Njabulo Blom knows rivalries. He played in one in South Africa between his former team, the Kaizer Chiefs, and the Orlando Pirates, whose stadiums are just 4½ miles apart. The game, known as the Soweto Derby, is one of the biggest in Africa.
Blom has been in America only since January, so he knows less about Kansas City or any rivalry that exists between Kansas City and ºüÀêÊÓƵ. But he knows soccer so he has an idea what to expect Saturday.
“I’m not really sure,†Blom said, “but one thing I know for sure is that they’ll be up for the game because of how they lost here at home.â€
Which may be all you need to know. In Chapter 1 of the fledgling ºüÀêÊÓƵ-Kansas City soccer rivalry, which is still in the market for a catchy name, City SC defeated Sporting Kansas City 4-0 on May 20 at CityPark. At the time, SKC was seriously struggling and City SC scored twice in the first 25 minutes and took it from there. Chapter 2 comes Saturday on the other side of the state, and then some, when the teams meet at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, at 7:39 p.m.
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Before Chapter 1, City SC coach Bradley Carnell talked of how you can’t have a real rivalry until there has been some kind of event to get it started. And as he sees it, there now is one.
“We have a lot of international guys on our roster and we have a lot of people who don’t know anything about the proximity or the rivalry,†Carnell said, “and for something to become a rivalry, something needs to fester, it needs to grow, there needs to be something. There needs to be a moment. And I think the moment that we put out a really good performance at CityPark is the moment now that we start this up and down, back and forth, between the two teams. Listen, they’re a class act. They’re a good team. They have some great players, they’re in good form. So again, we go over there was a lot of respect, but also with a lot of confidence.â€
City SC goalkeeper Roman Burki took part for years in the Revierderby between his club, Borussia Dortmund, and Schalke, two clubs that are 17 miles apart and have been going at it since 1925. It’s considered one of the biggest rivalries in Germany.
“I think that’s one of the biggest rivalries that I know,†he said, “and it’s just an amazing feeling. I mean, even better when you win. But just to prepare yourself for these games, to know it’s going down and it’s not like just a normal league game, it’s something special, exciting.â€
Civic and professional pride aside, both teams are highly incentivized to win, though their situations are quite different. City SC is in first place in the Western Conference with 47 points, seven points up on second-place LAFC and Seattle, and is looking to solidify its hold on first and improve its chances of home-field advantage for as long as possible in the playoffs. SKC, meanwhile, with 29 points, is in 11th place in the West, four points out of ninth place and the last playoff spot in the conference and is hoping to get back in the postseason after missing last season.
If City SC were to win, it would tie the Major League Soccer record for wins in a season by an expansion team (outside the shootout era) with 16, matching LAFC in 2018. City SC also is closing in on the record for points by an expansion team, which is 57 by LAFC. City SC has eight games to play in the regular season, so getting to both records is do-able.
“I don’t maybe, it’s not a good thing to say here in America,†Burki said, “but I’m not a big fan of stats. I just try to do my best. And that means to lead the team in the best way I can, to win the most amount of games that we can and I think we are in a good way. We are doing great. Of course it’s historic what this team is delivering and is doing it week in, week out.
“When I look at projections before the season, we were dead last by almost everyone and I knew that we are not going to end up last because maybe you remember that I said my goal is to go to the playoffs because I know this team has the qualities we can do that. It’s a proud moment, of course, when we achieve another record but we are playing for us, for our fans that we can make them happy and hopefully come back with these three points. And when it’s another record, it’s fine with me.â€
At the time of the first meeting, SKC was 2-8-4 after going winless in its first 10 games. Now, SKC is 2-1-2 in its past five games. City SC, meanwhile, has won six of its past eight MLS games, with both of the losses coming on the road.
But this one may have more of a home feel. A large number of City SC fans are expected to make the trip cross-state. City SC already has one of the better road records in the league, with the seventh most points away from home.
This will be the third game in eight days for City SC, which usually limits a team’s options, but with City SC playing a man up for 78 minutes against Dallas and making three substitutions at halftime, Carnell said the work loads for individual players were kept low enough that every player should be available. The only exceptions are Nicholas Gioacchini, who hurt his shoulder in Orlando and is listed as questionable, and Jake Nerwinski, who is serving an accumulated yellow card suspension. The only field players to play all of the first two games were midfielder Eduard Lowen and defender Josh Yaro.