Sporting KC II Season Recap: Everything You Missed

The MLS Next Pro playoffs are set to start this coming weekend and unfortunately, Sporting Kansas City II won’t be a part of them. SKC II came up a single point short of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. That comes after a very promising start to the season that was derailed with an extended winless streak that the team just couldn’t quite overcome.

In MLS Next Pro, it’s not always about wins and losses though. It’s about development. So, let’s take a look at what you missed if you weren’t watching the IIs this year and who you may expect to see more from in 2025 and beyond.

2024 Performance

Record: 10-12-6-2 (38 points)

That fourth number is shootout wins, where SKC went 2-4 picking up just a couple extra points. The team was down 11 points from 2023, though still up from the meager 31 the first-year head coach Benny Feilhaber was in charge.

Standings: 10th in the Western Conference

Sporting KC II landed at 21st out of 29 teams in the entirety of MLSNP. Looking around them in the standings, their numbers far outpaced the teams near them. They scored 53 goals, allowing 57. They were 10th in the league in scoring but fifth worst in goals allowed. And it was critical, late goals that undid them for most of the season.

Despite that, they were fun to watch for most of the year. They ended the season with a thrilling 4-3 comeback, after being down 3-1, over LAFC 2 on Decision Day.

Stand Out Players

Sebastian Cruz – The diminutive (5’7″) Cruz was a bit of a Renaissance man for the boys in Sporting Blue. He played almost everywhere on the field that coach Feilhaber needed him. He literally lined up at winger, midfielder, center forward/striker, fullback and wing back at different times throughout the season. The only thing he didn’t really do was play center back or goalkeeper.

He turned 24 over the summer and was third on the team in minutes (2,089), fourth in goals scored (5) and tied for first in assists (5). He’s also a former member of the SKC Academy and gets the first mention because Feilhaber listed only Cruz when asked who has done enough to earn a first team contract.

KC Soccer Journal: “Who do you think has done enough to maybe earn a first team contract?”

Feilhaber: “I mean I think that Seba[astian Cruz] is at the top of the list. He’s been here for two years. He’s trained countless times with the first team. Peter knows him very well. I think he’s shown enough to be given an opportunity. There are so many permutations with rosters [and] where those spots are available. Obviously, he’ll probably be a reserve minimum contract, what players are in there right now that might still be here next year or might not be. Just from a player perspective, I think Seba is probably at the top of that list.”

Kamron Habibullah – The former Vancouver Whitecaps homegrown player doesn’t hit his 21st birthday until October 23rd. He’s primarily an attacking midfielder that plays in the vein of his boss, Benny Feilhaber. A position that will be in need if Sporting KC stick with their 4-2-3-1 next year. Habibullah led the team in scoring with 11 goals and four assists. He created a lot more chances than showed up on the scoresheet and his goal numbers may be slightly inflated by multi-goal games with eight of his goals coming in three games (two hat tricks and a brace). But he showed real promise and seems like a good bench option for the first team needing depth at that attacking midfielder role.

Maouloune Goumballe – After playing out his collegiate career at Indiana, the 23-year-old carved out a consistent place in the starting lineup. He was second on the team in minutes (2,145), led the team in appearances and was tied for second in goals scored (9). He played on the wing and as a striker in a two forward setup they showed more throughout the year. He also played a little center forward when the need arose.

Ethan Bryant – Sporting KC fans are probably already familiar with Bryant after his breakout performance in the 2023 US Open Cup. He played a lot less for SKC II this season, earning just 1,179 minutes, but he made them count. He still had five goals and five assists (tied for the team lead) despite only 12 starts. He turned 23 over the summer but still seemingly has first team potential.

Ceilo Tschantret – A former SKC Academy member who signed a pro deal this season became a regular contributor. Most often he’d line up as a defensive midfielder or slightly further up in the midfield. He’s still just 18 years old and seems like a player to keep an eye on.

First Team Loanees

Primarily three players spent time with SKC II from the first team this year. Second year players Chris Rindov (CB) and Danny Flores (midfield), along with third string goalkeeper Ryan Schewe.

Rindov played the most of the bunch, leading the entire second team in minutes (2,205). The defense struggled at times this season, but they were far worse when Rindov was not in the game. Rindov was flanked mostly by teenagers from the Academy, which no doubt impacted the defensive statistics of the team.

Flores didn’t get on the field as much as he dealt with an injury, only earning 990 minutes across 18 appearances. He added a goal and assist but never could make a starting midfield spot his on a regular basis. Schewe was the team’s primary goalkeeper, leading the team with 14 starts (there are very limited goalkeeping stats on the MLSNP site).

SKC Academy Prospects

The team brought in quite a few amateur SKC Academy players to fill out the roster this season. The minutes leader was Leo Christiano, who primarily played center back but split out wide to play fullback at times too. He was seventh on the whole team in minutes (1,252) and is just 17 years old. He showed promising flashes, mixed with youthful mistakes, but is a player to keep an eye on.

17-year-old GK Jacob Molinaro was second on the team in Academy minutes, racking up 10 starts. 17-year-old midfielder Shane Donovan has 10 appearances (seven starts) of his own and started to contribute a bit.

Ian James, who was only 15 when the season started, got key minutes at center back and right back and brought something the SKC Academy hasn’t produced much — height. The 6’3 now 16-year-old showed real promise. And 17-year-old Johan Ortiz played just 305 minutes but scored twice and added three assists. He is seemingly at least in line for significant SKC II minutes next year.

Other Names to Watch

Nati Clarke – The stout but short Clarke signed a pro deal this season and is still just 19-years-old. He was 10th on the team in minutes and is possibly a first team candidate despite missing a chunk of the season with an injury from a reckless challenge he suffered. He primarily plays outside back, with the ability to play on the right or left. It’s something the first team needs with Jake Davis emerging as a starting quality midfielder.

Pau Vidal – This man is cursed. He missed a good chunk of the season with just two starts and 10 appearances due to injury. If he could stay healthy, he seems like a good candidate to play center forward at a higher level. Despite only playing 365 minutes, he still had two goals and two assists. In 2023, he scored 11 times, and he still didn’t play a ton of minutes. He’s still only 22 and if his health cooperates, he could be first team quality. He provides height at the CF spot and a knack for finding the goal. Something the team often needs late in games.

Coaching

Benny Feilhaber confirmed to the KC Soccer Journal that his contract is up after the year, and he said he was “uncertain of his future.” He did confirm to us that there hasn’t been any contact with other teams yet. He did interview with Phoenix Rising last year.

We have no inside information, but one would wonder how long do you wait for the first team job? From day one, Benny has made it clear he one day wants to take Peter Vermes’ job. Ownership has made it very clear that job isn’t opening up any time soon. Feilhaber just completed his third season of coaching SKC II. Maybe he has to leave to one day come back?

The KCSJ will keep you updated on all things Sporting KC and SKC II throughout the offseason.