Venue: Sporting Park (also referred to as Children’s Mercy Park), Kansas City, Kansas.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. CT / 8:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast on Apple TV.
Current Weather Forecast (Kansas City / Sporting Park area)
Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny to partly cloudy and warm, with daytime highs near 88–93°F (31–34°C). Temperatures should fall into the upper 60s to low 70s°F (~20–22°C) by evening. Southwest winds 5–10 mph (gusts possible up to 20 mph). A slight chance of showers or thunderstorms exists later in the day/evening (around 20% daytime, rising overnight), but conditions should be playable for a night match.
Current Player Rosters
Sporting Kansas City (Head Coach: Raphael Wicky):
Goalkeepers: Stefan Cleveland, John Pulskamp, Jack Kortkamp.
Defenders: Moisés Mosquera, Emir Karić, Wyatt Meyer, Justin Reynolds, Jansen Miller, Jayden Reid, others.
Midfielders: Lasse Berg Johnsen, André Luiz, Kwaku Agyabeng, Jacob Bartlett, others.
Forwards: Stephen Afrifa, Taylor Calheira, Calvin Harris, Capita, others.
Philadelphia Union (Interim Head Coach: Ryan Richter):
Goalkeepers: Andre Blake (primary), Andrew Rick, George Marks.
Defenders: Kai Wagner, Nathan Harriel, Frankie Westfield, Neil Pierre, Japhet Sery, others.
Midfielders: Cavan Sullivan, Danley Jean Jacques, Jovan Lukić, Indiana Vassilev, Alejandro Bedoya, others.
Forwards: Milan Iloski, Bruno Damiani, Ezekiel Alladoh, Agustín Anello, others.
Listed Injury/Suspension Reports
Sporting Kansas City: Or Blorian (chest, out), Jake Davis (knee, out), Owen Wolff (ankle, out). Questionable: Zorhan Bassong (calf), Capita (hamstring), Calvin Harris (knee), Ian James (knee), Shapi Suleymanov (quad). Depth is stretched.
Philadelphia Union: No major reported absentees in recent updates; core attackers and midfielders (Iloski, Damiani, Cavan Sullivan) available following a strong recent run. Some depth players may have minor issues, but the squad is relatively healthy.
Recent Team Forms (Approximate Last 5 MLS Matches)
Sporting Kansas City: Struggling overall but recent spark — W 3-1 vs LAFC, L 3-4 at FC Dallas, L 0-3 vs Vancouver, L 1-2 at Atlanta, D 1-1 vs St. Louis. Bottom of the Western Conference with defensive vulnerabilities.
Philadelphia Union: Excellent form on a lengthy unbeaten streak — W 5-0 at San Diego, W 5-0 vs FC Cincinnati, W 2-0 vs Montréal, W 3-1 at Red Bull New York, D 1-1 at Austin. Strong attack (12 goals in last three games noted in coverage) and climbing the Eastern Conference table.
Series History / Head-to-Head
Limited recent regular-season meetings. Sporting KC has held a competitive home record in some prior encounters against the Union, but Philadelphia enters with superior current form and quality. Cross-conference matchups have often been competitive.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Milan Iloski / Bruno Damiani / Cavan Sullivan (PHI attack and creativity) vs. Sporting KC center backs (Mosquera/Meyer) and Stefan Cleveland: Philadelphia’s hot-scoring unit and young midfield talent will pressure a leaky SKC defense.
André Luiz / Stephen Afrifa / Taylor Calheira (SKC attack) vs. Philadelphia backline (Wagner/Harriel/Westfield) and Andre Blake: SKC needs clinical finishing to exploit any openings against a solid Union defense.
Midfield control: Lasse Berg Johnsen and Agyabeng (SKC) vs. Cavan Sullivan, Jean Jacques, and Lukić (PHI progressive play and energy). Wide battles (Karić/Reid vs. Westfield/Wagner) will shape transitions.
Betting Trends
Both Teams to Score is viable. Philadelphia’s form makes them clear favorites even on the road.
MATCH ODDS
Philadelphia Union – 153
Sporting Kansas City + 357
Draw + 342
Over 3.5 + 103 Under 3.5 – 134
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, September 18, 2026
