(Aug. 8, 2020) — Sporting Kansas City has released the club’s schedule for the first phase of the continued 2020 MLS regular season in home markets, featuring six total matches between Aug. 21 and Sept. 13 and three home fixtures at Children’s Mercy Park.
All MLS clubs will play 18 additional league matches in a phased approach, concluding with Decision Day on Nov. 8 to complete the 23-game regular season. The Audi MLS Cup Playoffs are slated to begin Nov. 20 with 18 teams and will culminate with the 25th MLS Cup on Dec. 12.
Major League Soccer’s return to play in the home markets of all 26 clubs will feature comprehensive health and safety protocols, including regular testing of players, coaches and essential staff for COVID-19. MLS plans to announce the balance of the regular season schedule by early September as the league continues to work with infectious disease experts, league and club medical personnel, and government officials in all markets in charting a course for the completion of the 2020 season.
Each of Sporting's next six matches will air live on FOX Sports Kansas City or FOX Sports Kansas City Plus in Kansas, Nebraska and western Missouri and on FOX Sports Midwest or FOX Sports Midwest Plus in St. Louis, mid-Missouri and Iowa. They can also be streamed via the FOX Sports GO app or FOXSportsGO.com by customers of pay-TV providers who receive the channel. Each broadcast will be supplemented by 30-minute pregame and postgame shows. Viewers outside of the FOX Sports Midwest footprint in the U.S. can watch every match on ESPN+.
Additionally, all six games will air locally in English on Sports Radio 810 WHB or one of its sister stations, and in Spanish on La Grande 1340 AM.
Sporting KC Schedule: First Phase of Continued 2020 Regular Season
<strong>Date</strong> |
<strong>Opponent</strong> |
<strong>Time (CT)</strong> |
<strong>TV & Streaming</strong> |
<div>Friday, Aug. 21</div> |
<div>at Minnesota United FC</div> |
<div>6:30 p.m.</div> |
<div>FOX Sports Kansas City Plus;<br>
FOX Sports GO</div> |
<div>Tuesday, Aug. 25</div> |
<div>HOUSTON DYNAMO</div> |
<div>7:30 p.m.</div> |
<div>FOX Sports Kansas City Plus;<br>
FOX Sports GO</div> |
<div>Saturday, Aug. 29</div> |
<div>at Colorado Rapids</div> |
<div>8 p.m.</div> |
<div>FOX Sports Kansas City;<br>
FOX Sports GO</div> |
<div>Wednesday, Sept. 2</div> |
<div>FC DALLAS</div> |
<div>7:30 p.m.</div> |
<div>FOX Sports Kansas City Plus;<br>
FOX Sports GO</div> |
<div>Saturday, Sept. 5</div> |
<div>at Houston Dynamo</div> |
<div>7 p.m.</div> |
<div>FOX Sports Kansas City Plus;<br>
FOX Sports GO</div> |
<div>Sunday, Sept. 13</div> |
<div>MINNESOTA UNITED FC</div> |
<div>7:30 p.m.</div> |
<div>FOX Sports Kansas City;<br>
FOX Sports GO</div> |
In conjunction with today’s schedule release, Sporting Kansas City has also announced the club’s plan for reduced-capacity, socially distanced seating for the home matches at Children’s Mercy Park during the first phase.
Following detailed safety protocols developed in conjunction with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, Sporting’s next three home matches at Children’s Mercy Park will be held at a reduced capacity of approximately 14%. The stadium seating plan will adhere to proper social distancing guidelines and face coverings will be mandatory for fans, along with a number of other new safety measures including a tailored ingress timing plan that promotes physical distancing upon entry.
The reduced-capacity plan at Children’s Mercy Park was developed through significant collaboration between Sporting Kansas City and the Unified Government prior to receiving local and state approval.
“The safety and wellbeing of fans, players and staff at Children’s Mercy Park remains our top priority,” said Dr. Neal Erickson, Primary Care Physician at Sporting Kansas City. “After consulting extensively with local officials, government authorities and public health experts, we feel confident about the detailed safety protocols and procedures in place at Sporting KC home matches. We will continue to monitor the evolving public health landscape and adapt accordingly."
Tickets for the next three home matches will be available exclusively to Sporting Kansas City Season Ticket Members via lotteries and no single-game tickets will be sold by the club on SeatGeek.com or at the stadium box office. For more information, Season Ticket Members can contact their Membership Service Executives.
A limited number of media members will be credentialed to cover Sporting Kansas City’s next three home matches at Children’s Mercy Park. Media must apply for single-game credentials and can click here for more details.
COVID-19 testing protocols will continue to play an important role in the league’s competition framework. MLS continues to work closely with the league’s infectious disease advisors as well as advisors for the MLSPA on the plan for testing. All clubs are forming testing partnerships with a local certified lab, and all players, technical staff and essential club staff will be tested every other day, including the day before each match day. Teams will also take chartered flights, and for the majority of road trips will arrive in the host market on matchday and depart after the match later that evening.
KEY DATES
- Aug. 21: Sporting resumes regular season at Minnesota United FC
- Aug. 25: Sporting hosts Houston Dynamo in first match back at Children’s Mercy Park
- Nov. 8: Regular season ends on Decision Day
- Dec. 12: MLS Cup
SPORTING KC SCHEDULE NOTES
Currently occupying first place in the Western Conference with 12 points and a 4-1-0 record, Sporting will resume their regular season campaign on Aug. 21 with a marquee matchup at second-place Minnesota United FC. The Midwestern rivals most recently met in the MLS is Back Tournament on July 12 as Minnesota claimed a narrow 2-1 win.
Sporting’s highly anticipated return to Children’s Mercy Park is slated for Aug. 25 when the Houston Dynamo visit Kansas City for the second time this season. Manager Peter Vermes’ side defeated Houston 4-0 in the club’s 2020 home opener on March 7, the last time Sporting took the field at Children’s Mercy Park.
On Aug. 29, Sporting will travel to face fellow MLS charter member Colorado Rapids in a rematch of an exciting MLS is Back Tournament contest on July 17 that saw Sporting prevail 3-2 on a 91st-minute goal from Graham Zusi. The following week, Sporting will meet longtime rivals FC Dallas for the first time this season on Sept. 2 at Children’s Mercy Park, then visit Houston three days later. Sporting will host Minnesota in the final game of Phase 1 on Sept. 13.
In addition to sitting atop the Western Conference table, Sporting’s 13 goals and plus-8 goal differential are the club’s best marks through the first five games of a regular season in club history. Offseason acquisitions Alan Pulido (three goals, four assists), Khiry Shelton (three goals, one assist) and Gadi Kinda (two goals, two assists) have paced a potent attack, while goalkeeper Tim Melia boasts a 316-minute regular season shutout streak dating back to Feb. 29—the longest active run in MLS.
