Sporting Kansas City has conceeded just 22 goals in 25 games, yielding a League-leading 0.88 goals against average in 2012. A driving force behind the team's stingy defensive efforts may be in Manager Peter Vermes' experience and understanding of the position he once anchored. Vermes played an integral role during the club's 2000 MLS season, when Kansas City won both the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup. As a team leader and former central defender of a championship team, Vermes knows the perfect combination of qualities to construct a flawless backline capable of bringing another trophy back to Kansas City.
Flawless may be a bit extreme, but with an all-time record of 22-2-5 during a course of 29 games in all competition, I think it's safe to say that Chance Myers, Matt Besler, Aurelien Collin and Seth Sinovic are quite the quartet. In Major League Soccer action, Sporting KC is 17-1-5 when starting these four players on the backline and has a goals against average of 0.61 and have allowed just 14 goals in 23 games. In all competition, Myers/Besler/Collin/Sinovic have an even more impressive goals against average of 0.55, having allowed only 16 goals in 29 games.
In addition to the talented back four, the leadership and organization also comes from veteran goalkeeper and team captain Jimmy Nielsen in net. The White Puma has earned MLS Save of the Week four times already in 2012 and 14 times in his three seasons in Major League Soccer. Nielsen has recorded 33 shutouts all-time for Kansas City in all competition, ranking second in club history for most shuouts behind only Kansas City great Tony Meola.
Nielsen is also second among MLS goalkeepers with 4,000 minute played all-time with a 1.07 goals against average.
To view a comprehensive list of games and results with the back four of Chance Myers, Matt Besler, Aurelien Collin and Seth Sinovic, see below:
Date |
Results |
Score |
GA |
Competition |
5/25/2011* |
W |
5-0 |
0 |
U.S. OPEN CUP QUALIFIER |
5/28/2011 |
T |
1-1 |
1 |
MLS |
6/12/2011* |
W |
4-1 |
1 |
MLS |
6/17/2011 |
W |
1-0 |
0 |
MLS |
6/25/2011 |
W |
2-1 |
1 |
MLS |
9/5/2011 |
T |
2-2 |
2 |
MLS |
9/28/2011 |
W |
2-1 |
1 |
MLS |
10/1/2011 |
T |
1-1 |
1 |
MLS |
10/15/2011 |
W |
2-0 |
0 |
MLS |
10/22/2011 |
W |
1-0 |
0 |
MLS |
10/30/2011 |
W |
2-0 |
0 |
PLAYOFFS |
11/2/2011 |
W |
2-0 |
0 |
PLAYOFFS |
11/6/2011 |
L |
0-2 |
2 |
PLAYOFFS |
3/10/2012 |
W |
1-0 |
0 |
MLS |
3/17/2012 |
W |
3-0 |
0 |
MLS |
3/25/2012 |
W |
2-1 |
1 |
MLS |
4/1/2012 |
W |
1-0 |
0 |
MLS |
4/7/2012 |
W |
1-0 |
0 |
MLS |
4/14/2012 |
W |
1-0 |
0 |
MLS |
4/18/2012 |
W |
3-1 |
1 |
MLS |
4/21/2012 |
L |
0-1 |
1 |
MLS |
5/19/2012 |
T |
2-2 |
2 |
MLS |
5/27/2012 |
W |
2-1 |
1 |
MLS |
6/5/2012 |
W |
2-0 |
0 |
U.S. OPEN CUP |
7/4/2012 |
W |
3-1 |
1 |
MLS |
7/7/2012 |
T |
0-0 |
0 |
MLS |
7/11/2012 |
W |
2-0 |
0 |
U.S. OPEN CUP |
7/14/2012 |
W |
2-0 |
0 |
MLS |
8/18/2012 |
W |
1-0 |
0 |
MLS |
*Jimmy Nielsen did not start.
