In their second year of existence, the Swope Park Rangers are on the cusp of a second straight appearance in the USL Cup Final.
Head coach Nikola Popovic’s men will hope to hoist another Western Conference championship trophy on Saturday when they host OKC Energy FC at 7:30 p.m. CT inside Children’s Mercy Park. Tickets for the Western Conference Final are available at SeatGeek.com or at the stadium box office prior to kickoff.
In the days leading up to Saturday’s showdown, SportingKC.com will offer a position-by-position look at this dynamic Rangers squad while shining the spotlight on one goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward. Part one focuses on the men between the posts, including a Sporting KC loanee who boasts a phenomenal record as SPR’s starting goalkeeper.
Spotlight: Adrian Zendejas
He may only be 22 years old, but Adrian Zendejas knows a thing or two about navigating the USL Cup Playoffs.
In 2016, the 6-foot-5 goalkeeper allowed just one goal in three postseason victories as the Rangers reached the USL Cup Final before falling to New York Red Bulls II. A year later, Zendejas finds himself in a familiar spot: one win away from Western Conference glory and a return to the league’s championship game.
A strong run of performances to close out 2016 — eight wins and five shutouts from nine USL appearances — landed Zendejas an MLS contract with Sporting Kansas City, and while he still awaits his top-flight debut, he has staked his claim as one of the elite goalkeepers in the United Soccer League.
The numbers speak for themselves, and they speak loudly — none more than his win-loss record. In 32 career starts for the Rangers, Zendejas has 23 wins, four losses and five draws. He has supplemented that impressive 23-4-5 mark with 14 clean sheets and a 0.93 goals against average over the course of his two-year USL stint.
Zendejas was absent in SPR’s first playoff win last month while with Sporting KC, but returned last Saturday in a 1-0 defeat of Sacramento Republic FC. He was required to make four saves in the winning effort, including a diving stop to deny Villyan Bijev in the 75th minute. The result improved Zendejas’ home playoff record to 4-0 and gave his team the opportunity to defend a prized piece of silverware it won last year.
“It’s a goal of ours to defend our cup,” Zendejas said after Saturday’s win, referring to the Western Conference title. “This is ours and this is what we fight for.”
The Supporting Cast
In his postgame remarks on Saturday, Zendejas saved praise for the rookie who occupied his position six days earlier at Children’s Mercy Victory Field.
“First of all, credit to Darrin MacLeod,” Zendejas said. “If it wasn’t for him last week, we would have never been here. It’s a team effort. It’s all of us in this together.”
Indeed, if not for MacLeod’s heroics in a penalty shootout triumph over Phoenix Rising FC on Oct. 22, the Rangers’ postseason run may have ended just as soon as it started.
Making his fifth appearance of the season as a first-year professional out of Drake University, MacLeod saved Kevon Lambert’s spot kick in the first round of penalties as SPR won the shootout 4-2 following a 1-1 draw that spanned two separate days. The first half unfolded Saturday night on Oct. 21 before inclement weather postponed the restart until the following afternoon.
But MacLeod had come up big even before the shootout, thwarting Didier Drogba with a superb free-kick save in extra time. It was an unmistakably huge contribution from a goalkeeper who marked his USL debut with a saved penalty in August.
A shoulder injury suffered against Phoenix ruled MacLeod out of the subsequent Sacramento matchup, opening the door for fellow rookie and Rutgers University product David Greczek to serve as SPR’s backup to Zendejas.
Greczek, who was selected 58th overall in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft by Sporting KC, eventually signed for the Rangers in February before making three USL starts. His game log includes a shutout on June 3 at San Antonio FC, one of the league’s best teams.
As the Rangers aim to defend their conference title in two days’ time, MacLeod provided an appropriate summation of the club’s goalkeeping situation after helping the side knock off Phoenix.
“We have a big group of goalkeepers here at Sporting KC and Swope Park Rangers,” MacLeod said. “Whichever gets the nod on the day, I think we’re all capable and ready to make big plays when needed.”
