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Preview: Sporting KC Faces NYCFC on Saturday

March 27, 2015 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Sporting Kansas City is set to face expansion side New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. The inaugural match-up will kick off at 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcasted locally on KMCI-TV 38 the Spot and SKCTV across the Midwest with coverage beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT.

The team will host official watch parties at BurgerFi locations in Leawood, Kansas (11635 Ash St.) and Lawrence, Kansas (918 Massachusetts St.) featuring $5 Boulevard Wheat pints with souvenir glasses co-branded by Sporting KC, BurgerFi and Boulevard Brewing Company. Additionally, all children wearing Sporting KC gear will receive a free ice cream sundae during the watch parties.

Sporting KC, with more than 200 fans expected to be in attendance tomorrow, will be in search of the team's first victory of 2015. The visitors dropped their most recent road contest - a 3-1 loss at FC Dallas - after finishing the 2014 season with the most road victories in Major League Soccer (8).

NYCFC head into week four in first place in the Eastern Conference with a 1-0-2 record, matching the longest undefeated run by an expansion team in MLS history.

Most recently, New York City earned a point in a 0-0 draw against the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Goalkeeper Josh Saunders, an MLS Save of the Week nominee for the third consecutive week, made a career-high seven saves as NYCFC played shorthanded after the 82nd minute when defender Shay Facey was shown his second yellow card.

Sporting KC is also coming off a scoreless draw, tying the Portland Timbers in front of 20,848 fans last weekend at Sporting Park. Sporting KC is 6-1-2 in their first meetings against expansion (or relocated) clubs and has handed MLS teams their first loss in stadiums on six occassions: BBVA Compass Stadium, BMO Field, Qwest Field, Rio Tinto Stadium, Robertson Stadium and Spartan Stadium.

NYCFC's roster features David Villa, Spain's all-time leading goal scorer who appeared in three World Cups, and U.S. MNT midfielder Mix Diskerud, who leads MLS with 185 successful passes in 2015.

Both sides will be without several players on Saturday. Sporting Kansas City will be missing Roger Espinoza (Honduras), Marcel de Jong (Canada) and Erik Palmer-Brown (US U20's) due to international duty, while Jon Kempin (loan), Mikey Lopez (loan) and Chance Myers (injury) are also unavailable.

NYCFC's absences include Facey (suspension), Khiry Shelton (US U23's), Adam Nemec (Slovakia), George John (injury) and Sebastian Velasquez (injury).

In-game updates will be available online at SportingKC.com/GameOn, via Twitter @SKCGameday and through the Sporting Club Uphoria mobile app. Additionally, The Final Whistle: Sporting KC Postgame Show will air immediately following the conclusion of Saturday's match on 102.9 FM.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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