Jake Davis urges Sporting KC reaction after 4-0 Nashville loss ahead of Real Salt Lake clash

Sporting KC look to bounce back at home

Sporting Kansas City’s playoff hopes are over after a 4-0 loss to Nashville SC on Wednesday, but midfielder Jake Davis is demanding a strong response when the club hosts struggling Real Salt Lake in MLS on Saturday.

Sporting KC prop up the Western Conference table with five games to play. The 4-0 defeat to Nashville ended their slim postseason chances. The club are winless in their last three outings, D1 L2, and have failed to win their last two home matches, with their last home victory coming on 12 September.

"Right now, I'm thinking about beating Salt Lake," Davis said. "I think we need to focus on everything we can give this weekend."

"I sit here, and I see the quality the group has had in the last couple weeks, and I'm excited for Saturday."

"I think we're going to go out, be strong, bring our quality and put on a good performance for our fans and beat Salt Lake."

Real Salt Lake injury concern

Unlike their opponents, Real Salt Lake are still chasing a place in the postseason, sitting 11th in the West, just five points behind ninth-place Colorado Rapids. They have won just one of their last 16 games, D5 L10, with that victory coming at home. They have registered only one road victory in 2026, against Atlanta United in March.

RSL conceded a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw with San Jose Earthquakes last time out, but were dealt an injury blow as goal scorer Luc De Fougerolles went off injured shortly after scoring.

"We don't know the extent of De Fougerolles' injury," head coach Pablo Mastroeni said after that game. "It doesn't look good... I don't want to overreact to this moment, but he needed help getting to the locker room."

"What he's brought to this team in just a short time has been transformational. Fingers crossed he recovers quick, and it's just a cramp, but we'll see."

Players to watch

Sporting Kansas City – Stefan Cleveland. Sporting KC's 4-0 defeat to Nashville was the 14th time this season they have allowed three or more goals in a match, the most in a single season in MLS history. Sporting and Stefan Cleveland have allowed three or more goals in five of their last eight league matches, a run he will be desperate to turn around.

Real Salt Lake – Luc De Fougerolles. De Fougerolles scored Real Salt Lake's lone goal in their draw with San Jose, though he was substituted off injured shortly after, meaning it remains to be seen if he will feature on Saturday. It was just the second goal scored by an RSL defender in this year's regular season after Lukas Engel scored against Los Angeles FC on 22 July.

Form and prediction

Real Salt Lake are unbeaten in five straight meetings with Sporting KC, W4 D1, including winning each of the last two meetings. Dating back to the start of the 2015 season, RSL have 15 wins in 26 regular-season meetings with Sporting, D6 L5.

Sporting KC suffered their fourth four-goal defeat of the season on Wednesday when they lost to league-leading Nashville. Prior to this season, Sporting had just four losses by four or more goals in regular-season play over the previous six seasons dating back to 2020.

RSL, meanwhile, conceded in the fourth minute of stoppage time in their draw with San Jose, the 12th time they have failed to win in their last 13 matches in all competitions, D3 L9. They have managed one clean sheet over the 13 matches, doing so in their only win, 3-0 vs. New England Revolution.

Opta win probability: Sporting Kansas City 35.5%, Draw 26%, Real Salt Lake 38.5%. Match prediction: Draw.