How Sporting Kansas City can make statement in rivalry matchup vs. St. Louis City
This week, the rivalry between Kansas City and St. Louis takes center stage in the sports world.
And before the first pitch is thrown in this weekend’s I-70 series — Royals vs. Cardinals — the newest rivalry in Major League Soccer will play its next chapter.
Major League Soccer hasn’t quite given Wednesday’s match the marquee treatment. The scheduling of this game — sandwiched in the middle of the week as opposed to the weekend — is the only proper rivalry match being played Wednesday.
There will, at least, be a cable TV option, with the match broadcast on FS1, in addition to MLS Season Pass.
And there will be no break in the coming days, with Sporting traveling to play San Diego on Saturday, while the other classic MLS rivalry matches take place in a busy weekend slate.
There’s hardly a red-carpet treatment for the two clubs in the league’s flyover country. Regardless, it won’t change how juiced up players get for this one. Just ask St. Louis native and Sporting KC rookie Jansen Miller.
“I’ve tried to not think about it too much, but it’s hard not to,” Miller said Tuesday. “I think it’ll be special because I’ll know at least a few hundred people in the stadium.”
Having grown up in St. Louis, Miller understands that there’s a back and forth over everything between these sides: from BBQ to city bragging rights. He’s now on board with Kansas City and says he thinks Kansas City is better “in every single way.”
Whether telling the truth or giving the good “PR” answer to continue to endear himself to the Sporting faithful, Miller knows even early in his career that these rivalry games have extra juice.
“The game we played against them this year at home was different than any of the other games,” Miller said. “I feel like with the amount of energy, as soon as we come out for warmups ... you can feel it.”
That 2-0 victory for Sporting KC a little over a month ago was certainly different. It was the first time in well over a decade that Peter Vermes wasn’t on the sidelines. There was a lot of emotion for a team desperate for a win.
Now, the pressure of that environment is off. But the rivalry, no matter what, is understood.
At the very least, a draw would see Sporting KC take the regular season series with St. Louis for the first time since St. Louis joined MLS in 2023.
Of course, Sporting took the most important series between the two yet, the postseason series in ‘23, which included the only road win by either team in this burgeoning rivalry.
St. Louis will seek revenge for the early season loss and to find its own footing. St. Louis is currently winless in its last eight MLS matches, only defeating Union Omaha last Wednesday in the U.S. Open Cup.
The environment at Energizer Park will be top notch, as usual, for a rivalry match like this. The question is whether Sporting can match the energy that St. Louis will try to draw upon.
Interim coach Kerry Zavagnin says the team already feels the energy and excitement given the opponent.
“To manufacture something, or to try to raise the emotional excitement, I’ve had to do very little,” Zavagnin said. “The guys are eager. They’re ready to get back out there. So we’re excited for the opportunity.”
Sporting KC kicks off against St. Louis from Energizer Park at 7:45 p.m. Central.
Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.