Sporting Kansas City vs. Orlando City SC | 2020 MLS Match Preview

2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 13
Sporting Kansas City vs. Orlando City SC
Children's Mercy Park – Kansas City
September 23 – 7:30 PM ET

TV: FS1, FOX Deportes

STREAMING: FOX Sports App in US; MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada

Sporting Kansas City are looking to bounce back from a weekend loss to FC Dallas when they host red-hot Orlando City SC Wednesday night at Children's Mercy Park.

SKC (6W-4L-2D) are one point off the lead in the Western Conference after a frustrating 3-2 defeat to FC Dallas, while Orlando City SC (6W-2L-4D) are third in the East after beating Chicago Fire FC 4-1 Saturday night.

Sporting have won both of the all-time meetings in Kansas City, including 1-0 in the last matchup on Sept. 8, 2018, courtesy of a Felipe Gutierrez goal.

Sporting Kansas City

They were punished for self-inflicted "silly mistakes" but Peter Vermes was fuming about FC Dallas' time-wasting tactics following a 3-2 home defeat Saturday.

“If you want people to watch the games in this league whether it’d be live or on television, fans don’t want to see those types of antics in the game,” Vermes said. “If we’re puzzled at times why people don’t come to watch you play, or why they don’t watch you on TV, I think you look at those antics and people don’t want to see them.

“I’m involved in this game and I’ve been since I was born. And I don’t want to see those things. I don’t understand why the fan would want to see those types of antics in a game. I think it’s disrespectful to the sport. I think it’s disrespectful to the league. I think it’s disrespectful to everybody who’s involved in Major League Soccer, whether that be fans, owners, staffs, players. Those things just don’t belong in our game. I wouldn’t want to see it and I think most people don’t want to see it."

Updated team roster
Injury Report:
- OUT: Felipe Gutierrez (M) - knee injury
- OUT: Roger Espinoza (M) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Daniel Salloi (F) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Richard Sanchez (GK) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Luis Martins (D) - undisclosed injury
Suspended: Gianluca Busio (M)
Suspended after next caution: Gadi Kinda (M)
International duty: None

Orlando City SC

The MLS Cup Final is still three months away, but Orlando City SC goalkeeper Pedro Gallese said his club's goal is to win the Cup.

“We are stronger now, we are correcting the mistakes that we have been making in the back,” Gallese said after the Lions defeated Chicago Fire FC 4-1 Saturday night. “We want to make it to the playoffs and be in the finals. This is our goal.”

While it remains to be seen if Orlando City SC can play in the MLS Cup Final, Orlando coach Oscar Pareja said the qualities he saw from his team Saturday night that lends itself to postseason success.

“The best thing that I can take out of this night and this match the way it went is that we have the consistency we needed during the game to suffer the tough moments,” Pareja said. "We didn’t get desperate, we accepted that we had a rival with initiative too and they created chances. When that happens and you absorb that pressure and you absorb those difficult moments and then as a team, you overcome them and then that means that we’re getting mature. The game today has a lot of lessons for us, and as I said we’re proud of this group of guys that are growing and making a case in the league and hopefully we can continue with this.”

Updated team roster
Injury Report:
- OUT: Dom Dwyer (F) - knee injury
- OUT: Joao Moutinho (D) - groin injury
- OUT: Uri Rosell (M) - undisclosed injury
Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: Joao Moutinho (D)
International duty: None