Austin, Sporting KC prepare for hot conditions

Austin FC will look to their hot home pitch when they host road-challenged Sporting Kansas City on Saturday in a Western Conference match.

Kickoff has been pushed back an hour to 8:30 p.m. local time because of the severe heat forecast for Central Texas.

Austin (8-9-5, 29 points) returns home after a three-match road trip that concluded with a 2-1 loss in Vancouver on Wednesday. The Verde earned four points from their stint away from home and are 3-1-1 -- and have scored 12 goals -- since a 4-1 setback in Kansas City on June 10.

Rodney Redes scored Austin's goal -- his first in league play -- in the loss to Vancouver. Sebastian Driussi, runner-up for league MVP last season, leads the Verde with six goals this year despite missing nearly a month with a groin injury. Driussi has scored in all four of his career matches against Kansas City.

"He's unlucky to not have double-digit goals (this season)," Austin FC coach Josh Wolff said about Driussi. "The performances have been quite solid since he came back from injury. He's the heart-blood of this team, and he's a role model for our entire group."

Austin has never lost at home to Kansas City.

Sporting Kansas City (6-10-8, 26 points) head to Austin after a 2-2 draw at home with Real Salt Lake on Wednesday. Kansas City has won just once since beating Austin last month, and three of its matches since the victory over the Verde have been 2-2 ties, including its past two outings.

Johnny Russell and Daniel Salloi scored goals in the match with RSL, but Alan Pulido has been the hottest of Sporting strikers of late, scoring nine goals in his past eight matches.

"We are doing our best and we are playing well," Salloi said. "We are just not there for the whole game, and we have to got to work on that part. It's going to be very tough this weekend. I hope we can get some points (in Austin)."

Kansas City has won just once in its past 18 league road matches but has earned points on nine of those contests with draws.