Preview: First-place Sporting KC travels to face in-form LA Galaxy on Saturday

The Western Conference leaders venture to California for the second straight weekend as Sporting Kansas City (7-4-6, 27 points) squares off with the red-hot LA Galaxy (6-5-4, 22 points) on Saturday night at StubHub Center in Carson, California. The match will kick off at 9:30 p.m. CT with three hours of live coverage beginning at 9 p.m. on FOX Sports Kansas City, FOX Sports Midwest, FOX Sports GO, Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM. Additional in-game updates will be provided via the Sporting KC Uphoria mobile app.

All Sporting Kansas City supporters are invited to attend Saturday’s official watch party at No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District (1370 Grand Blvd.). Beginning at 9 p.m. CT, No Other Pub will offer $4 Bud Light drafts plus an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring hamburgers, hot dogs, wings and bottomless domestic draft beers.

A dominant performance last Saturday saw Sporting Kansas City claim a 0-0 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes at Avaya Stadium. The Earthquakes were limited to just five shot attempts throughout the night — San Jose’s fewest all-time in an MLS regular season home match, while Sporting KC enjoyed more than 60 percent possession and recorded 13 shots of their own. Graham Zusi nearly bagged the game-winner deep into second-half stoppage time, but a reflex save from David Bingham helped the hosts salvage a point.

Sporting Kansas City has risen to the Western Conference summit thanks in part to a gaudy defensive record. The club has conceded just 11 goals through 17 matches, boasting a 0.65 goals against average that is on pace to break the single-season MLS record of 0.67 set by Real Salt Lake in 2010. Goalkeeper Tim Melia leads the league with nine shutouts and an 82.8 goals against average, while center backs Matt Besler and Ike Opara and defensive midfielder Ilie have spearheaded a side that faces less than nine shots per game — the lowest mark in MLS.

Despite their enviable position in the standings, Manager Peter Vermes’ men have labored to score away from home. Their three goals in nine away games are the fewest across the league, but they face an LA Galaxy outfit that has just one victory to show from seven home matches this season.

Indeed, the Galaxy’s month-long surge up to fifth place in the West has been predicated by an impressive penchant for road victories. Led by former Kansas City head coach Curt Onalfo, LA owns a league-best five away wins — no other team has more than three — including a 3-1 decision against the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Forward Jack McBean bagged a brace, recording his first MLS goals since March 2013, before Designated Player Romain Alessandrini sealed the win over Colorado with a second-half penalty kick. The 28-year-old Alessandrini has catapulted himself into the early discussion for league MVP, as his 15 combined goals (eight) and assists (seven) are tied for second-most in MLS. Onalfo's men are unbeaten in eight straight games — tied for the longest active streak in MLS — collecting four wins and four draws after starting the season 2-5-0.

These long-time Western Conference rivals met three times in 2016, battling to a draw on each occasion. The lone meeting last season at StubHub Center was a 0-0 stalemate dominated by Sporting Kansas City, which held the Galaxy to an MLS record-low one shot attempt. The result snapped Sporting KC’s three-game losing streak to LA at SubHub Center, where Vermes’ men haven’t won against the Galaxy since 2010.

Recent history between the MLS charter members will paint a two-sided picture for Sporting Kansas City: the home team in the fixture is unbeaten in 10 straight meetings (6-0-4) dating back to 2011, but Sporting KC has just one loss in the last six regular season contents (2-1-3) against LA. The Galaxy hold a 24-20-14 edge in the all-time regular season series, including a 16-5-7 mark on home soil.

Homegrown defender Erik Palmer-Brown remains the only name on Sporting Kansas City’s injury report as of Friday. The U.S. Under-20 international is questionable with a thigh ailment and aims to be ready for the club’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 clash against the Houston Dynamo next Wednesday.

The Galaxy, meanwhile, will be forced to cope with numerous absences on Saturday. Robbie Rogers (ankle), Sebastian Lletget (foot), Baggio Husidic (tibula) and Brian Rowe (groin) will miss out entirely, while defender Daniel Steres (hamstring) and U.S. international midfielder Jermaine Jones (knee) are listed as questionable.