Philadelphia Union Vs Sporting KC: 3 things we learned – Union sweep past SKC

1. Transition troubles

Two of the three goals were caused by a bad transition from a set-piece. Without conceding a goal in more than seven hours and all the pressure being on the lack of offensive conversion, a Matt Besler-less Sporting KC defense allowed three goals in the span of 15 minutes in the first half. While the Union took their chances extremely well, this game could have played out much differently with more sensible decisions from SKC.

Despite the discouraging signs, it certainly gave Peter Vermes and his staff plenty to reevaluate before the regular season picks back up at the tournament’s conclusion. The left side of Sporting’s defense looked lethargic as Luis Martins found it difficult to contain Aaronson who drifted over at times, while the center-back partnership will surely be looked at.

When the regular season returns, expect Besler to return to the starting XI and provide greater leadership along the backline. Much of the horrible 15-minute spell could have been avoided with level-headed play.

In the end, Sporting KC lost because of some poor, simple mistakes. And against teams as ruthless as the Union, that is a sure-fire way to lose.