WHO: Sporting Kansas City II, 5-9-1, 16 points, 4th place Group E
WHAT: The last USL Championship regular season Group E match
WHEN: Saturday, October 3, 2020, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Lynn Family Stadium
WATCH: At the stadium, if you’re lucky enough to have a ticket. Otherwise, stream it on ESPN+, listen on 790 AM, or watch on normal TV on WBKI.
MARCH: Can’t be doin’ that. For soccer, anyway.
WHO, AGAIN? It’s the last game of the season. SKCII is already eliminated from the playoffs, though they did do everyone the favor of beating Indy XI on Wednesday so their last match of the season against St. Louis, for whom it could be the last match ever, got a whole lot more interesting. The last playoff spot in Group E hangs in the balance! For them, I mean. Not Louisville City; they wrapped up their spot more than a week ago.
That doesn’t mean Morados wouldn’t like to have three more points going into the post-season, though, as another win would ensure at least two home games, with three in the offing if Tampa Bay slips up against Charleston Saturday night. Wouldn’t be the first time Tampa Bay’s face planted on the last day of the season to LouCity’s extreme benefit, now, would it?
So there’s something to play for. We don’t know whether SKCII is bringing the same roster to Saturday’s match as they did on Wednesday night in Indianapolis, but they might have. Lil’ KC, their record notwithstanding, has proven to be a pretty difficult out for everyone in the group all season long. We can be certain this isn’t a game City is taking lightly.
We can be equally certain that John Hackworth will stick with the same lineup, more or less, that’s started nearly all of this ten game unbeaten streak: Lundt, Oscar, Alexis, Totsch, McMahon, Speedy, Paolo, Bone, ‘Toine, Cam, and probably Ownby seeing as Napo has been mysteriously missing from the entire team sheet for the last few weeks.
If I were a neutral, I’d tell you the more interesting game is being played in Fenton this weekend. But I’m not, and there are stakes, so let’s bear down, dig in, and do our best to steamroll these Missourians/Kansans one last time in 2020. VAMOS.