Peter Vermes is no stranger to the MLS Cup Playoffs.
The Sporting Kansas City boss is set to make his 13th career appearance in Major League Soccer's postseason — as a player or a head coach — when his side faces Seattle Sounders FC in Thursday's Western Conference Knockout Round at CenturyLink Field (9 p.m. CT, FS1 & UniMas).
In doing so, Vermes will enter rarefied air as one of only four individuals to either play in or coach a postseason game in 13 separate editions of the MLS Cup Playoffs — tied for the most in league history. Moreover, Vermes and Orlando City SC manager Jason Kreis are the only ones to participate in six separate playoffs as both a player and a head coach.
PLAYOFF APPEARANCES AS PLAYER OR HEAD COACH
(MLS HISTORY)
<strong>Coach/Player</strong> |
<strong>Apps.<br>
as coach</strong> |
<strong>Apps.<br>
as player</strong> |
<strong>TOTAL</strong> |
<strong>Peter Vermes</strong> |
<strong>6</strong> |
<strong>7</strong> |
<strong>13 *</strong> |
Bruce Arena |
13 |
0 |
13 * |
Sigi Schmid |
13 |
0 |
13 |
Jason Kreis |
6 |
7 |
13 |
Jay Heaps |
3 |
9 |
12 |
Jesse Marsch |
2 |
10 |
12 * |
Landon Donovan |
0 |
12 |
12 * |
Kyle Beckerman |
0 |
12 |
12 * |
Dema Kovalenko |
0 |
12 |
12 |
Dominic Kinnear |
9 |
2 |
11 |
Bobby Boswell |
0 |
11 |
11 * |
Brian Mullan |
0 |
11 |
11 |
Asterisks next to names such as Vermes, Bruce Arena and Landon Donovan indicate a presumed appearance in the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs. Vermes, Arena and Jesse Marsch, for example, are all coaching in this year's playoffs but have yet to officially record their appearance. The same idea applies for Donovan, Kyle Beckerman and Bobby Boswell — all of whom are safe bets to feature in knockout round games this week.
Vermes continues to build an impressive resume as one of the league's most successful figures. He made the playoffs every season during a seven-year MLS playing career from 1996-2002, and has now coached Sporting Kansas City to a club-record six straight postseason appearances.
Do the math, and Vermes has reached the playoffs in 13 of his 15 MLS seasons as a player or head coach. He also holds the distinction as the only person to win an MLS Cup as a player and coach with the same team.
Another 13-win season
The number 13 is presently pertinent not only for Vermes, but for the club he manages. Sporting Kansas City defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 on Sunday to secure its sixth straight 13-win regular season dating back to 2011, when the team rebranded and moved into Children's Mercy Park.
To put this feat into perspective, only two other clubs in MLS history have notched six straight 13-win regular seasons. It's an impressive feather in the cap for a Sporting Kansas City franchise that had just four 13-win campaigns from 1996-2010.
SIX STRAIGHT 13-WIN REGULAR SEASONS (MLS HISTORY)
# |
Club |
Years |
7 |
LA Galaxy |
1996 - 2002 |
7 |
Seattle Sounders FC |
2010 - present |
6 |
LA Galaxy |
2010 - 2015 |
<strong>6</strong> |
<strong>Sporting Kansas City</strong> |
<strong>2011 - present</strong> |
