Sporting Kansas City vs Los Angeles FC
Sporting Kansas City dominate LAFC with commanding win
A strong home performance sees Sporting Kansas City take control and secure a 3-1 victory.
Sporting Kansas City put on a dominant display against Los Angeles FC, racing to a 2-0 lead with goals from André Luiz and T. Calheira in the first half. Although D. Bouanga pulled one back for LAFC shortly after the break, J. Bartlett sealed the win with a third goal for Sporting Kansas City. This result defied Fipster's medium-confidence prediction of an away win, as the home side comfortably outplayed their visitors.
Outcome probability
Sporting Kansas City face Los Angeles FC in what promises to be a tightly contested MLS regular season encounter. Both teams have shown contrasting fortunes this season, with LAFC currently enjoying a stronger league position and form.
Match factors
LAFC's attacking trio outperforms Sporting KC's forwards
Bouanga leads with 12 goals and Son Heung-Min adds 5, both above league averages, giving LAFC a clear offensive edge
Manu García's creativity boosts Sporting KC's attack
García's 4 assists this season surpass league average for midfielders, key to creating chances
Bouanga's recent scoring form supports LAFC's predicted win
Bouanga scored 2 goals in last 5 games, showing strong recent form
LAFC's injury absences may affect defensive solidity
Key defender Ryan Porteous is doubtful with leg injury, potentially weakening defense
The context
Los Angeles FC sit comfortably in 4th place with 37 points from 24 games, while Sporting Kansas City struggle near the bottom at 15th with 15 points from 23 matches. Historically, LAFC have dominated their head-to-head meetings, winning 10 of 17 encounters compared to Sporting KC's 4 wins and 3 draws.
Key insights
Dénis Bouanga
Los Angeles FC
Bouanga's 12 goals this season, including 2 in the last 5 games, make him a constant threat and key to LAFC's attacking success.
Major League Soccer 26/2712 goals in 23 appearances, 0.52 goals/game
Manu García
Sporting Kansas City
García's 4 assists this season highlight his creativity and importance in generating chances for Sporting KC.
Major League Soccer 26/274 assists in 18 appearances, 0.22 assists/game
Dejan Joveljić
Sporting Kansas City
Joveljić is Sporting KC's top scorer with 8 goals, providing their main offensive threat despite the team's struggles.
Major League Soccer 26/278 goals in 19 appearances, 0.42 goals/game
Son Heung-Min
Los Angeles FC
Son Heung-Min's combination of 5 goals and 9 assists makes him a pivotal creative and scoring force for LAFC.
Major League Soccer 26/275 goals and 9 assists in 22 appearances
Analysis
LAFC's attacking prowess, led by midfielder Dénis Bouanga with 12 goals this season, gives them a clear edge. Bouanga's recent form, scoring twice in the last five games, complements the creative threat of Son Heung-Min, who contributes both goals and assists. Sporting KC rely heavily on Dejan Joveljić, their top scorer with 8 goals, and creative midfielder Manu García, but their overall form and league position suggest they will find it tough to contain LAFC's firepower. The absence of LAFC's defender Ryan Porteous due to a leg injury could slightly weaken their defence, but their offensive strength is expected to prevail.
Key facts
- 1.Los Angeles FC rank 4th with 37 points from 24 games; Sporting Kansas City are 15th with 15 points from 23 games.
- 2.In 17 head-to-head matches, LAFC have won 10, Sporting KC 4, with 3 draws.
- 3.Dénis Bouanga leads LAFC with 12 goals this season, including 2 in the last 5 games.
- 4.Dejan Joveljić is Sporting KC's top scorer with 8 goals in 19 appearances.
- 5.Manu García has provided 4 assists for Sporting KC, the team's highest this season.
- 6.Son Heung-Min contributes 5 goals and 9 assists for LAFC, a key creative force.
- 7.LAFC defender Ryan Porteous is doubtful with a leg injury, potentially impacting their defence.
Prediction
We predict Los Angeles FC will take an early lead, going into halftime 1-0 up, and eventually secure a 2-1 victory. Sporting Kansas City will respond with a goal but ultimately fall short against the visitors' attacking quality. Expect a competitive match with a moderate number of cards, around three in total.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Sporting Kansas City
Away — Los Angeles FC
The verdict
This fixture highlights LAFC's attacking superiority and Sporting KC's struggle to climb the table. While Sporting KC will fight hard, LAFC's consistent goal-scoring and recent form make them the favourites to claim all three points in this encounter.
Form as the teams went into this match — excludes this result and anything since.
Team Comparison
Season shape — attack, defence, form, clean sheets & win rate
Home vs Away comparison
Goal difference in each of the last few fixtures — above the line is a net win, below is a net loss
Season comparison
Goals scored & conceded, goal difference and clean sheets across the season
Halftime Performance
What each side does once the whistle goes for half time
Streaks
Recent-form runs — each side’s most-recent game meets in the middle
Head to Head
André Luiz
Assist: Reynolds
Palencia
Yellow Card
Calheira
Agyabeng
Yellow Card
Igor Jesus
Terry
Bouanga
Assist: Shaffelburg
Agyabeng
Sieb
Palencia
Bartlett
Cheberko
Yellow Card
Cheberko
Harris
Yellow Card
Afrifa
André Luiz
Harris
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Vancouver Whitecaps | 24 | 14 | 4 | 6 | +30 | 46 |
| 5 |  St. Louis City | 25 | 11 | 8 | 6 | +7 | 41 |
| 6 |  Los Angeles FC | 26 | 11 | 7 | 8 | +14 | 40 |
| 7 |  Colorado Rapids | 25 | 11 | 2 | 12 | +1 | 35 |
| 14 |  Seattle Sounders | 23 | 7 | 7 | 9 | -5 | 28 |
| 15 |  Sporting Kansas City | 24 | 5 | 3 | 16 | -33 | 18 |
Match Statistics
Sporting Kansas City
4-4-2Starting XI
- 3M. MosqueraD
- 4L. JohnsenM
- 11André LuizM
- 13J. ReynoldsD
- 14C. HarrisM
- 17S. AfrifaF
- 18E. KarićD
- 19T. CalheiraF
- 20K. AgyabengM
- 28Wyatt MeyerD
- 30S. ClevelandG
Substitutes
- 1J. PulskampG
- 15Jansen MillerD
- 16J. BartlettD
- 24R. RamosF
- 29S. ReidF
- 57Diego BorgesD
- 93M. SuleymanovF
- 99J. ReidD
Los Angeles FC
4-3-3Starting XI
- 1H. LlorisG
- 4E. SeguraD
- 6Igor JesusM
- 7Son Heung-MinF
- 9A. SiebF
- 14Sergi PalenciaD
- 22Jude TerryM
- 23Y. CheberkoD
- 66M. ChoinièreM
- 91N. TafariD
- 99D. BouangaF
Substitutes
- 8M. DelgadoM
- 17J. EbobisseF
- 18J. ShaffelburgF
- 19T. BoydF
- 21R. RaposoM
- 24R. HollingsheadD
- 31Cabral CarterG
- 33A. LongD
- 45Kenny NielsenD
Sporting Kansas City
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T. Calheira | F | 90 | 8.2 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — |
| André Luiz | M | 85 | 8.1 | 1 | — | 7 | 3 | — | 1/5 |
| S. Cleveland | G | 90 | 7.8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| J. Reynolds | D | 90 | 7.6 | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | 1/1 |
| J. Bartlett | D | 29 | 7.5 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| M. Mosquera | D | 90 | 7.0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| E. Karić | D | 90 | 6.8 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| Wyatt Meyer | D | 90 | 6.8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| S. Reid | F | 5 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0/1 |
| L. Johnsen | M | 90 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1/1 |
| K. Agyabeng | M | 61 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/1 |
| S. Afrifa | F | 85 | 6.5 | — | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0/2 |
| J. Reid | D | 3 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| M. Suleymanov | F | 5 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| C. Harris | M | 87 | 6.2 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Jansen Miller | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| J. Pulskamp | G | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Diego Borges | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| R. Ramos | F | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Los Angeles FC
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D. Bouanga | F | 90 | 8.2 | 1 | — | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4/5 |
| H. Lloris | G | 90 | 7.6 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| M. Choinière | M | 90 | 7.2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2/3 |
| J. Ebobisse | F | 9 | 6.8 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| E. Segura | D | 90 | 6.7 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| Jude Terry | M | 46 | 6.7 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — |
| J. Shaffelburg | F | 44 | 6.6 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2/2 |
| Son Heung-Min | F | 90 | 6.5 | — | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1/3 |
| A. Sieb | F | 67 | 6.4 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1/5 |
| N. Tafari | D | 90 | 6.4 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Igor Jesus | M | 46 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Y. Cheberko | D | 81 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1/1 |
| R. Hollingshead | D | 23 | 6.2 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| T. Boyd | F | 23 | 6.1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0/1 |
| M. Delgado | M | 44 | 6.0 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| Sergi Palencia | D | 67 | 5.7 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| A. Long | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| R. Raposo | M | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cabral Carter | G | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kenny Nielsen | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |