St. Louis City interim head coach John Hackworth says their recent struggles have been a "test of character" as they look to bounce back against Sporting Kansas City.

St. Louis have lost their last three games by an aggregate score of 10-2, leaving them 13th in the Western Conference, eight points off a playoffs place.

With only one win in their last 13 MLS matches, Hackworth is keen to snap their current losing streak and says he saw positives in their 2-0 defeat to Seattle Sounders in midweek.

"The players made a huge step [against Seattle], played much better than we did previously," Hackworth said.

"[We] gave ourselves a chance to be in that game, had some unfortunate things again happen to us, but it wasn't for lack of trying to play with a lot of heart and soul, being collective, having each other's backs, so those are positives we can build on for sure.

"We have had all season to deal with a lot of hardships, it's a test of our character."

Meanwhile, Kansas City sit one place and one point ahead of their opponents but lost their most recent match 2-1 against Vancouver Whitecaps after back-to-back wins.

Head coach Peter Vermes expressed his disappointment with the defeat in Vancouver and is eyeing a quick improvement on Saturday.

"We're slow with the ball in situations that catch us out with fast transitions, and we need to be better there," Vermes said.

"We need as much energy and as many players as we possibly can for this weekend, so hopefully, we'll be there."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sporting Kansas City – William Agada

William Agada scored on Wednesday, bringing his total up to four goals in his last four matches in all competitions.

Prior to his recent form, Agada had notched just two goals in his previous 17 matches.

St. Louis City – Nokkvi Thorisson

Nokkvi Thorisson attempted two shots in the loss to the Sounders on Wednesday, tying him with Eduard Lowen for the most by any St. Louis player in the match.

It was the fifth consecutive match in which Thorisson had either the most or joint-most shots for the team.

MATCH PREDICTION: SPORTING KANSAS CITY WIN

Sporting are unbeaten in three straight meetings with St. Louis (winning two, drawing one), including winning both matches in the 2023 playoffs after St. Louis won two of the first three meetings between the sides.

Kansas City are also on a three-match home winning streak in all competitions, the most recent of which was a 2-1 extra-time victory over FC Dallas in the U.S. Open Cup. This is the 'longest home winning streak since winning four straight in May-June 2023.

Meanwhile, St. Louis lost 2-0 at Seattle Sounders on Wednesday, their third straight defeat, all by at least two goals. City are looking to avoid becoming the first team to lose four straight MLS matches, all by multiple goals, since Inter Miami did so in March 2022.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Sporting Kansas City – 50.1%

Draw – 25.2%

St. Louis City – 24.7%

Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini believes there are no limits to where his side can finish in MLS if they continue their unbeaten streak against Sporting Kansas City.

The Whitecaps have not lost any of their last five matches in all competitions, winning four and drawing one, leaving them sixth in the Western Conference.

With only eight points separating them from the top of the table, and Vancouver having two games in hand over some of those above them, Sartini is confident his team can challenge for a top spot.

"We have to push for the next two games at home before the rest and the Leagues Cup, so we really need to push, and then we can regroup in the last 10 games to try and get the highest position possible," Sartini said.

"We need to get points because everyone is getting points. It's really hard.

"If we keep winning, sooner or later we'll be higher than fifth or sixth. The only thing we can do is win."

Sporting Kansas City are on a three-match winning streak of their own, which has lifted them off the foot of the table.

After going through a rough patch of just one win in five before that, head coach Peter Vermes has highlighted how the squad rotation has helped him get the best out of his players.

"I am [proud]," Vermes said.

"Each time, no matter what their responsibility is — whether they are starting, playing 90 minutes or coming in the second half — the responsibility to come in and make a contribution to the team has taken on a much different effect than it did early in the season.

"It's a credit to the players because they are the ones on the field who have to do the work and make the contributions."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Vancouver Whitecaps – Brian White

Brian White has scored in four straight matches for the second time this season (also in April), the only player in MLS with multiple streaks of four or more games with a goal this season.

The only Whitecaps player to score in five straight league games was Camilo Sanvezzo in June-July 2013.

Sporting Kansas City – Erik Thommy

Erik Thommy scored his first MLS goal since April in Sporting's win over San Jose on Saturday with a strike from outside the box.

It was Sporting's 11th goal from outside the box this season, three more than any other MLS team.

MATCH PREDICTION: VANCOUVER WHITECAPS WIN

The 10 meetings between the Whitecaps and Sporting Kansas City since the start of the 2020 season have been split, with each side winning four times and drawing twice. Both sides have recorded at least one win home and away in that time.

The Whitecaps are currently unbeaten in their last five home matches in all competitions (W4 D1), including winning the last two at BC Place. Vancouver have not gone six straight home matches without defeat in all competitions since October-November 2021.

However, Kansas City have won three of their last four regular-season matches after opening the season with three wins in their first 20 games (D5 L12). Saturday's win, 2-1 at San Jose Earthquakes, snapped an eight-match road losing streak in league play for Sporting.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Vancouver Whitecaps – 50.2%

Draw – 25.2%

Sporting Kansas City – 24.6%

Interim San Jose Earthquakes boss Ian Russell is keen to carry the momentum from last week's crucial victory over the Chicago Fire into Saturday, when Sporting Kansas City visit PayPal Park.

The Earthquakes halted a nine-match winless run and recorded their first victory in three games under Russell last time out, Hernan Lopez's goal proving enough to beat Chicago. 

San Jose remain six points adrift of their nearest rivals – Saturday's opponents Sporting – at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, but Russell hopes last week's win can be a turning point.

"We needed a win. The Clasico was disappointing and against St. Louis we were flat. I thought we were on the front foot and deserved to win," Russell said. 

"We're happy with how the players responded and got after it. We've had some close ones go the other way.

"Depending on the opponent, the main objective for us was to stop conceding goals. We needed to grind out a game like that and it gives us confidence moving forward.

"We just need to build momentum from that last game and carry it on to Sporting."

Sporting were also victorious last week, beating FC Dallas 3-2 in a game that saw William Agada score twice and Zorhan Bassong sent off late on.

Having then needed extra time to overcome the same opponents in the U.S. Open Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, coach Peter Vermes will leave it until the last minute to pick Saturday's starting lineup. 

"We go back to 20 guys now and I can't bury a bunch of guys. One issue is Bassong being out for the next game, that hurts a bit," Vermes said after their Dallas double-header.

"We'll have some challenges that we'll have to deal with and it'll be Saturday morning when we see how some of the players are."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

San Jose Earthquakes – Cristian Espinoza

Espinoza provided the assist on the lone goal in San Jose's win over Chicago last Sunday, his 10th assist of the season. 

This is Espinoza's fourth career double-digit assist season, something no other Earthquakes player has done more than twice.

Sporting Kansas City – William Adaga

After scoring twice against Dallas last weekend, Agada has netted in 12 different matches in MLS, and half of those contests have seen him score a brace. 

Of players that have scored in 10 or more MLS matches, only Miguel Almiron (53.8%, 7/13) has had multiple goals in a higher percentage of them.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Sporting KC have only lost two of their last 18 matches against the 'Quakes in all competitions, winning 10 and drawing six in a run dating back to September 2016.

One of San Jose's two victories in that span, however, did come when the teams last faced off at PayPal Park last April, a 3-0 win.

With Sporting losing eight straight regular-season road matches, their longest losing streak away from home in the post-shootout era (since 2000), this fixture may come at a good time for San Jose. Whether they have the quality to take three points, though, is a big question.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

San Jose Earthquakes – 35.9%

Sporting Kansas City – 38%

Draw – 26.1%

Peter Luccin was thrilled with FC Dallas' comeback against the Portland Timbers, but still sees plenty of ways they can improve.

Dallas came out on top from a topsy-turvy match in midweek, winning 3-2.

It saw Dallas bounce back from successive defeats, and they sit 11th in the Western Conference ahead of Sunday's clash with Sporting Kansas City, who are six points behind in 13th.

Asked what he liked about his team's performance against the Timbers, Dallas interim boss Luccin said: "Resilience, resilience from the team. That was huge.

"After the first half, we were very passive with nothing offensively. The only thing about the first half that I liked was the compactness of the team. We were compact, but no one making runs, no one even putting more pressure on the ball or playing with the ball. 

"The half-time talk, maybe it's better for me to not say anything. It was a hard talk, but at the same time, we told them to believe.

"We felt that we could score in the second half. The second half we showed character.

"We are in a very hard situation right now in the club and with the team, with so many injuries to very important players."

Petar Musa got on the scoresheet for Dallas to move into double-figures for the season.

"I am happy with my goals but for me, it's not about just the goals," said the striker. 

"We want to win every single game and I want to help the team. I'm more focused on winning every game. So if I score I'm happy, but it's more important that we won."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sporting Kansas City - Daniel Salloi

Salloi has scored eight goals in 15 career regular-season matches against Dallas, three more than he has scored against any other opponent. Salloi has six goals in his last six matches against Dallas.

FC Dallas - Petar Musa

Musa has scored five goals in his last three matches, taking his total to 10 in his first 20 MLS games for Dallas. The last player to reach 10 goals faster for Dallas was Carlos Ruiz in 2005 (16 games).

MATCH PREDICTION: SKC WIN

Dallas are winless on the road in the 2024 regular season (D3 L7) with its three road points being the fewest in MLS this season. It is the second time the club has been winless through at least 10 away matches of a season as they failed to win any of their first 11 on the road in 2000.

SKC beat Austin FC 2-0 in their last home game. The win ended a streak of 14 straight home regular-season games of SKC conceding, the second-longest such streak in team history (22 straight from June 2002 to October 2003).

The home side has won each of the last four meetings between Kansas City and Dallas in all competitions. There have been at least three goals scored in each of the last six meetings with both teams scoring in all six.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

SKC - 41.3%

Dallas - 32%

Draw - 26.7%

Peter Vermes urged his Sporting Kansas City players to take responsibility for their own position ahead of the upcoming MLS road trip to Colorado Rapids.

SKC ended a three-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory over Austin FC in their last encounter, just their second victory in 15 league games.

Kansas City are still bottom of the Western Conference and 11 points adrift of the playoff spots, though Vermes is desperate for fighting spirit ahead of a testing schedule.

"We can't wait, we have a lot of games that are important coming up," SKC head coach Vermes said at his pre-match media availability.

"Each game has its own importance to it, this all started last week but we need to keep going.

"We go in with a plan, we have an idea, it sometimes comes down to how the guys recover. Hopefully no one gets injured, but also just minutes – it's going to be really important.

"Each guy himself has to be ready for the responsibility of the position and knowing what we do when we have the ball, when we don't, they have to go into the game with that.

"We don't have a lot of training time in between games, so they all have to be ready for that."

The Burgundy Boys will be out to extend their home unbeaten run to five games in this clash, though they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Los Angeles FC last time out on the road.

Colorado are fourth in the West standings but nine points adrift of the top two, a gap they will hope to shorten at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Colorado Rapids – Rafael Navarro

Rafael Navarro has scored in each of his last five home appearances for the Rapids, and will fancy his chances of extending an impressive run this time around.

The only players with a longer streak in regular-season play in Colorado's history are Diego Rubio (six in 2022) and Mark Chung (also six in 2003).

Sporting Kansas City – William Agada

Goals have been hard to come by for the Kansas City side, with William Agada leading the way this season in MLS with five strikes.

Agada has managed that tally from 20 games, averaging a goal every four matches, but will hope to add to his scoring returns in Colorado.

MATCH PREDICTION – COLORADO RAPIDS WIN

The Rapids are the favourites for victory on home soil in this clash, owing to a remarkable head-to-head record in meetings between this pair.

Colorado are unbeaten in 10 straight regular-season home matches against SKC (W5 D5) and have lost only two of their 28 home league matches against them since August 2000 (W13 D13).

This will also be Colorado’s third Independence Day meeting with Sporting, having won in both 2003 and 2005, with the expectation that history will repeat itself here.

SKC are hardly in fine form either, having managed just their second win last time out in their previous 15 MLS matches (D2 L11).

However, they managed the club's first clean sheet since a scoreless draw at LAFC on March 9, and will hope to build on that performance here.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Colorado Rapids win – 48.2%

Draw – 25.9%

Sporting Kansas City win – 25.9%

Peter Vermes says Sporting Kansas City must focus on their own attributes, rather than those of upcoming opponents Austin FC, if they are to end their miserable run of form.

Sporting KC sit 13th in the Western Conference standings after losing 10 of their last 11 games including each of their last three, conceding four goals in each.

Following a 4-2 defeat to the LA Galaxy, a 4-3 reverse against Real Salt Lake and a 4-0 demolition at the hands of the Columbus Crew, Vermes says his team have had a good week in training and are raring to set the record straight. 

"We're going to find out on Saturday. I think we've had a pretty decent week of training," Vermes said when asked how his team would measure up.

"It's been good for us to train in this kind of heat since it's what we've got to play in for these next couple of months. 

"It's all going to be about the performance this weekend, for sure. The key is to just make sure we're good at the key aspects of our game.

"It's more about what we're doing and making sure that we're doing it right."

Austin were also on a poor run until they beat Minnesota United 1-0 last week, a result that lifted them to eighth in the West.

Boss Josh Wolff is pleased with the way his team have hung on despite losing players to international duty and injuries, saying: "We looked at the season, and we knew difficult stretches were coming. We just don't have the numbers.

"You can see in these games, we had to grind. We have guys playing in different positions. They continue to hang in there and compete.

"It's not like every game is perfect but the guys have done a great job of keeping us in a good position."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sporting Kansas City – John Pulskamp

Sporting KC are the fifth team in MLS history to concede four or more goals in three consecutive matches.

No team has allowed four or more goals in four straight games in league history. Goalkeeper Pulskamp will be desperate to avoid making unwanted history here. 

Austin FC – Sebastian Driussi 

Driussi has scored five goals in six regular-season meetings with Sporting KC, scoring one goal in five of those six games, including in both of his previous matches in Kansas City.

MATCH PREDICTION: SPORTING KANSAS CITY WIN

Sporting KC have lost 10 times in a span of 11 regular-season matches for the first time in the post-shootout era (since 2000). 

They had suffered only nine defeats in their previous 33 regular-season matches before this run. Perhaps Saturday, though, is an opportunity to bounce back.

Austin were winless in five matches themselves before beating Minnesota last week (two draws, three losses) and have only won two of their last 17 road games (six draws, nine defeats).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Sporting Kansas City – 45.8%

Austin FC – 27.5%

Draw – 26.8%

Sporting Kansas City head coach Peter Vermes wants to see a better defensive display when they travel to Columbus Crew in the MLS on Saturday.

Sporting KC sit second from bottom in the Western Conference, having won just three of their 19 games so far.

After back-to-back losses to LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake in which they conceded four goals in both, Vermes admitted they needed to rectify the situation as soon as possible.

"I can't deny the fight of the guys, but defensively, it's too soft," he said. "Unfortunately, it's similar to what happens in a lot of games.

"We can be fighting back in a game and give away a nothing goal. There's a ton of chances that could put us way ahead, but we can't be giving up the goals that we give up. That's it; that's the game."

Columbus, meanwhile, are right in the mix in the Eastern Conference, sitting sixth with 27 points.

A 2-1 defeat to Inter Miami snapped their four-match winning streak in the MLS, but head coach Wilfried Nancy is confident they can quickly put that result behind them.

"It has been good games, good performances," head coach Wilfried Nancy said. "[The last game] was also a good performance, but we were not good at certain moments. This is again something that we did well. We have grown a lot regarding these kinds of games."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Columbus Crew – Cucho Hernandez

Cucho attempted 10 shots in the Crew's defeat to Inter Miami on Wednesday, his third game with at least 10 shots since making his MLS debut in July 2022.

All other players in MLS have three total games with 10+ shots in that time (Raul Ruidiaz, Hany Mukhtar, Julian Carranza, one each).

Sporting Kansas City – William Agada

Agada scored two of Kansas City's three goals on Wednesday, his fifth multi-goal match for Sporting. Only five players have recorded more multi-goal games in the team's history.

MATCH PREDICTION: COLUMBUS CREW WIN

This will be the Crew's first regular-season home match since losing to FC Cincinnati on May 11. Columbus are winless in four straight MLS home matches after winning 12 of their previous 14 home league games.

Kansas City have lost nine of their last 10 regular-season matches (W1), including losing six in a row on the road in league play. This is the first time in the post-shootout era (since 2000) that Sporting have lost nine times in a span of 10 such matches.

However, Kansas City have lost just one of their last 12 matches against Columbus (W7 D4) dating back to October 2012, though three of the last four meetings have ended in draws. This will be the first meeting between the sides in Columbus in one day short of five years (June 23, 2019).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Columbus Crew – 64.2%

Draw – 19.1%

Sporting Kansas City – 16.7%

Pablo Mastroeni is pleased with the strides Real Salt Lake have made on the road this season and is hopeful they can cause more problems at Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday.

RSL sit top of the Western Conference, one point clear of LAFC, with a 0-0 draw away at CF Montreal at the weekend extending their unbeaten streak.

They have not lost any of their last 14 matches in the MLS and are unbeaten in their last nine on the road.

Mastroeni has been impressed with his team's progress, particularly their performances on the road.

"I'm really pleased with the mindset, and I feel like as a group we're starting to really understand moments and really control games as to the way we want to play," said Mastroeni.

"Going to any stadium away from home, it's very difficult to [get wins] but I feel we've made great strides in that direction over the course of the season.

"It's taken us 18 games to get to a point where we feel like we can go on the road and really dictate large portions of the games. I feel like we're getting really brave with our performances and I'm pleased with the progress we're making."

Meanwhile, Sporting KC sit 13th and are seven points behind the playoff places having won just one of their last 12 matches in the league.

After a 4-2 defeat to LA Galaxy at the weekend, head coach Peter Vermes has admitted he may need to bring in reinforcements in the upcoming transfer window.

"Over the next two to three windows we're going to have to be very active," Vermes said. "If it happens? I can't tell you if it does or not. We need players on all three lines, for sure."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sporting Kansas City – Johnny Russell

Russell has scored seven goals in 15 career matches against Real Salt Lake in all competitions. He has only scored more goals against Houston Dynamo (eight) since he joined Sporting in 2018.

Real Salt Lake – Cristian Arango

Real Salt Lake are on a nine-match unbeaten run on the road in the MLS, though they were held to a 0-0 draw against Montreal last weekend. Arango was their biggest threat in that game, having six shots, though he could not find a breakthrough.

MATCH PREDICTION: REAL SALT LAKE WIN

Real Salt Lake defeated Sporting Kansas City at home, 1-0, in May 4 in the first meeting between the sides this season. RSL have won five of their eight matches against Sporting (D1 L2, incl. playoffs) since the beginning of the 2021 season.

Real Salt Lake extended their regular-season unbeaten run to 14 games (W8 D6) with a scoreless draw at Montreal on Saturday, equaling the longest single-season run in club history (July-October 2010).

Meanwhile, Sporting Kansas City's 4-2 defeat to the Galaxy on Saturday was their eighth defeat in their last nine regular-season matches. Sporting have not lost nine times in a span of 10 regular-season matches in the post-shootout era (since 2000).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Sporting Kansas City – 32.2%

Draw – 25.4%

Real Salt Lake – 42.4%

LA Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida says the team are not satisfied with their position at the halfway stage of the MLS season, with Sporting Kansas City next up on Saturday.

The Galaxy's six-match unbeaten streak ended before the mid-season break, with the Chicago Fire coming from behind to beat them 2-1.

They sit fourth in the Western Conference, five points behind leaders Real Salt Lake, but Yoshida believes they should be challenging for the top spot.

"It's a big improvement on last season, but I'm still not satisfied. I'm still not happy enough," Yoshida said.

"Maybe, generally, people say the Galaxy are doing well, but I feel like we could play better and get more points. We should be top of the league. I'll always stay hungry and greedy, and I want to do more and more and more."

Head coach Greg Vanney echoed his thoughts, saying: "I'm pretty happy with the point total that we have from the first half of the season.

"We let a couple of opportunities to be a little higher go. I think we learned a lot about ourselves that we need to clean up or keep using as we understand ourselves better."

Sporting snapped a 10-match winless run last weekend with a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders, leaving them in 12th.

Peter Vermes is confident his team can use that victory as a platform to push them forward for the second half of the season.

He said: "This is a good team. The issue last year, which was different, was for the longest time, I had to be the one to tell them that. Our win over [Colorado] should reinforce that message that they're good. When they want to play, they can play."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

LA Galaxy – Riqui Puig

Puig has found the net in three consecutive appearances for the Galaxy for the first time in his MLS career. The Spaniard has been involved in seven goals since the beginning of May with only four players in MLS involved in more in that time.

Sporting Kansas City – Johnny Russell

Russell scored his seventh career regular-season goal against Seattle Sounders in the win on Saturday, his most against any opponent, breaking a tie with three other teams against whom he has scored six times, including the Galaxy.

MATCH PREDICTION: LA GALAXY WIN

The Galaxy ended a six-match winless run against Kansas City (D3 L3) with a 3-2 road win on March 24. The win was just the Galaxy's third in their last 17 matches against Sporting dating back to October 2015 (D7 L7).

LA have lost only one of their last 17 regular-season home matches (W8 D8), including winning four of their last five in Carson (D1). The 17 matches in that run have seen a total of 67 goals for an average of 3.9 per match.

Meanwhile, Kansas City ended a seven-match losing streak with a 2-1 victory over Seattle on Saturday. Sporting came from 1-0 down in the match as they have gone behind in 10 straight league matches dating back to mid-April.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

LA Galaxy – 53.5%

Draw – 23.8%

Sporting Kansas City – 22.7%

Peter Vermes is hoping for a competitive match when Sporting Kansas City face off against rivals Seattle Sounders in the MLS on Saturday.

Sporting KC have struggled so far this season, sitting bottom of the Western Conference on just 11 points after winning just two of their games.

They are currently on a 10-match winless streak, but Vermes wants his team to use past grudges against Seattle to inspire a win.

"Seattle have always had a very good team, a solid nucleus," Vermes said. "We always have battles with them no matter where we're playing. They're an explosive team that can defend very well. It'll be a tough battle.

"We're two very competitive teams that are in the middle of competing for the same things. You end up playing each other a lot and having grudges that roll over. It's healthy.

"Everybody's form comes into play at some point. Not just as individuals, but as a team. We will win together for sure."

Seattle are seven points better off in the table, but their home form has let them down of late, leaving them sitting just below the playoff places.

Head coach Brian Schmetzer is aiming to continue their winning streak on the road in Kansas City.

"We've been pretty good on the road, more road wins than home wins," Schmetzer said. "It's a confident team. I think we have been playing better as of late.

"We've talked about closing out games, we'll be ready for them. Execution is critical. We've got a good team with plenty of confidence - we just need to execute plays more regularly."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sporting KC – Johnny Russell

Russell, who scored Kansas City's lone goal on Saturday, has scored six times in 11 career regular-season matches against the Sounders.

No player has scored more goals against Seattle than Russell since he joined MLS in 2018 (tied with Sebastian Blanco and Cristian Espinoza).

Seattle Sounders – Jordan Morris

Morris has scored seven career regular-season goals against Sporting, including four in his last visit to Kansas City. Only against LA Galaxy (nine) has Morris scored more regular-season goals during his MLS career.

MATCH PREDICTION: SPORTING KANSAS CITY WIN

Seattle have lost a lead in the 90th minute or later twice this season, including doing so against Real Salt Lake on May 30. The Sounders had only failed to win when leading in the 90th minute or later twice in the previous six seasons combined (2018-23).

Seattle have won six of their 13 regular-season visits to Kansas City (D2 L5), including winning two of the last three. The Sounders' .462 winning percentage in Kansas City is the best of any team that has visited Sporting six or more times in the post-shootout era (since 2000).

Kansas City equaled the longest true losing streak (excl. breakaway shootout losses) in the club's regular-season history at seven with a 3-1 loss at Minnesota on Saturday. It was the first defeat in the streak by more than a one-goal margin, and they will be aiming to avoid creating a new record.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Sporting KC – 40.9%

Draw – 26.6%

Seattle Sounders – 32.5%

Vanni Sartini has asked Vancouver Whitecaps to take a more “aggressive” approach to beat Sporting Kansas City in MLS on Wednesday.

Vancouver sit seventh in the Western Conference with 19 points but after a run of six matches without a win in the competition, the teams below them are catching up.

The Whitecaps failed to mount a comeback in their latest defeat to Inter Miami, losing 2-1 at home, causing them to also lose ground on the teams above them.

Sartini expects a tough game against the side bottom of the table, saying: "It's a team that are behind us in the standings and we know how important it is to win those games to put more distance because we're still in a playoff position that we need to keep.

"It's always very hard to play there, the atmosphere, with the fans on top of you, it's very intense. We need to be good, and play our soccer and be even more aggressive.

"We need to score more goals and finalise our chances. We have six games that we could've won three of them and I think we deserved that, but we didn't win any of them.

"Of course, being more clinical is an issue and we need to be better. We're working on that."

Sporting KC have just 11 points having won only two of their league games so far this season.

They have failed to win any of their previous eight MLS matches, losing each of their last five.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sporting KC – Alan Pulido

Pulido has scored five goals in four regular-season matches against the Whitecaps. Pulido’s 1.34 goals per 90 minutes against Vancouver is the second-best ratio of any Sporting Kansas City player against a single opponent (min. 300 minutes played versus opponent).

Vancouver Whitecaps – Ryan Gauld

Gauld scored the Whitecaps’ lone goal on Saturday from the penalty spot, his 10th penalty goal since the start of the 2022 season. Only three players in MLS have scored more goals from the spot over the last two-plus regular seasons than Gauld.

MATCH PREDICTION – SPORTING KANSAS CITY WIN

Sporting KC have won four of their six home matches against the Whitecaps (one draw, one defeat including playoffs) scoring at least three times in all four wins. Vancouver have totalled just three goals over the six matches combined.

However, Kansas City have lost five straight regular-season matches for the first time since April-May 2011. Sporting’s last losing streak of six or more league matches was a seven-match run in 2006.

Vancouver are winless in six straight MLS matches (three draws, three losses) after a 2-1 loss to Inter Miami on Saturday. The Whitecaps have totaled three goals in the six games after averaging 2.1 goals per match (17) in their first eight league matches this season.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Sporting KC – 44.8%

Draw – 27.9%

Vancouver Whitecaps – 27.3%

Phil Neville has called for Portland Timbers to be more "ruthless" as they aim to get back to winning ways against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.

The Timbers sit 11th in the Western Conference having won just one of their last 11 matches, though their 4-2 comeback win against 10-man San Jose Earthquakes did come in their last home outing.

Despite their poor run of form, Neville is pleased with what he has seen from his side in recent weeks.

"We do feel as if we're heading in the right direction. There are signs," he said.

"Now it's about us picking up points and making sure we stay in the pack and be more ruthless with what we're doing. It's time that we've got to go out there and deliver."

Kansas City are three points behind Saturday’s opponents in 13th, having failed to win any of their last seven matches.

After a U.S. Open Cup win over FC Tulsa on Wednesday though, midfielder Erik Thommy believes Kansas City can start to build some momentum.

"It's the perfect time for us to turn the season around. We've got to start to collect the points as soon as possible," Thommy said.

"We need the right players on the pitch and look forward while looking at what made us strong in the past. We need to believe in ourselves and trust in yourself and the club. We have to take all of these positive things [from recent matches] into the next game."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Portland – Maxime Crepeau

Portland’s 2-1 defeat to Minnesota marked the 10th straight regular-season match in which they have conceded multiple goals, the longest streak in MLS history. The Timbers have not kept a clean sheet in their last 20 regular-season games dating back to last September, and Crepeau will be hoping to change that.

Kansas City – Johnny Russell

Russell scored his 57th regular-season goal for Kansas City on Saturday, equaling Dom Dwyer for second in the club’s history. Only Preki (71) has scored more goals for Kansas City in regular-season MLS play.

MATCH PREDICTION: PORTLAND TIMBERS WIN

The Timbers have won four straight home matches against Kansas City dating back to 2019. Prior to 2019, Portland had managed just two wins in 10 all-time meetings with SKC at Providence Park (D4 L4).

However, the Timbers have won only one of their last 11 matches (D3 L7) following a 2-1 loss at Minnesota on Saturday. Only CF Montreal (five) have collected fewer points than Portland (six) since this run began in mid-March.

Kansas City are winless in seven straight MLS matches including losing the last four in a row. It has been 13 years since Sporting lost five straight MLS matches, last doing so in April-May 2011.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Portland – 40.3%

Draw – 24.8%

Kansas City – 34.9%

The Houston Dynamo took a "punch in the face" as they exited the U.S. Open Cup at the hands of Detroit City on Tuesday, but Ben Olsen expects his team to respond when they go to Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.

Defending U.S. Open Cup champions Houston squandered a 2-0 lead against their USL Championship opponents in midweek before losing a dramatic penalty shoot-out 10-9.

They now turn their attentions back to MLS, sitting eighth in the Western Conference with 14 points from their first 10 games of the year, and Olsen expects them to bounce back.

"It's a good punch in the face. But I think they'll respond," Olsen said.

"We have a good group in there and I think we have the right character to turn this into a positive."

Sporting KC trail Houston by just three points in the standings, but they made it through their own U.S. Open Cup tie against Union Omaha in midweek, winning 2-1 in extra time.

Boss Peter Vermes is not overly concerned by the physical toll taken by having to play 120 minutes, pointing out Houston did likewise only one day earlier.

"Houston had to do the same yesterday. The only thing is they have a day extra rest," he said.

"We have just got to do the best we can to recover and get ready for that game. It was good. We used all of our subs. 

"Everybody's getting minutes and now we just have got to get ourselves recovered and get ready for Houston on Saturday."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sporting KC – Johnny Russell

Russell has scored eight goals against the Dynamo in all competitions, more than against any other opponent in his Kansas City career. He has scored against Houston at least once in each of the last six years.

Houston Dynamo – Ibrahim Aliyu

The Dynamo had a combined 22 shots on goal during their 0-0 draw with St. Louis City last Saturday, with top scorer Aliyu having five of those – the most by a Houston player in an MLS game this season.

The Nigerian has three goals this campaign and will be looking to get back on the scoresheet at the weekend.

MATCH PREDICTION: SPORTING KANSAS CITY WIN

Kansas City have won five straight home matches against Houston in all competitions and have only lost twice in their last 19 at home against the Dynamo in all competitions (11 wins, six draws) dating back to 2012.

However, Kansas City are winless in four straight home matches (two draws, two defeats) for the first time since a five-match drought between July and August in 2021. Sporting have conceded three times in each of their last four home matches, equalling the second-longest such streak in MLS history.

The Dynamo’s goalless draw with St. Louis City last week was their third straight regular-season match without a goal. Houston had been shut out in only two of their previous 18 regular-season matches dating back to last August. Their attacking issues mean Sporting go in as favourites. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Sporting Kansas City – 47.7%

Draw – 27.7%

Houston Dynamo – 24.6%

Real Salt Lake head coach Pablo Mastroeni credited the collective effort of his league-leading side as they prepare to host Sporting Kansas City at America First Field for Sunday's MLS clash.

Salt Lake sit atop of the Western Conference table after a six-game undefeated streak, having overcome Philadelphia Union 2-1 in their last outing.

Alexandros Katranis provided a remarkable 89th-minute winner in that victory over the Union, with RSL not losing an MLS game since March 9 against Colorado Rapids.

"I think it is everything so far, every aspect of the team has been competitive – sometimes the offense clicks, sometimes it is the defense," Mastroeni said.

"For me, it is really the collective; from the staff, to the players, to me and the work we do every day. Scoring the first goal has been really important for us in most of the games.

"Defensively we have been a really good team, it starts at the top, though. We're getting a lot of great contributions from all around the pitch.

"When you tie that all together, we've got a great group firing on all cylinders."

Peter Vermes' Wizards were defeated 2-1 by Minnesota United in their last match, leaving them 10th in the West with just 11 points to their name after 10 games.

Kansas City head coach Vermes knows another difficult task awaits on the road this weekend.

"They are the best team in the West at the moment," Vermes said of RSL.

"They are always a tough defensive team. With the strike power they have up front, we will have to be focused and concentrated, it will be a tough match for us."

Vermes' high praise of Salt Lake comes as no surprise given Mastroeni's men have only conceded nine times this season – a joint-low in MLS.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Real Salt Lake – Cristian Arango

Cristian Arango has 16 goal contributions through 10 matches this season, equalling the most in a player’s first 10 appearances of a season in MLS history (Carlos Vela in 2019, Cobi Jones in 1998).

With eight goals in just 10 appearances so far this term, the Real Salt Lake star has already surpassed his six strikes in 2023 – and will hope to further his tally here.

Sporting Kansas City – Johnny Russell

Johnny Russell has scored six goals in 13 career MLS matches against Real Salt Lake (also considering playoffs), including scoring at least once against RSL in each of the last five seasons.

The Scottish winger is yet to score in league competition this year, though, failing to find the net in any of his seven appearances – though Russell has only played 90 minutes twice in that run.

MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW

It will be hard to split these two sides with a draw appearing probable, despite the Opta supercomputer suggesting Real Salt Lake have the likelier chance of victory.

Sporting have never recorded back-to-back victories when visiting Salt Lake in all competitions, though they did win the last meeting between these two sides 3-2 in October.

SKC may have also lost their last outing but they have not suffered consecutive defeats across all competitions since April 2023, avoiding defeat in the match following each of its previous 14 losses (W10 D4).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Real Salt Lake win – 45.5%

Sporting Kansas City win – 26.8%

Draw – 27.7%

Minnesota United forward Tani Oluwaseyi is relishing his chance in the first team ahead of their clash with Sporting Kansas City.

The Loons have enjoyed a strong start to the MLS season and sit fifth in the Western Conference.

Sporting KC, meanwhile, sit three points below them in 10th having won just two of their opening nine matches.

Oluwaseyi scored the opening goal in Minnesota’s 3-0 win over Charlotte last weekend, which ended a run of three games without a victory.

Asked how it feels to break into the starting line-up after spending his first year at the club on loan, Oluwaseyi, who has scored a joint-high three goals, said:

“It's something that I've been waiting for, for I guess the last three years.

“I hoped that I could do it in year one, and that was kind of the goal going in, but everyone has a different journey, which is very evident in the game.

“So it took a couple of years, but I think being here now, being given the opportunity, the biggest thing for me is just grabbing an opportunity and making the most with it.”