Sporting Kansas City vs St. Louis City
Sporting Kansas City snatches draw from St. Louis City
A late first-half strike from E. Löwen was cancelled out after the break by C. Harris.
St. Louis City looked set to take all three points after E. Löwen's goal in stoppage time of the first half, but Sporting Kansas City responded early in the second half through C. Harris to level the match at 1-1. The result defied Fipster's high-confidence prediction of an away win, leaving both sides to share the spoils in this Major League Soccer encounter.
Outcome probability
As the regular season rolls on, Sporting Kansas City face a stern test against St. Louis City. Both teams have had their ups and downs, but the visitors have shown more consistency this campaign.
Match factors
Joveljić's scoring threat vs weak Sporting defense
Joveljić leads with 8 goals and strong recent form, facing a defense conceding 2.53 goals per game
St. Louis City's superior recent form and scoring
St. Louis City has 42% win rate and 1.42 goals per game vs Sporting's 21% and 0.95 goals
Becher's recent scoring and assisting surge
Becher scored 3 goals in last 5 and has 4 assists this season, key in St. Louis attack
Sporting's defensive doubts with Reynolds doubtful
Reynolds is doubtful with muscle injury, potentially weakening Sporting's defense
The context
Sporting Kansas City sit 15th in the league with 14 points from 19 games, struggling to find form with just four wins. Meanwhile, St. Louis City are comfortably placed 7th, boasting 26 points from 18 matches. Their superior goal difference and points-per-game highlight a side in better shape.
Key insights
D. Joveljić
St. Louis City
Leads team scoring with 8 goals and strong recent form, posing a major threat to Sporting's defence.
Major League Soccer 26/278 goals in 18 apps, 0.44 goals/game
S. Becher
St. Louis City
In fine form with 3 goals in last 5 games and 4 assists this season, key to St. Louis City's attacking threat.
Major League Soccer 26/272 goals and 4 assists in 18 apps
- J
J. Reynolds
Sporting Kansas City
Doubtful with a muscle injury, his absence could weaken Sporting's defensive stability.
Major League Soccer 26/27Provided 1 assist this season
Analysis
Head-to-head history is fairly balanced, but St. Louis City have the edge in recent form and league standing. Their attacking prowess, led by D. Joveljić who has netted 8 goals this season, contrasts with Sporting's defensive vulnerabilities, especially with J. Reynolds doubtful due to a muscle injury. St. Louis City's S. Becher has been in fine fettle lately, contributing goals and assists, making them a real threat on the road. The predicted halftime score of 0-2 suggests St. Louis City could take control early, with Sporting Kansas City likely to respond late but fall short.
Key facts
- 1.St. Louis City rank 7th with 26 points from 18 games; Sporting Kansas City are 15th with 14 points from 19 games.
- 2.St. Louis City have a significantly better goal difference, scoring 30 goals this season.
- 3.D. Joveljić leads St. Louis City with 8 goals in 18 appearances, showing strong recent form.
- 4.Sporting Kansas City's J. Reynolds is doubtful with a muscle injury, potentially weakening their defence.
- 5.Head-to-head matches average 3.8 goals, indicating an open game.
- 6.St. Louis City have a points-per-game average of 1.44 compared to Sporting's 0.74.
Prediction
Expect St. Louis City to clinch a 2-1 win, capitalising on their attacking strengths and Sporting Kansas City's defensive doubts. The match should see moderate disciplinary action, with around four cards expected.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Sporting Kansas City
Away — St. Louis City
The verdict
In summary, St. Louis City's superior form and key players' performances make them favourites to take all three points. Sporting Kansas City will need to tighten up at the back and find a spark upfront if they are to avoid defeat.
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
Bassong
Yellow Card
Durkin
Yellow Card
Löwen
Miller
Yellow Card
Harris
Assist: Calheira
Wallem
Yellow Card
Löwen
Becher
Calheira
Harris
Bassong
Jeong Sang-Bin
Wallem
Karić
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Vancouver Whitecaps | 20 | 12 | 4 | 4 | +27 | 40 |
| 5 |  FC Dallas | 21 | 9 | 6 | 6 | +4 | 33 |
| 6 |  St. Louis City | 21 | 9 | 6 | 6 | +3 | 33 |
| 7 |  Colorado Rapids | 21 | 9 | 1 | 11 | +2 | 28 |
| 14 |  Austin | 21 | 5 | 6 | 10 | -14 | 21 |
| 15 |  Sporting Kansas City | 20 | 4 | 3 | 13 | -30 | 15 |
Match Statistics
Sporting Kansas City
4-4-2Starting XI
- 4L. JohnsenM
- 7CapitaM
- 8J. DavisD
- 9D. JoveljićF
- 11C. HarrisM
- 15Jansen MillerD
- 18E. KarićD
- 19T. CalheiraF
- 22Z. BassongM
- 28Wyatt MeyerD
- 30S. ClevelandG
Substitutes
- 1J. PulskampG
- 2I. JamesD
- 13J. ReynoldsD
- 16J. BartlettD
- 17S. AfrifaF
- 57Diego BorgesD
- 93M. SuleymanovF
- 99J. ReidD
St. Louis City
3-4-2-1Starting XI
- 1R. BürkiG
- 5L. MacNaughtonD
- 6C. WallemM
- 8C. DurkinM
- 10E. LöwenF
- 11S. BecherF
- 14T. TotlandM
- 21D. PolvaraD
- 24D. EdelmanM
- 32T. BaumgartlD
- 77Jeong Sang-BinF
Substitutes
- 4M. FallD
- 7T. OstrákM
- 19C. HolseF
- 20Rafael SantosD
- 23A. MățanM
- 28M. PerezM
- 29P. AultM
- 39B. LundtG
- 99J. OrozcoD
Sporting Kansas City
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvin Harris | M | 75 | 7.9 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1/2 |
| Zorhan Bassong | M | 75 | 7.3 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| Jacob Davis | D | 88 | 7.2 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 1/1 |
| Taylor Calheira | F | 64 | 7.0 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1/3 |
| Lasse Berg Johnsen | M | 88 | 7.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wyatt Meyer | D | 88 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Emir Karić | D | 88 | 6.9 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Stefan Cleveland | G | 88 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Capita | M | 88 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 1/4 |
| Dejan Joveljić(C) | F | 88 | 6.3 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 0/1 |
| Jansen Miller | D | 88 | 6.2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Ian James | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Justin Reynolds | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jayden Reid | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Diego Borges | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| John Pulskamp | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Shapi Suleymanov | F | 24 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Stephen Afrifa | F | 13 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/1 |
| Jacob Bartlett | D | 13 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
St. Louis City
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eduard Löwen | F | 62 | 8.2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3/3 |
| Dante Polvara | D | 88 | 8.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Timo Baumgartl | D | 88 | 7.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Roman Bürki(C) | G | 88 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Simon Becher | F | 62 | 7.0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/2 |
| Christopher Durkin | M | 88 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Lukas MacNaughton | D | 88 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Conrad Wallem | M | 84 | 6.9 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 0/2 |
| Tomas Totland | M | 88 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Daniel Edelman | M | 88 | 6.5 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Jeong Sang-bin | F | 84 | 6.2 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 2/4 |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Rafael Santos | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Miguel Perez | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tomáš Ostrák | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Benjamin Lundt | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mamadou Mbacke | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Palmer Ault | M | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jaziel Orozco | D | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Carlo Holse | F | 26 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0/2 |
| Alexandru Mățan | M | 26 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/2 |