4 p.m. at Sporting Kansas City • ESPN, 1500-AM
Short-sided rematch
Preview: This will be the second of four meetings between Minnesota United and Sporting Kansas City in 2017, but both teams will look quite different from the last time. A combination of injuries, suspensions and national team duty have left both sides depleted, enough so that Kansas City coach Peter Vermes has to get back center-back Matt Besler from the U.S. national team just to play in this match. United (4-7-2) defeated Kansas City (6-4-4) a month ago, 2-0, at TCF Bank Stadium. But the Loons are one of four MLS teams without a 2017 victory on the road, going 0-4-2. Meanwhile, Kansas City is undefeated at home, going 5-0-1.
Standings: United has 14 points, ninth in the Western Conference and two spots out of playoff contention. Kansas City has 22 points, one point out of first place in the West behind the Houston Dynamo.
Numbers: Kansas City is second in the league in total shots with 202. Goalkeeper Tim Melia is fifth with 43 saves.
Absences: For Kansas City, F Dom Dwyer (knee) is questionable. M Roger Espinoza (red card suspension), D Erik Palmer-Brown and D Graham Zusi (both national team duty), F Diego Rubio (ACL) and D Kevin Ellis (quad) are out. For United, M Sam Cronin (suspension), M Bernardo Anor (leg), D Thomas de Villardi (Achilles), F Abu Danladi (groin) and D Vadim Demidov (knee) are out.
Megan Ryan
