Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Major League Soccer clash between Sporting Kansas City and Los Angeles FC, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sporting Kansas City will be looking to avoid a fourth defeat in a row when they entertain the challenge of Los Angeles FC at the Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the away side make the trip to Kansas this weekend on a high, having emerged victorious from each of their last three matches across all competitions.
Match preview
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Los Angeles FC were far from their best against St Louis City last time out but just about did enough to come away with maximum points in Thursday’s meeting at the BMO Stadium.
Returning to the starting lineup for the first time in three league games, Gabon international Denis Bouanga was on target for the second game running to hand Steve Cherundolo‘s men a much-needed victory.
Since going five MLS games without a victory between September 1 and 22, Los Angeles FC have now won consecutive league games for the first time since July, when they beat the Colorado Rapids and Los Angeles Galaxy.
Consequently, the Black and Gold remain second in the Western Conference, although they are running out of time to usurp their city rivals at the top of the division heading into the final three matches of the regular season.
The first of those three matches sees Los Angeles FC renew hostilities against Sporting Kansas City less than two weeks since the US Open Cup final which Sunday’s visitors won 3-1.
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With virtually nothing left to play for this season, Sporting Kansas City were powerless to stop St Louis City from running out 3-1 winners when the teams went head to head at CITYPARK on Thursday.
Goals from Cedric Teuchert and Rasmus Alm left Peter Vermes‘s men with a mountain to climb before Stephen Afrifa pulled one back, only for Eduard Lowen to put the result beyond doubt 15 minutes from time.
That was a third straight defeat for the Wizards either side of losing to Los Angeles FC in the final of the US Open Cup, which was their only chance at securing a rare positive in an otherwise tumultuous season.
Four years on since they finished top of the West, Sporting Kansas are on course to finish bottom but one this time around having managed just eight wins from 32 league outings so far.
In what is scheduled to be their final home game of the campaign, Sunday’s hosts will be keen to round off on a winning note in front of their fans, where they are unbeaten in eight of nine matches leading up to this weekend.
Sporting Kansas City Major League Soccer form:
Sporting Kansas City form (all competitions):
Los Angeles FC Major League Soccer form:
Los Angeles FC form (all competitions):
Team News
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Fresh from receiving his fifth yellow card of the season which will see him serve a one-game suspension, Daniel Rosero is ineligible to play any part for Sporting Kansas City here.
Midfielder Nemanja Radoja picked up a groin injury in August’s Leagues Cup clash against Mexican outfit Toluca and has not featured since then.
John Pulskamp was handed a rare start last time out, but Tim Melia is expected to return between the sticks for the home side in this one.
Los Angeles FC’s Jesus Murillo and Lorenzo Dellavalle are ruled out this weekend through knee injuries, while Aaron Long‘s involvement remains doubtful having only just returned from a leg injury.
Maxime Chanot is suspended for the away side, but Sergi Palencia is set for an immediate return to the lineup after missing the victory over St Louis City through a ban.
Denis Bouanga’s winner was his 19th league strike this term, and the 29-year-old is now just three goals shy of Christian Benteke at the top of the MLS scoring charts.
Sporting Kansas City possible starting lineup:
Melia; Ndenbe, Voloder, Castellanos, Shelton; Davis, Bassong; Salloi, Thommy, Russell; Pulido
Los Angeles FC possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Segura, Hollingshead, Palencia; Olivera, Tillman, O’Brien, Campos; Bogusz, Giroud, Bouanga
We say: Sporting Kansas City 1-2 Los Angeles FC
Only San Jose Earthquakes have conceded more goals than Sporting Kansas City in the West, and while Los Angeles FC are not operating at full capacity in attack at the moment, we can see them coming away with the points at the end of the 90 minutes.
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