Sporting KC vs Houston Dynamo
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Sporting Park | Kansas City, KS
Broadcast Schedule:
TV: 38 the Spot and SKCTV
English Radio: Sports Radio 810 WHB
Spanish Radio: La Grande 1340 AM
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Sporting Kansas City hosts the Houston Dynamo at Sporting Park on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT. The match, presented by Black and Veatch, will be televised locally on KMCI-TV 38 the Spot and on SKCTV across the Midwest with pregame coverage beginning at 7 p.m. CT.
Sporting Kansas City is in fourth place in the Western Conference with at least two games in hand on each team that sits above them in the standings heading into Saturday’s match. Only FC Dallas (1.81) has more points per game than Sporting KC (1.74) despite the club's road loss against Real Salt Lake last weekend. Sporting KC’s four losses in 2015 are fewest in MLS.
Sporting Kansas City and the Dynamo last met on July 21 at Sporting Park when the hosts eliminated Houston from the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Sporting KC earned a 3-1 victory with each of the club’s three leading goalscorers (Dom Dwyer, Benny Feilhaber and Krisztian Nemeth) finding the back of the net.
Saturday marks the third of four meetings scheduled between Sporting KC and the Houston Dynamo this season, with the first two matches yielding 12 goals between the two sides. Sporting KC has yet to lose at Sporting Park in 2015, one result shy of the club record (14 games unbeaten), but the Dynamo are unbeaten in four straight regular season trips to Sporting Park dating back to 2012. Sporting KC has faced Houston 18 times in all competitions since the start of 2011, more than any other opponent (7-4-7 record).
Dwyer has scored in each of his last five games against Houston in all competitions dating back to November 2013, while Dynamo forward Will Bruin has scored in each of his last three games against Sporting KC in all competitions since last August.
Sporting Kansas City winger Graham Zusi is available for selection by Manager Peter Vermes on Saturday for the first time since June 27. Zusi spent the last month representing the U.S. Men’s National Team in the CONCACAF Gold Cup before suiting up for the MLS All-Stars in a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur F.C. on Wednesday. Zusi was joined by Feilhaber and Matt Besler in Colorado who also notched 45-minutes apiece in the MLS All-Star Game.
Houston's DaMarcus Beasley, the only respresentative from the Dynamo named to the 2015 MLS All-Star squad has re-joined his team along with Jamaican international Giles Barnes. Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle will be without Jermaine Taylor on Saturday who is recovering from a right quad tear.
Attending supporters are encouraged to arrive early on Saturday as the first 2,500 guests will receive a Sporting KC branded water bottle courtesy of Black & Veatch. Saturday's postgame party will take place at Turn 2 Sports Bar and restaurant inside Hollywood Casino and will feature food and drink specials. Supporters can also catch the Sporting KC Postgame Show 'The Final Whistle' on Sports Radio 810 WHB directly following the match.
In-game updates are available at SportingKC.com/GameOn and via Twitter @SKCGameday.
