Sporting Kansas City II opens the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro campaign on Saturday when they face St Louis CITY2 at Energizer Park in St. Louis, Missouri. The game is slated for 4 p.m. CT and can be streamed for free on the OneFootball app or at MLSNEXTPro.com.
The two sides met on three occasions last year and are set to square off two more times in 2026. This will be Sporting KC II’s only trip to St. Louis in the regular season as the final two meetings will come at Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village.
SKC II concluded the 2025 season earning three results in their last five matches. CITY2 bowed out of the playoffs in the Quarterfinals, losing at home to MNUFC2.
Head coach Lee Tschantret will make his debut on Saturday after two and a half seasons with Sporting’s U-18s and U-19s. Tschantret led Sporting’s U-19 to back-to-back UPSL Regular Season league titles and brings over 18 years of coaching experience.
Tschantret has six returning professionals from last year’s SKC II team. Among them are centerback Pierre Lurot who started 25 of 26 appearances, midfielder Blaine Mabie who notched two goals and an assist in nine starts and holding mid Gael Quintero who scored once in 22 appearances.
Homegrown midfielder Cielo Tschantret elevated to a first team contract in the offseason after captaining the team in 2025. Fellow Academy alums Shane Donovan, Jacob Molinaro and Johann Ortiz are back for their second seasons as pros. Ortiz will not be available for selection as he is with the El Salvador U-20s at the Concacaf Qualifiers in Nicaragua.
Joining the team are a pair of newcomers with MLS NEXT Pro experience, forwards Tega Ikoba and Missael Rodriguez. Ikoba has 14 goals and three assists in 32 NEXT Pro starts, while Rodriguez has nine goals and eight assists in 28 starts.
CITY2 enters 2026 off of quarterfinal exit at the hands of MNUFC2. They are guided by head coach David Critchley in his second full season at the helm. CITY2 added forward Riley Lynch who has eight career MLS NEXT Pro goals for The Town FC and return Kansas City native, goalkeeper Colin Welsh.
Following Saturday’s season opener, Sporting KC II will return home to face Real Monarchs on Sunday, March 8. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT and tickets are on sale now for $10 on SeatGeek.com.
Game Information:
MLS NEXT Pro: Game 1
Date: Saturday, February 28, 2026
Kickoff: 4:00 p.m. CT
Location: Energizer Park (St. Louis, Missouri)
Watch: OneFootball, MLSNEXTPro.com
SOCIAL TAGS:
Match-specific hashtag: #STLvSKC
X: @SportingKCII
Instagram: @SportingKCII
