Sporting KC will conclude their stretch of two home games in four days when they host the New York Red Bulls Tuesday night at Sporting Park. The match will kick off promptly at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. Tonight's match can also be heard locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Gran D 1340. Limited tickets are available and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.
Here are five things you should know ahead of tonight's match at Sporting Park.
1. Battle of the Brits
Dom Dwyer won the battle of the brits last week, out-scoring Jermain Defoe 2-0 in Sporting KC's 2-2 draw vs. Toronto FC on Friday night. Now, the Sporting KC striker will face another countryman in Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips. The former Manchester City striker has 13 goals in 19 MLS appearances and is tied with Dwyer atop the MLS scoring charts with 10 goals in 2014.
Dwyer has scored in four straight games and with a goal Tuesday night would become only the second player in club history to score in five straight (Preki). Wright-Phillips has scored in five of his last six matches and has tallied five goals in the month of May.
VIDEO: #SKCvTOR Preview
2. The return of a center back
OK here's the situation. Last Friday, Sporting KC started two right backs (Chance Myers and Kevin Ellis) at center back. Matt Besler and Lawrence Olum are with their respective national teams, Aurelien Collin missed the last match with a hamstring strain, Ike Opara is out for the year and Erik Palmer-Brown was suspended for Friday's match after picking up a red card.
Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes told media on Monday that Collin is very close to returning to the field. The French center back has been one of the best central defenders in MLS over the past four years and would be a welcome addition back to Vermes' lineup. If Collin does start, the question of who will be his partner remains. Palmer-Brown is eligible for selection after serving his one-game suspension, while Ellis filled in admirably last week in his first professional start at center back. Or if Collin is unable to play tonight, will Vermes put out a Palmer-Brown / Ellis combo?
3. More injuries along the backline
The Sporting KC backline has been hit hard. And the hits continued last week when Myers left the Toronto FC match in the first half with an Achilles injury. Sporting KC announced on Sunday that Myers will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon.
So what does that mean for Sporting KC? Well for starters, 19-year-old Brazilian right back Igor Juliao is likely to see more of the workload for Sporting KC. That also means that Ellis might stay with Kansas City longer instead of going back on loan to Oklahoma City Energy FC. Either way, the Myers injury is another blow for a team that has had to face more adversity in two months than most teams face in a season.
VIDEO: Vermes talks #SKCvTOR
4. Don't sleep on Henry
While Bradley Wright-Phillips has been a revelation for the Red Bulls, one cannot forget that this team still employs Thierry Henry. A man who won 16 club titles during his time in Europe plus the 1998 World Cup with France, Henry is still looking for his first MLS Cup with the Red Bulls. The Frenchman has been quiet in 2014 with three goals and four assists - and has yet to score against Sporting Kansas City - but is still one of the premier strikers in MLS.
With the potential return of midfielder/striker Peguy Luyindula, the Red Bulls will be looking to attack a Sporting KC defense that has been hit hard by injuries recently.
5. A big night at Sporting Park
There are many reasons to be at Sporting Park tonight. First and foremost is the matchup between the 2013 MLS Cup champions and the 2013 Supporters' Shield winners. But if you need more incentive, the first 15,000 fans through the gates will receive a replica MLS Cup championship ring.
Also, fans are invited onto the field postgame to watch the Sporting KC's Matt Besler, Graham Zusi and the USMNT take on Azerbaijan in the first of three pre-World Cup friendlies for Jurgen Klinsmann's side. The match will be shown on the Sporting Park videoboard and in the Boulevard Members Club.
Lastly, fans who have downloaded and registered Sporting Club Uphoria will be eligible to receive 20% off authentic jerseys at all Sporting Style locations and will also be eligible for other great prizes. Click here for more details.
For full coverage of the match, visit SportingKC.com/Gameon.
