Sporting KC II Returns to Children's Mercy Victory Field to Take on Tacoma Defiance

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MLS NEXT Pro Sporting Kansas City II

Sporting KC II Returns to Children's Mercy Victory Field to Take on Tacoma Defiance

April 22, 2025 - MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Sporting Kansas City II News Release


Sporting Kansas City II is back in action, for the first time in two weeks, when they host the Tacoma Defiance at Children's Mercy Victory Field on Wednesday night. The game will begin at 6 p.m. CT as the two Western Conference combatants face off for the first and only time in the MLS NEXT Pro regular season.

Tickets are on sale at SeatGeek.com for just $10, and the match can also be streamed for free at MLSNEXTPro.com or on the MLS YouTube channel.

Head coach Istvan Urbanyi's last outing came on April 9 at home against MNUFC 2. The Loons' second team was able to outlast the home side 4-2 despite a valiant comeback effort from SKC II. The Friday before that, Sporting picked up their first two points of the campaign, erasing a 3-1 deficit to North Texas SC in the final 10 minutes before picking up the extra point in kicks from the spot.

SKC II has had five different goal scorers in 2025, spread out across their first five matches. Beckham Uderitz scored the first of the season in the season opener, while Cielo Tschantret, Johann Ortiz and Gael Quintero found the back of the net against North Texas. Carter Derksen bagged his first professional goal against MNUFC 2 after SKC II was gifted an own goal in the first half.

Maouloune Goumballe, back for his second season with the club, has two assists early in the year, both coming against Texas. Bryan Arellano, who joined the team from Austin FC II, has one assist this season, teeing up Ortiz's goal off a corner kick from the left side of the pitch.

Goumballe and Tschantret have started all of SKC II's next pro matches so far in 2025. They have yet to miss a minute, playing all 450 of them. Academy amateur Leo Christiano has also played all 450 minutes. He and several other key contributors, including Derksen, returned from Generation adidas Cup and are back in training with the second team.

Second team players Jacob Molinaro, Shane Donovan and Ortiz also joined the SKC Academy for the prestigious event at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and reentered training earlier this week.

Tacoma comes into the Wednesday match as the third-highest scoring team in the league, one goal behind Chattanooga and Whitecaps FC 2. They have split their first four matches of the season, losing to Ventura County and LAFC 2 while dispatching The Town FC and Whitecaps FC 2. They are led by the current Golden Boot pace setter, Osaze De Rosario, and his six goals. De Rosario and Tacoma will take on the Portland Timbers in the US Open Cup Round of 32 on May 6 after knocking out Oakland Roots SC last week.

Starting Wednesday, SKC II will play three matches in nine days. After Tacoma, they will be on the road to take on Colorado Rapids 2 on Sunday, April 27, before travelling south to face Austin FC II on Wednesday, May 2. Fans can follow SKC II on X, Instagram and Facebook and catch their matches on MLSNEXTPro.com.

Game Information:

MLS NEXT Pro: Game 6

Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Kickoff: 6:00 p.m. CT

Location: Children's Mercy Victory Field (Kansas City, Missouri)

Tickets: SeatGeek.com

Watch: MLSNEXTPro.com

SOCIAL TAGS:

Match-specific hashtag: #SKCvTAC

X: @SportingKCII

Instagram: @SportingKCII

Twitter: @TACDefiance

Instagram: @TACDefiance

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