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Sporting Kansas City is coming off a fifth place finish in the Western Conference a season ago and an early playoff exit. The club played well at home, winning 10 games, but they struggled on the road, winning just twice. Head coach Peter Vermes said that the team has to find more offense if they expect to contend in the Western Conference in 2018.
Sporting Kansas City MLS Odds
Sporting Kansas City is probably not a serious MLS Cup contender, as they did well just to make the playoffs a year ago. Kansas City is a very good defensive club, as they led the league in fewest goals allowed last season, but they were one of the worst offensive teams in the league. Unless they can get a premier goal scorer, Kansas City will do well just to make the playoffs.
MLS Results
Sporting Kansas City went 10-1 at home last season with six draws. They outscored opponents by a combined 30-11. They were just 2-8 on the road with seven draws, outscored by a combined 18-10. Head coach Peter Vermes said after the 2017 season that the club has to find more goal scorers. “It’s a very clear idea of what we need. If we score more goals over the course of the season, we put ourselves in a much different position to be contenders at the end,” Vermes said. “That’s the thing we have to do. We have to find someone that’s going to fit that. That’s also going to take resources.” Vermes said that the player has to come from outside the organization. “It’s obvious we didn’t have that guy. We have to find somebody to fill that role.” Gerso Fernandes led the team with eight goals last season.
Vermes said the team is in good shape in every other area. “We overachieved in every area except for one, and that’s goal scoring,” Vermes said. “You don’t go and try to fix what isn’t broken. If you mess with that, you have a problem.”
Players to Watch
There are no goal scoring threats that are exciting to watch on Kansas City, but perhaps the team will do something in the transfer market. The player to watch for Kansas City currently is goalkeeper Tim Melia who is coming off a very good 2017 season.
The Coach
Peter Vermes has led Sporting Kansas City late in 2009. Vermes led KC to the MLS Cup title in 2013.
Sporting Kansas City History
Sporting Kansas City began play in 1996 as one of the charter members of the MLS when they were known as the Kansas City Wizards, or Kansas City Wiz. The team was founded by Lamar Hunt who owned the Kansas City Chiefs. The team was renamed in 2010 to Sporting Kansas City. The team has won the MLS Cup twice, in 2000 and in 2013. They won the Supporters’ Shield in 2000 and they won the U.S. Open Cup in 2004, 2012, 2015 and 2017. Kansas City started in the Western Conference but after MLS expansion in 2005 they moved to the Eastern Conference. Kansas City plays their games at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
Sporting Kansas City Predictions
Any team that plays defense the way Kansas City does is always a threat to win in the MLS. The key for Kansas City will be getting someone in the transfer market to score goals. If they can bring in a premier goal scorer, Kansas City could be a threat in the Western Conference in 2018.
Sporting Kansas City Roster
G - Adrián Zendejas
G - Andrew Dykstra
G - Tim Melia
D - Seth Sinovic
D - Saad Abdul-Salaam
D - Jaylin Lindsey
D - Amer Didic
D - Erik Palmer-Brown
D - Ike Opara
D - Kevin Ellis
D - Matt Besler
D - Graham Zusi
D - Colton Storm
MF - Cristian Lobato
MF - Benny Feilhaber
MF - Roger Espinoza
MF - James Musa
MF - Tyler Pasher
MF - Kévin Oliveira
MF - Ilie Sánchez
MF - Soni Mustivar
MF - Jimmy Medranda
F - Gerso Fernandes
F - Kharlton Belmar
F - Latif Blessing
F - Cameron Porter
F - Diego Rubio
F - Gianluca Busio
F - Soony Saad
F - Cameron Iwasa
F - Dániel Sallói
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