CENTRAL FC vs. SPORTING KANSAS CITY
ATO BOLDON STADIUM, Couva, Trinidad and Tobago
August 16, 2016 (CONCACAF Champions League)
8 pm ET (UDN, Live on Facebook, via SportingKC.com)
Sporting Kansas City, the last MLS team to start play in the 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League, get under way in Group C when they travel to Trinidad and Tobago to take on Central FC on Tuesday at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
Their roster still thin from injuries, Sporting have called up winger Tyler Pasher and central defender Amer Didic from their USL side Swope Park Rangers for the match.
Road drought
Sporting have struggled away from home this season. They won their first two away games of 2016, both in league play. But they're winless in 11 straight MLS outings since then, with just one road victory – and that against NASL side Minnesota United in Lamar Hunt US Open Cup play – in their last 13 road matches across all competitions.
KC did earn a hard-fought 2-2 away draw at Supporters' Shield leaders FC Dallas on Saturday. Before that, their most recent road result in league play came in a 2-2 draw at Montreal on June 25.
Keeping up with the 'Caps
This CCL draw did Sporting no favors, as they're the only US-based MLS side with another league club in their group -- and that other club, the Vancouver Whitecaps, lead the group after a 1-0 win at Central on Aug. 2. Sporting want to be on three points as well when they meet the 'Caps next week in Vancouver.
"Vancouver won their first game there on the road," midfielder Benny Feilhaber told MLSsoccer.com last week, "and we've got to try to match that and continue on the same pace as they are.”
ATL UTD's Jones eligible for Central
Paperwork holdups kept striker Kenwyne Jones out of Central FC's roster for their CCL opener. But the Atlanta United signee -- on loan to the Trinidadian side while the MLS expansion club gears up to start play in 2017 -- is expected to feature for the defending TT Pro League champs on Tuesday.
Socawarriors.net reported late that week that Jones' transfer has cleared and he expects to start against Sporting. That could pose challenges for Sporting's central defense, with Matt Besler still out with a left knee strain, Nuno Coelho just off another absence with a recurring hamstring issue and Ike Opara coming out of Saturday's FC Dallas match with an early knock.
