Sporting Kansas City will kick off their 2018 postseason campaign in the Western Conference Semifinals of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. As the No. 1 seed in the West, Manager Peter Vermes' side will play the first leg on the road this Sunday and host the decisive second leg on Sunday, Nov. 11, at Children's Mercy Park. Tickets for Sporting KC's first home playoff match since 2013 are on sale now via SeatGeek.com.
In the buildup to the conference semifinals, SportingKC.com will take a position-by-position look at arguably the most balanced team in Sporting KC history. Serving as a regular season recap and a playoff preview, the series will unfold in the following order: Goalkeeper Tim Melia on Monday, defenders on Tuesday, midfielders on Wednesday and forwards on Thursday.
The 2018 regular season has prompted a significant rewrite of the Sporting Kansas City record books.
Over the course of eight explosive months, a balanced, deep and oftentimes rampant attack has reached all-time highs in goals, assists, goal difference, shots and chances created.
Goals have come thick and fast both at Children’s Mercy Park and on the road, making for can’t-miss entertainment while causing many to believe that Sporting KC’s offensive prowess—rather than its staunch defense—will be the main ingredient that propels Manager Peter Vermes’ side throughout the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Wielding an abundance of attacking riches, Sporting KC has ridden the hot hands (or hot boots) of numerous forwards in 2018. Johnny Russell was a buzz saw in April and July. Daniel Salloi heated up in the summer, then caught fire again over the final three games of the season. Diego Rubio was maybe the league’s best player in August, Khiry Shelton boasts a terrific record as a starter, and the likes of Gerso Fernandes and Krisztian Nemeth are capable of coming off the bench and changing a game.
Here’s a CliffsNotes summary: Sporting KC has scored a club-record 65 times during the 2018 regular season, spreading the wealth with four different players bagging at least seven goals and nine players bagging at least three. In a stark deviation from previous years, the team has been just as productive away from home as it has at Children’s Mercy Park: their club-record 31 road goals were nine more than in 2016 and 2017 combined.
Vermes has described it as “scoring by committee,” and that would be entirely accurate. But as Sporting KC enters the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs, it’s time to give individual credit where individual credit is due. Let’s dive into the cast of characters who together have forged the best offensive season in the club’s 23-year history.
Daniel Salloi: 11 goals, 7 assists in MLS
Four years after moving from his native Hungary to join the Sporting KC Academy, Daniel Salloi has secured golden boot honors as the team’s top scorer. The 22-year-old was one of the best young performers in MLS this season, leading all Homegrown Players with 20 combined goals (13) and assists (7) in all competitions.
What might come in particular handy during Sporting KC’s postseason push is Salloi’s knack for coming up big in the clutch. He tied a club record with six game-winning goals in 2018 and became the first Sporting KC player to score a game-winner in three straight games, doing so in victories over Vancouver, FC Dallas and LAFC to close out the year.
Johnny Russell: 10 goals, 10 assists in MLS
It took next to no time for Johnny Russell to become a fan favorite at Children’s Mercy Park. The 28-year-old winger has endeared himself to supporters with his tireless work rate, undeniable quality on the ball, cordial Scottish brogue and ability to go viral by making a birthday girl’s dream come true.
To put Russell’s effectiveness into context, he has become just the fourth player in club history to record double-digit goals and assists in the same MLS season. And while a scintillating April hat-trick against Vancouver served as his coming-out party, Russell has been extremely consistent throughout the year, never going longer than three games without a goal or an assist.
Diego Rubio: 8 goals, 6 assists in MLS
Diego Rubio perfected the super-sub role during the first half of 2018. Each of his first four goals came from off the bench, a total that remains the best in MLS this season. The Chilean’s ability to enter a match and turn it on its head eventually resulted in a run of starts from July through September, during which time he was one of the league’s hottest players.
From July 7 to Sept. 15, Rubio set a club record by scoring or assisting in eight straight MLS matches. His efficiency is evident in his regular season stat line of eight goals and six assists in just 781 minutes of action. The center forward finished tied for second in MLS with 0.92 goals per 90 minutes, a rate matched by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and narrowly bested by Josef Martinez.
Gerso Fernandes: 5 goals, 5 assists in MLS
“The Gershow” was on full display in a 5-1 victory over the Earthquakes on Sept. 15. Fernandes, Sporting KC’s top scorer in 2017, torched San Jose to the tune of two goals and two assists, becoming the third player in club history to accomplish the feat in an MLS match. The explosion was a reminder of what Fernandes is capable of bringing to the table, and with five goals and five assists to his name this season, he will likely be entrusted to make an impact in the playoffs.
Khiry Shelton: 2 goals, 5 assists in MLS
Khiry Shelton’s stat line won’t blow you away, but the 25-year-old excels in the statistic that matters the most: winning games. Shelton owns a 9-2-4 record as a starter this season, and it’s a big reason why he has become Vermes’ first-choice center forward going into the playoffs. Shelton has been especially effective playing alongside Salloi and Russell, as the team is 9-1-3 when that trio starts in attack. Shelton’s strength in holding the ball up and willingness to pick out runners has helped bring out the best in his teammates.
Krisztian Nemeth: 1 goal, 1 assist in MLS
Krisztian Nemeth was a revelation during his first stint with Sporting KC in 2015, racking up 10 goals and 6 assists, before plying his trade elsewhere over the next two and a half years. But an August trade with the New England Revolution brought Nemeth back to Kansas City, where he now has the opportunity to win his second trophy with the team. The Hungarian is likely to feature from off the bench, as he has for most of the last few months, but make no mistake: Nemeth is capable of some crazy, crazy things on the soccer field.
