Austin FC come into this on the back of a decent recent run, picking up two wins from their last five and keeping clean sheets in two thirds of their home games this season. With an average of just 0.7 goals conceded at home, they have been genuinely difficult to break down at Q2 Stadium, and their defensive solidity stands out well below the league average for goals allowed.

Sporting Kansas City are in freefall. Four defeats in their last five away from home, and a defensive record on the road that borders on alarming, conceding an average of 3.5 per game with a clean sheet rate of zero. Every single one of their away matches this season has gone over 2.5 goals, which is a striking contrast to Austin's typically low-scoring home games.

The tension between those two profiles makes this an interesting setup. Austin's defensive strength at home looks well-matched against a Kansas City side that simply cannot keep the ball out. This looks like a comfortable home afternoon, though the goal totals may stay lower than Kansas City's away record alone would suggest.