Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. PT at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kans.
Television: CSN Plus
Radio: 1590 KLIV (English), 1370 KZSF (Spanish)
Earthquakes vs. Sporting Kansas City All-Time
MLS Regular Season: 21-20-7
Home: 14-4-6 (35 GF, 19 GA)
Away: 7-16-1 (23 GF, 39 GA)
Shootout (1996-99): 3-4; Overtime (2000-03): 0-0-4; MLS Cup Playoffs: 2-1-0; US Open Cup: 0-1-0
All-Time Scoring (MLS): SJ 58, SKC 58
Sporting Kansas City Scouting Report
Sporting Kansas City (0-1-1, 1 pts.) is the defending MLS Cup champion. They enter the week 1-2-1 in all competitions, including a 1-0 win against Cruz Azul last week in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal. However, their most recent match was a 5-1 loss to Cruz Azul in Mexico City, eliminating them from CONCACAF Champions League. Their most recent MLS match was a 1-1 draw against FC Dallas over the weekend, a game that Sporting Kansas City led 1-0 after Aurelien Collin’s goal in the 81st minute. However, FC Dallas rallied with a Matt Hedges equalizer in the 90th minute, denying Sporting their first MLS win of the year. Many of the key players from their MLS Cup squad are back, including United States national teamers Matt Besler and Graham Zusi as well as Collin, Argentine forward Claudio Bieler and right back Chance Myers.
Last Game vs. Sporting Kansas City
Earthquakes 1, Sporting KC 0; Aug. 18, 2013; Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
The Earthquakes stayed in the MLS Cup Playoff race with a key 1-0 win against Sporting Kansas City on Aug. 18, 2013 in front of a sold out crowd at Buck Shaw Stadium. Chris Wondolowski supplied the firepower on his own bobblehead night, heading home his eighth goal of the season in the 55th minute. That tally moved Wondolowski into a tie with current Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis for No. 4 on Major League Soccer’s all-time game-winning goals list with 31. After a scoreless first half, the Earthquakes didn’t wait long to find the scoreboard. Sam Cronin tried to send a ball into the mix, but it was deflected wide to Steve Beitashour. The 2012 MLS All-Star volleyed in a cross that Wondolowski headed into the corner for his eighth goal of the season.
History of the Quakes-Sporting Kansas City Rivalry
San Jose and Sporting, then known as the Kansas City Wiz (later Kansas City Wizards), were two of the 10 original clubs during the inaugural 1996 MLS season … The first meeting between the sides was a thriller on April 21, 2006, at Spartan Stadium … With the game tied 2-2 at the end of regulation, the Clash fell in a lengthy shootout by a score of 8-7 … San Jose’s first win against Kansas City came later that season on May 29, 2-1 at Spartan Stadium, thanks to an Eric Wynalda brace … The teams have faced off twice in the postseason … The Quakes won 3-2 at Spartan Stadium on Nov. 15, 2003, on a 117th-minute Landon Donovan goal in sudden-death overtime, during the Western Conference Finals en route to their second MLS Cup title … The two teams met again in the 2004 MLS Cup Playoffs for a two-game Western Conference Semifinals series … The Quakes took a 2-0 decision in their home leg on Oct. 24, but were then eliminated on aggregate following a 3-0 Wizards victory six days later at Arrowhead Stadium, with current Quake Khari Stephenson grabbing the opener and Jack Jewsbury scoring the all-important third goal in second-half stoppage time … Chris Wondolowski tallied the goal that sealed his first Golden Boot award during the 2010 regular-season finale on Oct. 23 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, his 18th of the year … The Earthquakes played in the second-ever MLS match at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park on June 17, 2011, falling 1-0 with C.J. Sapong re-directing a free kick from Graham Zusi for the only goal of the match in the 31st minute … San Jose fell 2-1 on the road against Sporting KC in their lone meeting in 2012 on May 27 … The Earthquakes took the 2013 edition of this matchup 1-0 on Aug. 18 at Buck Shaw Stadium with Chris Wondolowski scoring his fifth career goal against Sporting KC.
Earthquakes – Sporting Kansas City Connections
SKC defender Ike Opara played for the Earthquakes from 2010-12, making 35 appearances and recording three goals … Opara (2007-09) and Earthquakes midfielder Sam Cronin (2005-08) attended Wake Forest, winning the 2007 College Cup for the Demon Decons … Earthquakes defender Clarence Goodson and forward Chris Wondolowski played alongside Sporting KC defender Matt Besler in the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup … That trio has also played with SKC midfielder Graham Zusi on the USMNT … Earthquakes goalkeeper David Bingham (2008-10), Earthquakes defender Ryan Neil (2010-13) and SKC goalkeeper Eric Kronberg (2004-05) played for Cal … SKC midfielder Paulo Nagamura played with Earthquakes forward Alan Gordon for the LA Galaxy in 2004-05 … SKC midfielder Jacob Peterson appeared in nine games for the Earthquakes in 2011 after arriving in a trade along with current San Jose players Alan Gordon and Nana Attakora from Toronto FC on July 14, 2011 … Peterson played with Earthquakes midfielder Sam Cronin at Toronto FC in 2010.
All-Time Regular-Season Series Leaders:
Earthquakes Sporting KC
Goals 10 - Ronald Cerritos 10 - Preki
Assists 5 - Corrales/Mulrooney 9 - Preki
Shots 47 - Ronald Cerritos 80 - Preki
Shots on Goal 25 - Ronald Cerritos 37 - Preki
Fouls Committed 36 - Ramiro Corrales 43 - Matt McKeon
Fouls Suffered 45 - Richard Mulrooney 50 - Preki
Wins 8 - Joe Cannon 5 - Tony Meola
Losses 6 - Joe Cannon 7 - Tony Meola
Shutouts 9 - Joe Cannon 7 - Tony Meola
Saves 73 - Joe Cannon 74 - Tony Meola
Goals Allowed 14 - Joe Cannon 18 - Tony Meola
All-Time Regular-Season Series Game Highs:
Earthquakes Real Salt Lake
Goals 3 - Landon Donovan (9/20/03) 3 - Preki/Diop
Assists 3 - Eric Wynalda (6/15/97) 2 - 6 players tied
Shots 8 - Landon Donovan (8/14/04) 8 - Preki (7/31/99)
Shots on Goal 4 - 3 players tied 4 - 6 players tied
Fouls Committed 6 - Brian Mullan (9/18/04) 6 - 3 players tied
Fouls Suffered 8 - Eddie Lewis (10/6/99) 7 - Wright/Arnaud
Saves 10 - Joe Cannon (10/18/08) 9 - Ammann/Meola
Goals Allowed 5 - Andy Kirk (9/5/98) 4 - Tony Meola (9/20/03)
Goonie Magic
After scoring 95th-minute equalizers in each of their games last week, the Earthquakes boosted their second-half stoppage-time haul to 17 goals in all competitions over the last two years. Fifteen of those goals produced a win or a tie.
Stoppage-Time Superlatives
Here’s a bit more detail about the Earthquakes’ second-half stoppage-time goals since 2012:
-Nine second-half stoppage-time goals during the 2012 regular season, an MLS record, and added one more during the first leg of their Western Conference Semifinal against the LA Galaxy at the StubHub Center on Nov. 4
-6-0-3 in 2012 when they scored in second-half stoppage time
-5 goals in second-half stoppage-time in 2013
-2-0-2 in 2013 when they scored in second-half stoppage time
-Scored in the 95th minute in each of their first two games of 2014, the first to equalize 1-1 against Toluca FC in CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal action and the next to draw Real Salt Lake 3-3 in their MLS opener
-8-0-7 in all competitions since the beginning of 2012 when they score in second-half stoppage-time
-34 goals during MLS play in the 76th minute or later since the beginning of 2012
-15-0-10 since the start of 2012 when scoring in the 76th minute or later
No Place Like Home
The Earthquakes are on a 21-game unbeaten streak in all competitions at home dating back to opening day of 2013, a 2-0 loss against Real Salt Lake on March 3. The club is 24-2-14 in all competitions at Buck Shaw Stadium since 2012 and 27-4-14 including matches played at other Bay Area venues.
