Dream Of MLS Cup Defense Over For Sporting Kansas City
Oct 30, 2014; Harrison, NY, USA; Sporting KC forward Dom Dwyer (14) reacts to missing a shot on New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles (31) during the first half at Red Bull Arena. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Peter Vermes’s Sporting Kansas City were going to have it tough to defend their MLS Cup, and the year that followed 2013 was nothing short of a hangover. Sporting finished 14-13-7 (49 points), good enough for fifth place in the MLS Eastern Conference. For Vermes’s crew, it was a case of peaking a little too early, and falling flat in late summer.
After dropping their season opener 1-0 to Sigi Schmid’s Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash. on March 8, Sporting Kansas City started off strong, going 3-0-2 between Mar. 15 and Apr. 19. Notable victories included a 3-2 goal festival over the Colorado Rapids on Mar. 29 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. and a 4-0 pasting of the Montreal Impact at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan.
Despite a 2-0 setback to the New England Revolution on the road on Apr. 26, Sporting rebounded with victories over the Columbus Crew (2-0, May 4) and Montreal (3-0, May 10). Their first major slump came between May 14 and May 31, when Sporting had three defeats and two draws. Following the slump, there was reason to believe that their fortunes would change.
Between Jun. 6 and Aug. 1, Sporting Kansas City went 6-0-2. Sporting had a number of notable victories, including a 1-0 victory over the Portland Timbers at Providence Park in Portland, Ore. on Jun. 27, a 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, and the statement victory: a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Jul. 19 at Sporting Park.
After a 1-1 draw with the Philadelphia Union on Aug. 1, the momentum would immediately fade away. From Aug. 10 until Oct. 26, Sporting Kansas CIty went 2-8-1, dropping important season series against the New England Revolution, D.C. United, the New England Revolution and the Philadelphiua Union.
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Sporting did have big victories over Toronto FC (4-1, Aug. 16) and Chivas USA (4-0, Sept. 16), but they were offset by other unremarkable results such as a 3-0 shutout loss to D.C. United at home on Aug. 23, a 3-1 loss to the Houston Dynamo at Sporting Park on Aug. 29, and a pair of glaring defeats to New England (3-1, Sept. 3; 3-2, Sept. 26).
The season would end for Sporting at the hands of Mike Petke’s New York Red Bulls. A 2-0 loss at home on Oct. 26 to end the regular season would be followed up by a 2-1 defeat at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. in the MLS Eastern Conference Knockout Round on Oct. 30.
The bright spot for Sporting Kansas City has been Dom Dwyer. Dwyer finished 2014 as one of the top goalscorers in Major League Soccer, with 22 goals in the regular season. Graham Zusi also has a noteworthy year as the top provider for the club with five goals and eight assists. Other major performers in 2014 for Sporting Kansas City include Benny Feilhaber (four goals, six assists), Soony Saas (three goals), Paulo Nagamura (two goals, three assists), Toni Dovale (three assists), Kevin Ellis (three assists) and Eric Kronberg (45 saves).
With Dwyer’s breakthrough year, a major question is whether or not the Englishman will get a chance to take his game to Europe and continue his red hot form. Notable players that should be back next year include Feilhaber, Zusi, defender Matt Besler as well as the other players mentioned in this report. But the biggest question that will need to be asked is whether or not Sporting Kansas City can be a force next season in the new and improved MLS Western Conference, which sees Sporting and the Houston Dynamo move west to join the likes of the Galaxy, Seattle and Real Salt Lake, among noteworthy powerhouse clubs.