Expect Sporting KC to line up in their usual 4-2-3-1, with a double pivot shielding a back four that has been breached too often. They will try to control the midfield and feed their wide players, but the shape is vulnerable to quick transitions. St. Louis, under Yoann Damet, will likely stick with their 4-3-3, a system that allows them to press high and win the ball in dangerous areas. The midfield three gives them numerical superiority in the center, and that is where this game will be won.

The key battle is in the middle of the park. Sporting's double pivot will be outnumbered by St. Louis's trio, and that means the visitors can dominate possession and dictate the tempo. When St. Louis have the ball, they will look to knife through the lines with quick, vertical passes, targeting the space behind Sporting's full-backs. On the counter, they are lethal — just ask the Galaxy. Sporting will try to hit back through their own wide men, but they will be stretched, and that is where the game will open up.