Three-minute preview: D.C. United at Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Friday night

WHEN/WHERE: 8:30 p.m. Friday, at Children’s Mercy Park

TV/RADIO: KMCI-TV (Ch. 38), UniMas; 99.3 FM, KDTD (1340 AM)

ABOUT D.C. UNITED (3-5-4, 13 points): The club has struggled mightily on the road, compiling a 0-7-4 record away from home since August 2015. It has scored only five goals over the 11-game span. Goalkeeper Bill Hamid, who had offseason knee injury, is reportedly ready to make his season debut Friday. Hamid has a 0.82 goals against average in 11 all-time matches against Sporting KC.

ABOUT SPORTING KC (5-7-2, 17 points): It will be a shorthanded lineup for Sporting KC, which learned Thursday that midfielder Roger Espinoza must serve a one-game suspension Friday. The club is already without three starters — Matt Besler, Soni Mustivar and Graham Zusi — who are with their respective national teams for Copa America. Sporting KC has one victory over its last nine matches and has already lost three home games this year. It lost only two in 2015.

BOTTOM LINE: Since moving to the Western Conference last year, Sporting KC has dominated its former conference opponents. It is 9-2-2 against the East overall and 6-0-1 at home.

PREDICTION: Sporting KC 1, D.C. United 1

This story was originally published May 26, 2016 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Three-minute preview: D.C. United at Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Friday night."