Sporting KC II v St. Louis FC: Preview, Starting XI, and Predictions

Sporting Kansas City II vs St. Louis FC

When: Friday, September 4th, 7:00 PM CT

Where: West Community Stadium, Fenton, Missouri

How to Watch: ESPN+ ($4.99/month or 49.99 annually)

With a return to group play, Sporting Kansas City II will be looking for their third consecutive win against Saint Louis FC on Friday.

SKC II is coming off two straight victories, with their most recent coming with a 2-1 scoreline against FC Tulsa last Saturday. Fredinho Mompremier scored against his former side before Wilson Harris notched his 20th career goal in the USL, making him the youngest player to hit that mark in league history.

With a record of 4-5-1, SKC II sit on 13 points and in last place of Group E, however, they could find themselves just one point shy of the second place playoff spot if they get a win on Friday and Lou City lose to the Indy Eleven. They will have to do so without Jahon Rad and Will Little, as they are unavailable for selection.

In two previous meetings between the two sides this season, St. Louis was able to salvage a 1-1 draw with a stoppage-time heartbreaker before running away with a 3-1 win 10 days later.

St. Louis FC

Last time SKC II clashed with their I-70 rival, St. Louis FC’s future was uncertain, however, the club have since announced that they will cease operations after this season.

While manager Steve Trittschuh will only get one season managing his hometown USL club, he has continued to keep St. Louis a decent team. The St. Louis area native has led St. Louis FC to a record of 4-3-3 and sit third in Group E, currently two points behind the playoff line. STL are unbeaten in their last three, getting their last win against SKC II on August 15th before back-to-back draws against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Lou City.

STL is coming off a 1-1 draw with Louisville City FC last Saturday, their first home match with empty stands since St. Louis County revised their protocols. Mour Samb’s lethal finish on the counter attack drew St. Louis level in the 63rd minute.

Russell Cicerone and former Swope Park Ranger forward Tyler Blackwood have scored three goals each to lead their team while Mour Samb and former Benedictine Raven forward Kyle Greig have each added a pair. Out of the midfield, Wal Fall has also been an integral part of STL’s successes, contributing three assists so far this season.

Predicted Starting XI

Sticking with the guys that have had recent success, this week’s predicted XI includes no changes from last week’s win over Tulsa. This includes one Sporting KC loan as Tyler Freeman could receive his fourth consecutive start, although John Pulskamp could also join him from the first team on loan to replace Brooks Thompson.

While unlikely, Friday’s game could also see the debut of newly signed SKC Academy outside back Kayden Pierre.

Final Prediction

While everything lines up well for SKC II to get their third consecutive win, they are also going to a place they have never won before in seven visits with four losses and three draws.

For my final prediction, I’m going to stick with the pattern of no wins in St. Louis and predict a 2-1 loss for Sporting KC II.