Sporting Kansas City vs. Real Salt Lake
2025 MLS Regular Season | Match 20
Saturday, June 28 | 7:30 p.m. CT (7:40 kickoff)
Children's Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV | Pub Partners
Listen: 810 AM | 103.7 FM | SKC App | SportingKC.com
More: Know Before You Go | 5 Things | By the Numbers | Game Notes
Sporting Kansas City hosts Real Salt Lake at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday with numerous festivities planned for fans at Children's Mercy Park highlighted by Matt Besler's induction into the Sporting Legends hall of honor in addition to pre- and post-game giveaways, a new KC2026 countdown clock and the team's annual fireworks show.
Tickets for the MLS Cup 2013 rematch are available via SeatGeek and ticket holders can order SportingStyle merchandise online for matchday pickup at Children's Mercy Park, including a special collection of Sporting Legends items for Besler featuring a scarf, Charlie Hustle tee and two Talisman and Co. hats.
Besler will be honored during a halftime ceremony with his name adorned above the championship wall in the stadium's northwest corner along with a new UMB Sporting Legend Pylon showcasing Besler's match-worn jersey and captain's armband from the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final. The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a commemorative poster and Besler will sign autographs on the Mazuma Plaza prior to kickoff.
Hill's Pet Nutrition will serve as the match title night partner and will have an activation on the Mazuma Plaza featuring a demonstration by the KC Disc Dogs and on-site pet adoptions with Wayside Waifs. Fans can also take home co-branded collapsible dog bowls and pet bandanas courtesy of a postgame giveaway sponsored by Hill's.
Ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, Saturday's match will also feature a pregame flyover and a postgame fireworks show as well as naturalization ceremony for 36 new U.S. citizens from 22 countries. Finally, a countdown clock to FIFA World Cup 26 will be available for photo opportunities near the Hollywood Casino Gate at the corner of Village West Parkway and France Family Drive outside the Budweiser Brew House.
Sporting KC and Real Salt Lake enter Saturday's showdown separated by one point in the Western Conference standings after SKC moved ahead of RSL in the table with a dramatic 2-1 come-from-behind victory on Wednesday against Charlotte FC. Dejan Joveljic scored the latest game-winning goal for SKC in more than a decade -- dating back to a July 2013 road win at Real Salt Lake -- as SKC won for the first time in club history when trailing in the 93rd minute.
Joveljic now has 11 goals on the season, third most in MLS this year, and a league-leading 32 goals in MLS play since the start of 2024. Fellow Designated Player Manu Garcia set up both goals in stoppage time on Wednesday and now ranks third in MLS with eight assists this season, including assists in three straight games.
While Sporting is back in action for the second time in four days, Real Salt Lake last played two weeks ago in a 2-0 home win over D.C. United. The result snapped a seven-game winless skid as Johnny Russell scored the game-winning goal in his first RSL start after seven seasons in Kansas City from 2018-2024 in which the Scottish winger captained SKC the last four years and amassed 67 goals -- second most in club history -- in addition to 52 assists in 232 appearances. Fellow forward William Agada, who contributed 24 goals and six assists in 77 appearances for SKC from 2022-2025, also returns to Kansas City after RSL acquired the Nigerian via a trade in April.
Real Salt Lake's attack has been boosted by 18-year-old academy product Zavier Gozo, who has two goals in his past four matches after scoring in the team's last match. Defensively, Brazilian goalkeeper Rafael Cabral – the only RSL player to play every minute this season – logged his sixth shutout of the season in their most recent outing.
Both teams will be shorthanded for Saturday's showdown as RSL will be without MLS All-Star Diego Luna (international duty) as well as goalkeeper Zac MacMath (back), defender Javain Brown (knee) and midfielders Braian Ojeda (green card acquisition), Matthew Bell (hamstring) and Emeka Eneli (foot). Sporting will have five players sidelined with centerbacks Joaquin Fernandez (suspended), Dany Rosero (ankle) and Robert Voloder (clavicle) all ruled out in addition to midfielders Zorhan Bassong (international duty) and Nemanja Radoja (quad).
SKCvRSL will be available to watch on Apple TV with an MLS Season Pass subscription in English (Nate Bukaty and Devon Kerr) and Spanish (Raul Guzman and Ashley Gonzalez), while pub partners in the Sporting Pub Network will also show all of the action. In addition, live radio coverage will air locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB on 810 AM and 103.7 FM (Blake Aerni and Jon Kempin).
