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Who will win the big Sporting KC/RSL showdown?

SportingKCRSL (Getty)

 

Two teams, a combined 10-1 record and a showdown to determine league supremacy.

Unbeaten Eastern Conference leaders Sporting Kansas City take on Western Conference leaders Real Salt Lake in a match-up of the two teams widely regarded as the best in Major League Soccer. It is a match-up that could offer up a preview of the MLS Cup, and at the very least should give us a handful of tantalizing head-to-head individual match-ups on Saturday.

In one corner you have Sporting KC's vaunted 4-3-3, combining a stingy defense, relentless midfield and dangerous forwards. In the other corner you have RSL, with an imposing back-line, a highly-technical midfield and dynamic strikers.

Just who has the edge? Sporting KC is the home team, so they will be slight favorites, though it should be noted RSL has enjoyed success on the road this early season.

So who do you think will win? Make your prediction after the jump:

Who did you pick? How do you see Saturday's marquee match-up going? Think Sporting KC can keep it rolling? See RSL being the first team to beat Sporting KC?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I would have prefered something original, and more local, but there is a story for the name- Dave Checketts working with Ramon at Real Madrid to set up the Spanish pro Basketball league, and basically was introduced to the game in Madrid, so the Founding member (Mr. Checketts) wanted that name to have a more personnal meaning for him, if it werent for Real Madrid, RSL would’nt exist. And that story comes straight to me from an immediate family member of Checketts.

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  2. KC 3 RSL 0. No Grabavoy and Morales will be too much against a great team at home playing their best soccer. Kreis has been talking this week about trying to change their style to fit SKC and whenever RSL does that, the wheels fall off.

    Too bad there will be no rematch at the RioT.

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  3. whoever predicted RSL 4-0 and RSL 4-1 must live in salt lake. RSL has a good chance to win the match but lets not get stupid.
    get off the pipe

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  4. yeah coming out with the TV games before the season starts creates this. NBC has to wishing they had this game…and a few others the previous weeks.

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  5. Real Salt Lake is the worst name in MLS. I don’t mind Sporting Kansas City. And, it’s hard to hate on RBNY and call it “so American” when Red Bull Salzburg existed first.

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  6. LOLZ BORIS! The internet may be a small world after all.

    check out the #rslproblems and #skcproblems on the twitter for a good laugh.

    I love RSL, think we see a tie. Want win, think we see a tie.

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  7. It feels like a 2-1 or 3-1 SKC win. I just think at home they’re on such a roll, and their fan support is great there from what I’ve seen.

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  8. You need to brush up that English big boy. It’s hard to understand you. I thought most Spanish speakers aren’t so stupid…

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  9. I’ll blame your entoozeeazims for your idiocy. if KC wins it’s by a goal, I’m thinking draw as well. Should be a beautiful game, though!

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  10. It’s true that RSL’s defense is the best SKC’s faced this season, but SKC’s defense isn’t too shabby either. My hunch is RSL is the more tested team, but SKC has great home support. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 1-1 tie.

    But I’m pulling for SKC and plan on being there.

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  11. Really? SKC is probably my favorite name in the league. Way better than the old one. Pretty true to the sport’s tradition. I can understand hating RSL but luckily Madrid has been my team since high school so it was a natural fit for me. And you don’t likely speak Spanish because most Spanish speakers aren’t so stupid.
    To me worst is the Energy Drinks or the Galaxy. The names come from outside the tradition of soccer and are so American.

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  12. For RSL to win this minus Javi and Ned would be huge. It’s doable because Luis Gil and Velasquez are pure talents but it will be a tight affair. Let’s go RSL?

    Poqui is right this RSL defense is the best that SKC has faced.

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  13. My money is on RSL. Olave and Borchers are very tough defenders to get around and Nick at the net just completes the shutout.

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