Sporting Kansas City-Minnesota United game preview
October 7, 2017 at 9:07AM
Preview: For the fourth time this season, Minnesota United (10-16-5, ninth in the West) will face rival Sporting Kansas City (12-7-11, third in the West). The Loons won the first matchup 2-0 in May before dropping back-to-back games — 3-0 and 4-0 — in June. The latter knocked them from the U.S. Open Cup tournament, which Kansas City went on to win.
Quotable: "You know that it's going to get no easier whatever team [Kansas City coach Peter Vermes] puts out because they'll play their 4-3-3. They're really good at it. They don't change for anybody. For a coach's speak, all their players know their roles and responsibilities so well." – United coach Adrian Heath on Kansas City.
Playoffs: Neither Kansas City nor United has qualified for the playoffs yet, but Kansas City can clinch in this match.
Absences: F Cameron Porter (leg) is out for Kansas City while D Matt Besler, M Benny Feilhaber, M James Musa, M Kevin Oliveira, F Soony Saad and D Graham Zusi are on national team duty. M Bernardo Anor (leg), D Thomas de Villardi (Achilles'), M Sam Cronin (concussion) are out for United. Defenders Francisco Calvo, Jermaine Taylor and Michael Boxall and midfielders Johan Venegas and Kevin Molino are on national team duty.
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The head coach and general manager didn’t just trend toward perfection these past 12 months. They achieved it.
