Sporting KC vs Toronto FC
Friday, May 23 – 7:30 p.m. CT
Sporting Park | Kansas City, Kansas
English TV: 38 The Spot, SKCTV
Spanish TV: Univision Deportes
English Radio: Sports Radio 810 WHB
Spanish Radio: La Gran D 1340 AM
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Sporting Kansas City (5-4-2) hosts Eastern Conference opponents Toronto FC (4-4-0) at 7:30 p.m. CT on Friday at Sporting Park. The match, presented by adidas, will be broadcast on KMCI 38 The Spot and SKCTV with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. CT, as well as on Univision Deportes nationally in Spanish. A limited number of tickets are available for fans to view the match live from Sporting Park and those can be obtained by visiting Ticketmaster.com.
Tomorrow's match is one of seven in the month of May for Manager Peter Vermes' side and the first of two at home over a five-day span. Sporting KC will welcome the New York Red Bulls at 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday at Sporting Park in a clash of the top two teams from the 2013 MLS regular season.
Heading into Friday’s contest, Sporting KC sits in third place of the Eastern Conference despite dropping back-to-back matches for the first time since August of 2013. Most recently, Sporting KC fell 2-1 at Chicago after conceding two first half goals from the penalty spot and playing a man down for the final 26 minutes of the match.
Dom Dwyer put the visitors on the board with his 68th minute goal, just four minutes after 17-year-old centerback Erik Palmer-Brown was ejected for his second yellow card. Palmer-Brown became the youngest player in MLS history to start a match on defense and will miss Friday's match as he serves his mandatory one-game suspension.
Dwyer leads Sporting KC in goals this season with eight, one behind League leader Bradley Wright-Phillips (9) for goals scored in MLS in 2014.
Toronto FC are seeking their first postseason berth in 2014 and were extremely active in the offseaon after the hiring of new General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko, who spent the past three years as the Senior Director of Player Relations and Competition with MLS. Bezbatchenko played a major role in acquiring three new Designated Players: U.S. Men's National Team standout Michael Bradley, former West Ham United FC striker Jermain Defoe and Brazilian striker Gilberto. Defoe leads the team in goals scored with four this season, including the game-winner in Toronto FC's 2-0 victory on Saturday over the New York Red Bulls, while Gilberto is seeking his first goal of the season.
U.S. Soccer announced their final roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup earlier today, with Bradley selected alongside Sporting KC's Matt Besler and Graham Zusi on the 23-player squad. All three are with the National Team in Palo Alto, California and will be unavailable for Friday's MLS match-up.
Autographed 8x10 prints of Besler and Zusi will be available for purchase at Sporting Style locations on Friday, while supplies last. Fans will receive 10% off Sporting Style orders of $100 or more before 6:30 p.m. CT by downloading the Sporting Club Uphoria app. Friday also marks the first opportunity for fans to purchase new merchandise from AC78, designed by Sporting KC defender Aurelien Collin, at Sporting Style locations inside Sporting Park.
All fans are encouraged to arrive early in anticipation of a capacity crowd, the club's 43rd consecutive sellout for MLS competition. Missouri ticket holders traveling via I-70 are advised to prepare for lane closures between state line and 18th Street in Kansas City, Kansas beginning at 7 p.m. CT.
Visit SportingKC.com/GameOn for live in-game updates or follow @SKCGameday on Twitter. Immediately following the match, The Final Whistle: Sporting KC Postgame Show will air on Sports Radio 810 WHB with hosts Andy Edwards and Dave Borchardt taking calls at 913-3-810-810.
