SB Nation Kansas City: All Posts by Joseph Landis

Sporting KC vs. Toronto: Game-thread

2012-08-18T22:00:14Z

Sporting Kansas City

13-7-4, 43 pts, 1st in the Eastern Conference

vs.

5-13-5, 20 pts, 10th in the Eastern Conference

SKC Recap:

It's been perfect in many ways as the summer fades away Sporting KC has been been undefeated the past three matches. With their first full week off from competition in forever, Sporting is in better shape than before with only problems on their left wing. Jacob Peterson is still out with a shoulder injury and Bobby Convey's hamstring keeps giving him trouble. Behind them at left back, Seth Sinovic is also still recovering from an ankle sprain

Toronto recap:

Toronto again finds itself with multiple competitions to worry about as the Canadian Champions started CONCACAF Champions League group stage with a 5-1 victory against CD Aguila. The had a nice three game win streak in mid-July, but they have earned only one point in their last three matches.

Additional Reading for your perusal:

Three Questions with Duncan Fletcher of "Waking the Red"

Extended Preview by Alex Englen

Sporting Kansas City Wins Dramatic US Open Cup Final

2012-08-09T19:04:36Z

Life is not defined by coincidence and happenstance. Sure, there are times in life where signs may point to the impending doom or blissful exuberance of last night. As I pulled into Livestrong Sporting Park, the clouds opened as if en queue and rain (a phenomenon unheard of this summer) poured down onto the delirious spectators in the stadium. Even hail could not drive the fans from the seats, but it was a omen for me as my previous encounter with cold heavy rain led to a bleak night for Sporting in Chicago just three months before.

As the clouds pushed away, rainbows formed over the stadium. In any other stadium, this would not seem like a movie, but we are in Kansas so the imagery seems cheesier than most. Still, the signs again changed this time towards something more positive. The games delay only heightened the childlike excitement building within us, and further increase the "terror" many of us had been storing up for days like this.

As the game began this was a typical Sporting Kansas City performance, they controlled possession and had the majority of chances. Most of those chances were of the half-chance and a prayer variety, but it was obvious that Sporting KC had control of the match. The worries began to spring up spontaneously: Are we pressing too hard and going to lose our stamina as the game goes on? Who is going to get a goal as we attempt shot after shot from distance? Is this bound to be another heart-breaker where we get beat on a goal against the run of play?

Those questions all went against Sporting KC, but still they maintained control of the match. No one scored in the run of play, and the legs did seem to abandon us, though not for running. It was the crossing that lacked power, and after a while drew sounds of exasperation from the crowd as another cross failed to get past the first Sounders defender. As for the goal against the run of play, Seattle didn't exactly get that but all night succeeded on set pieces, yet their best chance was saved brilliantly by Jimmy Nielsen.

The game finally got interesting in a non-soccer fan way in the 84th minute. Teal Bunbury attempted a cross that redirected in the box off of Zach Scott. From my angle (standing on the 18) it was a handball, but due to US Soccer flubbing the highlights, I haven't seen any replays. Scott as any good soldier claims that it hit his side, and that he would raise his hand after a hand ball in the 18. Neither is particularly true, but it was a tough call to make from Ricardo Salazar's position. The resulting Kei Kamara goal seemed to be the stuff of destiny, and the stadium erupted like never before, sending the sizable and admirably far-from-home Sounders faithful in into silence.

The lead and euphoria was short lived and a silence in perfect contrast would blanket the stadium in just a few short minutes. Zach Scott found his redemption on the end of a Mauro Rosales set-piece. Scott perfectly headed in the equalizer unmarked and the game returned to the 0-0 doldrums that consumed the first 85 minutes. As Sporting seemed to push for goals, Seattle constantly was Eddie Johnson taking on Matt Besler and Lawrence Olum, occasionally beating one but never both. Every time acres of space opened Seattle failed to move the ball past the last defenders who had a superb night.

Extra time was much of the same, a exercise in inevitability, Sporting KC demonstrably trying to get a winner, Seattle hoping that at some point the team begins to counter with better passing and can beat the obviously spread out Sporting defense. CJ Sapong continued Teal Bunbury's fine effort of holding up play and getting key set pieces, but Zusi's deliveries seemed off all night. The team never threatened truly on headers instead relying on long shots to trouble Seattle keeper Michael Gspurning.

My brother not being into soccer, but far more omnipotent called the game going to penalties after regulation. I hoped against hope that it did not, because penalties are an inexact science and essentially a crapshoot way of determining a victor (See Chelsea, 2012 Champions League Winners). However, they are great drama and led to the following thoughts.

KC Pen #1: Kei being Kei. Easy finish despite Gspurning's great reaction the right way.
Sea Pen #1: Yeah, penalties are too easy.
KC Pen #2: Why, Roger, why? Are we to be cursed for eternity by some cruel sports God. Who kicks the ball that slowly in a penalty.
Sea Pen #2: Sometimes, I wonder how many goalies would win PK shootouts by not diving either way and just standing in the middle.
KC Pen #3: Look at how he's standing over the ball, ten bucks says he kicks it over the bar. (Ball goes just under the bar.) Perfect kick, simply perfect.
Sea Pen #3: Honey Badger just don't care about shooting on target.
KC Pen #4: Sorry Zeus, I watched you play all day and you weren't Pirloesque, please never again chip a penalty kick.
Sea Pen #4: God, we are so doomed.JIMMY!!!!!!!! Where's a stranger to hug/kiss?
KC Pen #5: We got this, look Paulo's face in bandaged, it's movie script hokie that he's the hero. Perfect finish to an imperfect 120.

At this point, it came down to one man for the Seattle Sounders. Of course, that man was Eddie Johnson. Why wouldn't it be? He unfairly was the recipient of "KC reject" chants from the Cauldron, an understandable but false rewriting of history. Here he had the chance to shove that in their faces, and hold up his team as he had much of the match. The cards seemed to be in his favor, but in front of him, the Cauldron ever at their best roared, and the stadium came into the cacophony in unison. You could say it was pressure or it was just the way it goes some time, but Eddie took his kick confidently. My first thought was it was the same take we saw from Carli Lloyd at last year's Women's World Cup Final. If you hit it hard, no one can stop it, except sometimes the crowd as it veers off into the summer night. There was nothing embarrassing about his miss, but Johnson and the Sounders all felt the wave of emotion come across the field.

There it was, we were champions. Sure, being the US Open Cup, (my brother hilariously asked "what did they win?"), there was a slight asterisk, as we are not yet done with 2012's mission. Yet the overwhelming pride as a fan made every second worth it, including the seven hours on trains and four in cars. The rest of the trophy presentations and laps thanking the fans were just cherries on our victory sundae. The whole team got medals, leading to the hilarious image of Oriol Rosell, just signed last week on the victory podium. Seth Sinovic hopped around the field on one leg, hopefully not injuring himself further. CJ danced as hopelessly Cyprian Hedrick stood there with his leg in a brace. Aurelien Collin looked better than the rest of us, as he always did.

The wall has been painted, just as Robb Heineman promised, but the dreamer in me looks to the lonely figures on the wall next to it. There are still two trophies on the board for 2012 and after the celebration ends and D.C. United comes to town on Saturday the work begins again in earnest. Seattle has paid the price over the years winning the US Open Cup, and has floundered in the season's second half and postseason. It's up to Sporting Kansas City to not repeat that history. In a town of pragmatic cynics, Sporting Kansas City has finally shown us victory, and now who knows we may get used to this winning.

Sporting KC Vs. Seattle Sounders: US Open Cup Final Gamethread

2012-08-08T18:26:19Z

Sporting Kansas City

vs.

Seattle Sounders

The narrative has been beaten to death. We know the storylines and it is a fitting end to a long run that Sporting Kansas City has to face the three-time defending champions on their homefield. There isn't much more that can be said.

Sure, you all may have the "terror" right now. Some of that can be attributed to me being in Kansas City for the game, which undoubtedly is a bad omen for us. So I'm opening this thread early just in case you have things that need to get off your chest. I'll attempt to stay in touch while I'm at the game and hopefully get some good pictures. Neither will likely happen.

I'll open this early so we can talk away the jitters. I'll be on here for the next couple hours since I apparently do not require sleep to function today.

Sporting Kansas City: It's Time To 'Paint The Wall' In Livestrong Park

2012-08-08T13:13:49Z

Sometimes, Robb Heineman makes it too easy to love this team. The enthusiasm is always over the top and the disappointment even more palpable. The whole idea of Sporting Kansas City runs in contrast to its Major League neighbors to the east. Just listen to Heineman and picture the Glasses or whatever cabal is running the Chiefs at this moment being so frank (or optimistic).

Sporting Kansas City invests in locally grown talent | Ink
" ’Paint the wall’ has got to be our expectation," said Heineman, who’s fond of using the Twitter hashtag "#paintthewall." The "wall" is the northwestern corner of Livestrong Park where the team proudly displays its three major trophies: the 2004 U.S. Open Cup, the 2000 Supporter’s Shield (given to the team with the best regular season record) and the 2000 MLS Cup trophy. Not only are those the last three trophies won by the team, they are the only trophies won by a major sports team in Kansas City since the Royals won the World Series in 1985.

For years, we've waited for a winner in Kansas City. We've bled for one. To be fair, the franchise I cover (as the Wizards) delivered on that promise twice. In 2000, the Wizards using quite possibly the stoutest defense ever seen in MLS and the legendary number ten, Preki, won the franchises only MLS Cup. In 2004, as Preki's career was waning away the Wizards added a US Open Cup title, the second of which they chase today. The problem lies in the lack of novelty in those titles, the idea of a KC soccer fan was born but not quite cognizant of the important occurrences happening around them.

The results have been mixed for the other franchises. Denying that the Chiefs were in some way a winner during the past 25 years may be hard, but there hasn't been much to fall back on. Two playoff wins since Marty Schottenheimer and Carl Peterson came to town. To exacerbate the irrelevance of the problem, the owners have been stoic in many ways, legends built in the founding of the AFl and the merger.

I could talk for hours on the problems plaguing the Royals, but let's just say they're a team far from contention that hasn't really been in contention since the strike "fixed" baseball's problems. Suffice to say Kansas City, a city of winners in the '70s, became a city of losers two short decades later. (Also, to be fair the Blades and Comets had successful runs in the '90s, but we should never accept being a minor league city.)

In 2011, the game changed. Now, we had a team that was not only Kansas City in feel with local players, but also was a contender. In our first year with a legitimate stadium and fanbase, we won the Eastern Conference. This did not translate into a championship nor a finals appearance, but it generated momentum to what looks to be a formative campaign in the re-branding and definition of Sporting KC.

Now, we aren't the misfits, the program that did not belong with the soccer mad crowds of DC, the southwest and pacific northwest. We all still the bell cow when it comes to flashy stadiums, and as every new one is built we remain that through brilliant forward thinking. On the field, we have developed a distinct style that both wears out opponents but physically drains our players, leading to slumps as the past month has displayed.

Tomorrow is a chance for Sporting KC to change the script once more. It is the first time to paint the wall in the present instead of a herald towards the successes of the past. It is the first time to win a championship under a new banner, and the first time for any player associated with the current team to win any silverware in Kansas City. There are many things standing in this way but none loom larger than the same casual failures that doomed the other franchises who spent decades as near to the top as Sporting, but rarely walked away victorious.

Life is fickle like that. Those of you without soccer fandom may find yourself rooting for Sporting KC, if only to break the curse that has hung upon KC sports since I was a child. Then again, the majority of you have prepared for failure as any good Kansas City fan must do, and found that winning is just a cherry on top of the unexpected sundae that you've found.

Until the Chiefs go on their inevitable Super Bowl run, right after Sporting's MLS Cup victory (and the Royals... I can't finish this sentence, see you in 2014), we might as well be Boston fans in 2004 for luck's sake. Then, the entire country can hate us for being smug and we can say look at these rings/ignore Jeff Francouer skulking in the corner. As Herman's Hermits said, "Somethin' tells me I'm into something good." or not, I'm gonna be there in person which should give you a case of the terror.

Either way, it whould be a hell of a ride at Livestrong or anywhere Sporting KC fans partake in the action.

For more analysis and discussion on Sporting KC, check out The Daily Wiz.

Sporting KC vs. New England: Game-thread

2012-08-04T23:00:14Z

Sporting Kansas City

11-7-4, 37 pts, 3rd in the Eastern Conference

vs.

New England Revolution

6-10-5, 23 pts, 9th in the Eastern Conference

SKC Recap:

Sporting KC has some injury problems and realistically is more concerned with their midweek US Open Cup final. Expect a reserve lineup in many ways, but in reality the health concerns may be more reason for that than just rest.

New England recap:

New England has improved over the season, but lately have been overtaken by the vast improvement of the other teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They haven't won since July 8th against New York, but did manage a draw in their last match-up with KC.

Additional Reading for your persusal:

In Depth Injury Report Analysis

Extended Preview by SirBenGartland

Don’t Panic Yet: Sporting KC Still Safe In Eastern Conference

2012-08-03T13:00:07Z

The alarm bells are ringing, the footsteps are heard as we are run down, and panic has set in throughout the bi-state area. The once invincible Sporting Kansas City has fallen down into the plebeian doldrums that maintain a fierce balance in the ever competitive Major League Soccer. Meanwhile, out East and West our patrician overlords have requested that every active soccer player over the age of 35 who has ever been heard of request to duty in their push to set records in both salary and dysfunction.

There are things to have the utmost terror of and they are occurring in remote regions. Los Angeles has found out that they should have played this year just as last year, and also regained the unfair advantage of a player that should be in Europe right now. Omar Gonzalez was all but gone, but was hacked down by known American patriot Timmy Chandler. In Houston, they have found the new park aura and miraculously have bounced back to the top of the Eastern Conference. We will see them once more at home, so don’t get too worried about them being even with us at this point. Montreal just signed a DP, Alessandro Nesta, then ripped off the New York Red Bulls' arms and beat them to death just like a Wookie should (photographic evidence below). New York may not be the sum of their parts, but the parts sure are pretty.

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

The questions abound in the media. Why isn't Sporting Kansas City rising to the occasion and buying all of these fabulous NASL wunderkinds looking to live out their glory days in 100 degree heat in a Midwestern town that shares many similarities with European cities but is not one in any way? Sorry, every potential DP lost interest when you asked what they thought about 100 degree temperatures and they thought of boiling water. Secondly, they also have two images of the United States, Los Angeles and New York. Hell, Freddy Ljungberg freaked out about Seattle, and that place has essentially hipster London weather. Montreal may not seem like a destination but the bilingual status makes it seem cultured and worldly. Kansas City's culture is mistakenly maligned due to some poor PR from the movie Casino that makes us all appear to be gangster criminals. (Not true, Italians hate Joe Pesci.) It probably would have served them some Fats Domino promises that pretty women will "give you some".

In reality, sans injuries, what move do you make to improve this team? Do you get a replacement for Roger Espinoza, who will be back from the Olympics after Honduras magic run ends next week? Do you add center back depth? (We somewhat already did this.) Do you go for a striker given our young talented players disappearance over the past two months? Or do you go for that true winger that Bobby Convey never really became in 2012?

In honesty, they did try to sign some Spanish players, but nothing went through before MLS's arbitrary** deadline. (If Garber spent less time worrying about policing the fans, and more time adhering to international transfer calendars we wouldn't be having this problem). Save injuries to Aurelien Collin, form issues from Teal Bunbury, Roger Espinoza's dream run into the quarterfinals, and the summer expulsions of Julio Cesar and CJ Sapong from any role on the team, nothing is troubling this team. I'll concede that this isn't exactly a small list of problems, but some of it may be form and at some point it has to be laid at Peter Vermes feet.

The happenstances in the departures of many players over the past years has been an odd refrain in his tenure. Even with Jacob Peterson and Bobby Convey's contributions this year, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to imagine how much better Omar Bravo would make this club after one year of gained experience. The strange disappearance of Julio Cesar, an early-season regular and Vermes' terse comments regarding his status stand to give this viewpoint more credibility.

But why fret over a team that is playing better than last year and is arguably still one of the league's top five-six teams. Sure, at one point we thought they were invincible, and at times that still shines through. It may also be that when Sporting KC gets to the playoffs, they will shine. Their struggles so far have come against bottom of the table teams, which makes them all the more infuriating but also gives hope that they play to their competition. The standings still paint a rosy picture but there are a few details that do give some thought.

# Club PTS GP PPG W L T GF GA GD HG HGD RG RGD

1 New York Red Bulls 38 22 1.73 11 6 5 38 32 6 22 12 16 -6

2 Houston Dynamo 37 22 1.68 10 5 7 33 25 8 19 12 14 -4

3 Sporting Kansas City 37 22 1.68 11 7 4 27 21 6 12 5 15 1

4 D.C. United 33 20 1.65 10 7 3 34 27 7 23 14 11 -7

5 Chicago Fire 32 21 1.52 9 7 5 23 23 0 13 4 10 -4

6 Columbus Crew 28 19 1.47 8 7 4 20 20 0 12 1 8 -1

7 Montreal Impact 27 24 1.13 8 13 3 33 43 -10 23 6 10 -16

8 Philadelphia Union 23 19 1.21 7 10 2 22 22 0 16 6 6 -6

9 New England Revolution 23 21 1.1 6 10 5 26 27 -1 16 7 10 -8

10 Toronto FC 19 21 0.9 5 12 4 24 38 -14 11 -7 13 -7

#	Club	PTS	GP	PPG	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD	HG	HGD	RG	RGD
1	New York Red Bulls	38	22	1.73	11	6	5	38	32	6	22	12	16	-6
2	Houston Dynamo	37	22	1.68	10	5	7	33	25	8	19	12	14	-4
3	Sporting Kansas City	37	22	1.68	11	7	4	27	21	6	12	5	15	1
4	D.C. United	33	20	1.65	10	7	3	34	27	7	23	14	11	-7
5	Chicago Fire	32	21	1.52	9	7	5	23	23	0	13	4	10	-4
6	Columbus Crew	28	19	1.47	8	7	4	20	20	0	12	1	8	-1
7	Montreal Impact	27	24	1.13	8	13	3	33	43	-10	23	6	10	-16
8	Philadelphia Union	23	19	1.21	7	10	2	22	22	0	16	6	6	-6
9	New England Revolution	23	21	1.1	6	10	5	26	27	-1	16	7	10	-8
10	Toronto FC	19	21	0.9	5	12	4	24	38	-14	11	-7	13	-7

D.C went from being three games ahead to two games behind on games played. If current form holds, expect them to get 3-4 points from those games.
Columbus has three games in hand, but hasn't shown well against everyone else in the league.
Montreal and Philadelphia have momentum, but Montreal is going to run out of games and Philadelphia started too far back to make a charge.

While the gap from third to sixth isn't as vast as the divide in the West, Sporting is comfortably clear of the pack at the moment. With twelve matches remaining they only need slightly more than a point a match to reach last season's total of 51 which won the East. Just nine more (46) matches the total that earned New York the final playoff seed last year as well.

In reality, by the US Open Cup final, they should have their entire team back. At that point, it's going to be a nail-biter to the finish on the race for the first seed, but us fans shouldn't worry too much about playoffs. After the aforementioned final, the summer congestion ends and MLS regular play continues for all of the Eastern teams (Toronto is in the CCL, but out of the picture). No team has demonstrated yet that they equal to Kansas City's squad at full strength and stamina. It may be over the horizon, but the sun is bound to shine on this team soon.

*Note: Then, something did go through after the arbitrary deadline making it seem even more arbitrary. Sporting KC signed 20-year-old Oriol Rosell, who if his youth signings indicate anything might be pretty good. He was signed by Real Madrid at 12, went to RCD Espanyol, and spent the last few years at the legendary La Masia before being called into Barcelona's B squad, which is usually one of the top Segunda division teams (cannot be promoted to La Liga).

Sporting KC signs midfielder Oriol Rosell

2012-08-02T18:16:10Z

Sporting KC signs midfielder Oriol Rosell

Part of Barcelona's B team, which might make this is a major coup for Sporting in the long run. In the last article, he said he was looking at educational opportunities in the United States. As I'm off to work, we'll get more in depth later. Just wanted to leave this here. A great move for a midfield hurting for depth at the moment.

Sporting KC vs. Stoke City: The Abbey Clancy Is Smoking Hot Thread

2012-08-01T23:00:05Z

When I was young I had many goals in life, never did it cross my mind to become a professional footballer. At about 25, I realized that they have by far the hottest wives and girlfriends in comparison to their relative hotness, and this even includes the wide disparity hockey has due to Alex Ovechkin. At this point of course, I was out of shape from all the drinking and probably about 15 years behind the learning curve on playing soccer. Ah, the things in life we fail at miserably. No offense meant to anyone I've ever dated, but kinda. Ummm...slightly NSFW Abbey Clancy after the jump and an insert from my preview discussing the world's lankiest striker.

(Photographed by: Yu Tsai via i.cdn.turner.com)
(Let's all take a moment of silence for the man or woman who thought of painting swimsuits on women. They are most likely somewhere in the pantheon with the man who invented scotch and air conditioning repairmen,)

Stoke City Caps Brief Friendly Schedule For Sporting KC - SB Nation Kansas City

Peter Crouch Is The Only Player You Know; He's Really Tall

This is the awful line any American will be fed. They will tell you about his glory days with the English National Team (Didn't happen) or how he used to star for Liverpool and Tottenham (Kind of, but not really). They will tell you he's really good in the air (duh), and completely ignore that he scores some amazing goals with that clunky frame of his. This will suit you just fine, because really he's Peter Crouch. Don't worry, nobody feels sorry for him living with his image after seeing his girlfriend (now wife) body painted in Sports Illustrated (slightly NSFW) and he's stinking rich.

He does win an amazing amount of headers off goal kicks, which make his keepers look good at passing and him look awful at it. This whole team eats you alive on headers and aerial attacks, but possesses good speed from Jermaine Pennant and Matthew Etherington to beat defenders and supply Crouch. He may do this which will justify every dollar you paid to see the match.

Since this is a friendly and not likely to be the most thought inducing game, feel free to jump into anything Sporting KC related, soccer related, Alex Morgan body-paint related, or generally off-topic stuff. Maybe it's just me but non-international friendlies are boring as hell.