SKC looking for payback at Minnesota United
Billed as the "Nicest Rivalry in Sports," there still figures to be a high level of intensity and maybe even a little nastiness on the pitch Saturday when Sporting Kansas City visits Minnesota United in Saint Paul, Minn.
It will be the teams' first meeting since the Loons went into Children's Mercy Park last December and handed the hosts a 3-0 loss in the semifinals of the Western Conference playoffs.
Besides revenge, Sporting K.C. (11-4-5, 38 points), who trail the first-place Seattle Sounders by just one point in the Western Conference, have a lot riding on the outcome of Saturday's game.
SKC is 4-0-1 in its past five away games and can equal the club of record for longest road unbeaten run in the regular season, last accomplished in 2012, with a win or a draw.
Sporting KC leads the all-time regular-season series with the Loons 6-3-2 and holds a 7-5-2 edge in all competitions since 2017.
Forward Daniel Salloi, a league MVP contender, has been involved in an MLS-high 18 points (12 goals, six assists) and scored the tying goal in the 92nd minute against visiting Portland in a 1-1 draw on Wednesday.
"He puts power on the ball," SKC coach Peter Vermes said of the right-footed blast from the top left side of the penalty box that went inside the near post. "He beat him with speed tonight on that ball. It's a good finish. It's a great finish."
"They're a dangerous team," said Minnesota United goaltender Tyler Miller. "They're dangerous in the attack. They have a solid defense, and Tim Melia is a solid goaltender as well. It's going to be a difficult task for us Saturday, but it's a game that we see as an opportunity to, also, gain some points and momentum on them and the teams at the top."
Minnesota United (7-6-6, 27 points) are in sixth place in the West and come in off a 1-1 draw at San Jose on Tuesday.
The Loons, who had a seven-match home unbeaten streak (6-0-1) snapped last Saturday by the LA Galaxy, 1-0, are led by midfielders Emanuel Reynoso (two goals, three assists) and Robin Lod (six goals, including four game-winners).
--Field Level Media
