San Diego FC v Sporting Kansas City: Inspired Varas eager to stretch winning run

Mikey Varas wants his in-form San Diego FC players to feel as inspired as he does as they prepare to take on Sporting Kansas City.

San Diego beat Colorado Rapids 2-0 in midweek to make it three wins in a row as they moved second in the Western Conference standings.

Varas was particularly pleased with the way his side pushed on in the win over Colorado and now wants more of the same.

"It was a massive win. I hope everyone is inspired as I am by that," he told reporters. 

"It's easy to go backwards when leading 1-0, but instead they did the opposite and went forward, went and pressed, played with bravery.

"It was a complete performance. That performance was an example of what we can be, so we have to enjoy that. 

"Now it's a quick turnaround and it's only about the next game, but we have a taste of what can be."

San Diego, competing in their inaugural MLS campaign, are 12 points better off than next opponents Sporting with 13 matches played.

Sporting have won just one of their past four games, but Kerry Zavagnin took pride from the way his side recovered from two down to draw 2-2 with St. Louis City last time out.

"You can talk about how you can't control the results," caretaker boss Zavagnin said. "And then you lose every game and then everyone says, ‘Yeah, but...'.

"Our approach is we can't do anything about yesterday and we can't do anything about tomorrow. All we can deal with is the moment. 

"That was the message at half-time, that we have to put the half behind us and show that we have the character at least to compete and push forward. We did and we got a result."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

San Diego - Anders Dreyer

Dreyer scored once and assisted another for San Diego in the win over Colorado, making it six goals and six assists in 12 MLS outings this term.

Those 12 direct goal involvements are the joint-most in the division, alongside Portland Timbers' Antony.

Sporting - Dejan Joveljic

Joveljic headed the equaliser against St. Louis that earned Sporting their first point on the road when trailing by multiple goals in more than a decade.

The Serbia international leads the way among Sporting players with six goals this season, and is one of five MLS players with six-or-more goals in each of the past four campaigns.

MATCH PREDICTION: SAN DIEGO WIN

Sporting Kansas City have lost only three of their past 15 matches against expansion sides (W8 D4) in a run dating back to June 2017.

The comeback draw last time out marked only the second time Sporting have avoided defeat in their past 15 away games.

However, San Diego are in hot form thanks to three straight wins, which makes them the third expansion side in MLS history to win seven of their first 13 matches (St. Louis City – 8 in 2023, Chicago – 7 in 1998).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

San Diego - 55.2%

Sporting KC - 21.7%

Draw - 23.1%