FC Cincinnati vs Sporting Kansas City, MLS 2026 REGULAR SEASON
Overview
Match Preview
FC Cincinnati vs Sporting Kansas City — MLS at Nippert Stadium.
- FC Cincinnati 18 games · 26 pts (2026/26)
- Sporting Kansas City 18 games · 14 pts (2026/26)
Match Details
- Referee Andrew Bigelow
- Referee David Gantar
- Referee Hilario Grajeda
- Referee Joe Dickerson
- Referee Gjovalin Bori
- Referee
Standings
| # | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville SC | 18 | 40 |
| 2 | Internacional CF Miami | 18 | 38 |
| 3 | New England Revolution | 18 | 30 |
| 4 | Chicago Fire FC | 17 | 29 |
| 5 | New York City FC | 18 | 26 |
| 6 | FC Cincinnati | 18 | 26 |
| 7 | Charlotte FC | 18 | 25 |
| 8 | New York Red Bulls | 18 | 25 |
| 9 | D.C. United SC | 18 | 23 |
| 10 | Columbus Crew SC | 18 | 20 |
| 11 | Orlando City SC | 18 | 20 |
| 12 | Toronto FC | 18 | 17 |
| 13 | Philadelphia Union | 18 | 16 |
| 14 | Montreal Impact FC | 18 | 16 |
| 15 | Atlanta United FC | 18 | 12 |
| 16 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 17 | 34 |
| 17 | Los Angeles FC | 19 | 34 |
| 18 | San Jose Earthquakes | 18 | 33 |
| 19 | Houston Dynamo | 18 | 32 |
| 20 | FC Dallas | 18 | 27 |
| 21 | Real Salt Lake | 17 | 27 |
| 22 | St. Louis City | 18 | 26 |
| 23 | Portland Timbers | 18 | 24 |
| 24 | Seattle Sounders FC | 17 | 24 |
| 25 | Minnesota United FC | 18 | 24 |
| 26 | Colorado Rapids SC | 18 | 22 |
| 27 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 19 | 22 |
| 28 | San Diego FC | 18 | 21 |
| 29 | Austin FC | 18 | 17 |
| 30 | Sporting Kansas City | 18 | 14 |
Head-to-Head
Recent Form
| Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Oct | Sporting Kansas City | H | 0–1 | L |
| 24 Oct | Minnesota United FC | H | 0–1 | L |
| 18 Oct | D.C. United SC | H | 1–2 | L |
| 14 Oct | Columbus Crew SC | H | 2–1 | W |
| 11 Oct | Toronto FC | H | 0–1 | L |
| 07 Oct | Philadelphia Union | A | 0–3 | L |
| Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Oct | FC Cincinnati | A | 1–0 | W |
| 25 Oct | Colorado Rapids SC | H | 4–0 | W |
| 17 Oct | Chicago Fire FC | A | 2–2 | D |
| 15 Oct | FC Dallas | A | 0–1 | L |
| 11 Oct | Nashville SC | H | 2–1 | W |
| 08 Oct | Chicago Fire FC | H | 1–0 | W |
Season Stats
| FC Cincinnati | Sporting Kansas City | |
|---|---|---|
| #6 | Position | #30 |
| 26 | Points | 14 |
| 18 | Played | 18 |
| 7 / 5 / 6 | W / D / L | 4 / 2 / 12 |
| 45 | Scored | 18 |
| 44 | Conceded | 46 |
| +1 | GD | -28 |
| 1.44 | PPG | 0.78 |
| 39% | Win % | 22% |
Key Stats
67%
Both Teams to Score
H2H (3 games)
H2H (3 games)
33%
Over 2.5 Goals
H2H history
H2H history
21%
Clean Sheets
FC Cincinnati this season
FC Cincinnati this season
0%
Clean Sheets
Sporting Kansas City this season
Sporting Kansas City this season
FC Cincinnati are 6th (26 pts). Sporting Kansas City are 30th (14 pts).
Goal Timing (This Season)
FC Cincinnati
0-15
3/2
16-30
4/7
31-45
9/5
46-60
4/7
61-75
2/1
76+
11/3
■ Scored ■ Conceded
Sporting Kansas City
0-15
–/7
16-30
3/4
31-45
3/6
46-60
2/4
61-75
2/8
76+
3/7
■ Scored ■ Conceded
Top Scorers (This Season)
FC Cincinnati
| Evander | 10 G | 4 A |
| Kevin Denkey | 10 G | 1 A |
| Tom Barlow | 5 G |
Sporting Kansas City
| Dejan Joveljic | 8 G | 1 A |
Events
Match Events
- 0' The referee blows the starting whistle. The fans are roaring. The teams are ready for the match. FC Cincinnati is hosting Sporting Kansas City for another epic battle.
- 5' With 0 assists to his name this season, Gerso Fernandes is clearly more than just a goal scorer for FC Cincinnati.
- 10' looks like a favorite considering 0 games won in last 0 matches with its main striker scoring goals.
- 15' Spectators do not have much to choose from both teams. The sides had several scoring chances but they still need a bit more than just a sight of a goal.
- 20' While there is no rush on the pitch, let’s have a look at some stats. Spencer Richey made 248 appearances and scored 0 goals. He is very likely to score a goal today.
- 25' Neither side is committing men forward. This has all the hallmarks of a tense, tactical contest.
- 30' Sporting Kansas City seems to be on a short break. The game is mainly concentrated in the center. It’s high time they got back to action. Otherwise, it looks like a goalless game.
- 35' FC Cincinnati are deployed in a today, looking to exploit space against Sporting Kansas City's shape.
- 40' Spectators are craving for more action. Both teams play very cautiously. They need to put some more energy.
- 45' We are waiting for someone to take the initiative. Who will be the first to commit to attack?
- 46' Sporting Kansas City ring the changes. Khiry Shelton has done his job and it is now time for Gerso Fernandes to step up.
- 51' FC Cincinnati are enjoying more possession but struggling to find a way through a disciplined Sporting Kansas City backline.
- 56' Supporters expect more eagerness from Johnny Russell, as he is very good at scoring at Nippert Stadium with 0 goals in the last 0 games.
- 57' Against the run of play, Roger Espinoza has scored! This game has turned on its head.
- 60' The referee shows Sporting Kansas City player a Yellow card on 60.
- 65' Although teams showed high tempo form the start, they seem to slow down a bit. Both sides really need to catch a fire. Otherwise, we have another goalless match.
- 70' It’s high time Jaap Stam made some changes to put the his team’s game back to action.
- 75' A quiet spell here at Nippert Stadium. FC Cincinnati seem content sitting deep and soaking up pressure.
- 77' The whistle greets Jurgen Locadia as he departs to be replaced by Yuya Kubo.
- 78' Time for substitution for FC Cincinnati. Zico Bailey is replaced by Saad Abdul Salaam.
- 80' The crowd applauds Kamohelo Mokotjo as he leaves the pitch. Brandon Vazquez steps in for FC Cincinnati.
- 81' The crowd applauds Gadi Kinda as he leaves the pitch. Cameron Duke steps in for Sporting Kansas City.
- 86' Both keepers have barely been tested. FC Cincinnati and Sporting Kansas City are cancelling each other out in the centre of the park.
- 90' Another change for Sporting Kansas City made on 90 minute. Alan Pulido leaves to be changed by Erik Hurtado.
- Hope, you loved the show. Another epic battle is over with the score 0-1.
Lineups
FC Cincinnati Lineups
Starting XI
-
10
Jurgen Locadia ↓ Yuya Kubo 77'
- 15
- 36
- 11
- 6
- 14
- 18
- 24
- 96
- 3
-
16
Zico Bailey ↓ Saad Abdul Salaam 78'
Bench
- 17
-
7
Yuya Kubo ↑ 77'
- 2
-
19
Brandon Vazquez ↑ 80'
-
12
Saad Abdul Salaam ↑ 78'
-
20
Jimmy McLaughlin ↑ 90'
- 81
- 26
- 1
Coach
Jaap Stam
Sporting Kansas City Lineups
Starting XI
-
9
Alan Pulido ↓ Erik Hurtado 90'
- 7
- 3
- 29
- 6
- 26
-
11
Khiry Shelton ↓ Gerso Fernandes 46'
- 21
- 4
-
17
Gadi Kinda ↓ Cameron Duke 81'
- 13
Bench
- 36
- 5
-
12
Gerso Fernandes ↑ 46'
- 20
-
15
Roger Espinoza ↑ 46'
- 16
-
19
Erik Hurtado ↑ 90'
-
28
Cameron Duke ↑ 81'
- 24
Coach
Peter Vermes
H2H
H2H Top Scorers
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Kevin Denkey | 2 |
| Gianluca Busio | 1 |
| Darren Mattocks | 1 |
| Roger Espinoza | 1 |
| Zorhan Bassong | 1 |
Head to Head
FC Cincinnati Form
Sporting Kansas City Form
2020-10-28
FC Cincinnati
0–1
Sporting Kansas City
W
2020-10-25
Sporting Kansas City
4–0
Colorado Rapids SC
W
2020-10-17
Chicago Fire FC
2–2
Sporting Kansas City
D
2020-10-15
FC Dallas
1–0
Sporting Kansas City
L
2020-10-11
Sporting Kansas City
2–1
Nashville SC
W
2020-10-08
Sporting Kansas City
1–0
Chicago Fire FC
W
Predictions
Prediction accuracy
0 / 4
2.61
FC Cincinnati xG
Expected Goals
Dixon-Coles · Bivariate Poisson · Neg. Binomial · Elo
1.29
Sporting Kansas City xG
I would bet for:
Over 2.5 goals 73% + Both teams to score 67%
Match Result
✗ WrongActual: Sporting Kansas City win
Both Teams to Score
✗ Wrong
Avg goals/match: 3.9
Actual: No — clean sheet
Over / Under Goals
✗ O/U 2.5| Line | Over | Under | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ± 0.5 | 97% |
|
3% |
| ± 1.5 | 90% |
|
10% |
| ± 2.5 | 73% |
|
27% |
| ± 3.5 | 54% |
|
46% |
| ± 4.5 | 35% |
|
65% |
Double Chance
FC Cincinnati or Draw
75%
Draw or Sporting Kansas City
46%
FC Cincinnati or Sporting Kansas City
79%
Half-Time Result
✗ WrongActual: Draw at HT
Correct Score
✗ 0–1 not predicted0 – 1Actual
2 – 1
8.7%
1 – 1
7.6%
3 – 1
7.4%
2 – 0
7%
3 – 0
5.9%
2 – 2
5.5%
1 – 0
5%
4 – 1
4.9%
3 – 2
4.8%
1 – 2
4.3%
4 – 0
3.8%
4 – 2
3.2%
Asian Handicap — FC Cincinnati
| Handicap | FC Cincinnati covers | Push | Sporting Kansas City covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| -2.5 | 26% | — | 74% |
| -2 | 26% | 19% | 56% |
| -1.5 | 44% | — | 56% |
| -1 | 44% | 20% | 36% |
| -0.5 | 64% | — | 36% |
| +0.5 | 83% | — | 17% |
| +1 | 83% | 10% | 7% |
| +1.5 | 93% | — | 7% |
| +2 | 93% | 5% | 2% |
| +2.5 | 98% | — | 2% |
Clean Sheet
FC Cincinnati keeps clean sheet
28%
✓
Sporting Kansas City keeps clean sheet
8%
✗
Predictions are statistical estimates based on season form, H2H history, and a Poisson model. Not financial advice.