2012 MLS Standings: Sporting KC In First Place

With four games left in the regular season Sporting KC is on the verge of clinching a berth in the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs. Sporting KC (16-7-7) currently sits in first place in the east with 55 points.The Chicago Fire, however, have 53 points and a game in hand having only played 29 games.

Sporting KC will clinch a playoff berth as long as it wins at least one of its final four games. Two wins will give them an automatic spot in the conference finals.

Sporting will visit Chicago this coming week in a game that will likely decide the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Sporting KC has already clinched its first ever berth in the CONCACAF Champions League for next season, and they will be draw out of Pot B as the result of their U.S. Open Cup.

For more on Sporting KC, be sure to visit The Daily Wiz,while SB Nation's soccer hub has pitch coverage from all angles.

Sporting KC Gains Big Road Win At New York Red Bulls

Sporting Kansas City beat the New York Red Bulls 2-0 Wednesday night in a game between two of the top three teams in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference. The road win gave KC a five point lead over the Chicago Fire and puts them in control of the top seed line in the East. Forward Kei Kamara scored the team's second goal in the win; he had this to say about the joyous locker room atmosphere after the win:

We’re like this every game we win, home or away, we’re like this in the locker room. Good music, good fun and that’s the same way we play when we go out there. That kind of African-Caribbean feelings we inject into all the players so we can relax and have fun.

Kansas City returns home to host Montreal on Saturday at noon, local time. Sporting then visits Chicago next Friday, Sept. 28, in a clash between the Eastern Conference's top two teams.

For more on Sporting KC, be sure to visit The Daily Wiz. Additional coverage on the Red Bulls can be found at Once A Metro, while SB Nation's soccer hub has pitch coverage from all angles.

Sporting KC Vs. Red Bulls Recap: Sporting Earns 2-0 Victory Over New York

In a battle between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, Sporting KC earned a fantastic 2-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday, allowing Kansas City to notch their 16th victory of the season.

Just 12 minutes into the match, Sporting's own CJ Sapong was first to strike, scoring a goal on an assist from Matt Besler. It didn't take long for the team to extend its lead, as the their second goal came just seven minutes later off the leg of Kei Kamara.

The win allows Kansas City to maintain their hold on first place in the Eastern Conference and gives the club additional breathing room over the Chicago Fire, while keeping the Red Bulls at bay, too.

With only five games remaining the season, Sporting can very well close out the season as the top seed in the Eastern Conference. However, of those five games, only two will be Livestrong Sporting Park.

For more on Sporting KC, be sure to visit The Daily Wiz. Additional coverage on the Red Bulls can be found at Once A Metro, while SB Nation's soccer hub has The Beautiful Game covered from all angles.

Sporting KC Vs. New York Red Bulls Preview

Sporting Kansas City faces a big road test on Wednesday night, as they get set to take on the New York Red Bulls. Sporting KC is currently in first place in the Eastern Conference, while the Red Bulls are just two points back.

Sporting KC currently holds the MLS's best road record, at 7-4-2. However, New York is unbeaten in its last five games, so something will have to give. In each of its past two matches at Red Bull Arena, Sporting KC has been defeated, 1-0. Earlier this season, the two teams played to a 1-1 draw at Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City.

Just five points back of San Jose for the Supporters' Shield, Sporting KC can make up some key ground and put pressure on the leaders with a positive result in Harrison, N.J.

The match kicks off at 6 p.m. CT, and can be seen live on KSMO-TV in Kansas City.

For more on Sporting KC, be sure to visit The Daily Wiz. Additional coverage on the Red Bulls can be found at Once A Metro, while SB Nation's soccer hub has The Beautiful Game covered from all angles.

Sporting KC Vs. Red Bulls: N.Y.'s Thierry Henry Named MLS Player Of Week

With just six games remaining in the regular season and only nine points separating first-place Sporting Kansas City from being outside of the playoff picture, Wednesday's game against the New York Red Bulls is a crucial one.

To win the game on Wednesday, Sporting KC will have to contain the MLS Player of the Week, Thierry Henry, of the Red Bulls. It represents the fourth time that the native of France has earned the honor during his MLS career, which began in 2010 with the Red Bulls.

The honor comes after Henry tallied two goals and an assist in a 3-1 win over the Columbus Crew on Saturday.

The Red Bulls are third in the MLS Eastern Conference and are just two points behind Sporting KC for the conference lead.

For more on Sporting Kansas City, head over to The Daily Wiz. More on the New York Red Bulls can be found at Once A Metro. Check out SB Nation's Soccer hub as well for more on MLS and the world of football.

2012 MLS Standings: Sporting KC Leads Eastern Conference With 51 Points

With just over one month left in the 2012 MLS regular season, Sporting Kansas City currently sits in an enviable position in first place atop the Eastern Conference standings with 51 total points.

After pulling off a stunning comeback in stoppage time with a CJ Sapong goal against Houston on Sept. 14, Sporting KC moved to 15-7-6 on the year through 28 games. No other club has been able to match Kansas City's MLS-best 0.89 goals-per game average on the back end, even though the team's 35 total goals are only good enough to tie for 12th-best in the league.

Next up for Sporting Kansas City is a tricky road tilt with the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday in a game where first place will definitely be on the line. The high-scoring Red Bulls will enter just two points behind Sporting KC in the standings, so it's imperative that Kansas City is able to find the net early on if they want to remain atop the East.

For more on Sporting Kansas City, head over to The Daily Wiz. More on the New York Red Bulls can be found at Once A Metro. Check out SB Nation's Soccer Hub as well for more on MLS and the world of football.

Sporting KC Vs. New York Red Bulls: MLS Powers Face Off Again

Sporting Kansas City will meet the New York Red Bulls in a tough conference clash on Wednesday at Red Bull Arena.