Comets return home for meeting with Dallas Sidekicks

Kansas City Comets vs Dallas Sidekicks

MASL Regular Season — Game 4

Sunday, December 15 — 5 p.m. CT

Where | Cable Dahmer Arena - Independence, Missouri

National Broadcast | CBS Sports Golazo Network

Worldwide Stream | SportWorld and Unbeaten Network

Local Broadcast | 38 the Spot

Tickets | Ticketmaster

The Kansas City Comets (2-0-1) will have the national spotlight once again as they return to Silverstein Eye Centers Field for a Sunday evening meeting with the Dallas Sidekicks (0-0-0) that will stream live from Cable Dahmer Arena on the CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Sunday will be the first meeting since 2022 for both storied franchises, whose roots date back more than four decades. In 2022, the Comets knocked the Sidekicks out of the Ron Newman Cup Playoffs. The Comets had a 1-0 series lead entering that evening, but a Game 2 loss on home turf set the stage for KC to win Game 3 the same night as Lesia Thetsane scored the series-deciding goal that sent the Comets into the RNC Semifinals.

The Comets are looking to get back to winning ways this week after a devastating overtime defeat to the Milwaukee Wave. The Comets let a 4-1 lead slip away controversially, eventually losing 6-5 in overtime.

The Comets beat the St. Louis Ambush home and away on the previous week's opening weekend of play. Leo Acosta's four goals helped Kansas City to a promising start.

No one in the MASL has been busier than Rian Marques early on this season. The Brazilian forward has started the season with seven points from four goals and three assists while Zach Reget leads the team with five goals.

The Comets won the first two games, with Phillip Ejimadu playing every second and making 25 saves. Nicolau Neto took the loss against Milwaukee with 18 saves. Ejimadu and Neto have been solid for the Comets on the penalty kill, helping the team to kill four of five penalties this season.

The Comets will be without Henry Ramirez (knee) while Lucas Sousa (knee) and Michael Lenis (concussion protocol) are doubtful. KC has Nicolau Neto (thigh) and Zach Reget (ankle) listed as probable.

The Comets lead the all-time series 14-3 against the Sidekicks, but Dallas has taken two of the last three games at Cable Dahmer Arena. The Comets and Sidekicks will meet again on January 30 in Dallas.

Saturday will begin a new era for the Sidekicks as they kick off a new season under new head coach Terry Woodberry. The longtime indoor veteran won two championships and played with six teams, including Dallas, San Diego, and Wichita, between 1987 and 2001.

Woodberry returned to the organization last year as an assistant coach to Ed Puskarich and took over as interim coach in March. The Sidekicks went 3-1 with Woodberry as interim head coach, leading to him having the interim title lifted.

Dallas concluded last season fifth in the West with a record of 6-18. While the season was a disappointment, they ended it looking to build from a three-game winning streak.

Panamanian World Cup veteran Blas Pérez leads the Sidekicks after scoring a team-high 20 goals last season. The former FC Dallas forward scored 31 goals in 24 games with the Sidekicks over the previous three seasons. Jamie Lovegrove is Dallas' other offensive threat as he led the team last year with 24 points from 14 goals and 10 assists.

The Sidekicks split goalkeeper duties between veteran Juan Gamboa and rookie Parker Lackland last season. Lackland earned four of Dallas' five wins last year in 12 starts. They will look for significant defensive improvements this season after conceding a league-high 205 goals in 2023-24.

Dallas also has some injury concerns and will be without Ray Mouloungui (knee), David Texeira (personal) and Christian Vazquez (knee). Doubtful players include David Balyeat (foot), Gustavo Piedra (knee) and Gonzalo Santa Martinez (eye).

After Sunday, the Comets are off until they have another two-game set with the St. Louis Ambush, beginning at Cable Dahmer Arena on December 28 before visiting St. Louis on New Year's Eve.