Kerry Zavagnin has been told that the sporting job in Kansas City is his to save if he can inspire a turnaround, starting against St. Louis City.
Sporting divided on Monday with long-term coach Peter Vermes after a 2-1 defeat against FC Dallas had left them with one point of six games.
It means that Saturday's match against St. Louis in Mercy Park for children will be their first without Vermes in 15 years.
Zavagnin will now enter as an interim boss while the search for a permanent successor begins, but he can still be selected to stay on his own.
City co-owner Mike Illig said this week with reporters and said: “I have now closed four deals with Kerry.
“It is always between him and I understand that if something ever happened to Peter, he would get a chance on the interim track.
“That said, he understands that we are going to perform a search, a worldwide search next to him. He will be thrown into the mix. I told him it's his job to lose.”
Pushing forward #sportingkc pic.twitter.com/itbjziswfg
– Sporting Kansas City (@sportingkc) 3 April 2025
Sporting KC has fewer points than any other side in MLS after six games and then welcome a St Louis side that is better off seven points.
The team of Olof Mellberg, however, has lost back-to-back matches due to the same 1-0 score against Philadelphia Union and Austin FC.
No team in the Western Conference has fewer goals than the four of St. Louis, but Mellberg has refuted that can be solved by using more attackers.
“We have tried several times to go with two strikers,” he said. “We also tried that in the preseason. We know we have not scored enough.
“We have paid a lot of attention to the attack. This is something we have been aware of since the previous season and we are working hard to improve.”
Players to watch
Sporting KC – William Agada
So far, Agada has mainly been used as a replacement, but a change in management can mean a change in the line-up this weekend.
The attacker also has a good record in this luminaire, after he has scored two goals and helped another in four regular seasonal meetings with St. Louis.
St. Louis – Simon Becher
As Mellberg recognized, more from his side is needed in an attacking sentence that have gone back-to-back games without finding the net.
Becher has led the attack for both games without much success and although more support is needed, the attacker will know that he should get up.
The same, Sabrina pic.twitter.com/d1pgvsr7bi
– St Louis City SC (@stlcitySC) April 4, 2025
Match forecast: st. Louis wins
Sporting has made them the second worst start of a season, while they are the first club in the MLS history that collected several times less than two points through six games.
City has lost 12 of their last 13 games that extend until last season, meanwhile, and has admitted several goals in 11 of those competitions.
For comparison: St. Louis has only admitted two goals this season in their first six games, making them the 14th team in the MLS history to admit two or less at this stage.
Exercising may be undefeated in four home games with St/ Louis, but they know they will have their work cut this weekend.
Opta wins probability
Sporting KC – 32.8%
St Louis – 41.6%
Drawing – 25.6%
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