Sporting Kansas City v LA Galaxy: Joveljic desperate for victory against struggling former side

Dejan Joveljic is hopeless for triumph against LA Galaxy arsenic Sporting Kansas City hole to big the striker’s erstwhile broadside successful MLS.

Serbia guardant Joveljic scored the victor past twelvemonth arsenic the Galaxy clinched the MLS Cup with a 2-1 triumph implicit the New York Red Bulls.

The brace parted ways successful the aftermath of the Galaxy’s sixth league title, however, with Joveljic moving to articulation Kansas City.

“Finally, everything paid off: It was an astonishing journey, and we yet won it,” Joveljic said of past season’s success, speaking to the league’s authoritative website.

“To beryllium honest, we had a large squad past season, we did immoderate astonishing things; we didn’t suffer a crippled astatine home, which is an astonishing achievement.

“After that, I felt that I request thing more.”

#SportingKC pic.twitter.com/PaKDDWu1c1

— Dejan Joveljić (@JoveljicDejan) April 27, 2025

Both sides person struggled for signifier since the Galaxy’s 2024 glory, with the brace sitting arsenic the bottommost 2 teams successful the Western Conference.

Kansas City are second-bottom aft their 2-1 decision astatine FC Cincinnati, portion Greg Vanney’s broadside – who person conscionable 3 points to their sanction – are winless each play aft their 4-2 decision to Portland Timbers past clip out.

Joveljic volition beryllium successful nary temper to bash his aged broadside a favour astatine Mercy Park, though says helium would support his celebrations muted if helium does negociate to score.

“I conscionable privation to win,” helium said. “Yes, I play against my friends, against my brothers, against the manager who brought maine there, and each the guys there. It’s going to beryllium special, but I person thing much than to win.

“I privation to beryllium myself erstwhile more, and it’s going to beryllium absorbing – and hopefully it’s going to beryllium a large game.

“If I score, determination is nary accidental I bash thing crazy. Even if I celebrate, everyone knows however overmuch I emotion LA and manager Greg [Vanney] and each the guys – truthful that’s not important.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sporting Kansas City – Daniel Salloi

Daniel Salloi volition beryllium 1 for the Galaxy to support an oculus on, with his 4 goals this MLS run lone bettered by Joveljic (five) among Sporting players.

The Hungary planetary failed to find the nett past clip out, but scored doubly successful the 5-3 triumph implicit San Jose Earthquakes successful the crippled beforehand.

LA Galaxy – Christian Ramirez

Christian Ramirez ended a five-match streak without a extremity crossed each competitions by uncovering the people successful the decision to the Timbers.

The Galaxy guardant leads the scoring charts this play successful MLS for his side, with 4 goals successful 9 games aft scoring successful 3 consecutive games crossed March.

CR17 is your April Player of the Month pres. by @Yaamava pic.twitter.com/pJFcDzktFs

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) May 1, 2025

MATCH PREDICTION – LA GALAXY WIN

The Galaxy whitethorn person endured a woeful run to date, but the Opta supercomputer swayed towards an distant triumph crossed 10,000 pre-match simulations.

Indeed, the visitors won some meetings with Kansas City past play aft winning lone 2 of the erstwhile 16 meetings dating backmost to October 2015 (D7 L7).

The Galaxy’s past three-match winning streak implicit Kansas City came successful 2005-06, though they whitethorn fancy their chances of replicating that here.

Sporting’s decision to Cincinnati marked their 14th nonaccomplishment successful the past 17 matches successful each competitions dating backmost to mid-September (W2 D1).

They person besides allowed aggregate goals successful 14 of those 17 matches, including the past 3 successful a row, but the Galaxy’s signifier means this volition not beryllium a regular triumph by immoderate means.

Vanney’s broadside are 1 of 5 teams successful the post-shootout epoch to spell winless successful their archetypal 10 MLS matches of a season.

They person lone 1 longer winless tally astatine immoderate clip successful a play successful nine history, a 12-match streak successful June-September 2008, a feat they volition beryllium hopeless to debar this year.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Sporting Kansas City triumph – 31.5%

Draw – 25.3%

LA Galaxy triumph – 43.2%