A new episode of The Sporting KC Show aired Tuesday night on Sports Radio 810 WHB with hosts Nate Bukaty and Carter Augustine, who welcomed Sporting KC midfielder Ilie Sanchez onto the program.
Ilie and his Sporting KC teammate Graham Zusi will take center stage tonight in the 2018 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, joining a stacked MLS All-Star Team in Atlanta to face Italian powerhouse Juventus inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN and UniMas.
As part of a busy media week at MLS All-Star Atlanta, Ilie appeared on The Weather Channel with FOX Soccer analyst and former U.S. international Alexi Lalas on Tuesday. The experience came a day before Ilie and the All-Stars will meet one of the best clubs in the world.
"I've played many games, but not very many as big as tomorrow," Ilie said of the prospect of battling Juventus.
The midfielder then declared his excitement at rejoining a Sporting KC side eager to bounce back into the win column: "I was talking to Zusi the other day, and we said that we need to put everything we have into our next game. It's nothing else but getting the result in Houston on Saturday. I don't think that it's good for us to be away from home, but I think we can bring back a different mentality on Thursday and play on Saturday with less anxiety."
In addition to hearing from Ilie, Bukaty and Augustine reflected on the growing international stature of the MLS All-Star Game and recapped Sporting KC's recent struggles, which continued with a 3-2 home defeat to FC Dallas on Saturday at Children's Mercy Park.
The duo then looked ahead to this weekend's pivotal showdown with rivals Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium, which will air live at 8 p.m. CT Saturday on FOX Sports Kansas City Plus, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, Sports Radio 810 WHB and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM.
Listen to the full podcast below.
