Preview: Swope Park Rangers at San Antonio FC

The Swope Park Rangers are turning right back around and heading south again to face San Antonio FC on Saturday at Toyota Field. Kickoff is at 7:30pm and it will of course be live streamed on SportingKC.com.

The Rangers have started their existence with two victories, both by a final score of 2-1. SPR defeated Portland Timbers 2 at home and then went to Tulsa Roughnecks FC and got three points as well. In both victories, they added a late goal to make it 2-0 before conceding immediately after. While being too loose after a goal could be a concern, the Rangers have looked great so far. Playmaker Kevin Oliveira has been facilitating the offense for the likes of Dane Kelly, Daniel Salloi, and Kris Tyrpak; who have proven to be a deadly attacking core.

But this week they run into San Antonio FC - another expansion team - who is off to a great start.  They played their first ever match last week at Seattle Sounders 2 and won 3-0. SAFC was led by a brace from Jason Johnson in the first half. Johnson is a former Generation Adidas player who spent time with the Houston Dynamo and Chicago Fire in MLS. The Fire released him at the end of last season, but he is feeling it in the USL. The SPR back line will have their hands full with him.

San Antonio has hopes of becoming an MLS expansion side soon. The city had the San Antonio Scorpions playing in the NASL until last December when the team was dissolved as part of the plan to secure an MLS team. They are moving into Toyota Field and this weekend's matchup will be the club's inaugural game in their home stadium.

This will be the first of three matchups between the two teams this season. San Antonio FC will make the trip up to KC on July 30th and August 31st to play at Children's Mercy Championship Field in Swope Soccer Village.

Watch party is at No Other Pub. Sporting KC play right after so we get to watch both games this week!