Minnesota United travels to Kansas City to take on SKC on Sunday. With each team missing important players, this one could go either way.
Here are 3 things to watch for when Minnesota United takes on Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday.
Notable absences
Between international duty and suspensions, each team will be without several key players for this match, which should make things very interesting.
For Minnesota, Johan Venegas and Francisco Calvo are away on international duty, while Sam Cronin was handed a suspended for his tackle on Orlando City’s PC this past weekend.
SKC meanwhile, will be without Matt Besler and Graham Zusi, who are away with the US National Team, and will also also be missing Honduran international Roger Espinoza, due to a suspension. It is also worth noting that Dom Dwyer and Kevin Ellis a both questionable for SKC. Dwyer with fluid buildup in his left knee, and Ellis with a quad strain.
Who starts in place of Venegas, Calvo, and Cronin?
These are 3 huge losses for the Loons, but they have to be replaced in the lineup by someone. The question is, who?
Sam Cronin is the easiest prediction of the 3, as he’ll almost certainly be replaced by Collen Warner. Calvo, meanwhile, will likely be replaced by Jermaine Taylor, who will not join the Jamaican National Team until after Sunday’s match. Taylor was brought on as a late sub against Orlando City rather than Joe Greenspan, and that gives us a pretty good idea of who is getting the nod.
In the case of Venegas however, things get a bit more complicated. Venegas would have probably been played as a #10 had he been available, but expect Kevin Molino, who will not join T&T until after Sunday’s match, to be played there instead. Replacing Molino on the right-wing will probably be Miguel Ibarra, who can play on either wing and should be shifted from left to right for this one. That really only only leaves two options for the left-wing, in Ish Jome and Bashkim Kadrii. Kadrii’s experience should get the nod, as Adrian Heath says he’s fully fit.
Next: Minnesota United: 3 key takeaways against Orlando
Who wears the armband?
Since the benching of inaugural captain Vadim Demidov, Francisco Calvo has worn the Captain’s armband for the Loons, and has been a good choice for Captain. With Calvo gone on international duty, however, who gets the armband?
A few names spring to mind as guys who would probably be a good fit. Christian Ramirez, Ibson, Bobby Shuttleworth, and Marc Burch are the ones that first come to mind, with guys like Kevin Molino and Collen Warner being good shouts as well.
Adrian Heath said earlier in the week that he “had an idea” of who would wear the armband, and Heath can’t really go wrong with any of those choices, but Ibson and MLS veteran Marc Burch seem the most likely choices. Burch may get the nod due to his experience in MLS, but Ibson has played at a higher level and has just as much experience. It will be interesting to see who Heath chooses.