Sporting Kansas City, once a force to be reckoned with in Major League Soccer, now faces a historically horrendous situation. They've scored a meager three goals across their first 10 matches and collected as many red cards. In comparison, the next worst team, Montreal, has doubled their goal tally. So, what's behind this catastrophic start to the season? Let's take a closer look at the problems haunting Sporting Kansas City and dissect their decline.
The Curse of the Aging Core and Neglected Player Development
A significant factor in Sporting Kansas City's troubles is their dependence on an aging core of players. It's a classic mistake many teams across various sports commit - clinging to a once-successful core for too long, expecting them to deliver top-notch performances indefinitely. Consequently, these teams overlook player development and nurturing the next wave of talent.
Peter Vermes, responsible for all soccer operations for Sporting Kansas City, can't point fingers at the players. His own stubbornness and unwillingness to adapt are taking a significant toll on the squad's performance. Vermes seems hell-bent on making the team play his preferred style, regardless of whether they're fit for it or not.
Fumbling in the Final Third
Sporting Kansas City's matches reveal a glaring issue in the final third of the field. As Lloyd Sam aptly commented during the Montreal match, there's "nothing sharp, nothing explosive." SKC can brag about having the highest pass completion percentage in the league's final third. However, they also suffer from the fifth-lowest expected assists, implying that their passes don't venture into dangerous territory. Scoring goals requires taking risks, but it appears Sporting Kansas City prefers playing it safe.
In the Montreal match, SKC dominated possession and took more shots but still lost 2-0, with an expected goals (xG) battle of 1.5 to 0.6 against them. This lack of inventiveness and risk-taking is undoubtedly hurting the team's goal-scoring and game-winning chances.
Analysis
In all honesty what I see is a team that is static and offers very little resistance in defense and takes mind numbingly low chance shots on goal. Let’s take a look at Montreal’s first goal against SKC. The left midfielder is holding up the ball and looking for a forward pass.
What he sees is a numbers mismatch for Montreal, four attackers on the defending line of two defenders. An easy pass into the forward space allows the two Montreal attackers on the right side of the pitch to attack the space with no resistance.
And then the most damning piece to all this, only one player on SKC was hustling back to stop the shot. Each player highlighted was jogging.
Then in the 2nd half SKC is down 2-0. Salloi gets a ball into space and muscles his defender off.
He takes the ball into a hard angle to goal, but SKC’s attacking help aren’t necessarily crashing the box. Posed with the option of waiting for his help or trying a low xg shot, Salloi takes the shot and it’s saved by the Montreal keeper.
Oldies but not Goldies
Having experienced players on a team is vital for success, but finding the right balance between youth and experience is key. Arsene Wenger's biography delves into his invincible Arsenal season and how the ideal mix of seasoned and young players creates a winning recipe. Experienced players offer expertise and a winning mentality, while youngsters bring energy and put pressure on the team to maintain top performance.
Vermes' unwavering commitment to older players, some over 30, is causing an imbalance within the squad. The absence of youthful vigor and competitive pressure is making it difficult for the team to keep their edge.
Youth Out of Position - A Recipe for Disaster
When Vermes does give younger players a shot, like with Jake Davis against Montreal, he often plays them out of position. In Davis' case, he found himself at right-back rather than his preferred midfield spot, which 36-year-old Roger Espinoza occupied. Playing budding talent out of their natural positions restricts their ability to make a significant impact on the field and hinders their growth.
Sporting Kansas City's historically awful start to the season serves as a cautionary tale for other teams in the league. It emphasizes the need to strike a balance between youth and experience, the importance of a coach adapting to his players' strengths, and the bravery to take risks on the field. As things stand, Sporting Kansas City has a mountain to climb to change their fortunes. Tackling these issues head-on will be crucial if they wish to recapture their former glory.
The analysis of the defensive effort on the first Montreal goal is damning for Vermes as a manager, especially as the one defender putting in effort there has only been with the team for a month. Feels like that reflects a sense of rot when all of your long-tenured players have ceased to buy-in like that