Sporting Kansas City-Red Bulls Preview

Defensive struggles might be out of the ordinary for Sporting Kansas City, but they're still something Peter Vermes can relate to.

As a player, not a coach.

Sporting, loser of three straight, has conceded at least three goals in three straight matches for the first time since June 2001, when Vermes was a back-line regular for the then-Kansas City Wizards.

Adding to the streak Saturday night in a road matchup with the New York Red Bulls would be a franchise first for the defending MLS Cup champion.

Kansas City (12-9-6) hasn't lost four straight since a five-game slide April 16-May 21, 2011, but is in danger of doing so after Wednesday's 3-1 loss at New England.

It had allowed a league-low 0.92 goals per game in 25 matches preceding the slide.

"It's like I've said before: You've got to look this stuff in the eye," Vermes told the club's official website. "You can't back off of it, and right now we have to - we have to - look it in the face, and we have to work harder. The bottom line is that we've got to work harder."

Sporting took an early lead with Soony Saad's ninth-minute goal, but the Revolution drew even by halftime and took the lead three minutes after the interval.

Vermes shuffled the back line to no avail, benching center back and two-time MLS All-Star Aurelien Collin. He hasn't indicated whether more changes will be in order, though he will have top scorer Dom Dwyer and midfielder Benny Feilhaber back from suspension due to yellow-card accumulation.

Dwyer has three goals in his last three starts and is second in the league with 17.

He's three back of Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips, who hasn't gone consecutive matches without a goal since mid-April. In 18 league matches since, he's scored 19 times, including one in a 1-1 draw at Kansas City on May 27.

Recent history in the series has gone Sporting's way with a 9-5 aggregate and four clean sheets over a 3-1-3 span.

The Red Bulls (7-8-10) were also lacking in the attack in Sunday's 2-0 loss at D.C., so it was especially good news that a midweek injury scare to Wright-Phillips in training wasn't deemed serious enough to keep him out of the weekend's Eastern Conference clash.

"It was one of those things to be very precautious, take precaution, and be very smart about it," coach Mike Petke told the league's official website of the unspecified injury. "That's it. He's good to go. A lot can happen in two days, but right now with everything coming back negative, yeah (he's available to start)."

Scoring hasn't been an issue at home recently with 15 goals over a 4-0-2 stretch across all competitions since June 27, but that'll have to continue without another top attacker.

Midfielder Tim Cahill, as well as defenders Ambroise Oyongo and Matt Miazga, are away due to international call-ups.

While Kansas City remains second in the East with 42 points and a six-point cushion, New York trails Columbus and Philadelphia by two points for the conference's final spot.