KANSAS CITY, Mo. – It might sound a bit strange, but Kansas City will feel right at home at the Home Depot Center on Saturday night.
Sporting, under their former moniker as the Wizards in 2010, walked away with three points from both of their trips to Carson, Calif., last season, earning a pair of 2-0 victories against both Chivas USA and the LA Galaxy.
Some pointed to the spacious field at HDC, on which Kansas City’s pressure game was more effective. Others pointed out the trips coincided with the club’s uptick in form.
No matter where their success originated, striker Kei Kamara and his teammates hope that form carries over to 2011 as Sporting open their season against the Goats on Saturday night in the first of 10 consecutive road games to start the season.
“Last year, when we went out there against the Galaxy and Chivas, we didn’t get good results at home, so we knew what we had to do,” Kamara said. “It’s a field that kind of suits our style of play. With all that room, we were able to do some good stuff with and without the ball.”
Before knocking off Chivas USA last season behind goals from Kamara and Teal Bunbury, Kansas City dropped a hugely disappointing game at home earlier in the season thanks to two Justin Braun strikes.
[inline_node:327673]This season, though, there is a new manager leading Chivas USA in Robin Fraser and plenty of new faces in red and white stripes, including longtime Wizard Jimmy Conrad.
“I just see them being a little different team than they have been in the past, and have a different fire than they have had,” manager Peter Vermes said. “I think they lost a little bit of that last year, and Robin will bring that back.”
What exactly Vermes and his players will see from the Rojiblancos on the field is a little more fluidity.
The only evidence of the changes Fraser has made thus far in his brief reign came during preseason games, leaving Sporting with little to scout apart from a few matches this spring and Fraser’s track record as an assistant at Real Salt Lake.
“We’ve seen a little bit here and there,” Vermes said. “In the end, he’s still trying to find out how he wants to do things. It’s like anyone else. It’s early in the season. Everybody is trying to do different things with their teams and see which guys fit in.”
Kansas City are no different, and injuries and form will dictate who sees the field for Vermes on Saturday.
Defender Michael Harrington is questionable after missing much of training this week because of a groin injury while Ryan Smith didn’t travel with the team as he rehabs from knee surgery. The central forward spot is also up for grabs as Bunbury is unlikely to play.
But with the increase in roster sizes and the expanding depth across the league, Sporting have plenty of capable replacements.
Luke Sassano is the likely starter at right back should Harrington be unable to go while Omar Bravo has made his mark his Smith’s prolonged absence this preseason. Both Birahim Diop and C.J. Sapong are competing to start up top should Bunbury’s elbow prevent his participation.
No matter who ends up on the field, all Sporting are looking for is a positive result to kick start their lengthy road trip.
“You always want to start off on a good foot,” Kamara said. “You don’t want to begin with your head down. We’re going in to face a team that wants to do that same thing. It might be sloppy. It might be beautiful. But it’s going be one of those games where both teams want to get points.”
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