Sporting Kansas City vs. Philadelphia Union | MLS Match Preview

#SKCvPHI: Sporting look for home win vs. Union | Sun., 7 pm ET, Fox Sports 1

Sporting Kansas City vs. Philadelphia Union, April 5, 2015

SPORTING KANSAS CITY vs PHILADELPHIA UNION
SPORTING PARK, Kansas City, Kan.
April 5, 2015 (WEEK 5, MLS Game #45)
6 p.m. CT (FS1; FOX Deportes; TSN1)

Now in different conferences, Sporting Kansas City and Philadelphia Union will be looking to begin a charge up their respective divisional tables when they meet Sunday afternoon at Sporting Park before a FOX Sports 1 audience. Sporting are coming off their first win of the season in four games, defeating New York City FC 1-0 on the road. Union are still looking for their first triumph of the year, suffering a second consecutive defeat in a 1-0 loss at the Chicago Fire in their last match.


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  • Center back Ike Opara scored his second goal in four games as Sporting Kansas City won for the first time this season, defeating New York City FC 1-0 at Yankee Stadium.
  • Philadelphia Union lost for a second consecutive match and saw their season-opening winless streak extended to four games following their 1-0 defeat at the Chicago Fire on Sunday.
  • The all-time series is evenly tied, each club with four victories in 12 meetings, with four draws. Each team has won twice, lost twice and drawn twice on their home ground.
  • The Union won last year’s lone meeting between the teams at PPL Park, a 2-1 win on Oct. 18, ending a two-game Sporting KC winning streak in Chester.


DOWNLOAD FULL GAME GUIDE (PDF)

REFEREE: Ismail Elfath. AR1 (bench): Adam Garner; AR2 (opposite): Kevin Klinger; 4th: Younes Marrakchi
MLS Career: 43 games; FC/gm: 25.7; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 12; pens: 12


SUSPENDED: PHI: Zach Pfeffer (through April 5); Fred (through April 12)
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none


HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (12 meetings): Sporting 4 wins, 14 goals … Union 4 wins, 15 goals … Ties 4
AT KANSAS CITY (6 meetings): Sporting 2 wins, 7 goals … Union 2 wins, 6 goals … Ties 2


LAST YEAR (MLS):
5/14: KC 1, PHI 2 (Dwyer 80 – Cruz 49; Maidana 81)
8/1: KC 1, PHI 1 (Zusi 54 – Brown 71)
10/18: PHI 2, KC 1 (Brown 45; Ribeiro 71 – Dwyer 54)


  • This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
  • The all-time series is evenly tied, each club with four victories in 12 meetings, with four draws. Each team has won twice, lost twice and drawn twice on their home ground.
  • Union won last year’s lone meeting between the teams at PPL Park, a 2-1 win on Oct. 18, ending a two-game Sporting KC winning streak in Chester.
  • Coaches record: Jim Curtin vs. KC: P2 W1 L0 D1 … Peter Vermes vs. PHI: P12 W4 L4 D4


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CHECK OUT THE INJURY REPORT HEADING INTO THE MATCH
CHECK OUT THE DISCIPLINARY REPORT HEADING INTO THE MATCH