Major League Soccer's newest rivalry takes center stage when St. Louis CITY SC (No. 1) host Sporting Kansas City (No. 8) Sunday night for Game 1 of their Western Conference Round One Best-of-3 series in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.
How to watch and stream
- Apple TV - Free
- FS1, FOX Deportes
When
- Sunday, Oct. 29 | 10 pm ET/7 pm PT
Where
- CITYPARK | St. Louis, Missouri
The first team to two victories in the new Round One Best-of-3 series advances to the Conference Semifinals, meaning Sporting KC are guaranteed to host St. Louis on Nov. 5 for Game 2. If necessary, Game 3 is set for Nov. 11 back at CITYPARK.
If a Round One Best-of-3 series match is tied after regulation time (90 minutes), a penalty kick shootout will determine the winner (no extra time). Big picture, teams are chasing a berth in MLS Cup presented by Audi on Dec. 9.
- Seed: 1st in Western Conference
- Record: 56 points (17W-12L-5D)
St. Louis, the new kids on the block, will derive confidence from beating SKC by an 8-1 aggregate score at CITYPARK across two regular-season matchups. Yet results haven't all been positive of late, as they've lost two straight (combined 5-0 scoreline) after locking up the West's top seed.
All throughout 2023, when CITY SC seemed to be slumping, they've found a way – establishing several expansion-club records and defying expectations for how this new Midwest side would fare in MLS. Full credit goes to sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel and head coach Bradley Carnell for working in sync, then stars like goalkeeper Roman Bürki, center back Tim Parker, midfielder Eduard Löwen and striker João Klauss delivering on the field.
If St. Louis advance, they'd still have home-field advantage in a Conference Semifinal vs. either Houston Dynamo FC (No. 4) or Real Salt Lake (No. 5).
- Seed: 8th in Western Conference
- Record: 44 points (12W-14L-8D)
Sporting KC aren't your normal No. 8 seed, going from 10 games winless to start the year (0W-7L-3D) to being the West's best team since May. After winning a do-or-die Decision Day contest (3-1 vs. Minnesota United FC), they ended the regular season by leading the conference in points (41), wins (12) and goals scored (45) over that span.
That confidence was apparent in Wednesday's Wild Card, when they needed penalty kicks to beat the San Jose Earthquakes after a 0-0 draw. If PKs are required again, SKC goalkeeper Tim Melia has won all seven shootouts in his professional career (five wins in a Sporting uniform).
Playing their third game in nine days, one big question is if SKC manager Peter Vermes will rotate his squad. The front three of Alan Pulido, Johnny Russell and Dániel Sallói – they combined for 29 goals and 15 assists this year – is bound to have a say either way.
- May 20: 4-0 St. Louis win (regular season)
- Sept. 2: 2-1 Kansas City win (regular season)
- Sept. 30: 4-1 St. Louis win (regular season)
