The Second MLS Transfer Window of 2020 will soon be closing on Thursday, October 29th. It’s that last chance to inject a little more depth into the squad for some, getting a missing piece of the puzzle to get into the playoffs, and on rare occasions, teams land a star to build their franchise around. Unfortunately, all signs point to the international transfer market being a bit of a mess due to the pandemic. Seems like the only way to land an international star at the moment is to have David Beckham’s connections and money.
Sitting at the top of the West Conference currently, I have to ask, does Sporting KC need reinforcements for their MLS Cup push? Does the team have what it takes to keep LAFC, Portland, or Seattle at bay late in the playoffs? Now I want to stay somewhat realistic here, so there will be no mention of Messi or Ronaldo, but I can’t guarantee there won’t be any fantasy chatter.
For me, I see a depth issue currently in the #6 spot for Sporting KC. Some will say that’s absurd knowing that the position is currently held by Ilie Sanchez. He has been the starter there regularly for the past three years. This isn’t the first time Peter Vermes has landed a La Masia product as he acquired Oriol Rosell from Barcelona B, now of Orlando City, to shield the backline and distribute. Rosell made a nice addition to the team, bringing a calming presence in an extremely fast pace and physical style that was MLS circa 2012-2013.
Sanchez has those qualities, but also seems to not mind getting “stuck in” as well. So, it’s easy to say a team needs depth in the 6 position. It isn’t the most glamorous job on the field, often you do more of the “dirty work”. More often than not they are the unsung hero. In Sporting’s case, it was never so evident to me than in the game against FC Dallas. Sporting KC employed what looked to be a 4-5-1 formation that excluded Sanchez. No doubt the tactic was to slow down the speedy Dallas attack, clog the midfield, and look for counter-attacking opportunities.
Unfortunately, that did not happen with Sanchez out of the lineup. Instead, FCD had 70% of the possession in the first half, were threading the ball through the middle of the field, getting behind the defense several times, and eventually scoring the game-winner before halftime. By contrast, the following games with Chicago and Colorado included Sanchez in the lineup with much more favorable results. In fact, the game against the Rapids was a shutout and a total dismantling of Colorado’s backline.
The reality is, in the MLS most sought after sixes are already holding down a starting position such as Michael Bradley, Dax McCarty, Christian Roldan, Will Trapp, and Ozzie Alonso. Now let’s talk crazy very quickly since this is a transfer piece. Say Sporting KC could go out and spend big on Thursday? What would the team look like with Arturo Vidal...An instant favorite for MLS Cup? I would think so! With Sanchez in the squad, you could even see Vidal deployed higher up the pitch. Remember Copa America 2016? The Chilean ventured forward centrally for his country on multiple occasions in that tournament with success. Of course, playing at the six, he could do what he does best day in and day out right through the playoffs.
The playoffs are certainly foreign to most European-based players, but not that strange to a champions league veteran. The Cauldron faithful would no doubt love him. I think it’s a win, win all the way around! Now, I know a little bit about Sporting and a Vidal coup sounds nice, but is certainly not “The Sporting Way”. No, realistically, the depth will come from Sporting II without a doubt. Players that have worked hard, bought into the philosophy, and know what is expected of a Sporting KC player. Sporting II actually looks to have some depth here, which may have been the plan all along?
One name on the USL roster you might recognize as depth in the defensive midfielder position is Dillon Serna. The Colorado native arrived on the MLS scene in 2014 for the Rapids and got significant playing time as a starter for many seasons. His 2016 season was cut short by a significant knee injury. Serna finding his form with Sporting could be beneficial for all involved. It’s hard for me to really go after any other position in transfer talks. I mean lately, KC has produced some really nice team goals, coming from multiple sources. I see many similarities between the current squad and the 2013 MLS Cup Champions. Vermes definitely knows what he’s looking for in his players and as crazy as this year has been beyond soccer, the team continues to stay focused.
