Sporting KC
Predict the Lineup: Sporting Kansas City vs San Jose Earthquakes
Sporting Kansas City hosts the San Jose Earthquakes in their MLS home opener, hoping for their first result of 2025.
The Match
Who: Sporting Kansas City (0-1-0, 0 points) vs San Jose Earthquakes (1-0-0, 3 points)
Date: Saturday, March 1, 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m. Sporting Time
Location: Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kansas
How to Watch: Apple TV MLS Live
Last Match
Sporting Kansas City: 1-0 loss to Austin FC
San Jose Earthquakes: 4-0 win over Real Salt Lake
Standings
Weather
Lineup
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I for one and looking forward to this match. I just hope the boys dont go in thinking that SJ is the same team as last year. It looks like they could be a tough bunch to handle this year for anyone.
Since San Jose was in worse shape than SKC last season, this will be a true test of the Burn’s rebuild and PV’s willingness to adapt playing style to the players on hand. San Jose parted with 14 players and brought in 13. I think rebuild is a fair term to describe San Jose’s off season roster construction. SKC parted with 10 and brought in 9 and the front office, coach and player acquisition dude have all used the term rebuild. Both teams had the exact same amount of time to get new players and San Jose actually brought in a new coach.
Yes, rest isn’t identical. That said, I’m using this game as a gauge to set my expectations for the season.
I think the rest is important. 3 days versus a full week is something. Hopefully it won’t matter, and KC still overcomes it, but it’s inherently a disadvantage to be playing your 4th game in 11 days compared to San Jose’s 2nd
Does everyone remember the game in Seattle in 2023 that started the run to making the playoffs? You know, that stretch where Sporting was the best team in the league? Guess the starting midfield in that game? It was Kinda, Thommy and Remi. Thommy scored in the 4th minute off a combination play from Salloi to Kinda to Thommy. I’m hopeful we get to see Thommy, Manu and Davis in the midfield together. I’m not sure what the negatives would be to them playing together in the center of the field. Maybe defensive coverage? Jake seems to be athletic enough to cover for 2 attacking midfielders. Thommy usually busts his butt to recover back on defense. Any thoughts?
I did not remember that. Very offensive midfield. But Remi was the backup d-mid, so that makes some sense.
I don’t think we’ve seen Jake function as a single pivot d-mid ever. He’s always been in a double. Not sure if he could do that next to Manu who, while he’s clearly a 10, may be able to create from deeper.
True. Radoja instead of Jake would probably make more sense. Could always sub into a double pivot to protect a lead.
The recap of the game and highlight of the goals are here: Thommy makes the pass to Pulido for the second goal.
https://www.sportingkc.com/news/recap-thommy-and-pulido-strike-as-sporting-claims-massive-2-1-win-at-seattle
I’d like to see a 4-2-3-1 like this
Shelton Rosaro Fernandez Ndembe
Shapi Manu Afrifa
I like the thought and I’m interested to see something new so I’m game for PV to give it a try. That said, do you rate Shelton, Bartlett and Radoja higher than Davis? I think Davis is a top 3 midfielder on this team and the #1 RB until the new dude proves to be better. Shelton is athletic and has good 1v1 defending, but his positioning at RB is not great and he never covers the back post runner. All FBs on PV’s team seem to struggle to cover back post runners though so perhaps that is system not individual.
I don’t think Radoja plays well as a part of a double pivot. I do think he could play a true #6 role well with Rosaro and Fernandez as CBs. They are both pretty athletic and can cover a ton of space (which is what I think Radoja needs from CBs). I would like to see Bartlett play like an 8 anyway. In preseason, he really looked like he wanted to get forward in the two games that I could watch.
I’d swap Brody for Shelton and Davis for Bartlett but let Davis play the #8 destroyer (essentially Roger E.) while keeping Radoja as a true 6. I think that allows someone else for Manu to play off of in the midfield. I think Manu is going to be best when he has people to combine with. We saw him do it with Logan and Joveljic…add 1 or 2 other people in support and Manu may be able to unlock the SKC offense.
I appreciate the feedback. It was a coin flip at RB between Shelton and Brody. I went with Shelton for his speed and physicality. He had the night off in Miami, so he is fresh. I do think he is growing into the role, but like you said, last season nobody covered a back post runner. I’ve noticed a little improvement from Shelton in that regard and general positioning.
Davis needs a day off, in my mind. He hasn’t played particularly well at RB or midfield so far this season, plus he gifted another goal off a flubbed clearance the other night. Not the first time. On top of that, he gave too much space for the cross on another goal.
A double pivot doesn’t mean you have side-by-side 6’s when attacking, right?. One of them is always going to be taking up more advanced positions, and that’s where I want to see Bartlett, similar to what you suggested. He seems to have an eye for thru balls and progressive passes. And i think Barlett rates the start over Davis on current form. He has been a bright spot for such a young player.
Agreed about Manu, and want to see if the 4-2-3-1 allows SKC to attack through the middle with combo play. We jave to find a way to consistently get Joveljic on the ball. We don’t have the skill at the wings to play a 4-3-3, where all our attacks go to die on the wings.