The Seattle Sounders are visiting Sporting Kansas City on Saturday in their first of two meetings in the regular season. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. local time) at Childrenâs Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available to watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air on 93.3 KJR FM and El Rey 1360AM.
2025 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 8-6-6 (30 points, 5th West), SKC: 6-10-5 (23 points, 11th West)
FORM GUIDE (all competitions, most recent first): Seattle: DWLLL, Kansas City: WDWLL
PREVIOUS MEETING: The Sounders defeated Sporting KC 2-0 at Lumen Field on Sept. 15, 2024 behind first-half goals from Jackson Ragen and Paul Rothrock.
RAGEN 100: In Ragenâs start at center back on Sunday, he earned his 100th regular season appearance with the Sounders. The 26-year-old Seattle native was a 2024 MLS Defender of the Year Finalist and was called into the United States Menâs National Team January camp earlier this year.
KOSSA-RIENZI SUSPENDED: Right fullback Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, who assisted Rothrock in Seattleâs goal against Columbus last weekend, will miss this Saturdayâs match while serving a one-game suspension after being sent off for two yellow cards. Head Coach Brian Schmetzer will, however, have the services of Reed Baker-Whiting, who returns after serving his own one-game suspension last weekend.
FREI UPDATE: Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei is currently on concussion protocol following a collision during Seattleâs 1-1 home draw with Columbus Crew SC on Sunday. Frei received treatment on the field before leaving the stadium in an ambulance as the match ended, but he later posted on social media expressing gratitude for all the support.
FREI 1,000: Prior to his injury, Frei recorded his 1,000th career save with the Sounders, making him just the second goalkeeper in MLS history (Nick Rimando) to make 1,000 saves with a single club.
BACK ON THE ROAD: Including three FIFA Club World Cup matches at Lumen Field, the Sounders finished a stretch of five consecutive home matches. Theyâve also played eight of the last nine in Seattle.
90's Night (vs. Colorado Rapids)
Get ready to take it back to the 90's with a $22 ticket and a vintage-style Sounders T-shirtâthe ultimate way to rep your squad in true style. Donât miss this blast from the past!
Kickoff at 7:00 p.m. PT on July 16.
NEW MAN IN CHARGE: For the first time since the Sounders entered MLS in 2009, they will face Sporting Kansas City without Head Coach Peter Vermes on the sideline. SKC and Vermes parted ways in late March amid a 13-match winless streak that dated back to September 2024. Kerry Zavagnin, an assistant on Vermesâ staff, has taken over as Interim Manager. Vermesâ departure also means that Schmetzer is now the longest-tenured MLS manager, having taken the reins in 2016.
GOALS GALORE: Sporting has no problem scoring goals, having tallied 33, good for fifth in the Western Conference. But SKC canât stop shipping goals defensively with 38 conceded, the fourth-most in the entire league.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Dejan JoveljiÄ, F
SKC made a huge splash in the intra-league market this past offseason, acquiring JoveljiÄ from the LA Galaxy for $4M in the first cash-for-player trade in MLS history. The 25-year-old Serbian international has lived up to the expectations in his first year in Kansas City, sitting tied for third in the league in goals with 12 in 19 matches.
