Peter Vermes says his Sporting Kansas City players must ultimately take accountability for the side’s poor start to the season.

SKC sit 13th in the Western Conference after 13 matches in 2024, having won just two games.

Heading into a trip to Austin FC – who sit in sixth in the West – on Saturday, Kansas City are without a win in six games, and have lost four of their last five outings in MLS.

Speaking ahead of the game, Vermes said: “[Austin have] been strong defensively, they’re very clear on the way they want to play and they’re finding ways to get results. They’ve been defending well, as well.”

Asked what he could do to change the trend, Vermes replied: “There’s a lot of different things you can do. You can set expectations, maybe change training a little bit.

“There’s all kinds of things that you could do – in the end, it’s them, they’re playing, I’m not playing, they have to go do that. The only thing I have a bigger stick on is the accountability – if you’re not doing it, then somebody else will come on and do it.”

Austin have won three of their last four games, including holding out for a 1-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo at home last time out.

“Positive energy brings positive things and let me say you were crucial in that particular moment of the game to help the team win,” said sporting director Rodolfo Borrell in an open letter to Austin’s fans.

“I thought the energy coming from all of you was phenomenal. It was a special moment, and I would like to personally thank you for that. This experience will definitely stick in my memory for a long time.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Austin FC – Sebastian Driussi

Driussi has scored in consecutive games, including netting the lone goal in Austin’s win over Houston on Wednesday. Driussi has scored in two or more straight games eight times since the start of the 2022 season.

Sporting Kansas City – Daniel Salloi

Salloi’s strike against Houston on Saturday was the fifth goal scored by Sporting Kansas City from outside the box this season, the most in MLS in 2024.

MATCH PREDICTION: AUSTIN WIN

After losing only two of their first nine matches this season (W2 D5), SCK have lost three straight in MLS play. This is Sporting’s first regular-season losing streak in over a year since a run of four straight defeats in April 2023.

Austin have won five of their last eight matches (D1 L2) after opening the season winless in five games (D2 L3). Since that run began in late March, Real Salt Lake (18 points) are the only Western Conference team with more points than Austin (16).

Austin have won four of their last five meetings with SKC (L1). Austin have won all three meetings between the teams at Q2 Stadium, scoring nine goals in those games.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Austin – 45%

SKC – 27.4%

Draw – 27.6%