Sporting Kansas City v St. Louis City SC: Zavagnin begins audition for permanent job

Kerry Zavagnin has been told the Sporting Kansas City occupation is his to support if helium tin animate a turnaround, opening against St. Louis City.

Sporting parted ways with long-serving manager Peter Vermes connected Monday aft a 2-1 decision to FC Dallas near them with 1 constituent from six games.

It means Saturday’s crippled against St. Louis astatine Children’s Mercy Park volition beryllium their archetypal without Vermes successful complaint successful 15 years.

Zavagnin volition present capable successful arsenic interim brag portion the hunt for a imperishable successor begins, but helium could yet beryllium selected to enactment connected himself.

Speaking to reporters this week, City co-owner Mike Illig said: “I’ve done 4 deals with Kerry now.

“It’s ever been understood betwixt helium and I that if thing ever happens to Peter, helium would get a accidental astatine the interim job.

“That said, helium understands we’re going to tally a search, a planetary hunt alongside him. He’ll beryllium thrown successful the mix. I’ve told him it’s his occupation to lose.”

Pushing guardant #SportingKC pic.twitter.com/itbjZISwFG

— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) April 3, 2025

Sporting KC person less points than immoderate different broadside successful MLS aft six matches and adjacent invited a St Louis broadside who are 7 points amended off.

However, Olof Mellberg’s squad person mislaid back-to-back games by the aforesaid 1-0 scoreline against Philadelphia Union and Austin FC.

No squad successful the Western Conference has less goals than St. Louis’ four, but Mellberg has refuted that tin beryllium resolved by utilizing much attackers.

“We’ve tried connected aggregate occasions to spell with 2 strikers,” helium said. “We tried that successful pre-season arsenic well. We cognize we haven’t scored enough.

“We’ve enactment a batch of absorption into the attack. This is thing we’ve been alert of since pre-season and we’re moving hard connected to improve.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sporting KC – William Agada

Agada has been utilized chiefly arsenic a substitute truthful acold this season, but a alteration successful absorption could mean an alteration successful the line-up this weekend.

The guardant boasts a bully grounds successful this fixture, too, having scored 2 goals and assisted different successful 4 regular-season meetings with St. Louis.

St. Louis – Simon Becher

As acknowledged by Mellberg, much is needed from his broadside successful an attacking consciousness having gone back-to-back games without uncovering the net.

Becher has led the onslaught for some games without overmuch occurrence and, portion much enactment is needed, the guardant volition cognize helium needs to measurement up.

Same, Sabrina pic.twitter.com/d1PGVsR7Bi

— St Louis CITY SC (@stlCITYsc) April 4, 2025

MATCH PREDICTION: ST. LOUIS WIN

Sporting person made their second-worst commencement to a season, portion they are the archetypal nine successful MLS past to cod less than 2 points done six matches connected aggregate occasions.

City person mislaid 12 of their past 13 matches stretching backmost into past season, meanwhile, and person conceded aggregate goals successful 11 of those games.

By comparison, St. Louis person conceded lone 2 goals successful their archetypal six matches this season, making them the 14th squad successful MLS past to concede 2 oregon less astatine this stage.

Sporting whitethorn beryllium unbeaten successful 4 all-time location games with St/ Louis, but they cognize they volition person their enactment chopped retired this weekend.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Sporting KC – 32.8%

St Louis – 41.6%

Draw – 25.6%