Team Previews: Can Sporting Kansas City Find 2013 Form?
By Cody Maggard
Continuing our pre-season team previews here on Multiplex, we have Sporting Kansas City.
Last Season KC’s beloved team finished 5th in the Eastern Conference and were eliminated in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs by the New York Red Bulls. It was a down season last year, well compared to the 2013 MLS Cup winning season it was anyway, but can Sporting regain their form of two seasons earlier and hoist another MLS Cup?
Quick Numbers
2014 record: 14-13-7 (w-l-d format)
Conference position: 5th in the East
League standing: 10th
US Open Cup finish: Eliminated in 5th round
CONCACAF Champions League finish: 2013-14 eliminated in quarterfinals
Top goalscorer: Dom Dwyer (24 in all comps)
Greatest moment last season: This moment comes off the pitch, ironically enough. Just after the US were eliminated from the World Cup by Belgium, rumors began to swirl concerning the futures of Graham Zusi and Matt Besler. It appeared that Besler was gone to the EPL with Sunderland and Zusi was gone to West Ham, but during a twist of fate a couple weeks later, both Matt Besler and Graham Zusi resigned with the club as Designated Players. That is the greatest moment Sporting KC could have had last season short of winning a trophy.
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Dec 9, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Sporting KC owners Rob Heineman and head coach Peter Vermes and Pat Curran and Cliff Illig and Greg Maday pose for a photo with the cup during the MLS Cup Victory Celebration at Union Station. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Key Players
Dom Dwyer: The 24 year-old Englishman just married USWNT striker Sydney Leroux in what could be the start of a great 2015 for him. Dwyer notched 22 goals in MLS last season and was arguably the best player for KC during most of the season. Nevertheless, Dwyer feels he can improve, “I could have had 30 last year. I missed some easy chances.” For the person who finished second as top goalscorer last year, that is a scary thought.
Graham Zusi: The 28 year-old winger/midfielder will look to build on a 5 goal, 8 assist output last year in which he was most remembered for being the person who took the corner kick that led to John Brooks’ famous goal against Ghana in Brazil. Zusi was the team leader in assists last year, and showed his playmaking ability. He comes into the season recovering from a lingering foot injury that forced his to miss the USMNT’s annual January camp, and will need to be healthy for Sporting to achieve their goals of winning MLS Cup again this season.
Matt Besler: After a breakout 2014 internationally, SKC’s captain fought the urge to make a European move and stuck with Peter Vermes’ club. Besler appeared in 24 games last season and made the MLS All-Star starting XI. However, Sporting will need the leadership of their captain this season as the backline deals with the loss of Aurelien Collin to Orlando City.
Key Departures
Aurelien Collin: The French central defender has been a fixture in Sporting’s back four over the years, and this offseason, the club traded the 28 year-old to Orlando for Jalil Anibaba and allocation money. Collin was in the final year of his contract and the club’s offer for resigning did not fit the standards held by Collin, and with the expansion draft, Sporting chose to profit from his departure. Nevertheless, his absence leaves a weakness in central defense that Peter Vermes will have to fill quickly for the club to make noise this season.
The Big Question: Can KC’s defense return to its winning form of 2013? After a season where the team finished the regular season with a goal difference of +17, Sporting followed that with a mere +7 goal difference last year. The change was not from a lack of goal scoring, but from more goals being allowed. Granted, the team had to play stretches without its captain, Matt Besler, and great two-way player Graham Zusi, but the defense will need to improve tremendously if the club wants to achieve its ultimate goal of winning more trophies. When KC finished second in the league two seasons ago, it was because of their defensive tenacity, and that was lacking at times last season.