Sporting Kansas City Vs Austin FC
Sporting Kansas City Vs Austin FC Sunday, 31 July 2022 – 01:30 (BST)
US Major League Soccer
Pick: Over 2.5 Goals/Both Teams to Score
Odds: Evens
Bookmaker: Boylesports
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 29 July 2022)
Preview: Western Conference foes Sporting Kansas City and Austin FC face off inside Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas, with 12 places and 21 points separating them ahead of kick-off. Will this apparent gulf in class be readily apparent when the action gets underway in the early hours of Sunday?
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Table of Contents
Sporting Kansas City – Players reached new low in midweek?
The Wizards’ have been running low on magic for much of 2022. Wednesday’s penalty shootout loss to lower-division opposition in US Open Cup semi-finals probably shouldn’t count as all that surprising then, but still was. Peter Vermes knew his team had a golden opportunity to set up a final against Orlando City but blew it. Tallying 31 shots on the night without finding the breakthrough against Sacramento Republic.
Overcoming that setback, and all the negative emotions that come with it, won’t be easy. Especially for a team that was already in a low state of mind. That marked a third successive defeat in league and cup for a side languishing last in the Western standings. Don’t expect a home fixture to offer up respite, either: Sporting KC boast one win in MLS in their last eight at Children’s Mercy Park, losing each of the last four.
Key Stat: Sporting Kansas City haven’t managed to score more than one goal in eight of their ten MLS home encounters in 2022, failing to score at all in three of the last four at Children’s Mercy Park.
Austin FC – Greens to get back on track in Kansas?
Having done their utmost to keep Los Angeles FC honest at the Western Conference summit, are Austin FC – who have played a game more than LAFC – displaying some early hallmarks that they won’t last the race? A four point gap has opened up to LAFC following last week’s 4-3 loss to New York Red Bulls. Snapping Los Verdes’ seven-match undefeated streak (W5 D2) and leaving them winless in their last two (D1 L1).
Only once this season has this team gone three games without winning. That was way back in March/April. They’ve shown they can hop back on the horse and start winning again, and a trip to bottom of the table Sporting KC is an excellent chance to do exactly that. Moreover, NYRB are the only side to have accrued more away points than Austin (23 – W7 D2 L3), who have won four of the last five away from Q2 Stadium.
Key Stat: A single goal might be enough to take home all three points in Kansas. For not only would Sporting KC not score in three of four prior home league games, Austin FC are enjoying a run of 11 consecutive MLS away games scoring at least once.
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Sporting Kansas City Vs Austin FC Betting Advice
Children’s Mercy Park sees Sporting Kansas City, occupying last place in the Western Conference, take on visiting Austin FC, riding high in second in the same division. The table alone suggests it is the away side who deserve to start as favourites for this, but this isn’t the case. This might have something to do with their record away to SKC, where they are yet to win albeit from only two attempts thus far (D1 L1).
Sporting Kansas City Vs Austin FC – Key Facts:
- At the start of play, there will be a difference of 12 positions and 21 points between Sporting KC, in 14th, and Austin FC, in second, in the MLS Western Conference.
- All three previous meetings between the teams seen both teams score, with the record evenly split so far with one win apiece and a scoring draw here in Kansas.
- Five of the seven away league wins this season by Austin were despite conceding at least one goal. However, three of Sporting KC’s past four home losses were ‘to nil’.
All three encounters between the teams has seen both teams score while only one – a 1-1 draw in June 2021 here in Kansas – didn’t breach the threshold for Over 2.5 Goals. Although Austin are value in the Match Odds betting, the safer pick is BTTS. Sporting KC do struggle for goals at home but should get some change from an Austin backline which has conceded in 9 of 11 away matches this term, with 8 seeing BTTS.
Best Betting Odds – Sporting Kansas City Vs Austin FC
Sporting Kansas City – 31/20 (Bet365)
Draw – 5/2 (WilliamHill)
Austin FC – 13/8 (PaddyPower)
