Preview: Sporting KC visits San Jose on Saturday | Sporting Kansas City (2024)

Sporting Kansas City at San Jose Earthquakes
2024 MLS Regular Season | Match 24
Saturday, July 13 | 9:30 p.m. CT (9:40 kickoff)
PayPal Park | San Jose, California

Broadcast Schedule:
Apple TV | Free on MLS Season Pass
English Radio | Sports Radio 810 WHB
Spanish Radio | La Grande 1340 AM

After playing 120 minutes on Wednesday in a weather-delayed 2-1 victory in the U.S. Open Cup, Sporting Kansas City continues a grueling stretch of seven matches in 22 days as the team travels to California to take on the San Jose Earthquakes in match 24 of the 2024 campaign.

The Western Conference clash - a rematch of last year's meeting in the Wild Card round of the MLS Cup Playoffs -- will kick off at 9:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at PayPal Park. All 14 MLS matches will be free to watch on Saturday night via MLS Season Pass on Apple TVand radio coverage of SJvSKC will also air on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM with live streams available in the Sporting KC App.

Sporting Kansas City enters Saturday's showdown after winning back-to-back matches for the first time this season with both victories coming in dramatic fashion at home against FC Dallas. Last Sunday, Sporting picked up three points with a 3-2 win as Willy Agada struck twice and Memo Rodriguez scored the game-wining goal in the 82nd minute. Three days later, Sporting Kansas City advanced to the U.S. Open Cup semifinals with a 2-1 win in extra time on Wednesday as Agada again found the back of the net before Dany Rosero headed home a corner kick in the 111th minute.

Agada leads the team with 11 goal contributions (eight goals, three assists) across all competitions this season, while Rosero has become only the second defender in club history to score in MLS, U.S. Open Cup and international competition. The Colombian centerback scored in the previous match-up between Sporting and San Jose with his header sparking a comeback capped off by Alan Pulido's game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory on March 16.

Pulido has three goal contributions (two goals, one assist) in four regular season appearances against San Jose while Daniel Salloi has also found success in the series with six goal contributions (four goals, two assists) in nine regular season match-ups with the Earthquakes.

Sporting Kansas City is 10-2-6 against San Jose in the last 18 meetings in all competitions since 2016. Notably, SKC prevailed in penalties against San Jose last October to oust the Earthquakes from the postseason and advance to the Western Conference semifinals, where Sporting swept No. 1 seed St. Louis.

Saturday will mark two major milestones for Sporting KC assistant coach Kerry Zavagnin, who will participate in his 750th regular season match and 900th match in all competitions as a player or coach for the club. Zavagnin has been with Sporting for 25 consecutive seasons - setting the MLS record for most seasons with one club as a player or coach -- with nine seasons as a player (2000-08) before becoming an assistant coach in 2009.

San Jose is coming off a 1-0 win against Chicago last Sunday that snapped a 10-game winless run across all competitions (0-9-1) and produced the first shutout of the season for a side that has conceded a league-high 56 goals during the regular season. Midfielder Hernan Lopez - acquired in April - scored the game's only goal and now has six goal contributions (four goals, two assists) in 12 MLS matches.

Fellow Argentine Cristian Espinoza earned his team-leading 11th assist of the year in the victory to go along with three goals in 2024 for the MLS All-Star. The Earthquakes roster is captained by 27-year-old American Jackson Yueill -- who plays alongside Ecuador international Carlos Gruezo in central midfield -- and the San Jose attack also includes Jeremy Ebobisse, who has appeared in each of the club's last 96 regular season matches dating back to 2021.

Two-time MLS Cup champions and two-time MLS Supporters' Shield winners, the Earthquakes have a league-high 16 losses this year - which will mark the team's 11th straight season without a winning record -- and parted ways with head coach Luchi Gonzalez last month. Currently led by interim head coach Ian Russell, San Jose is amidst a three-game homestand and the Earthquakes will welcome a Sporting side that has lost eight straight regular season road matches.

Pub partners in the Sporting Pub Network will show all of the action from SJvSKC, which serves as the finale for a full slate of 14 games on MLS Matchday 26. Fans are invited to an enhanced watch party at The Brooksider Sports Bar and Grill (6330 Brookside Plaza) in Kansas City, Missouri with drink specials starting at 8:30 p.m. CT on Saturday.