There are two ways of looking at Sporting Kansas City ahead of Sunday’s nationally televised game.
The first is may seem vulnerable a coming off a big loss. Thursday night, they were topped 5-0 by Mexican power Monterrey in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions League semifinals.
That may seem to be a strong but, the second way of looking at SKC seems more plausible:they’re incredibly dangerous. Last Saturday, Kansas City beat the Montreal Impact, 7-1.
FC Cincinnati Head Coach Alan Koch is preparing to expect the latter on Sunday afternoon at Nippert Stadium, where the Orange and Blue host SKC in an “Orange Out” on ESPN.
“They’re one of, if not the, team of the league right now,” Koch said. “They’re a top, top team. I’ve been very, very impressed with how they’ve gone about their business. We’re under no illusions; we know Sunday is going to be a very big challenge.”
The coach said Cincinnati expect a difficult opponent, regardless of who dresses for SKC.
“They have a very set system with how they like to play,” Koch said. “They’ve probably got 15, 16, 17 starters, essentially. We know 11 of those guys are going to play. So, I don’t think much has changed with how we go and prepare our business.”
After five matches in their first month as an MLS club, FC Cincinnati enter Sunday night with seven points and sit fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. (Sporting have as many points through four games.)
Match Info
FC Cincinnati vs. Sporting Kansas City
Kickoff: 3 p.m. ET
Where: Nippert Stadium
Weather Forecast: Mostly cloudy, 71 degrees; chance of showers
TV: ESPN
Local/Out of Market Video Stream: WatchESPN
Local Radio: WDJO (99.5 FM | 107.9 FM | 1480 AM)
Audio Stream: TuneIn App, fccincinnati.com
Player to Watch and his Health Carousel Player Resume:
Opponent’s Player to Watch: midfielder Johnny Russell
Russell joined SKC last season and has been a nuisance for opposing backlines since. Through four MLS matches this season, he has three goals and two assists.
In 30 league appearances overall, he’s scored 10 goals and provided 10 assists.
Club Connections
- Technical Director Luke Sassano spent two seasons in Kansas City. He made 10 appearances and scored once.
