Sporting Kansas City hopes new look sparks exciting new begining
When you hear about teams going through changes, it may involve a new coach or some new players, but in the case of the club formerly known as the Kansas City Wizards, the 2011 season is about as much of a transformation as a team can undergo without filling up moving fans and heading to a new city.
Fresh with a new name, new logo, and in three months a new stadium, Sporting Kansas City is hoping to give MLS fans in the midwest a reason to be excited after years of relative mediocrity.
While the new look, and the beautiful new stadium being constructed, the changes won’t matter much if Sporting KC can’t improve the on-field product. Kansas City showed flashes at times last year, and played exciting soccer in stretches, but defensive frailties and inconsistency left Kansas City on the doorstep of the playoffs for the second straight season.
Enter Omar Bravo, the former Mexican national team star and Sporting’s first Designated Player. He has been brought in to be the focal point of the KC lineup, a lineup that disposed of veterans Jimmy Conrad and Josh Wolff in the off-season. Bravo joins a promising stable of forwards that includes U.S. national team newcomer Teal Bunbury and Kei Kamara, one of the most improved players in MLS in 2010.
That trio, combined with England-born winger Ryan Smith, should give Sporting K.C. firepower to score goals, but the team’s biggest question mark remains the back-line. Head coach Peter Vermes parted ways with Conrad after the former U.S. national team defender saw his form dip for the second straight season.
KC let Conrad go, but has yet to really replace him. Matt Besler and Shavar Thomas are the most likely starting centerbacks, unless SKC can come to terms with Brazilian defender Julio Cesar. If he doesn’t sign, Sporting will be perilously thin in central defense. The fullback positions are more of a solid proposition, with Roger Espinoza and Michael Harrington manning the flanks, but Sporting will need another strong season from Danish goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen, who stepped in and enjoyed a seamless transition into MLS.
If Vermes is going to piece together a formidable defense, that group will be tested by a rough schedule that is front-loaded with road games ahead of Sporting’s stadium opening in June. It is imperative that Sporting hold its own during that road stretch to avoid falling too far back in the race for the playoffs.
With a new stadium, new name and new Designated Player brought in to score goals, Sporting Kansas City is hoping to establish a winning tradition for the new-look club. Unless the team adds some defensive reinforcements in the coming weeks, Sporting might have to wait a while for the winning tradition to become a reality.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY
KEY LOSSES: Jimmy Conrad, Jack Jewsbury, Jon Leathers
NEW ARRIVALS: Omar Bravo, C.J. Sapong, Luke Sassano
BIGGEST QUESTION: Will the central defense be good enough to lead this team to the playoffs? With Jimmy Conrad gone, Sporting will need some defensive leadership and right now the current group of defenders seems to be lacking that quality. If the back-line falters, things could get ugly early in the season, when the team will be playing mostly road games.
X-FACTOR: C.J. Sapong. The first-round pick was considered a reach by many, but his physical qualities and finishing ability could earn him some minutes despite the crowded forward line.
OUTLOOK: The Sporting offense should be improved with the addition of Omar Bravo, but the questions in the back make it difficult to project KC into the playoffs. If Sporting can survive the rough early stretch of road games with a reasonable record, playing in a new stadium could provide a major boost down the stretch. The new home won’t matter though if the back-line isn’t up to the task. If it is, Sporting could slip into the playoffs as a low seed.
Ives Galarcep is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering Major League Soccer and the U.S. national team.
