Defender Matt Besler and midfielder Roger Espinoza made emphatic returns to the Sporting Kansas City lineup on Sunday, delivering standout performances in a fiercely contested 0-0 draw at Real Salt Lake.
Both players were recognized for their enormous outings on Monday as Peter Vermes' men collected a valuable point in their quest for a sixth straight playoff appearance. Besler was named to the MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week, while Espinoza landed a spot on Bleacher Report's Team of the Week.
Besler — widely labeled man of the match in the United States' 1-1 friendly draw with New Zealand last Tuesday — returned to his hometown club this weekend and anchored a defense that kept Real Salt Lake scoreless. The center back stuffed the stat sheet with a game-high five clearances in addition to four recoveries, four interceptions and three duels won. Besler's biggest defensive intervention came in the 56th minute when he slid at full extension to prevent Demar Phillips' cutback from reaching Yura Movsisyan in front of a gaping net.
Espinoza was deployed as a forward in Sporting Kansas City's 4-3-3 setup for the first time in his career. And while he looked dangerous at times in the attacking third — his perfectly weighted cross for Dom Dwyer nearly resulted in an 86th-minute winner — Espinoza was exemplary on the defensive side. The industrious Honduran won 17 duels and logged seven interceptions, both the most among all MLS players in Week 33.
Sporting Kansas City closes out the 2016 MLS regular season Sunday at 3 p.m. CT when the club hosts the San Jose Earthquakes at Children’s Mercy Park. SKCTV and 38 The Spot will televise the monumental Decision Day clash as Sporting Kansas City looks to secure a playoff berth with a victory. A limited number of tickets for the biggest game of the season are still available at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.
Click here to read Sporting Kansas City's playoff scenarios heading into Decision Day.
