Ahead of Sunday's match (2:30 p.m. CT) at San Jose, SportingKC.com caught up with ESPN.com's Jeff Carlisle to preview the Western Conference clash. Live coverage of the match will be available on ESPN, WatchESPN, and ESPN Deportes.
What's been the key to San Jose's strong start at home?
They've been pretty solid. There's not been a whole lot of change from last year. The biggest has been signing Simon Dawkins but he hasn't quite lit it up like a lot of people hoped he would. They've been very competitive this season and their offense is a little more effective than it has been in years past. For me, that's been their biggest weakness, who besides Chris Wondolowski is going to score goals. Even when they haven't played well, like against New York, they were able to get a good result at home (2-0 win). Dominic Kinnear has been gradually adding to this team and the acquisitions haven't necessarily been flashy but they've been pretty effective.
Speaking of Wondolowski, he's leading the way for San Jose with six goals this season. What's been the key for his consistency?
His movement is as good as ever. It's uncanny the timing of his runs and the way he's able to find space for himself. He's got a short memory. Against New York he had a breakaway that he didn't convert but he comes back in the second half and scores off a nice Shea Salinas cross. Quincy Amarikwa has provided a nice counterweight to him. Amarikwa is going to do the dirty work and hold the ball up and has a low center of gravity that allows him to shield the ball effectively. At this stage of his career, Amarikwa knows what his role his and ever since last season when San Jose got him, he's done quite well.
How do you see Sporting KC's defense matching up against those two forwards (Wondolowski, Amarikwa)?
I don't think the challenges will be physical but will be mental. Against Wondolowski you can't switch off for a second and Amarikwa is what you see is what you get. I don't think there's going to be any surprises for Kansas City. Both forwards have been in the league long enough that you know what they are going to bring but one concern for Kansas City might be on the wings. I think Salinas' ability to cross the ball is pretty underrated and we'll see what Simon Dawkins can bring.
What are your thoughts on the Western Conference so far?
I think it's more competitive than ever. You're seeing teams like Colorado showing some signs of life and Real Salt Lake is the last unbeaten team in the league. It's crazy how much parity and how competitive it is. It looks like Houston still might be the weak link in the West but I think if you look at every other team in the conference, they're capable of beating you on any given day. Last year, it was Colorado and RSL who kind of fell off. Every single team has got ways they can hurt you and it's more competitive than ever. We'll see how things play out. Now that Colorado's got Jermaine Jones, I think he adds a lot to them. I think it's going to be a dogfight from start to finish to see who makes the playoffs. Dallas looks like the class of the conference, they seem to have really built on the foundation they've established the last few seasons. It's going to be fascinating to see how everything shakes out.
