By Fred Liggett

Sporting Kansas City is celebrating its 30th season as a franchise bringing pro soccer to the Kansas City area. Sporting KC has formed a natural in state rivalry with STL the City for only the last three seasons and fan interest continues to increase each season. 

   The latest entry into this budding rivalry occurred on Saturday, April 5th when Sporting KC played host to The City in the first of two meetings between the teams this season. This installment ended with a 2-0 win for Sporting KC after the match was scoreless at the half. The victory gave Sporting KC their first victory of the season and kept STL the City winless at Children’s Mercy Park.

    The rivalry may still be a young one but the series has provided numerous highlights already for fans of each franchise. Sporting KC is now 4-0-2 all time against their nearest rival. Highlighting this series was Sporting KC’s post-season sweep of Top Seeded St. Louis in 2023 their inaugural season. In the team’s 9 all time meetings there have been 34 combined goals.

   Adding a key note to this latest meeting between the two rivals was new head coaches standing on the sideline. St. Louis is being led by first year coach Olof Mellberg and Sporting KC was led by interim coach Kerry Zavagnin.

     Following the teams first win Zavagnin called it “A magical night” for the team. Zavagnin called his players “A great group of men” before adding “its been emotional” regarding a week that saw him elevated to interim coach just 5 days earlier.  Sporting KC overall record now stands at 1-5-1 and Zavagnin summed things up on their first win of the season by saying “to do this against a rival”. 

    The two teams who enjoy a home and away series each season since it started in 2023 continues this year on Wednesday, May 14th at Energizer Park in Downtown St. Louis. For now Sporting KC will enjoy their 1st win of 2025 and remaining undefeated at home against their cross state rival.