Preview: Sporting wraps up preseason Wednesday with split-squad matches vs. Houston

Sporting Kansas City vs. Houston Dynamo
2019 Preseason presented by Children's Mercy
Wednesday, Feb. 13 | 5 p.m. CT | Two split-squad matches
Kino Sports Complex | Tucson, Arizona
Live Stream: Facebook, YouTube, SportingKC.com
Twitter Updates: @SportingKC and @SKCmatchday

Sporting Kansas City will battle the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday in a pair of 90-minute split-squad matches to round out the club's 2019 preseason, presented by Children's Mercy. Both contests will kick off concurrently at 5 p.m. CT at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, as the Western Conference rivals make their final preparations before launching into the 2019 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League and the 2019 MLS regular season.

One of Wednesday's two matches will stream live on SportingKC.com as well as the club's Facebook and YouTube pages, while the @SportingKC and @SKCmatchday Twitter accounts will provide additional in-game updates.

Sporting and Houston, bitter foes on an annual basis, enter Wednesday with unbeaten preseason records. Manager Peter Vermes' side has won each of its four tune-ups, including a 3-2 decision against Phoenix Rising FC last Thursday that saw Johnny Russell, Graham Zusi and Tyler Freeman find the back of the net. Houston, meanwhile, have two wins each over Rio Grande Valley FC and Seattle Sounders FC to go with last Wednesday's scoreless stalemate with Minnesota United FC.

Given the friendly nature of Wednesday's affair, winning is unlikely to be the paramount objective for either club. However, Sporting and Houston will both seize the opportunity to get most of their players a full 90 minutes ahead of next week's Concacaf Champions League action. Sporting will host Mexican outfit Deportivo Toluca FC on Feb. 21, while Houston will travel to Guatemala two days earlier to face Guastatoya. Both teams punched their Champions League ticket by winning the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, as Sporting's 2017 title was followed by Houston's last September.

Sporting have been dominant throughout their preseason campaign, outscoring opponents 23-2, but Wednesday represents their toughest competition yet. Each of the club's previous four fixtures came versus lower-tier opponents in Rising FC, Sporting Arizona FC and trialist-laden squads from Phoenix and FC Tucson.

The Dynamo, led by fourth-year head coach Wilmer Cabrera failed to reach the MLS Cup Playoffs last season but defeated Sporting in the Open Cup quarterfinals last July en route to the trophy. Houston were catapulted throughout the year by prolific forward Mauro Manotas and dynamic Honduran wingers Alberth Elis and Romell Quioto, who combined for 37 goals in all competitions.

Vermes has distributed playing time evenly over the course of the last month, ensuring that most of Sporting's first-team players have logged 30, 45, 60 and 75 minutes across the four matches. Wednesday represents the final step as several members of the squad will go the full 90.

Tickets for the Concacaf Champions League first leg between Sporting KC and Toluca at Children’s Mercy Park, set for 7 p.m. CT next Thursday, Feb. 21, are now available at SeatGeek.com. It marks the earliest competitive match in club history and the first time a Mexican foe has visited Kansas City since 2014, when Sporting edged Cruz Azul in the first leg of the 2013-14 Champions League quarterfinals.

Sporting KC 2019 Preseason Schedule & Results

*Matches to be played concurrently

Sporting KC 2019 Preseason Roster (as of Feb. 12)

* Swope Park Rangers
^ Sporting KC Academy