Minnesota United at Sporting Kansas City: Keys to the match, top player and a prediction

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday Where: Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kan.

Stream: Apple TV Season Pass Radio: KSTP-AM, 1500 Weather: 64 degrees, 50 percent chance of thunderstorms Betting line: Kansas City plus-100; draw plus-275; MNUFC plus-220 Form: MNUFC (11-12-6, 39 points) had a two-game winning streak end in a 2-1 home loss to FC Cincinnati on Wednesday. Sporting (8-15-7, 31 points) beat Colorado, 4-1, at home midweek. History: Minnesota is 0-9-0 in Kansas in MLS regular-season play, getting outscored 25-3 since 2017.



The Loons, however, won the biggest away match in the series, an MLS Cup Playoff game in 2020, and have won both matchups in St. Paul this season. Quote: Loons head coach Eric Ramsay on the Cincinnati match: “They are a very complete side.

I think in some senses it was a good one for us because we were able to show where we are now, which is our very best at certain spells of games — not for long enough. But very competitive with some of the best. It also shows where we need to go in terms of completeness.

” Follow-up: A fair amount of MNUFC supporters on X were up in arms over the no-call for a potential handball against Cincinnati late in stoppage time Wednesday. The club was much less aggrieved, including in comments from Ramsay and midfielder Wil Trapp. Look-ahead: K.

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Open Cup final Wednesday, so how strong will Sporting’s team be Saturday with a trophy up for grabs next week? Could SKC rotate in even more players given they sit eight points behind Loons for the ninth and final MLS West playoff spot? Sporting will need a result to stay alive in the MLS Cup Playoff picture. “I could see it going either way,” Ramsay said. “Wholesale changes or keeping it very tight and doing everything they can to win this game.

” Absences: Fullbacks DJ Taylor (hamstring) and Zarek Valentin (lower leg) are out. Key player: Center midfielder Hassani Dotson has been arguably the Loons’ best player over the last month, per Ramsay. “Certainly one of the most consistent, top performers, full of energy, full of aggression, full of really good quality.

We’ve made an effort to free him up a little bit so he’s not (a defensive midfielder). ..

. We’ve given him much more license to play off the front, and it’s given us a really dynamic look on that right-hand side.” Plugged-in players: The Loons are continuing to use players in new roles, including Jefferson Diaz at right back in recent games.

It’s come with growing pains. “We are using him in a certain way, and we will use him in a slightly different way (Saturday),” Ramsay said. “But he’s a player that sort of represents where we are.

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In a sense, we need him to perform.” One key to the match: The Loons will need to score in the first half Saturday, because if Sporting rotates its starting XI, key players might be available off the bench for, say, 30-minute super-sub roles to end the game. Forecast: Club leader Manny Lagos estimated on the Sound of the Loons podcast Thursday that MNUFC needs six to seven points across their next five games to clinch an MLS Cup Playoffs spot.

United has a four-point lead on 10th-place Austin FC. Prediction: Ramsay will continue to show SKC coach Peter Vermes there is a new opposing coach (as well as a few new players) to contend with on the Loons’ side when they travel to Kansas. Minnesota wins 2-1.

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