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Sporting Kansas City schedule for MLS is Back tournament announced

Two in primetime and one early morning match for Sporting KC

By Thad Bell
Thad Bell

Sporting Kansas City and Major League Soccer announced the schedule and broadcast info for the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando. Sporting KC and the rest of the league already knew who they would face in group play at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort after the draw two weeks ago but now they know when and in what order they play.

Matches start for Sporting KC and the rest of Group D on July 12 with SKC facing “rival” Minnesota United FC. Next up they play the Colorado Rapids on July 17 and then Real Salt Lake on July 22. All Group D Matches will all be live nationally on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and the ESPN app.

Group stage matches count in the 2020 regular season standings. All times below are in Central Time.

Group D Schedule:

Sunday, July 12th

  • Sporting KC vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m.
  • Real Salt Lake vs. Colorado, 9:30 p.m.

Friday, July 17th

  • Sporting KC vs. Colorado, 7 p.m.
  • Real Salt Lake vs. Minnesota, 9:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 22nd

  • Real Salt Lake vs. Sporting KC, 8 a.m.
  • Colorado vs. Minnesota, 9:30 p.m.

Broadcast:

Every match (54 in total) of the MLS is Back Tournament will be televised nationally in both the U.S. and Canada as well as globally. MLS plans “unique and experimental technology to enhance the production” with more details to be announced in the future.

Format:

All 26 teams will play in the MLS is Back Tournament divided across six groups. Groups A, C and E consist of the 13 Eastern Conference clubs (plus Nashville SC) with six teams in Group A and four each in Groups C and E. The Western Conference teams are in groups B, D and F with four teams apiece. Sixteen clubs will progress to the Knockout Stage:

  • Teams finishing in the top half of Groups A through F (3 from Group A and 2 from the other groups for a total of 13 clubs)
  • The top three teams among the fourth-place finisher in Group A and the third-place finishers in Groups B through F

A single-elimination bracket will play out from the Round of 16 onward to decide the tournament champion. Matches tied at the end of regulation in the Knockout Stage will proceed directly to a penalty kick shootout.

The first games begin on July 8 with Orlando City SC and Inter Miami CF facing off for the first time.

The tournament winner will earn a spot in the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League, and all clubs will have the opportunity to earn additional bonuses as part of a $1.1 million prize pool.

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