Sporting Kansas City v Minnesota United: Ramsay aiming to regain momentum after ´dent´

Eric Ramsay is hopeful Minnesota United’s latest defeat has not dented their momentum as they prepare to travel to Sporting Kansas City in MLS.

Minnesota have won two and lost two of their last four MLS matches, with those two victories both coming on the road.

They are ninth in the Western Conference after losing to FC Cincinnati in their last outing, failing to mount a comeback after two first-half goals from their visitors.

Ramsay was slightly disappointed by the result but is determined to take the positives from that game as they continue their playoff push.

“We showed some naivety [against Cincinnati] with the goals we conceded, but the game as a whole was largely very good,” he said.

“We went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the whole division. We have to take that as a positive and use that as a step forward, as a continuation of the momentum that we’ve built so far and not let it dent what we’ve already done.”

the work continues pic.twitter.com/1y6nw4uRCo

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) September 19, 2024

Meanwhile, Sporting are 12th in the league, having lost just one of their last five league matches.

They beat Colorado Rapids 4-1 last time out, with Alan Pulido netting a brace, and head coach Peter Vermes was delighted to see him getting in on the goals.

“Alan has this level in him and has great form over the past two months, but we’re playing him in better places on the field,” Vermes said. “We haven’t found enough chances to get him in on goal, and we need to keep improving that.

“The good thing is that we have options, we’re not stuck. We’re limitless right now, we have a lot of different ways in which we can put different combinations of players on the field.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sporting KC – Alan Pulido

Pulido scored twice in Kansas City’s win over Colorado on Wednesday, his seventh multi-goal game for Sporting.

The only two players in club history with more multi-goal regular season games are Dom Dwyer (10) and Digital Takawira (eight).

If you’re new here, let us introduce you to AP#SportingKC | @alanpulido pic.twitter.com/la78NxgMwt

— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) September 19, 2024

Minnesota United – Kelvin Yeboah

Kelvin Yeboah scored from the penalty spot on Wednesday, with three of his four goals this season have been via penalty kicks.

Yeboah is the fourth player to have 3+ penalty kick goals in a season for Minnesota, with Darwin Quintero being the only Loons player with more (four in 2019).

MATCH PREDICTION: SPORTING KANSAS CITY WIN

Sporting KC have won 10 of their 11 all-time home matches against Minnesota, including the last four in a row. Minnesota’s lone result at Sporting was a 3-0 victory in the 2020 playoffs.

Indeed, Kansas City have won three straight home matches across all competitions, with all three victories coming by multiple goals. This is the first time Sporting have won three straight home games, all by 2+ goals, since a four-game run to start the 2019 season.

However, after going winless in eight straight on the road (D2 L6), Minnesota have recorded back-to-back wins away from home. The longest road winning streak in club history in all competitions is three matches, achieved in both 2022 and 2023.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Sporting KC – 46.8%

Draw – 26.4%

Minnesota United – 26.8%