Ike Opara’s latest injury setback, a ruptured Achilles tendon in his right ankle, came at a time in which the 26-year-old was looking like a frontrunner for MLS Defender of the Year.
Before suffering his injury in the 84th minute, Opara won 13 duels and helped limit Real Salt Lake to zero shots on goal and just one chance created—both all-time recorded lows for Real Salt Lake. Opara’s contribution to the shutout—Sporting KC’s third in four matches—landed him a spot on Goal.com’s Team of the Week and is one of several weekly honors the 6-foot-2 defender has earned this year:
- Soccer By Ives Player of the Month (March)
- MLSsoccer.com Player of the Month nominee (March)
- MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week: 3 times (Week 1, Week 3, Week 4)
- Goal.com Team of the Week: 3 times (Week 1, Week 4, Week 6)
- NBC Pro Soccer Talk Team of the Week: 3 times (Week 1, Week 4)
- Soccer By Ives Best XI: Week 1
Opara leads all MLS defender with two goals in 2015 and has spearheaded a backline that has conceded the fewest shots per game (9.83) of any team in the league. He also leads MLS with 30 interceptions and 33 aerials won, while ranking second in duels won.
Another in-form Sporting KC player, MLS assist leader Benny Feilhaber, received a spot on NBC Pro Soccer Talk’s Team of the Week. The 30-year-old has four assists this season and nearly added to that total on Saturday, creating a game-high five chances in addition to leading all starters with a 90 percent passing accuracy.
Sporting KC is on the road Saturday to face reigning MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy at 9:30 p.m. CT at StubHub Center in Carson, California. The match will be broadcast live on SKCTV across the Midwest and available locally on KMCI-TV 38 the Spot with three hours of on-site coverage beginning at 9 p.m. CT.
