Preview: Sporting KC II visits Memphis 901 FC on Saturday

Sporting Kansas City II (1-6-4, 7 points) will conclude a breathless stretch of four matches in 11 days when they visit Central Division counterparts Memphis 901 FC (2-3-2, 8 points) on Saturday night at AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tennessee.

The USL Championship showdown will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT and stream live on ESPN Plus, marking the first meeting between the clubs since 2019.

Sporting KC II have suffered three consecutive one-goal losses over the last week and a half, falling 4-3 at FC Tulsa on June 16 before taking a 2-1 home defeat to Indy Eleven on Sunday and a 1-0 setback at OKC Energy FC on Wednesday. Head coach Paulo Nagamura’s men have remained fiercely competitive, however, with the likes of Sporting KC Homegrown Player Tyler Freeman and skillful winger Enoch Mushagalusa bagging three goals apiece this season.

The midweek contest against Energy FC, decided by a curiously awarded penalty kick on the stroke of halftime, saw Sporting KC Academy standout Coby Jones make his professional debut.

Under the guidance of head coach Ben Pirmann and sporting director Tim Howard, a longtime U.S. Men’s National Team star, Memphis 901 FC owns wins this season over Indy Eleven and Atlanta United 2. The club’s roster features former Sporting KC II defender Mark Segbers and a pair of former MLS veteran attackers in Roland Lamah and Dominic Oduro.

Sporting KC II and Memphis met twice during the latter's debut campaign in the USL Championship in 2019. The sides played to a 2-2 draw at Children's Mercy Park on May 22, with Segbers notably scoring for SKC II, before Memphis emerged with a 4-2 home win on Sept. 7.

Match Information

USL Championship: Match 12
Date: Saturday, June 26
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: AutoZone Park (Memphis, Tennessee)
Live Stream: ESPN Plus

Sporting Kansas City II: 1-6-4, 7 points (8th place in Central Division)
Memphis 901 FC: 2-3-2, 8 points (7th place in Central Division)

ESPN+ Live Stream Link: Click here
USL Championship MatchCenter: Click here
Match Notes: Click here

SOCIAL TAGS

Match-specific hashtag: #MEMvSKC

Sporting KC II
Twitter: @SportingKCII
Instagram: @SportingKCII

Memphis 901 FC
Twitter: @Memphis901FC
Instagram: @memphis901fc