Over the course of Sporting Kansas City’s 2015 season, three players have emerged as consistent attacking threats.
On any given night, Peter Vermes has been able to count on Dom Dwyer, Krisztian Nemeth or Benny Feilhaber to provide (or create) a decisive goal. It’s a stark departure from 2014, when Dwyer scored 24 times in all competitions and no other player chipped in more than five.
By no coincidence, Sporting Kansas City’s run to the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final offers the perfect snapshot of just how impactful the trio has been this season.
A simple way of looking at it: Dwyer, Feilhaber and Nemeth have combined for 11 of the team’s 13 goals in the tournament (and, for that matter, 40 of the team’s 57 goals in all competitions).
SPORTING KC'S THREE MUSKETEERS IN 2015
<strong>Player</strong> |
<strong>MLS<br>
goals</strong> |
<strong>USOC<br>
goals</strong> |
<strong>Total<br>
Goals</strong> |
Dom Dwyer |
10 |
5 |
15 |
Krisztian Nemeth |
9 |
4 |
13 |
Benny Feilhaber |
10 |
2 |
12 |
<strong>Trio totals</strong> |
<strong>29</strong> |
<strong>11</strong> |
<strong>40</strong> |
<em><strong>SKC team totals</strong></em> |
<em><strong>44</strong></em> |
<em><strong>13</strong></em> |
<em><strong>57</strong></em> |
But there’s also a broader way of looking at the trio’s body of work in the competition—one that gives historical perspective to highlight just how impressive their collective romp through the Open Cup has been.
Four months ago, Dwyer, Feilhaber and Nemeth were nowhere to be found among Kansas City’s all-time U.S. Open Cup scoring and assist leaders. Their combined Open Cup stat line prior to the 2015 season? Zero carer goals and zero career assists in Sporting colors.
Skip ahead to now — eight days before Sporting Kansas City faces the Philadelphia Union in the 2015 championship on Sept. 30 at PPL Park — and the club’s all-time Open Cup leaderboards have undergone a makeover.
In the span of one tournament, Dwyer has leapt into a tie as Kansas City’s all-time leading Open Cup scorer with five goals. Nemeth is one goal behind, netting four in just three appearances. All the while, Feilhaber has pulled the strings from midfield—his five Open Cup assists are two more than any other player in team history.
SPORTING KC ALL-TIME U.S. OPEN CUP GOAL & ASSIST LEADERS
<strong>Goals</strong><br><span style="font-size:10px;">(years with SKC)</span> |
<strong>Assists</strong><br><span style="font-size: 10px;">(years with SKC)</span> |
<em><strong>5 -- Dom Dwyer</strong></em><span style="font-size:10px;">(2012-present)</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10px;">(2013-present) </span><em><strong>Benny Feilhaber -- 5</strong></em> |
5 -- Davy Arnaud <span style="font-size:10px;">(2002-11)</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10px;">(2012-present) </span>Jacob Peterson -- 3 |
5 -- Igor Simutenkov <span style="font-size: 10px;">(2002-04)</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10px;">(1998-2005) </span>Chris Klein -- 3 |
5 -- C.J. Sapong <span style="font-size: 10px;">(2011-14)</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10px;">(2003-10) </span>Josh Wolff -- 3 |
<strong><em>4 -- Krisztian Nemeth</em></strong><span style="font-size: 10px;">(2015-present)</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10px;">(2002-11) </span>Davy Arnaud -- 3 |
4 -- Soony Saad <span style="font-size: 10px;">(2011-14)</span> |
five players tied -- 2 |
4 -- Ryan Pore <span style="font-size: 10px;">(2005-08)</span> |
Vermes alluded to his team’s balanced attack in the postgame press conference following a 3-1 win over FC Dallas last Friday.
“Last year was a little different. Dom really ran the show and we had to rely on him immensely,” Vermes said. “I think the great thing this year is goals are being scored by committee… It’s nice to be able to have a couple guys you have to focus on.”
Feilhaber echoed his coach’s sentiments in the aftermath of Friday’s victory.
“I’ve been here for three years and I can tell you that this is easily the best offensive team that we’ve had in the last three years, there’s no doubt about that in my mind.” Feilhaber said. “Krisztian [Nemeth] brings something we’ve never had on this team—that composure on the ball, being able to draw and turn defenders and create for himself and others. Obviously we know what Dom can do, and [Graham] Zusi is coming along on the right side.”
