Sporting Kansas City is back in action this weekend when the team travels to take on Real Salt Lake at America First Field on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. CT and will be available to stream on Apple TV, while the game will also be broadcast locally on the radio via Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
1. GETTING BACK ON TRACK AT RSL
Sporting Kansas City is looking to rebound from the club’s recent defeat to the Colorado Rapids at Sporting Park on March 21 when the team heads west to take on Real Salt Lake at America First Field on Saturday afternoon.
Sporting missed out on the chance to build on the team’s first win of the season - a 2-1 victory on the road over the LA Galaxy on March 14 - with a disappointing result at home against the Rapids prior to the FIFA international window, extending Sporting’s winless streak at home to six matches dating back to Sept. 7, 2025.
With several players returning from injury just before and during the international break - including defenders Zorhan Bassong, Ian James and Justin Reynolds - and with newly signed winger Capita Capemba receiving his P1 visa and arriving in Kansas City this week, Sporting will be looking to kick on as the season enters the spring months ahead of the break for this summer’s World Cup.
2. AIMING FOR RARE WIN IN UTAH
Sporting Kansas City returns to action following a week off due to the FIFA international window when the team heads west to take on Real Salt Lake at America First Field on Saturday afternoon.
Sporting has labored in high-altitude Sandy, Utah throughout the club’s history, going 5-13-3 in regular-season matches at RSL. Sporting last visited America First Field on Sept. 13, 2025, falling to a 2-1 defeat following goals either side of halftime from Diego Luna and Alexandros Katranis before Daniel Salloi forced an own goal to reduce the deficit.
The two sides also played out a 1-1 draw at Sporting Park last season on June 28, 2025. Former Sporting forward Johnny Russell scored on his return to Kansas City for RSL to give the visitors a halftime lead with a bullet header, but Erik Thommy struck from the edge of the area midway through the second half to tie the game up and ensure both teams left with a point.
Sporting has won four of their last 12 regular-season games against RSL - including two of their last six at America First Field - and are 13-19-10 in the all-time regular-season series and 16-21-12 in all competitions.
3. SULEYMANOV OFF THE MARK IN 2026
Sporting Kansas City winger Shapi Suleymanov got off the mark in the team’s most recent match, tallying the equalizing goal late in the first half of Sporting’s 4-1 setback against the Colorado Rapids at Sporting Park on March 21.
Receiving a ball in the left channel from opposite winger Calvin Harris, Suleymanov paced away from his marker into the area and slotted a composed finish beyond Zack Steffen at the near post to bring his side level in the 44th minute of the contest.
The goal was Suleymanov’s first goal of the season and third goal of his MLS career. His last goal came on June 14, 2025 when he tallied Sporting’s 2025 Goal of the Year with a stunner from distance against FC Dallas. Since joining the club head of the 2025 season from Greek side Aris Thessaloniki, Suleymanov has tallied three goals and four assists.
Suleymanov previously recorded 55 goals and 46 assists while making over 300 appearances in Russia, Turkey, Israel and Greece early in his career. The left-footed winger boasts experience in Europe’s premier club competitions - including the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League - and competed as a youth international for Russia at the U-16 through U-21 levels.
4. JOVELJIC RECALLED TO SERBIA NATIONAL TEAM
Sporting Kansas City forward Dejan Joveljic joined the Serbia National Team for a pair of friendlies during this past FIFA international window against teams competing in FIFA World Cup 26 as Joveljic returned to the national team for the first time since October 2024.
The No. 39 team in the FIFA world rankings, Serbia fell 3-0 to top-ranked European champions Spain on Friday, March 27 at Estadio de la Ceramica in Villarreal before beating No. 61 ranked Saudi Arabia 2-1 on Tuesday, March 31 at TSC Arena in Backa Topola, Serbia. Joveljic earned two caps during the break, appearing as a substitute in both matches.
Joveljic collected SKC’s Most Valuable Player, Golden Boot and Offensive Player of the Year awards in 2025 after tallying 18 goals – second most in a single season in club history – and two assists in his debut campaign in Kansas City. The Designated Player, acquired in the first cash-for-player trade in MLS, leads Sporting with three goals through four games in 2026 and his 21 career goals for SKC in 36 regular season games is the best goals per game rate all-time among players with 15 goals.
Joveljic debuted for the Serbia Men’s National Team at age 21 in June 2021 – two months before arriving in MLS as a U-22 Initiative signing – and has since earned nine career international caps, highlighted by a pair of goals in a 3-2 victory over Jordan in June 2023.
5. BASSONG SIGNS LONG-TERM CONTRACT
Sporting Kansas City announced on Monday that the club has signed defender Zorhan Bassong to a new MLS contract through the 2028-2029 season with club options for the 2029-2030 and 2030-2031 seasons.
Bassong, who joined Sporting KC ahead of the 2024 season, has made 51 appearances for the club in all competitions, tallying one goal and four assists while splitting time between left back and central midfield.
The Canadian international is the fourth longest tenured player on the team – behind John Pulskamp (2020), Jake Davis (2021) and Stephen Afrifa (2023) – and was named one of three club captains for the 2026 season by head coach Raphael Wicky alongside Designated Players Dejan Joveljic and Manu Garcia.
Primarily deployed at left back early in his Sporting career, Bassong shifted to central midfield during the latter stages of the 2024 season. Serving as the engine of Sporting’s midfield for much of 2025, Bassong scored his first professional goal on the road at FC Cincinnati on April 26, 2025.
On the international stage, Bassong has earned eight caps for the Canadian National Team and was called in to seven consecutive Canada rosters before missing the most recent squad due to injury as the team prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil this summer. As a youth international, Bassong initially represented Belgium at the U-19 level before switching his allegiance to Canada.
