Match Preview

Preview: Sporting KC set for inaugural match-up with MLS newcomers San Diego FC on Saturday

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Sporting Kansas City at San Diego FC
2025 MLS Regular Season | Match 14
Saturday, May 17 | 9:30 p.m. CT (9:40 kickoff)
Snapdragon Stadium | San Diego, California

Sporting Kansas City is set for the club's inaugural match-up with MLS expansion side San Diego FC at 9:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium on the campus of San Diego State University.

The Western Conference match-up will be available to watch on Apple TV with an MLS Season Pass subscription in English (Mark Rogondino and Heath Pearce) and Spanish (Alejandro Figueredo and Tony Cherchi). Local radio coverage will air on 810 AM and 103.7 FM (Blake Aerni and Seth Sinovic) while pub partners in the Sporting Pub Network will also show all of the action, including No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light district featuring $4 domestic drafts, $5 wells and 50% off nachos for fans in SKC gear starting at 7:30 p.m.​​​​​

For the first time since 2009, Sporting Kansas City will play a third regular season road match in eight days as the team returns to the West Coast for a second straight weekend boosted by a 2-2 come-from-behind draw with rivals St. Louis CITY SC on Wednesday. Tim Leibold and Dejan Jovleljic scored six minutes apart in the second half as Sporting overcame a two-goal deficit for a second time this year after having lost the previous 39 regular season matches in which the team trailed by multiple goals from 2020-2024.

San Diego, on the other hand, is riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak after a comfortable 2-0 home win on Wednesday over the Colorado Rapids. The victory lifted the MLS newcomers into second place in the West with seven wins in their first 13 games, a feat previously only accomplished by two other expansion clubs (St. Louis in 2023 and Chicago in 1998).

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Led by head coach Mikey Varas, San Diego FC recorded the team's highest single-game expected goals output (4.19) of the season on Wednesday as Danish winger Anders Dreyer scored in his third straight game to move into a share of the league lead in goal contributions with six goals and six assists. In addition, fellow Designated Player Hirving Lozano leads San Diego with six assists and has 10 total goal contributions (four goals, six assists) in 10 appearances.

Sporting KC is unbeaten in the team's five all-time MLS matches played on May 17 (2-0-3) and the club has historically performed well in inaugural matchups against expansion sides, going 11-5-5 all-time in the club's first-ever meetings with MLS newcomers as part of a 21-10-10 overall record against teams in their debut campaigns. Saturday's showdown is the first of two fixtures this season between Sporting Kansas City and San Diego FC with the rematch scheduled for Aug. 9 at Children's Mercy Park when SKC will host the club's annual Sporting Salutes theme night presented by Verizon and Dairy Farmers of America.