Connor Hallisey was inches away from netting his first professional goal in the 85th minute of Wednesday’s 4-2 win over the New England Revolution. The rookie was played a dazzling ball in space with only the keeper to beat.
His attempt was ultimately denied. Hallisey told midfielder Benny Feilhaber after the game the ball rolled to his wrong foot. What Feilhaber responded with, though, was the kicker and exactly what Sporting Kansas City is using to help their rookies progress.
“It’s all right,” Feilhaber said to the 22-year-old midfielder, “You’ll get one soon.”
Hallisey was one of four Sporting KC rookies in the 18 Wednesday, which hadn’t happened since 2007. To date, Sporting Kansas City’s four rookies — Hallisey, Amadou Dia, Saad Abdul-Salaam and James Rogers — have combined for 344 minutes, three starts and 11 appearances.
According to Hallisey, veteran leadership on and off the field has played a major part in helping groom Sporting KC’s first-year draft picks into major contributors this season.
“I wasn’t sure what it was going to be like coming in, but since the first day on, they do everything they can to help you,” Hallisey said. “They want you to do the best you can as a player, improve and reach your potential. Every day at practice, they’re giving me pointers and stuff. They’ve been very, very helpful.”
An emphasis has been placed on veteran leadership, especially when it comes to helping rookies and foreign players acclimate to MLS. Mentoring includes everything from eating right to the x’s and o’s in training and on match day.
“It’s just constantly speaking with them,” forward Jacob Peterson said. “Maybe Connor more for me and Graham (Zusi) since we play a similar position. But Connor is a smart kid, he knows a lot already. It’s just about maybe teaching him little things about the system.
“But like I said, he’s adapted well. Maybe Seth (Sinovic) talks to Dia about his role as a left or right back. It’s really important for the veteran guys to be a voice and kind of help those guys come along and advance.”
Peterson was also quick to praise Sporting KC’s coaching staff for their hand in helping young players adapt to the game at an MLS level — not only this season but in past years as well.
“I’ve been on other teams where we’ve had great young players, but maybe they were mismanaged or weren’t really coached,” Peterson said. “(Sporting KC) spend a lot of time with the young guys and veterans — there are things you learn every day. Our coaching staff here really pays attention to the details and passes it along to us. Unequivocally, from my point of view, this is the best staff and organization as it concerns the younger players.”
Sporting KC has needed the entirety of their roster this season. Wednesday, the club was only able to suit up 17 players due to seven injuries and one international call-up.
“I think we’re always ready,” Hallisey said. “We’re itching for that opportunity so we’re always ready for that if it comes. It came for us today. We obviously stepped in and did well; Dia did phenomenally starting as a rookie and Saad (Abdul-Salaam) made his debut so congrats to him. It’s looking good.”
So good, in fact, that Dom Dwyer, a former MLS SuperDraft first-round pick himself, believes this crop of rookies can become star players for the club down the road.
“It’s very rare that you get rookies who can come in and contribute right away,” Dwyer pointed out. “Credit to them, they’ve all been brilliant. They’re all good characters in the dressing room. This is a very close team, everyone gets along and is here to win. There are no big egos. Everyone is together.”