KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Eric Kronberg had to wait nearly a week longer than he'd expected to make his return to action for Sporting Kansas City. Once he got back between the pipes, though, Kronberg celebrated his first start since June 27 with a shutout in an important CONCACAF Champions League group stage match.
“I definitely felt good out there,” Kronberg said after his three-save performance in Tuesday night's 3-0 victory over Nicaragua's Real Esteli, which gave Sporting sole possession of first place in Group 2 with one match to play. “I felt my timing was decent. I felt I was reading things pretty well.
“I thought the team played really well in front of me, especially in the second half,” he added. “I thought we kept the ball really well, and that really helped to tire them out, because they had nothing left on them. It made it easy on me.”
Kronberg, who had been out since early July with a broken bone in his left hand, gave Sporting fans one nervous moment in the 48th minute when Esteli center back Alan Kardek ran into him on a high ball and picked up a yellow card in the process. Kronberg got up slowly from the collision but quickly recovered.
“He hit me in the ribs, but it didn't hurt as bad as it looked, probably,” he said. “It definitely hurt, but obviously I don't think anything's wrong with me.”
Kronberg had been scheduled to start last week's home CCL match against Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa, but a problem with his CONCACAF paperwork kept him out and Andy Gruenebaum was in goal for Sporting's 3-1 victory.
“It was definitely hard waiting and watching that game,” he said, “but I'm just glad to be back again.
So are his teammates.
“I think he’s going to help our team,” center back and captain Matt Besler said in the postmatch news conference. “I think this year has proven we have three goalkeepers that can play in MLS, so we have no drop off on this team. Kronberg is a guy that gives us a lot of confidence back there with his presence and ability to come out on crosses. Any ball that is floated into the box is his, and that really helps us out as a backline.”
Now, having come back with a strong performance in CCL play, Kronberg will have to wait and see who gets the nod for Friday's home league match against New England.
“We'll see about Friday,” he said. “Hopefully, I'll get the go-ahead, but you never know. If everything holds up, I'm feeling good.”
Steve Brisendine covers Sporting Kansas City for MLSsoccer.com.
