When asking Benny Feilhaber which team he dislikes the most he surprised more than a few Sporting fans.
“I’ve never liked Salt Lake. I think they’re…yeah, I don’t like them. I like playing against them. I like beating them.”
When that came out in 2015 it shocked some. Many figured that Houston would be the most hated. Some the Chicago Fire. But now the match has arrived again this year.
SKC comes off a hard 1-0 loss to FC Dallas. Despite playing stingy defense all season long there were no goals coming to balance the score sheet.
For this squad they face a team led by Mike Petke, who was not even starting the season, has show some signs that are disheartening for those of the Sporting faithful.
Petke was in charge of RBNY when they came to then Livestrong Sporting Park and went home with a 3-2 win which made the difference in the race for the Eastern Conference crown. Fact is in the history of Petke against Sporting, there has been little success.
Focusing on the match at hand is what Peter Vermes will be stressing towards his own players but this early season clash is important. At present the table in the Western Conference Sporting KC is outside the conference semifinal positions and keeping tabs early will prove key in making the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season.
Key Match Up:Dom Dwyer has been the one man wrecking crew for the SKC offense for a few seasons. If he is too succeed against the defensive line with the ever present Nick Rimando
Prediction: 2-1 SKC
EXTRA COVERAGE
While the parent clubs duke it out in KC the farm clubs Swope Park Rangers and Real Monarchs play in a top of the USL Western Conference clash.
Only two clubs in the whole of the USL have accumulated more points per a match than SPR and Real. This is being accomplished all the while each team has experienced coaching changes.
Prediction: RM 1-0
Sporting Kansas City
