KC Reporter

Sporting Kansas City will play against Real Salt Lake at America First Field on Saturday, with kickoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT. The match will be available via MLS Season Pass and local radio on Sports Radio 810 WHB.

The team is seeking to recover from a recent 2-1 loss to Austin FC at Children’s Mercy Park. This defeat ended a stretch of nine consecutive games against teams currently above the playoff line. Sporting now faces Real Salt Lake, who are in 11th place and below the playoff line, marking the first such matchup since June 28, when the teams drew 1-1 in Kansas City.

Following last weekend’s result, Sporting remains eight points away from securing the ninth and final postseason spot with five games left in their regular season schedule. These remaining matches include contests against top Western Conference teams Vancouver and Minnesota, as well as games versus clubs outside the playoff positions: Salt Lake, LA Galaxy, and Houston.

While Sporting cannot be eliminated from playoff contention this weekend, both LA Galaxy and St. Louis—teams ranked below them—could see their postseason hopes end depending on results across the league.

Reflecting on their rivalry with Real Salt Lake, Sporting has won five of its last 25 encounters against RSL and trails in the all-time regular-season series (13-18-10), including a record of 5-12-3 away from home. The last meeting between these clubs ended in a draw after Erik Thommy equalized for Sporting following Johnny Russell’s opening goal for RSL. Their most recent visit to Utah was a narrow defeat decided by an 81st-minute header from Chicho Arango.

Forward Dejan Joveljic continues his strong season for Sporting Kansas City. He scored his fourth goal in four games during the loss to Austin FC and now leads his team with 17 goals this year—the third highest total in Major League Soccer (MLS) for the season and among club records for single-season scoring. Joveljic’s tally since early 2024 is second only to Lionel Messi among all MLS players.

"@JoveljicDejan converts from the spot for his 17th goal of the season!

#MLSSeasonPass or Apple TV+: https://t.co/aku4jw5vrXpic.twitter.com/QkvCA2J5dw

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 7, 2025"

Midfielder Erik Thommy made his return from injury over the weekend after missing six matches due to a hip issue that sidelined him between July and August. He played the final minutes of Sunday’s game against Austin FC; before his injury he had contributed important goals and assists earlier in summer matches.

"Good to have you back, Erik Thommy pic.twitter.com/0xd9YUroyC

— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) September 8, 2025"

Two other players were absent due to international commitments: Zorhan Bassong joined Canada’s national team for friendlies against Romania and Wales—earning his sixth cap as a substitute—and Ian James took part in U.S. U-17 training camp activities in Netherlands where he featured in two friendly matches.

"Canada takes on Wales today at 1:45PM CT. Let's go, @BassongZ

: @CANMNT_Officialpic.twitter.com/kLMRLleBPT

— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) September 9, 2025"

Sporting Kansas City's push toward playoff qualification continues with limited opportunities remaining as they prepare for Saturday's contest on the road.