Sporting KC welcomes full capacity at Children’s Mercy Park

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — There’s a lot of excitement ahead of Sporting Kansas City’s match against Houston Dynamo on Saturday, as Children’s Mercy Park will be open to full capacity.

The last time that happened was March of 2020, and coincidentally, it was also against Houston.

“It’s something we’ve been waiting for a long time,” midfielder Ilie Sanchez said.

“I think that the romance that goes with the game and the fans, I think is, it’s about time it’s getting back to the way it is. It’s going to be very, very welcome,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes added.

As Kansas City gets ready to take on Western Conference foe Houston, Sporting says this will finally feel like some home field advantage.

“I’m really excited. Thats like the main thing all the players want is to play in front of a full stadium. I think we’re all excited to go out there on Saturday and play in front of them,” defender Jaylin Lindsey said.

Playing in front of limited crowds wasn’t ideal, but there were a few advantages.

“Sometimes you get that advantage of sometimes you hear coaches, opposing coaches and opposing players say some things about their tactics that we kind of pick up on really easily,” Lindsey said.

At 4-2-1, Sporting KC holds the second place spot in the West, two points ahead fourth-place Houston.

There are health protocols in place, including mobile ticketing and cashless payments. Wearing a mask is encouraged, but it’s not required.

Sporting is giving 1,000 first responders free tickets to the game. There are several dozen tickets still available.

Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.