Needing a win to have any hope of avoiding a dead-last finish in MLS this year, Sporting Kansas City wrap up the regular season on Saturday with a visit to Snapdragon Stadium to face San Diego.

Both teams have been eliminated from post-season contention, with San Diego sitting 13th in the West after a 1-0 win over St. Louis City and KC dead last despite a 1-1 draw at home to Dallas.

Match preview

San Diego were 90 minutes away from the MLS Cup final last year but have not been able to replicate that success in year two.

Mikey Varas’ side can finish 12th at best in the West this season, but they must win and hope that Minnesota United lose on Decision Day to surpass them.

They can surpass 40 points with a triumph on Saturday, though San Diego would still boast far fewer points than they had in their inaugural MLS campaign in 2025 (63).

With a win this weekend, they would match their 2025 regular-season home total, when they claimed seven victories on home soil.

While they have scored in all but one of their regular-season home fixtures this year, this team have also conceded multiple goals in 10 MLS outings this season at Snapdragon Stadium.

In their previous three meetings versus SKC, San Diego have yet to lose, while failing to concede a single goal against them.

Mercifully, the 2026 campaign will come to an end for Sporting Kansas City on Saturday in San Diego.

The former two-time MLS Cup champions are already assured of finishing this campaign with fewer points than ever before, as a win on Saturday would put them at 26 overall.

A victory combined with a CF Montreal defeat and a big goal swing in SKC's favour, is the only thing that will enable them to avoid finishing dead last in the league for the first time.

Raphael Wicky’s men have already set a single-season league record for goals allowed in this competition (81), conceding in all but one MLS affair this year.

It may hardly be a consolation, but with a victory on Decision Day, Kansas City would surpass their number of away wins in this competition from a season ago (three).

Sporting have lost two of their three regular season meetings this year in California, conceding a combined eight goals over that stretch.

San Diego Major League Soccer form:

Sporting Kansas City Major League Soccer form:

Team News

A lower body injury will likely keep Elias Achouri out of the San Diego fold in this meaningless game on Saturday.

Anders Dreyer scored in the latter stages of the first half last week, with Pablo Sisniega stopping seven shots to collect a clean sheet.

At SKC, Lasse Berg Johnsen, Seymour Reid, Moises Mosquera and Zorhan Bassong are all questionable due to hamstring strains, Justin Reynolds is dealing with a sore quad, Diego Borges has an adductor issue and Kwaku Agyabeng is doubtful because of an ankle injury.

Jansen Miller scored the equaliser for them on matchday 33, the first in this competition for the eighth overall pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft.

San Diego possible starting lineup:

Sisniega; Thorhallsson, McVey, Murphy, Sargent; Tverskov, Pirani, Valakari; Dreyer, Ingvartsen, Zamble

Sporting Kansas City possible starting lineup:

Cleveland; Davis, Miller, Meyer, Karic; Luiz, Bartlett, Wolff, Harris; Calheira, Afrifa

We say: San Diego 3-0 Sporting Kansas City

Kansas City allow far too many quality chances to their opponents, and we doubt they can shut down a side with San Diego’s firepower, even in this meaningless game.

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