KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Not long ago, Roger Espinoza called FC Dallas the league's most complicated team – an assessment based on the club's technical skill and run of success in recent seasons.
But with Sunday's opponent coming into Children's Mercy Park riding the momentum of two lopsided victories (7 pm CT, FS1), what does Sporting Kansas City's veteran midfielder make of the LA Galaxy?
“They're LA. They're a team with a lot of MLS Cups. They're not an easy team to play,” the Honduran international told MLSsoccer.com on Friday. “They're a team that spends money and has really good players. You've got to be ready for them. They've got a lot of pressure to do things right.”
Sporting are under some pressure themselves, to bounce back from a four-match winless streak – and they have lost four of their last six matches, after opening the season 3-0. The Galaxy, meanwhile, are coming off routs of Houston and Real Salt Lake, outscoring those two opponents 9-3 over that span.
Kansas City have looked more solid in their last two outings, though – and Espinoza would love to take down the Galaxy on Sunday.
“You always want to play against good players,” he said. “That's what you're here for. You always want to play against the best. You want to see where you're at, and this is a good test for us early in the season. I think we're ready for that.”
Where does Bruce Arena's squad rank on his list of teams Espinoza most enjoys winning against?
“Definitely top three,” he said. “When you go to L.A., you like going over there and playing. When they come here, all the attention is on them. A lot of teams are underdogs, because it's L.A. – Hollywood, you know? But good team, good coach – he's been around the league a long time. They know exactly what they want to do.”
And with midfielders Giovani Dos Santos and Steven Gerrard both in form, Espinoza expects challenging matchups in the middle of the park on Sunday. He has faced both players before, on the big stages of CONCACAF competition and the Premier League – the latter when Espinoza was with Wigan Athletic and Gerrard was closing in on the end of his storied career at Liverpool.
“They're both world-class players,” he said. “Gio, I got to play against him with the national team. He's an unbelievable player, and we've seen what he means to Mexico, even if he hasn't been around in the last few call-ups, and we know Gerrard. We know what he meant to Liverpool. We know what he means in the world. He's definitely a player you have to be careful with. He can place the ball anywhere he wants.”
Gerrard looked slow and out of sync late in the 2015 season, after joining the Galaxy over the summer, but Espinoza isn't surprised at his resurgence this year.
“It happens to a lot of players,” he said. “It's very difficult to come from finishing one league and then come right away into another league. I mean, it happens to a lot of players. In 2015, I was physically dead, too. Gerrard's a guy who's been playing professionally for – 17 years, 20 years, who knows? This guy's going to be 50 years old and still be able to make a nice pass.
“He's a great player. He just needed some rest.”
Steve Brisendine covers Sporting Kansas City for MLSsoccer.com.
