SportingKC.com's "Five Things" feature will highlight the top storylines, players to watch and more for upcoming matches.
Sporting Kansas City returns to Children's Mercy Park to host the Houston Dynamo on Sunday evening. Live coverage of the match starts at 6:00 pm CT (kickoff at 6:30 pm) on FOX Sports KC, FOX Sports GO, 99.3 FM, and La Grande 1340 AM. Here's five things to know for #SKCvHOU.
Crunch Time
It's down to the final two weeks of the regular season and the intensity has ramped up in Major League Soccer. There's little margin for error and both teams will be looking to clinch a playoff berth. Along with #SKCvHOU, it will be a busy day in MLS with all 22 sides in action including six matches kicking off at 6:30 p.m. CT. For complete pregame and postgame coverage of Sunday's action, check out MLSsoccer.com which will feature insight from Landon Donovan, Carlos Ruiz, Jay Heaps, and Calen Carr.
The Band's Back Together
Sunday will see the return of Benny Feilhaber, Graham Zusi, and Matt Besler after missing the last two matches due to international duty. Their return will be a boost for the squad looking to snap a three match winless streak and guarantee at least a top four finish in the Western Conference. For the opposition, they'll see the return of five players from international duty. Both sides are expected to have several changes to their starting lineups from Wednesday's match.
Home Sweet Home
After road matches at Minnesota and Houston, Sporting KC's returns to Children's Mercy Park for their home regular season finale. A win on Sunday would mark the 11th home win of the season (regular season), the most since 2000. Overall, Sporting KC has been one of the strongest teams in the Western Conference at home and largely the reason they currently stand in second place.
Player To Watch
Benny Feilhaber - There are several players who could play a major role in Sunday's match but the creative midfielder could be the key for Sporting KC. As in most home matches this season, Sporting KC will likely have a significant majority of possession and need to break down a Houston side looking to strike the counter. Feilhaber's play in the middle of the pitch will be crucial, especially with his unique ability to unlock defenses with a single pass.
Key To The Match
In the last few weeks, a complete 90 minute defensive performance has eluded Sporting KC. The club's last clean sheet was on August 19 (2-0 win vs FC Dallas) but Sunday is an opportunity to change that. Sporting KC will need to be wary of Alberth Elis and Romell Quioto, two players who can strike quickly and pounce on mistakes. Overall, it will require a committed team effort from all eleven players but one that we've seen many times this season.
