KC Reporter

Sporting Kansas City is set to play its final away match of the 2025 Major League Soccer season against Minnesota United FC on Saturday at Allianz Field. The game, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. CT, will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV and local radio stations.

Sporting Kansas City enters the match having been eliminated from playoff contention, while Minnesota United is competing for first place in the Western Conference. Head coach Kerry Zavagnin's team will attempt to disrupt Minnesota’s postseason ambitions in this late-season fixture between two long-standing Midwestern rivals.

The teams last met on March 15 at Children’s Mercy Park, resulting in a 3-3 draw after Sporting overcame a three-goal deficit with second-half goals from Daniel Salloi, Dejan Joveljic, and an own goal. This comeback was notable as it marked only the 19th time in MLS history that a team has erased a three-goal deficit to earn a win or draw during the regular season.

Minnesota United won all three meetings between the clubs during the 2024 regular season, including their first-ever road victory at Children’s Mercy Park. In contrast, Sporting had swept all three matches in 2023 and previously enjoyed a four-game winning streak over Minnesota from September 2022 to October 2023 before going winless in their last four encounters.

Since Minnesota joined MLS in 2017, the two teams have played each other more than any other opponent—26 times across all competitions—with Sporting holding a slight edge overall (12-9-5). However, Minnesota currently has an active four-game unbeaten run against Sporting.

In regular season play at Allianz Field, Sporting has managed two wins in eight attempts. Overall, they lead the series with an 11-7-5 record but have found greater success at home compared to away games.

Dejan Joveljic has been a key player for Sporting this season and historically against Minnesota. He has five goal contributions against them this year and ranks fourth in MLS with 18 goals this season—a figure tied for second most by any Kansas City player in club history for a single campaign. Joveljic also became the first player in league history to score back-to-back seasons of at least 18 goals with different clubs.

Daniel Salloi remains another important contributor with nine career goal involvements against Minnesota and double-digit contributions again this year. Goalkeeper John Pulskamp leads his team with a career-high number of saves and is unique among club keepers for recording multiple assists within one season.

For Minnesota United FC, this campaign marks their best yet by points total (52) and goal differential (+15). They have equaled their club record for wins (15) and are currently third place in the conference standings. Notably, they have secured more victories on the road than at home both this year and over recent seasons.

Minnesota leads MLS with goals scored from set pieces but ranks last for average possession and near-bottom for passing accuracy. Their goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair tops MLS save percentage charts while ranking highly for shutouts and goals-against average.

Individual milestones are also approaching: Zorhan Bassong is close to his 50th appearance for Sporting; Erik Thommy nears his 100th regular-season game; Andrew Brody approaches his centennial start; Tim Leibold is nearing a minutes milestone; Manu Garcia is one assist shy of reaching fifty career assists; Daniel Salloi’s tally of sixty-seven goals ties him for second-most all-time at Sporting Kansas City alongside Dom Dwyer and Johnny Russell.