Sporting KC vs St. Louis City preview

United States flag 2026 Major League Soccer, United States
Children's Mercy Park Today - 12:00 AM
Major League Soccer
Sporting KCSKC
1 – 1
St. Louis CityLOU
Full Time Today 12:00 AM
Regular Season
Goal
|
Goal
Eduard Löwen - 45+2'

CONTEXT

Sporting KC hosted St. Louis City in a match that concluded 1-1 after a first half where the visitors led 0-1 at the break. Sporting KC created the bulk of the quality chances with 2.1 expected goals while St. Louis City managed just 0.52. Possession stayed balanced at 49 percent for the home side and 51 percent for the visitors. No red cards disrupted either lineup. St. Louis City entered as the stronger side on paper yet could not convert that edge into a victory. The final score reflected a notable performance deviation from the away team despite the even result. Second-half adjustments allowed Sporting KC to equalize and maintain pressure without altering the outcome.

TL;DR

  • Structural deviation: St. Louis City showed a significant deviation from expected performance levels throughout the contest.
  • Efficiency shift: Efficiency metrics stayed in line with the match dynamics for both teams.
  • xG alignment: The 1-1 result did not align with the expected goals favoring Sporting KC.
  • Market alignment: The draw outcome aligned with pre-match market indicators.
  • xG expectations: Sporting KC posted 2.1 expected goals against St. Louis City's 0.52.
  • Event impact: The 0-1 halftime score prompted Sporting KC to push forward in the second half.
  • Red card distortion: No red cards occurred so the match structure remained undistorted.
No standings statistics available.
No head-to-head records found.
0.5+ goals: 85%
1.5+ goals: 70%
2.5+ goals: 50%
3.5+ goals: 25%
Confidence: High (≥8 matches)

Quality vs Volume

Home: xG 1.8, Shots 12, xG/Shot 0.15
Away: xG 1.5, Shots 14, xG/Shot 0.11

Open Play vs Set Play

Open Play: 65%
Set Play: 35%

Expected Points

TeamxPts
Home1.8
Away1.2
ℹ️ Methodology: Expected Goals (xG) measures shot quality
V. Rivas
V. Rivas
Referee • 25 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 30.32
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 4
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0.36
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0.36
League Avg 0
J. Howard
J. Howard
1st Assistant • 0 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
A. Wienckowski
A. Wienckowski
2nd Assistant • 0 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
M. de Oliveira
M. de Oliveira
4th Official • 0 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Sporting KC R. Wicky
R. Wicky
VS
St. Louis City Y. Damet
Y. Damet
0.74
Avg Points / Game (Last 100 Matches)
1.53
0.5 i
Last 6 Opponents
Colorado Rapids Rank: 62 L
Houston Dynamo Rank: 66 L
Los Angeles FC Rank: 73 L
Minnesota United Rank: 65 W
St. Louis City Rank: 65 L
New York RB Rank: 59 L
Avg Points / Game (Last 6 Matches)
2.67 i
Last 6 Opponents
SJ Earthquakes Rank: 64 W
Real Salt Lake Rank: 66 D
Colorado Rapids Rank: 62 W
LA Galaxy Rank: 60 W
Sporting KC Rank: 50 W
Austin Rank: 57 W
1
Head to Head (Wins - Draws - Losses)
1 - 3 - 2
2

Team Power Ranking

i
What is Power Ranking?
Power ranking is SportMonks' model-based team strength indicator. Historical input capped to 2 seasons.
50.41
64.51
0 (Weakest) 100 (Strongest)
Metric
Sporting KC
St. Louis City
Power Score
50.41
64.51
League Position
15
6
Global Rank
850
411

Form Analysis Opponent-Weighted

Line chart of recent results (points/trend). Friendlies excluded by default. Hover for opponent, result, xG/xGA and power ranking — based on last 6 matches.

–
vs
Sporting KC — Opponent-weighted form score
St. Louis City — Opponent-weighted form score
Win (3 pts) Draw (1 pt) Loss (0 pts) Sporting KC St. Louis City

Heatmaps Ball coordinates

Attack and defence zones from ball position data. Filters: last 6 matches (overall/home/away), time period, competition.

–
vs

Sporting KC

Left / Center / Right —
Opposition half density —
vs season average —

St. Louis City

Left / Center / Right —
Opposition half density —
vs season average —

Possession Efficiency Possession-Adjusted

How effectively each team uses and defends their share of possession. Efficiency adjusted based on team possession percentage

Sporting KC ⚠ Proxy
vs
⚠ Proxy St. Louis City
Attacking Efficiency
Higher is better
Attacking Efficiency
0.00
0.07
Defensive Efficiency
Lower is better
Defensive Efficiency
0.07
0.00
Combined Efficiency Index Z-score combining attacking and defensive possession-adjusted efficiency.
Positive = above league average.
Negative = below league average.
Formula: EfficiencyIndex = z(AttackEff) − z(DefenceEff)
-3 0 3
Sporting KC 0.00 Efficiency Index
vs
St. Louis City +0.00 Efficiency Index
xG data unavailable for both teams. Values estimated using shots and dangerous attacks (proxy). Confidence: Medium.
Sporting KC
St. Louis City
AttackEff = xG ÷ pos
DefenceEff = xGA ÷ (1−pos)

Set Pieces Efficiency Attack & Defence

Set-piece reliance and strength using expected metrics and actual outcomes for each team.

Sporting KC
vs
St. Louis City
Created Set-piece attacking threat
Sporting KC St. Louis City
Set-piece xG Share Share of total expected goals generated from set pieces. Higher = more set-piece reliant in attack.
11%
31%
Goals per Match Average set-piece goals scored per match.
0.00 0.00
vs Expected (xG) Goals scored minus set-piece xG. Positive = overperforming; Negative = underperforming expectations.
-0.23 vs -0.16
Conceded Set-piece defensive exposure
Sporting KC St. Louis City
Set-piece xGA Share Share of total expected goals conceded from set pieces. Higher = more exposed to set pieces defensively.
31%
11%
Conceded per Match Average set-piece goals conceded per match.
0.00 0.00
vs Expected (xGA) Goals conceded minus set-piece xGA. Positive = conceding more than expected (bad); Negative = conceding less than expected (good).
-0.16 vs -0.23
Sporting KC
St. Louis City
xG Share = set-piece xG ÷ total xG
vs Expected = goals − set-piece xG

Counter / Transition Attack & Defence

What happens in the 15 seconds immediately after possession changes hands — based on Last 6 matches.

–
Sporting KC
vs
St. Louis City
Attack After Winning Possession transition → offence
Sporting KC St. Louis City
Goals per Match Average goals scored within 15s of winning the ball per match. ↑ better
—
—
Shots per Match Average shots taken within 15s of winning the ball per match. ↑ better
—
—
Dangerous Attacks Average dangerous attacks launched within 15s of winning possession per match. ↑ better
—
—
Transition Efficiency Index Composite score (0–1) of how efficiently this team attacks within 15s of winning the ball. Higher = more dangerous on transition. Higher = stronger on the counter
Sporting KC —
St. Louis City 0.00
Defence After Losing Possession loss → defensive exposure
Sporting KC St. Louis City
Goals Conceded Average goals conceded within 15s of losing the ball per match. ↓ better
—
—
Shots Conceded Average shots conceded within 15s of losing the ball per match. ↓ better
—
—
Dangerous Attacks Conceded Average dangerous attacks allowed within 15s of losing possession per match. ↓ better
—
—
Vulnerability Index Composite score (0–1) of how exposed this team is within 15s of losing the ball. Lower = better at preventing transition attacks. Lower = better transition defence
Sporting KC 0.00
St. Louis City —
Sporting KC
St. Louis City
Window = 15s post-possession change
Index = 0–1 composite score

PRESSURE INDEX

Momentum phases from smoothed minute-by-minute pressure.

  • SKC had peak pressure around 71'.
  • SKC started the game with stronger pressure.
SKC Pressure LOU Pressure
⚡
Pressure Index: SKC reached the top pressure at 71' (61.61).

Team Head to Head Last 6 Seasons

Summary of 6 matches between these sides — filtered by competition and venue context.

Sporting KC SKC Home
6 matches
St. Louis City LOU Away
Match Record
1
Wins
2
3
Draws
3
2
Losses
1
Goals
11
Goals Scored
12
12
Goals Conceded
11
-1
Goal Difference
+1
Expected Goals
1.27
xG
3.38
3.38
xGA
1.27

Data last updated: 2026-08-20T00:30:15+00:00

STARTING XI

Match Formation 4-4-2
Match Formation 3-4-2-1
Pitch

General Information

Date & Time
Aug 20, 2026, 12:00 AM
Competition
2026 Major League Soccer, United States · Regular Season
Stadium
Children's Mercy Park
Capacity
18467
Pitch Surface
Grass
Weather
☀️ 12°C, Fair
Referees
Víctor Rivas
Justin Howard
Adam Wienckowski
Marcos de Oliveira

Statistics

Possession
SKC
50%
LOU
50%

Top Statistics

1 Goals 1
3 Big Chances Created 1
5 Shots 3
60 Dangerous attacks 34
49 Possession 51
9 Corners 2
11 Free kicks 12
2 Yellow Cards 2

Match Overview

50 Ball Safe 66
4 Goal Kicks 8
9 Goal Attempts 5
4 Substitutions 4
16 Throwins 13
0 Hit Woodwork 2
7 Successful Headers 10
1 Assists 0
0 Injuries 1
14 Dribble Attempts 18
5 Successful Dribbles 5
36 Successful Dribbles Percentage 28

Attacking

100 Attacks 97
2 Big Chances Missed 1

Possession

41 Long Passes 31
458 Passes 510
396 Successful Passes 453
86 Successful Passes Percentage 89
13 Key Passes 4
22 Successful Long Passes 17
54 Successful Long Passes Percentage 55

Defensive

1 Saves 2
19 Tackles 15
8 Interceptions 9
41 Duels Won 43

Build-up

25 Total Crosses 5
5 Accurate Crosses 1

Discipline

0 Offsides 1
12 Fouls 11

Lineup

Referee : Víctor Rivas

Starting XI ▼

30
Stefan Cleveland
Stefan Cleveland Goalkeeper
6.5
5
Or Blorian
Or Blorian Defender
6.47
8
Jake Davis
Jake Davis Defender
6.4
18
Emir Karic
Emir Karic Defender
6.4
99
Jayden Reid
Jayden Reid
Defender89'
28
Wyatt Meyer
Wyatt Meyer Defender
6.5
4
Lasse Berg Johnsen
Lasse Berg Johnsen Midfielder
6.49
7
Capita
Capita Midfielder
6.42
11
Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris Midfielder
6.5
17
Stephen Afrifa
Stephen Afrifa
Attacker75'
22
Zorhan Bassong
Zorhan Bassong Midfielder
6.5
16
Jacob Bartlett
Jacob Bartlett
Defender75'
9
Dejan Joveljić
Dejan Joveljić (C) Attacker
6.5
19
Taylor Calheira
Taylor Calheira Attacker
6.48
93
Shapi Suleymanov
Shapi Suleymanov
Attacker64'
Referee : Víctor Rivas

Starting XI ▼

1
Roman Bürki
Roman Bürki (C) Goalkeeper
6.5
5
Lukas MacNaughton
Lukas MacNaughton Defender
6.41
21
Dante Polvara
Dante Polvara Defender
6.53
32
Timo Baumgartl
Timo Baumgartl Defender
6.4
6
Conrad Wallem
Conrad Wallem Midfielder
6.5
99
Jaziel Orozco
Jaziel Orozco
Defender84'
8
Chris Durkin
Chris Durkin Midfielder
6.38
14
Tomas Totland
Tomas Totland Midfielder
6.53
24
Daniel Ethan Edelman
Daniel Ethan Edelman Midfielder
6.45
10
Eduard Löwen
Eduard Löwen Attacker
6.5
19
Carlo Holse
Carlo Holse
Attacker62'
11
Simon Becher
Simon Becher Attacker
6.5
23
Alexandru Mățan
Alexandru Mățan
Midfielder62'
77
Sang-bin Jeong
Sang-bin Jeong Attacker
6.48
29
Palmer Ault
Palmer Ault
Midfielder84'

Events

2ND-HALF
Event
Jayden Reid → Emir Karic
8th Substitution
89'
84'
Event
Palmer Ault → Sang-bin Jeong
6th Substitution
84'
Event
Jaziel Orozco → Conrad Wallem
7th Substitution
Event
Stephen Afrifa → Calvin Harris
4th Substitution
75'
Event
Jacob Bartlett → Zorhan Bassong
5th Substitution
75'
Event
Shapi Suleymanov → Taylor Calheira
3rd Substitution
64'
62'
Event
Carlo Holse → Eduard Löwen
1st Substitution
62'
Event
Alexandru Mățan → Simon Becher
2nd Substitution
61'
Event
Conrad Wallem
Foul / 4th Yellowcard
Event
Calvin Harris
Left foot shot / 2nd Goal
55'
Event
Calvin Harris
Goal awarded
55'
1ST-HALF
45+2'
Event
Eduard Löwen
Right foot shot / 1st Goal
Event
Jansen Miller
Foul / 3rd Yellowcard
45'
21'
Event
Chris Durkin
Foul / 2nd Yellowcard
Event
Zorhan Bassong
Foul / 1st Yellowcard
15'

Match Commentary

89
Update Update
Jayden Reid comes on for Emir Karic.
84
Update Update
Palmer Ault is on, and Jeong Sang Bin is off.
84
Update Update
On Jaziel Orozco Landeros, off Conrad Wallem.
80
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
80
Attempt Attempt
Emir Karic takes a left-footed shot but misses.
79
Attempt Attempt
Stephen Afrifa takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
78
Attempt Attempt
Jake Davis takes a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
75
Update Update
Jacob Bartlett is on, and Zorhan Bassong is off.
75
Update Update
Stephen Afrifa is on, and Calvin Harris is off.
70
Attempt Attempt
Dejan Joveljic takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
70
Attempt Attempt
Conrad Wallem takes a right-footed shot but misses.
70
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
69
Attempt Attempt
Daniel Edelman's right-footed shot is blocked.
69
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
65
Attempt Attempt
Dejan Joveljic takes a left-footed shot but misses.
64
Attempt Attempt
Dejan Joveljic takes a left-footed shot but misses.
62
Update Update
Magomed Shapi Suleymanov comes on for Taylor Calheira.
62
Update Update
Alexandru Irinel Matan comes on, replacing Simon Becher.
61
Substitution Substitution
Carlo Holse is substituted on for Eduard Lowen.
60
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Conrad Wallem receives a yellow card.
60
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card issued.
59
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
59
Attempt Attempt
Dejan Joveljic takes a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
55
GOAL! GOAL! Important
VAR decision confirms the goal for Calvin Harris.
55
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Calvin Harris takes a shot with his left foot and scores.
55
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! Calvin Harris scores, making it 1-1.
55
Update Update
Offside.
55
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! The score is now 1-1.
51
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
51
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
50
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
45
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Shot by Eduard Lowen with his right foot results in a goal.
45
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! The score is now 0-1.
45
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card issued.
44
Attempt Attempt
Eduard Lowen's right-footed shot is blocked.
42
Attempt Attempt
Taylor Calheira takes a right-footed shot but misses.
40
Attempt Attempt
Daniel Edelman takes a right-footed shot that hits the post.
31
Attempt Attempt
Jeong Sang Bin's left-footed shot is saved.
29
Attempt Attempt
Jake Davis takes a right-footed shot, but it misses the target.
28
Attempt Attempt
Shot by Capita with his right foot, but it misses the target.
21
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Chris Durkin receives a yellow card.
15
Attempt Attempt
Taylor Calheira takes a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
15
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card issued.
14
Attempt Attempt
Jake Davis takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
14
Attempt Attempt
Lasse Berg Johnsen takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
14
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
13
Attempt Attempt
Dejan Joveljic takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
9
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
8
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
8
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
7
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
6
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
6
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
1
Update Update
Kick-off! The referee is Víctor Rivas.

CONCLUSION

The 1-1 draw left Sporting KC with a sense of missed opportunity after dominating expected goals yet failing to secure the win. St. Louis City defended resiliently following their early lead and held firm despite limited possession of the ball. The absence of any dismissals kept the game flowing evenly across both halves. This result underscores how clinical finishing can outweigh underlying metrics on the day. Both sides will review the chances created and look to refine their attacking transitions ahead of upcoming fixtures. The balanced possession figures indicate a competitive battle that neither team fully controlled from start to finish.