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Three points are pivotal for a pair of Western Conference foes as Sporting Kansas City could move atop the standings and clinch an Audi 2018 MLS Cup berth with a home win, while the LA Galaxy could move above the playoff line with a third consecutive victory.
Sporting are coming off a 1-1 home draw against Real Salt Lake, while the Galaxy defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps, 3-0, at StubHub Center.
This is the second meeting this season, with SKC winning 2-0 in Carson on April 8. Daniel Salloi and Johnny Russell scored five minutes apart early in the second half for the decisive tallies.
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Sporting Kansas City
Sporting KC (15-8-7) rallied from an early deficit to play Real Salt Lake to a 1-1 draw at Children’s Mercy Park Sunday.
Corey Baird put RSL in front on nine minutes, but Ike Opara leveled in the 53rd minute. It was the central defender’s 15th league goal and fourth against Real Salt Lake.
“It’s really important when you get down to the end of the season that you’re in good form, not bad form,” Peter Vermes said. “It’s important as we keep vying for a playoff position and trying to accumulate points that we are playing well. Right now, I feel comfortable with the fact that we’re playing well and creating good chances. If we knock out a few of those chances and we’re in a much different place in this game.”
- Suspended: None
- Suspended after next caution: None
- International duty: None
- Injury Report: OUT: D - Jimmy Medranda (knee surgery), M - Cristian Lobato (quad injury); QUESTIONABLE: F - Diego Rubio (knee injury), F - Khiry Shelton (knee injury)
Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3, right to left)
GK: Tim Melia — Graham Zusi, Ike Opara, Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic — Roger Espinoza, Ilie Sanchez, Felipe Gutierrez — Johnny Russell, Krisztian Nemeth, Gerso Fernandes
LA Galaxy
The LA Galaxy (12-11-8) moved within two points of the playoff line in the West with a 3-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps Saturday night.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 9th minute and he added his second — and 20th of the season — in the 58th minute. Romain Alessandrini tacked on a 77th-minute penalty kick to put the icing on the critical win.
“The club changed the coach and they wanted a reaction and I think they got a reaction,” Ibrahimovic said. “First game, I think we did good, we got sloppy and we lost. But the second game we won comfortable 3-0 and today we won 3-0 and we are doing it well. We are not doing it by luck. As I said here last time, we are a threat for every team if we play like this. I bet you whatever you want. Nobody wants to get us in the playoffs because we are dangerous if we do what we do like we do it now. Just hope for them that we don’t make it to the playoffs.”
- Suspended: D - Rolf Feltscher
- Suspended after next caution: D - Michael Ciani, M - Jorgen Skjelvik, F - Zlatan Ibrahimovic
- International duty: None
- Injury Report: OUT: F - Giovani dos Santos (undisclosed injury)
Projected Starting XI
(4-1-4-1, right to left)
GK: David Bingham — Dave Romney, Daniel Steres, Jorgen Skjelvik, Ashley Cole — Jonathan dos Santos — Ema Boateng, Sebastian Lletget, Ola Kamara, Romain Alessandrini — Zlatan Ibrahimovic
All-Time Series
- Overall: Sporting Kansas City 23 wins, 75 goals … LA Galaxy 24 wins, 89 goals … 14 draws
- At Kansas City: Sporting 16 wins, 45 goals … Galaxy 8 wins, 40 goals … 7 draws
- Last meeting at Kansas City:Sporting Kansas City 2, LA Galaxy 1 (Sept. 24, 2017)
Officials
Referee: Jair Marrufo
Assistant Referees: Jose Da Silva, Adam Garner
4th Official: Sorin Stoica
VAR: Caleb Mendez
