - when current D.C. United Manager Wayne Rooney set up the game's only goal at Audi Field - as the MLS charter clubs are both coming off scoreless draws away from home on Saturday. Sporting secured a road result at Houston and has now recorded a four-match regular season unbeaten streak in every season since 2000, while D.C. United arrive in KC from Salt Lake City where the 0-0 stalemate with RSL was D.C.'s second straight scoreless draw this month.
Four-time MLS Cup champions and four-time Supporters' Shield winners, D.C. United will miss the postseason for a third straight season in 2022. D.C. has been shutout in 14 matches this season - most in MLS - and sit 14th in the Eastern Conference standings. Sporting Kansas City are currently 12th in the West with four matches remaining and must win on Tuesday to stave off elimination in the race for the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Sporting Kansas City has won only once - and scored only twice - in the team's last eight matches against D.C. United (1-4-3) dating back to 2014. The victory came in D.C. United's last trip to Children's Mercy Park in March 2018 when Sporting prevailed 1-0, continuing a streak in which the team has scored one or fewer goals in the last 11 meetings against D.C. since 2013.
While D.C. United has conceded the most goals in the Eastern Conference this year, the team's defense -- which featured the debut of 15-year-old centerback Matai Akinmboni on Saturday -- will be aiming to extend a 243-minute shutout streak with David Ochoa in net. Acquired this summer via trade, the 21-year-old Ochoa was called up by the Mexico Men's National Team in June and is one of four goalkeepers to feature for D.C. this season including former MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Bill Hamid and Sporting KC's first-ever Homegrown Player Jon Kempin.
D.C. United features a pair of formidable forwards in 31-year-old Belgian international Christian Benteke and 32-year-old Norwegian international Ola Kamara. Benteke played in the English Premier League for a decade before debuting for D.C. United on Aug. 31 and Kamara has nine goals in 2022 after a 19-goal campaign for D.C. a year ago. Fellow forward Taxi Fountas, a Greek international in his first MLS season, leads D.C. United with 11 goals this season however the MLS All-Star has missed the last three games in concussion protocol.
Sporting KC defender Kortne Ford will be eligible for selection for the first time since serving his suspension, however Manager Peter Vermes will be without five players on Tuesday including Designated Players Alan Pulido (knee) and Gadi Kinda (knee) as well veteran goalkeeper Tim Melia (hamstring) and left back Logan Ndenbe (health and safety protocols). In addition, right back Graham Zusi (quad) is questionable after missing the team's last two matches.
Following Tuesday's match, The Final Whistle postgame show will air on Sports Radio 810 WHB with hosts Chad Reynolds and Dave Borchardt. Listeners can tune in via the Sporting KC mobile app or online at 810WHB.com.
