Saturday’s match against Sporting Kansas City marks a couple of firsts for the Quakes: first road trip in the 2018 MLS regular season, and the first time the team will play in Kansas City since the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal.
Last year’s Open Cup run was the furthest the Quakes have gone in the tournament since 2004, where they also made it to the semifinals and coincidentally faced Kansas City.
Despite falling 5-4 on penalties in last year’s match, San Jose had a strong showing and the game made a lasting impression on the team that continues to this day, particularly in the goal.