Podcasts
State of the Club: Sporting Kansas City
Another week, another existential crisis? Sporting KC had a horrific week on the field. What should our reaction be?
For the Glory KC is back with the 176th episode of the show!
Sporting Kansas City had what was potentially the lowest moment on the field in club history. At the very least, in recent memory. So, a week after talking about expectations, Sheena and I are trying to align on the state of the team. Fans are rightfully upset with the performances of the week, particularly the showing in the US Open Cup against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.
Fans are calling for Raphel Wicky’s job, David Lee’s job, Peter Mallouk to (already) sell the team, and for the release or purge of almost every player on the roster. What is rational and what is irrational? We try to break it all down.
Plus, we weave through the moments in the USOC game as well as the loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Friday night. We knew this season would start slow and have some lows, but I’m not sure anyone thought it would be quite this low. We also talk about quite the remarkable stat when it comes to losing and SKC in recent seasons and where it sits in history.
Outside of the events on the field, there were also a couple notable moments off the field. Cavan Sullivan was apparently inquired about by Lee and Alan Pulido is out at Chivas.
The KC Current lifted up the week with their Teal Rising Cup win last weekend over Palmeiras, but that feels like an eternity ago. We briefly relive that game, and I talk about Haley Hopkins ascent up the roster and perhaps into the starting lineup in an NWSL game.
In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:
- World Cup Fan Fest Lineup, Parking and Buses
- USWNT results
- NWSL calendar flip — Fall to Spring?
- Javier Mascherano out in Miami
Here is a rundown of sections and start times:
- Intro & World Cup Trophy – 0:00
- Sporting KC – 6:30
- KC Current – 1:08:08
- Digital Crawl – 1:14:04
Upcoming Games
- KC Current @ Washington Spirit, FRI, April 24th at 7:00PM CST
- Sporting KC @ Chicago Fire, SAT, April 25th at 7:30PM
- SKC II vs. Houston Dynamo 2, SUN, April 26th at 7:00PM
As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they’ll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!
Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.
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Transcript from Revoldiv available after about 24 hours. Click the link, then search “For the Glory KC” for a free transcription (or you can transcribe any podcast you’d like).
Juice Boxes and Post Game Stats: .500 Soccer
For the Glory KC After Dark IV
Sporting KC flames out 5-0 in Chicago
Juice Boxes and Post Game Stats: LaBonta Makes 150th Start
Match Recap: KC Current fall hard at Washington Spirit
State of the Club: Sporting Kansas City
Across State Lines: Pulido, Chivas Mutually Terminate Contract
Match Preview: KC Current at Washington Spirit
Match Preview: Fatigue Meets Fire at Soldier Field
I never thought we would be this bad with the roster we developed. It feels like more signings this year than the last four combined. Has the club misidentified the talent that badly? Plus there are more on their way. This didn’t seem like a recipe for cellar dwellers. Perhaps mid table was too optimistic on my part.
No. We have a front office and manager who are not up to the task.
I think it’s too early to tell on the bigger targets they signed (Capita, Lasse, Diego). Too early on our lone draft pick (Kwaku). And Cleveland hasn’t played a minute, so who knows if he’s better than Pulskamp.
I do believe a lot of the other additions were more fringe guys (Meyer, Reid, Bartlow). Cielo was signed to a SKC II contract that auto promoted, so that was the prior regime. Calheira is a flyer on a USL guy who has barely played (and yet to play his natural striker spot alone). The three trialists can all be moved on from after the year if they don’t show out. Same for Reynolds.
Harris it feels too early to tell, but he seems to be about what I thought he was. A replacement level player who probably shouldn’t start every game (but basically has to with this roster).
You’re right, it is awfully early. Perhaps I am just being an overly anxious fan. But it has been a long stretch of bad form. The only thing I seem to be able to take away from this are how good Dejan and Manu are. When held against the club performance, they still play incredibly well. A few of our signings should have brought some stability to the line up given their individual pedigree. It just seems to have gotten worse.
We have to wait to see if Borges, Blorian, LBJ, and Capita hit. We need fullbacks and another winger.
i also think we need to sell Manu and get a proper DP midfielder.
I’m surprised that Dejan isn’t banging on the door to be traded. He managed 18 goals on a club a breath away from the wooden spoon last year. Dejan is still out performing several strikers at clubs in title contention this year.
I agree with you on wingers, especially if we are going to play three in the back. James-Borges-Blorian (?) may be the preferred set up. And yes, LBJ really needs to solidify the defensive midfield position (great use of his initials there).
I could see testing the waters for interest on Manu. But I’d still like to see what he can do when he has a proper midfield around him. I rather like him, but I can also see your point.
I still contend that Manu would work well with a playmaking DP wing on the roster with him. Ugh, Salloi, Jovi, DP RW and Manu would be a great attack…why didn’t SKC go for Christian Espinoza? I’ll never understand that. Veteran leadership and a playmaker on the wing whose game isn’t dependent on speed so he could continue to contribute well into his late 30s.
At this point, I think you are right. The team needs to shop him and get a proper 10. The roster really doesn’t have any wingers that create so the 10 needs to pretty much do it all. That isn’t Manu…sadly.
We have a managed who wasn’t hired until two weeks before the season. He had been out of a job for a year and a half. I believe he was the only person who applied. The team has no cohesion and the manager had no say.
What do you expect? We have been on a downward slope for years. Watch a match on tv to see how many seats are empty.
This is not new and it’s not the new manager’s fault. I’m not sure what the problem is but it is more with the front office and the manager than the players.
come on World Cup. I hope SKC uses that time to regroup.
I’m not sure if you listened to the podcast discussion at all, but I think that’s an oversimplification.
Wicky was hired at the beginning of January, so not two weeks out. I know for a fact there was at least 3 finalists for the job (maybe 4, but I’m less certain off the top of my head). He was supposedly up for other jobs and big ones. But him coming in later AND not having a visa for much of preseason definitely didn’t help. Or a full roster (still doesn’t actually have that).
I was following the selection for the new manager and any names other than his were not widely published. Regardless of the time frame a new manager should have been hired well before January and should have had a hand in player selection. Wicky was available in October.