Sporting Kansas City vs. Minnesota United | 2020 MLS Match Preview

2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 22
Sporting Kansas City vs. Minnesota United
Children's Mercy Park – Kansas City
November 1 – 7:30 PM ET

STREAMING: MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; on DAZN in Canada

LOCAL TV: FOX Sports KC, FOX Sports North

Sporting Kansas City hope to retake the top spot in the Western Conference when they meet a Minnesota United squad hoping to remain among the top four seeds in the conference when the sides clash Sunday night at Children's Mercy Park.

SKC (11W-6L-3D) are coming off back-to-back wins without conceding a goal, including a 1-0 victory at FC Cincinnati that clinched their berth in the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Minnesota United (8W-5L-6D) have also won consecutive matches as part of a six-match unbeaten streak.

This is the fourth meeting this season, with SKC winning the last two matchups, including 1-0 at Children's Mercy Park on Sept. 13 after the Loons were victorious at the MLS is Back Tournament in July.

Sporting Kansas City

Roger Espinoza scored the lone goal, capping off a move that Alan Pulido engineered to lead SKC to a 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati. It's a result that spoiled the final match at Nippert Stadium for FC Cincy, while also booking Sporting's postseason ticket. With a win or draw on Sunday, Sporting Kansas City will secure a top-four seed in the West and home field advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.

"I think every team’s goal in this league is to make the playoffs. That’s the standard. And then the next thing is obviously you want to try to get a home playoff game and try to get home field advantage if you can then through the playoffs," Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes said after the match. "Those are all the things you’re fighting for week after week and that’s what we’re fighting for. We’ve got to keep fighting here with the last couple games of the season and get ourselves to a place where we have a home playoff game and maybe some home field advantage if we can keep going on."

Updated team roster
Injury Report:
- OUT: Felipe Gutierrez (M) - knee injury
- OUT: Graham Zusi (D) - left midfoot sprain
Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: Ilie Sanchez (M)
International duty: None

Minnesota United

Lalas Abubakar redirected Ethan Finlay's cross into his own net one minute from time, giving Minnesota United a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids Wednesday night.

With multiple MLS clubs set to finish the 2020 regular season without playing a full 23-match schedule due to COVID-19, Major League Soccer confirmed that qualification for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs will be determined by points per game, the league announced Thursday.

Based on points per game, several standings positions have been updated in both the Eastern and Western Conference. Also, Minnesota United have mathematically clinched a spot in the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs.

Updated team roster
Injury Report:
- OUT: Tyler Miller (GK) - hip injury
- OUT: Ike Opara (D) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Luis Amarilla (F) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Hassani Dotson (D) - ankle injury
- OUT: Ozzie Alonso (M) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Jacori Hayes (M) - undisclosed injury
Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: Ozzie Alonso (M)
International duty: None