4. Gadi Kinda
Plenty remains to be seen, but there has been quite a bit learned about Gadi Kinda, the new Ethiopian-Israeli signing for Sporting KC. Coming over on a loan deal from Beitar Jerusalem, Kinda was handed plenty of playing time in preseason with Felipe Gutierrez picking up an injury.
As Peter Vermes has said that Gutierrez, Sporting’s top goalscorer of 2019, is day-to-day, it would be no surprise if Kinda gets his first start in Saturday’s opener in Vancouver. Throughout preseason, he showed some rustiness, admittedly, but he also showed the willingness to whip a long diagonal ball to open up the field and unlock the defense.
There is little doubt that Kinda will be given a chance, but it is up to him to take it. His role could be as an impact midfield substitution or possibly even taking over Roger Espinoza’s starting position if he can figure out a way to work well with Gutierrez and Ilie Sanchez.