Sporting Kansas City Pre Game: Chicago Fire

Sporting Kansas City looks to forget Wednesday ever happened as they face the Chicago Fire Sunday afternoon. Sporting is coming off a 2-1 loss at home to the Philadelphia Union.

Who: Sporting Kansas City at Chicago Fire

When: May 18th, 2014 at 2:00 PM CDT

Where: Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL

Streams: KMCI (38 The Spot), SKCTV, MLS Live

Radio: 810 AM WHB, La Gran D 1340 AM

Sporting currently sit in second in the Eastern Conference standings with 17 points in 10 games played. They trail the New England Revolution who have 20 points in 11 games played. Sporting can end the day tied at the top of the standings with a win against the Chicago Fire.

Chicago is currently second from the bottom in the Eastern Conference with 9 points in 9 games played.

Chicago began the season with a loss to Chivas and then 6 straight draws and then a loss to Real Salt Lake before picking up their first win in their most recent game on May 10th against the New York Red Bulls.

Chicago hopes to go on a run to catch up in the standings and take advantage of other teams absences from the World Cup.

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March 16th, 2013 at Sporting Park

Sporting and Chicago met three times last season with each team winning once and a draw. The first match up came on March 16th, 2013 at Sporting Park. Sporting was certainly never short on chances as they attempted 20 shots to Chicago’s 7.

The lack of form early in the season was evident because of those 20 shots only 3 were shots on goal. The game ended in a 0-0 draw that Chicago was more than happy with taking.

July 7th at Toyota Park

The second match up between Sporting and Chicago came on July 7th at Toyota Park. Sporting Kansas City started fast and furious scoring the first goal of the game in only the 6th minute as a Matt Besler throw in bounced in to the box and was knocked down by Kei Kamara.

Benny Feilhaber then puts his boot to it and blasts it into the right upright and the ball ricochets into goal for Feilhaber’s first goal of the year and his first goal of his Sporting Kansas City career.

Sporting continued the fast and furious start as they added a second goal just two short minutes later on a Graham Zusi goal that is infamously known as the “Shross”.   Seth Sinovic collects the ball near midfield and passes it up to Graham Zusi down the left flank, Graham Zusi then dribbles to just outside the front left corner and looks to send a ball in to Kei Kamara but the ball drifts and curls in to goal just of the keepers head to make it 2-0 Sporting in only the 8th minute.

Chicago was able to pull one back just before half when Mike Magee got in behind Sporting’s defense and was able to win the one on one with Jimmy Nielsen to make the game 2-1 in the 38th minute. Sporting was able to ride that scoreline to the end as the game finished 2-1 in favor of Sporting.

August 23rd at Toyota Park

The final match up last year came on August 23rd at Toyota Park. This game followed the theme of fast and furious starts, only this time it was Chicago jumping out to the early lead. Chicago launched a throw in to the box that was cleared out only to be collected by Chicago and passed up the right flank then crossed far post which was sent back across the face of goal and Hunter Jumper directed the ball in to goal with a diving header to put Chicago up 1-0 in the 13th minute.

The game was action packed throughout as Sporting had 18 shots to Chicago’s 12 but, neither team was able to capitalize on any chances after that early goal by Chicago. The game would finish 1-0 in favor of Chicago and would tie the season series.

Sporting and Chicago will meet two more times after today this season, once on July 6th at Sporting Park and the final time on October 10th also at Sporting Park.

Noteworthy

• Matt Besler and Graham Zusi will be gone with the USMNT for 6 weeks. How will Sporting fill the holes left by the absence of two of their biggest stars?
• Aurelien Collin sidelined with recurring hamstring injury
• Lawrence Olum with Kenya for National Team duties
• Erik Palmer Brown is trying to recover from sesamoiditis and is officially listed as questionable
• Oriol Rosell listed as questionable with a quad strain
• The KC Cauldron is rumored to have an upwards of 450+ supporters traveling to Chicago to cheer on Sporting
• Johnny’s Tavern in either Olathe or KCP&L is hosting the official Sporting Kansas City watch party if you need somewhere to go to watch the game

ICYMI

The Benny Feilhaber Show Episode 4 was released earlier in the week and you don’t want to miss it. Benny and Sal Zizzo send off Matt Besler and Graham Zusi in hilarious fashion.

Go Sporting!