Colorado Rapids at Sporting Kansas City
Wednesday, July 6, 2011 – 7:30 p.m. CT
LIVESTRONG Sporting Park | Kansas City, Kansas
English TV: KSMO-TV
Spanish TV: Time Warner Cable Channel 5
Spanish Radio: La Gran D 1340 AM
Following a 2-1 win away to the Portland Timbers on Saturday, Sporting Kansas City will host the defending MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids on Wednesday at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT with live TV coverage on KSMO-TV beginning at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday’s match is presented by THECOOLTV.
Sporting Kansas City leads the all-time series against Colorado with a record of 20-17-11 since the series began in 1996. Sixteen of those wins have come at home, where Sporting Kansas City holds a 16-3-4 advantage over their Western Conference counterparts.
This is the second meeting between the two sides in 2011. The first, a tense 1-1 draw at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on May 28th, saw a second-half strike from Ryan Smith cancel out Conor Casey’s early opener as the two sides split the points in Colorado. The draw ended a five-match losing streak for Sporting Kansas City in league play.
The Rapids (5-5-8), currently sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference, enter Wednesday night’s contest coming off of a 0-0 draw at home with the Houston Dynamo over the weekend. The draw snapped a two-match losing streak that saw Colorado outscored by a total goal differential of 7-2.
Colorado will most likely be without forward Macoumba Kandji who is still recovering from surgery on his left ACL. Manager Gary Smith will also be missing forward Quincy Amarikwa through suspension. The third-year forward, with one goal and one assist on the year so far, was shown a red card following the final whistle against Houston on Sunday
For Sporting Kansas City, who enter a stretch of 11 of their next 12 MLS matches at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, captain Davy Arnaud will be out as the midfielder is set to undergo sports hernia surgery this week. Defender Seth Sinovic is also listed as out following a right hamstring strain in training last week. Midfielders Craig Rocastle is still rehabbing his right knee following a sprain suffered while playing for Grenada at this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Tickets for the match are still available, and can be purchased here. Fans who purchase tickets to Wednesday’s match before midnight CT tonight will receive a complimentary ticket for the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal between Sporting Kansas City and Richmond Kickers (USL PRO) on Tuesday, July 12th at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
KSMO-TV will again air a 30-minute pre-game show hosted by play-by-play announcer Callum Williams, in addition to their weekly soccer show, ‘Off the Pitch’ with Sporting Kansas City, on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. CT.
Fans are encouraged to arrive to LIVESTRONG Sporting Park as early as possible on Wednesday. Prior to the match, ‘The David George Band’ will perform in the Sprint Plaza as part of the Live at LSP concert series, presented by INK. Following the match, there will be a party in the Members Club featuring a performance from DJ Mike Scott.
