Sporting KC: MLS Playoff Preview VS New York Red Bulls

Just like last year the New York Red Bulls finish one spot and one point higher than Sporting KC. The only difference is instead of finishing first and second in the Eastern Conference respectively this year they finished fourth and fifth and will face off against each other tonight in the Knockout Round. You can get all the particulars to the game here (Source: Molly Dreska of Sporting KC’s official website).

Sporting KC will begin their quest to repeating as MLS Cup Champions tonight and hopefully help get the sting of the loss of the Kansas City Royals in the World Series las night. New York won the season series 2-0-1 scoring five goals to Kansas City’s two and just a few days ago went into Sporting Park and left with a 2-0 victory.

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Sporting has never been in any real danger of not making the playoffs, but after a strong start to the season they have slowly slipped down the standings. Late July was the last time this team won two games in a row. Their record in their last 10 has been 2-7-1 and have only scored 12 goals during that time. The biggest question with this team down the stretch has been: Why?

Why are they playing the way they are down the stretch. A team that was dominant all of last year, got off to a fast start this year and has two National Team starters in their starting 11. The answer to that question is absences. There has been people missing from all levels of the starting 11. The biggest of the group has been the retirement of Jimmy Nielsen.

Nielsen started and played all 34 games last year for Sporting. In fact he was the only goalie who played all year. Nielsen had three more shutouts and all three goalies combined this year. Nielsen was one of the most consistent goalies in the league last year continually saving the back line from any mistake and putting them in the right spot so that they didn’t make many.

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You include the loss of Nielsen with the extended duty of Matt Besler and Graham Zusi who have spent a lot of time with the National Team this year and the injuries to team (13 players have been hurt), with the loss of Chance Myers being the one hurting them the most it’s going to be a touch match for them to overcome.

3 Keys To The Game

1. Stop Bradley Wright-Phillips. Wright-Phillips leads Sporting KC’s own Dom Dyer by five goals with a MLS Record 27 goals. He is averaging almost a goal a game and has scored in all three games against Sporting. This will the hardest of the challenges with a defense that is banged up and tired and a goalie with little experience. He doesn’t do it with a lot of flash or anything that makes you jump out your chair but he knows how to get in the right spot to get a good shot and seems to always put it on goal.
2. Dom Dyer. Like Wright-Phillips they are both 5’8″ and are from England. Other than that there are not as many similarities. Dyer does everything flashy. He is about making a big moment even bigger. He is one of the few Sporting players healthy, not tired and in good form as shown by his seven goals in the last 10 matches for Sporting. They are going to need goals and have only scored two on New York in three games this year. They are going to need at least two and to do that they need Dyer.
3. Eric Kronberg Having The Game Of His Life. I think everybody knows this one. Kronberg is going to have to have a career day. New York will attack Sporting and take advantage of their fatigue and I expect a lot of shots on goal. He is a big goalkeeper at 6’5″ and is going to need to use his long limbs to help guard the goal. You have to go back to Sept. 23 though when the last time Kronberg won a start. Since then he has started four of the team’s six games and allowed nine goals while only making 12 saves.

Predictions

Sporting KC – 1         New York Red Bulls – 3

Dom Dyer will do what he does best and score a goal but a tired and injured Sporting back line and an inexperienced goalie won’t be enough to stop MLS goal leader Wright-Phillips and Asissts leader Thierry Henry leading the charge. This will be a much needed offseason to rest and reload and get back to the top of the Eastern Conference.