Sporting Kansas City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Saturday, March 12 — 7:30 p.m. CT
Children’s Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Broadcast Schedule:
English TV | KMCI-TV 38 the Spot and SKCTV
English Radio | Sports Radio 810 WHB
Spanish Radio | La Grande 1340 AM
Game Notes | Uphoria App | Game On | Social Media
Media Guide| MatchCenter | By the Numbers
Sporting Kansas City will host its 2016 home opener against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT at Children’s Mercy Park. The match will be televised live locally on KMCI-TV 38 the Spot and across the Midwest on SKCTV with coverage starting at 7 p.m. CT. Listeners can also follow the action on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish).
The first 15,000 fans to arrive at Children's Mercy Park will receive a free schedule magnet courtesy of H&R Block. Bud Light will also host Pregame on the Plaza, beginning at 5 p.m. CT. The pregame festivities will include local food trucks, a smokehouse stand, a gelato cart, $4 Bud Lights and games, as well as music provided by DJ Cutswell. Children's Mercy Park will debut more than 20 new menu items for Saturday's game, and fans in attendance are encouraged to be in their seats by 7:15 p.m. CT for a pregame presentation.
Sporting KC remains undefeated in home openers at Children’s Mercy Park in the five years since the state-of-the-art venue opened, and has lost only two home openers since the club's debut in 1996. The team also won its 2016 season opener last Sunday night, a 1-0 victory at Seattle Sounders FC. Newcomer and Portuguese center back Nuno André Coelho scored the match-deciding goal from 30 yards out in the 73rd minute with an assist from midfielder Jordi Quintilla.
Members of Sporting KC's back line also garnered honors following Sunday's performance, with MLS Team of the Week accolades coming from various publications this week. The club also added to its front line with the addition of Chilean striker Diego Rubio, on loan to Sporting KC as a Young Designated Player.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC opened their 2016 season at home, falling to Montreal Impact 3-2. While the Whitecaps doubled their opponent in shots on goal, they were unable to capitalize and trailed 2-1 at halftime. Montreal scored again in the 88th minute, and Vancouver’s goal in the 93rd minute wasn’t enough to pull them to a tie.
Sporting KC has taken down Vancouver on four occasions in the past, falling to the Canadian opponent only once — and never in Kansas City. Last year, the teams first went head-to-head in July in Vancouver, where Sporting KC pulled out a 1-0 road win thanks to a header from Kevin Ellis.
The next time the teams met in regular season competition on Aug. 15, Vancouver sprung into action early and entered halftime up 2-0. Ellis provided a glimmer of hope for the home team with a goal shortly after halftime, but a 75th-minute free kick from Pedro Morales restored the two-goal lead. But after an electrifying header from Dom Dwyer in the 81st minute, a re-energized Sporting KC went on to defeat Vancouver 4-3, with goals in the 87th and 94th minutes from Paulo Nagamura (highlights).
In-game updates will be available at SportingKC.com/GameOn, via Twitter @SKCGameday and through the Sporting KC Uphoria app. Supporters are encouraged to download Sporting KC Uphoria ahead of Saturday's match, with a variety of interactive features and exclusive offers available to users.
