Sporting Kansas City heads back to Children’s Mercy Park this Sunday still clinging to hopes of keeping their season alive. Right now, they’re stuck in 13th place in the Western Conference with 27 points, well off the playoff line. Waiting for them is Austin FC, sitting seventh with 38 points, holding on to the final direct playoff spot. It’s two teams in very different places, but both are coming in fresh from convincing wins.
The Sporting Kansas City challenge
Last time out, Sporting finally snapped a six-match winless run with a 4–2 victory over the Colorado Rapids. It wasn’t just a win, it was a comeback that came to life in the second half and also happened to be the club’s 300th home victory across all competitions. That kind of late push has been the theme of 2025 for them. They’ve managed to pick up 14 points from losing positions, the fifth-best mark in the league, and 21 of their 34 goals this season have been scored after the hour mark.
Dejan Joveljic has been the main man up front. He scored twice against Colorado, taking his season tally to 16. That puts him third in the MLS scoring charts this year and also gives him the third-highest single-season total in Sporting’s history. Daniel Salloi has been just as important. His goal last weekend was his seventh of the campaign and his 67th for the club overall, moving him into second place on Sporting’s all-time scoring list.
If they can win again on Sunday, things could look a bit brighter. It would bring them level with last year’s win total of eight, put them within reach of surpassing the 31 points they earned in 2024, and give them consecutive home wins for the first time this season.
Austin FC’s consistency
Austin, on the other hand, arrives in good shape. They took care of San Jose 3–1 in their last match and kept their spot inside the playoff zone. Beyond that, they’ve got something historic on the horizon with a US Open Cup semifinal later this month — the first in the club’s history — which only boosts the confidence in the squad.
Osman Bukari and Owen Wolff have been leading the charge. Bukari has three goals and seven assists so far, while the 20-year-old Wolff has chipped in with four goals and six assists. Both sit at 10 direct goal contributions, tied for the team lead. And it’s not just about the attack. Defensively, Austin has been well-drilled under Nico Estevez. They’re giving up an average of just 1.22 goals per game, which ranks as the seventh-best record in the league.