Here’s Sporting KC’s schedule, and how many fans will be allowed at start of the season
Major League Soccer released its full 2021 schedule Wednesday afternoon, allowing fans a first full glimpse at this year’s slate of games.
Sporting KC released its first three games of the schedule earlier this month, starting the season on the road at New York Red Bulls on April 7 before returning to Children’s Mercy Park for a home opener against Orlando City on April 23.
The club also announced that it will start the season with a 35% capacity crowd, approximately 6,500 fans.
“We are excited to welcome supporters back to Children’s Mercy Park this year,” Sporting KC president and CEO Jake Reid said. “With assistance and guidance from local officials, we were permitted to host matches at a larger capacity to begin the season but will start with a more limited number of approximately 6,500 fans.”
Every team will play a full 34-game schedule in 2021. Select clubs will also compete in an abridged version of the U.S. Open Cup, which was canceled in 2020, as well as international competitions.
“I understand that obviously a lot of decisions are made around COVID,” said SKC coach Peter Vermes, “so it’s really hard for me to comment because I don’t know all the different variables into what went into making the decisions.”
Only eight MLS teams, which are yet to be named, will compete in the 2021 U.S. Open Cup. Sporting KC will also compete in the Leagues Cup in August and September, which pitches four MLS teams against four Liga MX teams, Mexico’s top division, in a single-elimination tournament.
Notably, Sporting KC will host 2021 expansion team Austin FC to Children’s Mercy Park in the fourth game of the season on May 9. The game will offer an immediate chance for longtime Sporting KC captain Matt Besler to return to Children’s Mercy Park. Besler signed for Austin in January as a free agent.
The 2021 season will also see Sporting KC compete in its 800th regular-season match, against the San Jose Earthquakes on July 21. Ten days later KC will play its 400th regular-season home game, again against FC Dallas, on July 31.
“Obviously, it’s a very heavily weighted schedule to the West — we’re not playing all the teams, we’re only playing three from the East — so that’s a little different, I guess,” Vermes said. “I’m not sure what the reasoning was — you’ll have to ask MLS that question — but it’s good that we’re trying somewhat to get back to normal, which is these 34 games. Then, we’ll take it from there.”
Sporting KC will close out the regular season at home on Nov. 7 against Real Salt Lake on Decision Day. The fixture marks the second-straight year that KC faces Salt Lake on Decision Day.
Sporting won at Salt Lake in 2020 to clinch the Western Conference regular-season title.
Sporting KC 2021 schedule (All times Central)
(Home games ALL CAPS)
Saturday, April 17 - at New York Red Bulls 7 p.m.
Friday, April 23 - ORLANDO CITY SC 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 1 - at Real Salt Lake 1 p.m.
Sunday, May 9 - AUSTIN FC 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 12 - at Houston Dynamo 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 16 - VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 22 - at San Jose Earthquakes 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 29 - HOUSTON DYNAMO FC 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 19 - at Portland Timbers 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 23 - COLORADO RAPIDS 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 26 - LAFC 4 p.m.
Sunday, July 4 - at LA Galaxy 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 17 - AUSTIN FC 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 21 - SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 25 - at Seattle Sounders FC 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 31 - FC DALLAS 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 4 - at LAFC 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 7 - at Colorado Rapids 8 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 14 - at FC Dallas 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 18 - PORTLAND TIMBERS 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 21 - at Minnesota United FC 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 28 - COLORADO RAPIDS 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 3 - at LAFC 9 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 11 - CHICAGO FIRE FC 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 15 - MINNESOTA UNITED FC 7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 26 - SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 29 - at FC Dallas 7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 3 - HOUSTON DYNAMO TBD
Sunday, Oct. 17 - at Vancouver Whitecaps FC 9 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 23 - at Seattle Sounders FC 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 27 - LA GALAXY 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 31 - at Minnesota United FC TBD
Wednesday, Nov. 3 - at Austin FC 8 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 7 - REAL SALT LAKE 5 p.m.
This story was originally published March 24, 2021 at 3:29 PM with the headline "Here’s Sporting KC’s schedule, and how many fans will be allowed at start of the season."