St. Louis City vs Sporting KC preview

United States flag 2026 Major League Soccer, United States
Energizer Park Fri, 17 Jul - 12:30 AM
Major League Soccer
St. Louis CityLOU
3 2
Sporting KCSKC
Full Time Fri, 17 Jul 12:30 AM
Regular Season
Eduard Löwen - 85' (P)
Goal
|
Goal
Capita - 42'

CONTEXT

St. Louis City hosted Sporting KC in a match that concluded with a 3-2 victory for the home side after a 2-1 halftime lead. The stronger team maintained control throughout despite a competitive second half where Sporting KC pushed for an equalizer. St. Louis City generated an xG of 3.38 against 1.27 for the visitors reflecting a 2.11 differential that aligned with the final outcome. Possession favored the winners at 53 percent to 47 percent underscoring their territorial edge. No red cards were shown to either side allowing the game to flow without major disciplinary interruptions. The significant structural deviation by St. Louis City proved decisive in securing the three points on the night.

TL;DR

  • Structural deviation: St. Louis City recorded a significant deviation from baseline expectations in this fixture.
  • Efficiency shift: The efficiency shift remained in line with projected team outputs across both halves.
  • xG alignment: xG alignment showed St. Louis City at 3.38 and Sporting KC at 1.27 confirming the result.
  • Market alignment: Market alignment held true as the stronger team secured the 3-2 win.
  • xG expectations: xG expectations were fulfilled given the 2.11 differential and consistent outcome.
  • Event impact: Event impact centered on second half goals that finalized the 3-2 scoreline.
  • Red card distortion: Red card distortion played no role with zero dismissals recorded by either team.
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
A. Chapman
A. Chapman
Referee • 25 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 30.4
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
L. Brown
L. Brown
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. Bigelow
A. Bigelow
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
F. Bazakos
F. Bazakos
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
St. Louis City Y. Damet
Y. Damet
VS
Sporting KC R. Wicky
R. Wicky
1.14
Avg Points / Game (Last 100 Matches)
0.79
1.67 i
Last 6 Opponents
Austin Rank: 57 W
DC United Rank: 55 D
Los Angeles FC Rank: 70 W
Colorado Rapids Rank: 60 W
Austin Rank: 57 L
SJ Earthquakes Rank: 66 L
Avg Points / Game (Last 6 Matches)
1.17 i
Last 6 Opponents
New York RB Rank: 61 L
Austin Rank: 57 W
LA Galaxy Rank: 62 W
Portland Timbers Rank: 59 L
Seattle Sounders Rank: 70 D
Chicago Fire Rank: 66 L
1
Head to Head (Wins - Draws - Losses)
1 - 3 - 1
1

Team Power Ranking

i
What is Power Ranking?
Power ranking is SportMonks' model-based team strength indicator. Historical input capped to 2 seasons.
60.81
51.28
0 (Weakest) 100 (Strongest)
Metric
St. Louis City
Sporting KC
Power Score
60.81
51.28
League Position
10
15
Global Rank
511
791

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

Heatmaps Ball coordinates

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

–
vs

St. Louis City

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

Sporting KC

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

St. Louis City ⚠ Proxy
vs
⚠ Proxy Sporting KC
Attacking Efficiency
Higher is better
Attacking Efficiency
43.96
30.64
Defensive Efficiency
Lower is better
Defensive Efficiency
30.64
43.96
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
St. Louis City +0.93 Efficiency Index
vs
Sporting KC -0.93 Efficiency Index
xG data unavailable for both teams. Values estimated using shots and dangerous attacks (proxy). Confidence: Medium.
St. Louis City
Sporting KC
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.

St. Louis City
vs
Sporting KC
Created Set-piece attacking threat
St. Louis City Sporting KC
Set-piece xG Share Share of total expected goals generated from set pieces. Higher = more set-piece reliant in attack.
34%
2%
Goals per Match Average set-piece goals scored per match.
1.00 0.00
vs Expected (xG) Goals scored minus set-piece xG. Positive = overperforming; Negative = underperforming expectations.
-0.16 vs -0.03
Conceded Set-piece defensive exposure
St. Louis City Sporting KC
Set-piece xGA Share Share of total expected goals conceded from set pieces. Higher = more exposed to set pieces defensively.
2%
34%
Conceded per Match Average set-piece goals conceded per match.
0.00 1.00
vs Expected (xGA) Goals conceded minus set-piece xGA. Positive = conceding more than expected (bad); Negative = conceding less than expected (good).
-0.03 vs -0.16
St. Louis City
Sporting KC
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.

–
St. Louis City
vs
Sporting KC
Attack After Winning Possession transition → offence
St. Louis City Sporting KC
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
St. Louis City 0.30
Sporting KC 0.25
Defence After Losing Possession loss → defensive exposure
St. Louis City Sporting KC
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
St. Louis City 0.04
Sporting KC 0.05
St. Louis City
Sporting KC
Window = 15s post-possession change
Index = 0–1 composite score

PRESSURE INDEX

Momentum phases from smoothed minute-by-minute pressure.

  • LOU had peak pressure around 25'.
  • LOU started the game with stronger pressure.
LOU Pressure SKC Pressure
⚡
Pressure Index: LOU reached the top pressure at 25' (100.00).

Team Head to Head Last 6 Seasons

Summary of 5 matches between these sides — filtered by competition and venue context.

St. Louis City LOU Home
5 matches
Sporting KC SKC Away
Match Record
1
Wins
1
3
Draws
3
1
Losses
1
Goals
9
Goals Scored
9
9
Goals Conceded
9
0
Goal Difference
0
Expected Goals
0
xG
0
0
xGA
0

Data last updated: 2026-07-18T00:00:22+00:00

STARTING XI

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

General Information

Date & Time
Jul 17, 2026, 12:30 AM
Competition
2026 Major League Soccer, United States · Regular Season
Stadium
Energizer Park
Capacity
25000
Attendance
22423
Pitch Surface
Grass
Weather
☀️ 12°C, Fair
Referees
Allen Chapman
Logan Brown
Andrew Bigelow
Fotis Bazakos

Statistics

Possession
LOU
52%
SKC
48%

Top Statistics

3 Goals 2
4 Big Chances Created 1
9 Shots 4
66 Dangerous attacks 48
53 Possession 47
5 Corners 6
10 Free kicks 15
2 Yellow Cards 1

Match Overview

58 Ball Safe 62
1 Penalties 0
5 Goal Kicks 9
14 Goal Attempts 6
5 Substitutions 5
25 Throwins 23
1 Hit Woodwork 0
18 Successful Headers 12
1 Assists 1
9 Dribble Attempts 17
2 Successful Dribbles 11
22 Successful Dribbles Percentage 65

Attacking

74 Attacks 86
1 Big Chances Missed 0

Possession

42 Long Passes 45
484 Passes 417
416 Successful Passes 338
86 Successful Passes Percentage 81
14 Key Passes 7
19 Successful Long Passes 20
45 Successful Long Passes Percentage 44

Defensive

1 Saves 2
15 Tackles 19
10 Interceptions 7
45 Duels Won 57

Build-up

13 Total Crosses 14
3 Accurate Crosses 4

Discipline

1 Offsides 0
15 Fouls 11

Lineup

Referee : Allen Chapman

Starting XI ▼

39
Ben Lundt
Ben Lundt Goalkeeper
5.61
5
Lukas MacNaughton
Lukas MacNaughton Defender
7.14
21
Dante Polvara
Dante Polvara Defender
7.12
32
Timo Baumgartl
Timo Baumgartl Defender
6.73
6
Conrad Wallem
Conrad Wallem Midfielder
6.19
20
Rafael Santos
Rafael Santos
Defender46'
6.1
10
Eduard Löwen
Eduard Löwen Midfielder
6.83
7
Tomas Ostrák
Tomas Ostrák
Midfielder88'
14
Tomas Totland
Tomas Totland Midfielder
6.73
99
Jaziel Orozco
Jaziel Orozco
Defender88'
24
Daniel Ethan Edelman
Daniel Ethan Edelman Midfielder
7.09
11
Simon Becher
Simon Becher Attacker
7.33
29
Palmer Ault
Palmer Ault
Midfielder90+6'
17
Marcel Hartel
Marcel Hartel (C) Attacker
7.9
77
Sang-bin Jeong
Sang-bin Jeong Attacker
7.31
28
Miguel Perez
Miguel Perez
Midfielder64'
6.3
Referee : Allen Chapman

Starting XI ▼

30
Stefan Cleveland
Stefan Cleveland Goalkeeper
5.9
2
Ian James
Ian James Defender
6.23
8
Jake Davis
Jake Davis
Midfielder46'
6.85
5
Or Blorian
Or Blorian Defender
6.49
23
Ethan Bartlow
Ethan Bartlow
Defender75'
5.95
15
Jansen Miller
Jansen Miller Defender
6.19
99
Jayden Reid
Jayden Reid Defender
6.5
18
Emir Karic
Emir Karic
Defender46'
6.68
4
Lasse Berg Johnsen
Lasse Berg Johnsen Midfielder
6.79
6
Manu García
Manu García Midfielder
7.29
7
Capita
Capita Midfielder
7.12
17
Stephen Afrifa
Stephen Afrifa
Attacker85'
6.54
11
Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris Midfielder
6.83
22
Zorhan Bassong
Zorhan Bassong Midfielder
6.82
20
Kwaku Agyabeng
Kwaku Agyabeng
Midfielder76'
6.52
9
Dejan Joveljić
Dejan Joveljić (C) Attacker
7.24

Events

2ND-HALF
Event
Daniel Ethan Edelman
Foul / 3rd Yellowcard
90+7'
Event
Palmer Ault → Simon Becher
10th Substitution
90+6'
Event
Ben Lundt
Time wasting / 2nd Yellowcard
90'
Event
Jaziel Orozco → Tomas Totland
8th Substitution
88'
Event
Tomas Ostrák → Eduard Löwen
9th Substitution
88'
Event
Eduard Löwen
Right foot shot / 1st Penalty
85'
85'
Event
Stephen Afrifa → Capita
7th Substitution
Event
Simon Becher
Penalty awarded
82'
78'
Event
Capita
Foul / 1st Yellowcard
76'
Event
Dejan Joveljić
Left foot shot / 4th Goal
76'
Event
Kwaku Agyabeng → Zorhan Bassong
6th Substitution
75'
Event
Ethan Bartlow → Or Blorian
5th Substitution
Event
Miguel Perez → Sang-bin Jeong
4th Substitution
64'
Event
Rafael Santos → Conrad Wallem
3rd Substitution
46'
46'
Event
Jake Davis → Ian James
1st Substitution
46'
Event
Emir Karic → Jayden Reid
2nd Substitution
1ST-HALF
42'
Event
Capita
Right foot shot / 3rd Goal
Event
Marcel Hartel
Right foot shot / 2nd Goal
36'
Event
Sang-bin Jeong
Right foot shot / 1st Goal
28'

Match Commentary

90
Attempt Attempt
Palmer Ault takes a right-footed shot, but it's blocked.
90
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card issued to Daniel Edelman.
90
Update Update
Palmer Ault replaces Simon Becher.
90
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
90
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
90
Update Update
Offside.
90
Attempt Attempt
Dejan Joveljic takes a right-footed shot, but it is saved.
90
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card issued.
90
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card issued to Benjamin Lundt.
89
Attempt Attempt
Jake Davis takes a right-footed shot but misses.
88
Update Update
Jaziel Orozco Landeros is on, and Tomas Totland is off.
88
Update Update
On comes Tomas Ostrak, off goes Eduard Lowen.
86
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal in the penalty shootout! Eduard Lowen scores, making it 3-2.
85
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal in the penalty shootout! Eduard Lowen scores, making it 3-2.
85
Update Update
On comes Stephen Afrifa, and Capita goes off.
82
Update Update
VAR decision results in a penalty awarded to Simon Becher.
81
Attempt Attempt
Simon Becher takes a right-footed shot, but it's blocked.
81
Attempt Attempt
Simon Becher has a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
79
Attempt Attempt
Eduard Lowen takes a right-footed shot, but it is saved.
78
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card.
76
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Dejan Joveljic scores with a left-footed shot.
76
Substitution Substitution
Kwaku Agyabeng is substituted for Zorhan Bassong.
76
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! Dejan Joveljic scores, making it 2-2.
75
Update Update
Ethan Bartlow is on, and Or Blorian is off.
70
Attempt Attempt
Lukas MacNaughton takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
70
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
66
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! The score is now 3-1.
65
Attempt Attempt
Eduard Lowen takes a right-footed shot but misses.
64
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! The score is now 3-1.
62
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
58
Attempt Attempt
Capita takes a right-footed shot but misses.
58
Attempt Attempt
Jake Davis takes a right-footed shot but misses.
57
Attempt Attempt
Dejan Joveljic takes a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
57
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
55
Attempt Attempt
Shot - Capita Head Shot Missed
55
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
55
Update Update
Dejan Joveljic attempts a header, but it is blocked.
54
Attempt Attempt
Eduard Lowen takes a right-footed shot but misses.
54
Attempt Attempt
Tomas Totland takes a right-footed shot but misses.
54
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
52
Attempt Attempt
Calvin Harris takes a shot, but it is blocked.
46
Attempt Attempt
Simon Becher attempts a right-footed shot but misses.
46
Update Update
Emir Karic replaces Jayden Reid.
46
Substitution Substitution
Substitution: Rafael Lucas Cardoso dos Santos comes on for Conrad Wallem.
46
Update Update
Jake Davis is on, and Ian James is off.
45
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
42
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Shot by Capita with a right-footed effort results in a goal.
42
Attempt Attempt
Dejan Joveljic takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
42
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! The score is now 2-1.
36
Attempt Attempt
Shot from Marcel Hartel with his right foot finds the back of the net.
36
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! The score is now 2-0.
35
Attempt Attempt
Simon Becher attempts a left-footed shot but misses.
33
Attempt Attempt
Calvin Harris takes a header but misses the shot.
31
Attempt Attempt
Zorhan Bassong takes a left-footed shot, but it's blocked.
31
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
28
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Shot! Jeong Sang Bin scores with a right-footed shot.
28
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! Jeong Sang Bin scores to make it 1-0.
23
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
23
Attempt Attempt
Marcel Hartel takes a right-footed shot but misses.
22
Attempt Attempt
Marcel Hartel takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
22
Attempt Attempt
Marcel Hartel takes a right-footed shot, but it is saved.
21
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
20
Attempt Attempt
Eduard Lowen takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
16
Attempt Attempt
Simon Becher takes a right-footed shot but misses.
15
Attempt Attempt
Daniel Edelman takes a right-footed shot, but it's blocked.
11
Attempt Attempt
Jeong Sang Bin takes a right-footed shot but misses.
8
Attempt Attempt
Simon Becher takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
1
Update Update
Kick-off! The referee is Allen Chapman.

CONCLUSION

St. Louis City delivered a composed performance to edge Sporting KC 3-2 in a tightly contested encounter. Building on their 2-1 halftime advantage the hosts managed the game effectively while capitalizing on their superior xG creation. The absence of red cards ensured both teams could deploy full tactical options until the final whistle. Sporting KC showed resilience in the second period but could not overcome the underlying statistical gap. Overall the result reinforced St. Louis City's position as the stronger side on the day with metrics supporting their deserved victory. This outcome leaves both clubs with clear areas to refine ahead of upcoming fixtures.