Who Should Start for Sporting KC Against Inter Miami?

It’s been a busy start to the competitive calendar for Sporting Kansas City. After having the first leg of their 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup game pushed back a day, it’s been full speed ahead. Sporting KC played Inter Miami, then two days later played Austin FC on the road and another two days has them travelling to Miami for the second leg. Not to mention a mere three days of rest before the home MLS opener against the suddenly potent San Jose Earthquakes.

It leaves Kansas City with a bit of a conundrum. Do they try to put the best lineup on the field, or do they turn their attention to MLS play so they don’t get themselves into too big of an early hole?

If you ask John Pulskamp, they are going for it. “We are coming here to compete and to win,” he said.

"We're coming here to compete & to win." – @john_pulskamp #SportingKC | @TheChampions pic.twitter.com/kz95EDRvEz

— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) February 24, 2025

And I admire that moxie. Sporting KC are only down 1-0 on aggregate to Miami. And Messi and co. did themselves no favors playing many of their older players 180+ minutes over the first two games. It’s possible Miami won’t be at their best for the home leg of the competition. They too are on short rest.

Then again, Miami set a points record in MLS last year on their way to winning the Supporters’ Shield. Despite only being down a goal, all they have to do is win for a chance to advance. A 1-0 win would send the game to penalties. A win with two or more goals for Sporting KC would mean they would advance either on aggregate or away goals.

That’s easier said than done for the Sporting KC team we’ve seen so far. Through two competitive games, they’ve yet to score. Through six preseason games, they only scored twice, both against Charlotte FC.

So, What Lineup Should Take the Field?

If Sporting KC named me manager today (which is probably a terrible idea), I’d heavily rotate the squad. It doesn’t mean they won’t try but don’t run guys into the ground. If CCC ends Tuesday, so be it.

Through two games, a few players have played all the minutes available: Jake Davis, John Pulskamp, Nemanja Radoja and Robert Voloder. Of those, Pulskamp is in goal, so he’s not been demanded to run nearly as much as everyone else. Radoja has only eclipsed 2,000 minutes three times in his career, a game off will go a long way towards being able to stay healthy.

Davis and Voloder have young legs but why exhaust them? Daniel Salloi and Erik Thommy have played the vast majority of the minutes too. If you want to put your best foot forward in the home opener Saturday, something has to give.

Depending on who’s healthy, I’d rotate as many players as possible. Khiry Shelton or Andrew Brody at right back, Jansen Miller if he’s healthy can play CB. Who he’s paired with probably depends on health. Tim Leibold in at left back. A midfield that probably includes Zorhan Bassong and Jacob Bartlett to start. Memo Rodriguez may need to start too just because there aren’t enough bodies. In the forward line have Stephen Afrifa, William Agada and maybe even Shapi Suleymanov or an out of position Mason Toye. It would be a great place to start Alenis Vargas if he hadn’t been released last week.

Then you can still sub in regular “starters” to try to make an impact if the game is still winnable.

Will Vermes do a heavily rotated lineup? I seriously doubt it. He has a hard time not trying to win every competition his team is in. However, this lineup could win (no matter how unlikely) and setting the team up for a successful home opener would go a long way to starting 2025 a lot better than the last few seasons. Not to mention, if they do win, that means two more games jammed into the midweek schedule for a team that isn’t yet deep enough to deal with all this congestion.

No one wants to hear it, but being out of CCC may be a good thing.

Fan XI Voting

We asked for your votes for who should start, and it reads more like an ideal starting eleven (to my eyes). Even if I desperately think Davis should be in the midfield and not a right back. (Starters in italics.)

GOALKEEPER: Pulskamp (95.7%), Kortkamp (4.3%)

DEFENSE: Jake Davis (78.3%), Fernandez (78.3%), Dany Rosero (60.9%), Logan Ndenbe (52.2%), Leibold (43.5%), Bassong/Shelton (8.7%), James/Miller (4.3%)

MIDFIELD: Garcia (82.6%), Radoja (60.9%), Rodriguez (39.1%), Bassong (34.8%), Bartlett (30.4%), Davis/Thommy (21.7%)

WINGERS: Erik Thommy (60.9%), Suleymanov (56.5%), Afrifa (39.1%), Salloi (26.1%), Agada/Joveljic (8.7%), Toye (4.3%)

STRIKER: Joveljic (87.0%), Agada/Suleymanov/Toye (8.7%)