After disappointing in their 20th Anniversary match Sporting Kansas City heads south to play Western Conference leader FC Dallas in a match up that will shape the early season playoff picture.
Both clubs connected as original MLS clubs and were owned at one point by the late Lamar Hunt but that is about it.
FC Dallas under Oscar Pareja has been reinvented after the Schellas Hyndman era.Bringing through youth players to fit a desired scheme that straight up wins matches.
Jesse Gonzalez at age 20 is a young keeper and with his three clean sheets knows more than how to make a bed and organize a defense.
In attack the four prong pitchfork, more prevalent in the state of Kansas down on the farm of Maximiliano Urruti, Mauro Diaz, Michael Barrios and Tesho Akindele is the predominant reason for the Hoops being top of MLS on 14 points after seven played.
Sadly without Matt Besler Sporting Kansas City’s defense hasn’t been functioning as they should. Ergo bad news bears for Peter Vermes as they are taking on the best functioning attacking team in Major League Soccer.
The concussion suffered by Sporting KC’s captain has kept the on the field leader out of action for nearly a month . But then again the other option was once the modus operandi. Progress has to be made somewhere and as of yet it is only the action in terms of concussion protocol.
For this top of the conference clash it is a question of who has more mustard.
In comparison to attacking verve the scales are tipped towards the Texan side.
Prediction: Infinity is too much to nil, 2-1 as FC Dallas merely concedes a goal to Sporting KC to get the scoreline less embarrassing. Can’t win them all, best learn from failure.
Sporting Kansas City
FC Dallas
