It's less than a week from the start of Sporting Kansas City's 20th season as they host the New York Red Bulls on Sunday afternoon. It's been a busy offseason for the club with a move to the Western Conference and several roster moves, including the return of midfielder Roger Espinoza. For this Prep Talk, I spoke with FoxSports.com'sKyle McCarthy who talked about the offseason moves and previewed the upcoming season.
Jonathon Feyerherm: What are your thoughts on Sporting KC's moves this offseason?
Kyle McCarthy: You can tell that Manager Peter Vermes had a plan this offseason. He wanted to go out and get Roger Espinoza back into the fold. He did that. He wanted to strengthen his options up front and he did that as well. You look at the team now and you see a group that's stronger than the side that took the field last year. I think there's more depth. There are a lot of options in midfield and I think it's a strong group. When you look at Sporting KC you know there is a plan in place and a structure to get the most of out of the players in the squad. I think the work in the offseason reinforces that.
JF: You mentioned Espinoza returning to Kansas City, what are you thoughts on his return and the midfield?
KM: Roger Espinoza is a fantastic signing for Sporting KC because he knows the team, the league, and he knows the system. His style of play really fits well with how Sporting KC likes to operate. I think that's shown during his previous stint with the club. I think it will help going into this year because you now have more options in midfield. You have Espinoza to provide a lot of that industry and cover, flexibility in where Benny Feilhaber can line-up, and then you have other choices to fill out that triangle that allow Vermes to really adapt from game to game and situation to situation to make sure the team is in a position to really thrive.
JF: What are your thoughts on Dom Dwyer's record season last year and what do you expect to see from him this season?
KM: It's a testament to his hard work. He went on loan to Orlando City and put in a good shift down there and started scoring goals. That really gave him the confidence to transition to MLS and become an effective goalscorer. You look at how he functions, it's really a great fit for Sporting KC. He's industrious, closes down the opposition, puts himself in good spots, and then when he's given chances he finishes them. When I look at Dom Dwyer heading into 2015, I see a player who has the ability to push on even more. I spoke with him during preseason and that's what he said. He's always looking to push forward and really advance from what he's done in the past. I think with the consistency of his performances and his ability to continue to strive, he's capable of producing even more in front of goal.
JF: Finally, what are you looking forward to seeing from Sporting KC this season?
KM: I'm interested to see how the attacking third really develops. There's a lot of flexibility within the group now. You've seen tweaks during preseason that have allowed Vermes to experiment and see what sort of alternatives he has. I think when you look at Sporting you know that they're going to be committed every match, they're going to close down the opposition, and they're going to have the ball. I think the key going into this year to make sure they are more reliable in terms of finding different ways to break down the opposition. With some of the moves made during the offseason, I think Sporting KC has put themselves in a good position to do that. It's just a matter seeing if everything comes together.
