KANSAS CITY, Kan.—Suddenly, Sporting Kansas City have picked one point from their last five matches. And unlike summer struggles in previous seasons, their recent woes owe to spotty defense.
Sporting are well on pace to surpass 50 goals as a team for the first time since 2011. However, following their 3-2 loss to FC Dallas on Saturday night, Sporting have conceded 14 goals in their last five. And against Dallas in particular, SKC manager Peter Vermes believed the opponent's goals could have been defended out of existence.
“They were too easy,” Vermes said. “We can’t give up three goals in any game, let alone at home. The inconsistency in lineups and training has had a major effect on it. But it’s something that we have to figure out. We have to get it right. Because tonight, those chances, honestly they were nothing.”
This was the first time since a June 30 loss to the Montreal Impact that Sporting KC were able to play the center back pairing of Ike Opara and Matt Besler, as both had missed time with various injuries. They’re also still missing influential roving presence Jimmy Medranda, who's out with a knee injury. They’ve only surrendered four goals this season while Medranda plays.
Vermes alluded to the consistent inconsistency in personnel as a major factor, but one that is tough to read much into.
“If the same group of guys were on the field from the start of the season until now, and you’re leaking goals, I’d say yes it’s a concern,” Vermes said postgame. “But when you’re taking a kid that’s 18 years old, he’s right footed but you’re playing him at left back because that’s really what you have right now that can do the job, and you have two central defenders out, [it's different]. Unfortunately, in this league, it’s not like you’re Manchester City and you have 70 players within your business model. It’s not the way it works in our league. So when you start to drop players like that, it changes the team immensely."
Vermes questioned the effort of his team in their Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup loss to the Houston Dynamo, and while he thought the effort was definitely there on Saturday against Dallas, he said it boiled down to decision making.
“It’s just our decisions,” Vermes said. “Defensively, we gave away three easy goals. It’s hard to come back from that each time.”
