SPORTING KANSAS CITY v. SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Greetings to my brothers and sisters in Green. Sounders FC head to Kansas City, home of decent barbecue, the odd concept of a city sharing space within two adjacent states, and…and…I really don’t have any type of witty zinger here. I understand there are a lot of fountains in the city. It sounds…quite nice actually. Not Seattle nice…but you know, let’s go ahead and beat the Wiz- I mean Wizards– I mean Sporting like a drum anyway.

What: MLS league match, Sporting Kansas City v. Seattle Sounders FC.

Where: State Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas.

When: 11:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time, Saturday 2 May 2026 CE.

At Stake: Points in the league. Sounders FC are currently 5th place in the MLS league table on 19 points, eight points adrift of leaders San Jose. With a victory, it is possible for Sounders to leapfrog LAFC into 4th place provided that LAFC lose or draw against San Diego.

Where to Watch: Apple TV and Fox.

Where to Listen: KJR 93.3 FM and El Rey 1360 AM.

There’s no complaint from me about our season thus far. 12 matches in all competitions with a 9-1-2 record is just fine by me. We represented quite well in CONCACAF, and it took an away-goals tie-breaker to knock us out of the tournament. All panels show green lights.

We’re starting to get some of our injured players back to fitness. It finally feels like we have a team that is literally two deep at every position except left-back. These are incredibly good things, and the trend keeps running in a positive direction.

Let’s continue the excellent run of form in Kansas City. If you’re headed to the State Avenue football ground, as some of our Heartland Horde people might be, link up with ours and make sure everyone’s scarves are tied proper. Then go into the ground and make an ungodly level of noise, attempting to drown out the home support. For those of us who remain here, in The Evergreen, we know what to do. Pubs and dwellings for stories and tellings. Houses and flats for pints and cats. Sometimes even boats and ships for pie and chips.

It’s Sounders football under the glaring Saturday daylight at State Avenue. GO ON YOU SOUNDERS!!! GET IN!!!

Before kick-off, please join me in the auld toast: “TO THE SEATTLE SOUNDERS FOOTBALL CLUB…AND VICTORY!!!”

Looks like we’re facing Kansas City who have the worst record in the league on Sat. What could possibly go wrong?

The Good News

Kansas City has lost six matches in a row and is in a state of disarray. Sounders by contrast have won four of their last five (4-0-1).

Kansas City are in 30th and last place currently in the MLS league table with a -18 goal difference. Sounders are in 5th place, only 8 points adrift of leaders San Jose.

Kansas City are yet to win at home (0-1-3). Sounders have been very good on the road this season with a record of 4-1-2 in all competitions (5-1-2 if you count the Spokane match as an away match).

Kansas City are bleeding goals at the back (2.80 goals conceded/match). Sounders have the best defence in the league and are conceding less than a goal per match (0.67). Sounders are scoring 1.67 goals/match, whilst Kansas City are averaging less than a goal per match (0.70).

The Bad News

On the road (7-2-6), and in general (15-4-12), Sounders FC have not been dominant over Kansas City in the MLS all-time reckoning. We have more victories than defeats, but the margin is not a massive one.

Kansas City are on the ropes having lost their last six in a row. Few things motivate a team more than having their backs to the wall. We had better be prepared.

Although positive results have eluded Kansas City, they do have a fair amount of talent in the team. Their striker, Joveljic, is the clear danger man in front of goal (4 goals, 2 assists), and can also beat you with a teammate. Joveljic once sank us in the 2024 MLS Cup Semi-Final with a late winner (85’) when he played for LA Galaxy. Garcia, Johnsen, Davis, and Harris have also shown an ability to set up goals (2 assists each).

The Side I Would Select

Here’s the group I would run out:

Rationale:

I prefer Lopez over Alex at right-centre-half, because Lopez actually specialises in that position. I’ll have Kossa-Rienzi over Alex at right-back because he defends well enough and occasionally scores goals. I’d leave Cristian out, and have him come off the bench to make sure he’s well past his concussion symptoms, Brunell had a fine game against Dallas, and so did Dotson. I prefer Morris on the right or on the left, with Musovski or De Rosario at centre-forward.

GK     Thomas

LB     Nouhou

LCH     Ragen

RCH    Lopez

RB     Kossa-Rienzi

LDM   Dotson

RDM   Brunell

LF     Rothrock

CAM   Rusnak

RF     Morris

CF     Musovski

The Side I Think The Gaffer Will Select

The Gaffer likes his guys, and as they get back to full-fitness expect to see them back in the team. Although just after getting off injury list, Schmetzer prefers to have such players come on as substitutes to test their return to fitness. I think Dotson will play over Cristian, but expect Cristian to come on as a substitute.

GK     Thomas

LB     Nouhou

LCH     Ragen

RCH    Alex

RB     Kossa-Rienzi

LDM    Dotson

RDM   Brunell

LF     Rothrock

CAM   Rusnak

RF     Morris

CF     Musovski

Intangibles

The Referee for Saturday morning’s match will be Sergii Demianchuk.

SKC record with Demianchuk as Ref: 0-1-1

SEA record with Demianchuk as Ref: 0-0-0

Kansas City’s Manager, Raphael Wicky was part of the renaissance at Young Boys BSC in Switzerland, and also managed at FC Basel. He’s the sort of bloke that can mould a bunch of young up and comers into a force to be reckoned with.

Kansas City 2026 transfer fees paid: €9.8M

Sounders FC 2026 transfer fees paid: €0

The numbers point to the likelihood of a 1:3 Sounders victory…but then you have to remember its MLS, and there’s all sorts of room for fuckery and inconsistent officiating in a league literally built for parity.

General notes on personnel

Kansas City transfers IN:

Tschantret - reserves

Cleveland (Austin FC) €43,000

Agyabeng - reserves

Reynolds (Chicago Fire FC) free

Harris (Colorado Rapids) free

Meyer (Nashville SC) free

Reid (St. Louis City SC) free

Reynaga - reserves

Johnsen (Malmo) €3.5M

Calheira (FC Tulsa) €2.3M

Bartlow (Houston Dynamo) free

Blorian (Hapoel Be’er Sheva) free

Capemba (Radomiak Radom) €2.3M

Borges (Zalaegerszeg) €1.7M

Kansas City transfers OUT:

Brody - released

Fernandez (Huesca) free

Leibold - out of contract

Montes (Necaxa) end of loan

Munoz (Santos Laguna) end of loan

Ndenbe - out of contract

Radoja (Cultural Leonesa) free

Rodriguez (Sacramento Republic FC) free

Shelton - released

Thommy - out of contract

Toye - released

Voloder - out of contract

Salloi (Toronto FC) €225,000

Comparison against common opponents

SJ 3:0 SKC

SKC 1:3 SJ
SJ 0:1 SEA

(against SJ: SKC 0-0-2 -5, SEA 1-0-0 +1) decisive edge SEA

SKC 1:4 COL

SEA 2:0 COL

(against COL: SKC 0-0-1 -3, SEA 1-0-0 +2) decisive edge SEA

RSL 3:1 SKC

RSL 2:1 SEA

(against RSL: SKC 0-0-1 -2, SEA 0-0-1 -1) marginal edge SEA

VAN 3:0 SKC

VAN 0:3 SEA CCC

SEA 2:1 VAN CCC @Spokane

(against VAN: SKC 0-0-1 -3, SEA 2-0-0 +4) decisive edge SEA

Know Thine Enemy

Kansas City as they lined up in their 5:0 defeat against Chicago at Soldier Field on 25 April.

GOALKEEPER

John Pulskamp, 25

United States

Notable Clubs: Sporting Kansas City (72/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €405,000

Notes: Developed by Central California Aztecs, Real So Cal, and LA Galaxy. 

DEFENCE

Kwaku Agyabeng, 19

Ghana

Notable Clubs: Sporting Kansas City (7/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €250,000

Notes: n/a

Jansen Miller, 24

United States

Notable Clubs: Sporting Kansas City (37/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €433,000

Notes: Played his university football at Xavier (27/0) and Indiana (50/2).

Ethan Bartlow, 26

United States

Notable Clubs: Houston Dynamo (80/0), Sporting Kansas City (7/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €161,000

Notes: Played his university football for Washington (38/6). Developed by Crossfire Premier. Played for United States at youth levels (3/0). Won a US Open Cup with Houston.

Ian James, 17

United States

Notable Clubs: Sporting Kansas City (14/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1M

Notes: Developed by Minnesota United and Sporting Kansas City. Has played for United States at youth levels (1/0).

Jacob Davis, 24

United States

Notable Clubs: Sporting Kansas City (93/3)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.3M

Notes: Developed by Sporting Kansas City.

MIDFIELD

Capita, 24

Angola (2/0)

Notable Clubs: Mouscron (3/0), Estrela da Amadora (11/2), Hapoel Jerusalem (20/1), Radomiak Radom (37/12), Sporting Kansas City (3/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.5M

Notes: Full name: Osvaldo Pedro Capemba. Developed by Academia de Futebol de Angola, CD Marinha, and 1º de Agosto.

Manu Garcia, 28

Spain (1/0)

Notable Clubs: Manchester City (1/0), NAC Breda (53/3), Toulouse (31/0), Sporting Gijon (75/4), Alaves (24/0), Aris (51/9), Sporting Kansas City (36/2)

Estimated Transfer Value: €2.1M

Notes: Full name: Manuel Garcia Alonso. Developed by Astur, Sporting Gijon, and Manchester City. Won an English League Cup with Manchester City.

Lasse Johnsen, 26

Norway (3/0)

Notable Clubs: Viking (2/0), Raufoss (29/0), Randers (79/4), Malmo (63/5), Sporting Kansas City (6/1)

Estimated Transfer Value: €2.2M

Notes: Developed by Forus & Gausel and Viking. Won a Norwegian Cup with Viking. Won a Danish Cup with Randers. Won 2x Swedish league championships and a Swedish Cup with Malmo.

Calvin Harris, 26

England

Notable Clubs: FC Cincinnati (24/1), Colorado Rapids (77/10), Sporting Kansas City (9/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €237,000

Notes: Developed by Hong Kong FC and Wellington Phoenix. Played his university football for Wake Forest (32/10).

FORWARD

Dejan Joveljic, 26

Serbia (9/2)

Notable Clubs: Red Star Belgrade (21/11), Eintracht Frankfurt (4/0), Anderlecht (5/1), Wolfsberger AC (34/18), Los Angeles Galaxy (106/34), Sporting Kansas City (41/22)

Estimated Transfer Value: €6M

Notes: Developed by Sloga Junajted and Red Star Belgrade. Won 2x Serbian SuperLiga titles with Red Star Belgrade. Won an MLS Cup with Los Angeles Galaxy.

Familiar Faces

Kansas City defender Ethan Bartlow is a Woodinville, Washington native. Bartlow played for Crossfire Premier from 2015-18, and played his university football at Washington (38/6).

Kansas City goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland played for Sounders FC (29/0) from 2020-2023.

Kansas City coach Dominic Kinnear Played for the Sounders in 1995 (6/2), during the Sounders’ APSL-era.

Squads

Kansas City from:

Pulskamp, Kortkamp, Cleveland, Schewe, James, Miller, Bassong, Bartlow, Meyer, Reid, Johnsen, Garcia, Davis, Tschantret, Bartlett, Capita, Joveljic, Harris, Afrifa, Calheira, Suleymanov.

Sounders FC from:

Frei, Thomas, Baker, Hawkins, Kossa-Rienzi, Kim, Lopez, Nouhou, Ragen, Alex, Sailor, Brunell, Dotson, Gomez, Kingston, Cristian, Rusnak, Arriola, De Rosario, Ferreira, Morris, Musovski, Rothrock, Tsukanome.

Injury List

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

Kansas City -

OUT: Agyabeng (groin), Borges (groin), Reynolds (hamstring).

MATCHDAY DECISION: Bassong (hamstring).

Sounders FC -

OUT: Petkovic (knee), Gomez Andrade (hamstring), de la Vega (knee).

MATCHDAY DECISION: Sailor (knee), Kim (calf).

Discipline

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

No players suspended from either team.

Fun Fact

Sounders FC Reserves have got their first victory of the 2026 season! The lads done it in style as well, with a 4:1 pasting of LAFC 2 at Starfire on 26 April. Goal scorers for the Reserves were led by Yu Tsukanome who hit a brace (including a penalty kick), ably supplemented by strikes from Mark O’Neill and Charlie Gaffney.

In the team for the Sounders FC Reserves:

Anchor, Phoenix, Hawkins, Sandnes, Baker, Gnaulati, O’Neill, Tsukanome, Gomez, Flores Gonzales, Gaffney.

Substitutes Bench:

Brown, Jauregui, Shour, Robles, Bronnik, Alvarez, Winslow, Carli, Kitafuji.

Sounders FC Reserves are currently 24th in the MLS Next Pro table (out of 30 clubs) on six points, 16 points adrift of leaders St. Louis City 2. The Reserves next line up on Sunday 3 May to face Sporting Kansas City II at Victory Field. Kick-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. PDT. Well done, lads, and good luck in Kansas City!