Sporting Kansas City had been in search of consistent scoring threats since they traded away Dom Dwyer in the summer of 2017. Theyāve got them in loads now, as they set a club record this year for goals scored in a season.
It had been a stated goal for Sporting KC to find goals in the 2017-18 offseason, and the search and focus on almost everyone elseās mind was a striker. Enter winger, Johnny Russell.
Russell has been a perfect fit in Kansas City. Heās transitioned into Sportingās setup almost seamlessly, contributing 10 goals and 10 assists in his inaugural MLS campaign. Now his new club is a game away from MLS Cup, welcoming Portland to Children's Mercy Park Thursday night (8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN) for Leg 2 of the Western Conference Championship in the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The move from Derby County this past January helped him continue to fulfill his own ambitions as well.
āI wanted to come to a team where I knew that we were challenging for something,ā Russell told MLSsoccer.com. āIāve still got ambitions to win things, I didnāt come over here to relax, which is what a lot of people probably thought at the time. But weāre one game away from getting to the final. Itās a decision thatās paid off for me.ā
It seemed like SKC fans yearned for the type of player they could really latch onto after Dwyer left. Theyād wanted the personality and, just as importantly, the goals. Theyāve found it in Russell, which was evident in the tifo that The Cauldron unveiled for him before their Sept. 30 home match against Real Salt Lake.
āIāve been lucky wherever Iāve been that Iāve always seemed to have that bond with the fans,ā Russell said. āBut since Iāve came here itās been amazing. Iām really grateful for it. The tifo was really unexpected. It was amazing to see. And even just the small things, interacting with the fans, interacting with some of the younger fans, itās been a great experience and one that Iām really grateful for.ā
A year prior, Russellās exuberance wasnāt what it is now. After a difficult end to the season at Derby, things went wrong during the summer break, and he lost his drive and love for the game. He blames the situation on himself, and saw how it was starting to affect his relationships outside of the game as well.
āI knew I was in a bit of a rut and needed to change something,ā Russell said. āSo the season that started in England in 2017, I started to enjoy myself again. And then coming here, I just felt it was the right time to try something new and try and get that spark back Iāve been missing for a while.ā
Russellās love for the game returned, and so has his confidence. His hat trick against Vancouver on April 20 endeared him to the Sporting KC faithful, as they saw the type of player they had in Russell.
āIām a player who is always going to try things,ā Russell said. āI want to get people on their feet, I want to excite people. A lot of time it wonāt come off, I know that. But when things werenāt coming off I was letting it get to me. So I wasnāt trying anything, so then I was just getting lost in games. So thatās something I feel that Iāve got back.
āThatās probably the main part of my game. I like to get the ball and drive at people. I like to try to make things happen, if not for myself for other people. Thatās something that I was missing, that feel that Iāve definitely got back now.ā
Russell now finds himself on the precipice of making it to MLS Cup. The playoff experience has been similar to that he experienced on multiple occasions with Derby County in the Championship as they fought for promotion. He vividly remembered one final in his first year at Derby.
āWe played probably the most dominant game Iāve ever played in and we lost one-nil. They scored on a counter attack in like the 94th minute. I know how hard it can be getting to this stage and losing. So itās not something Iām thinking about or letting on my mind.ā
Russell continued: āWeāve got one focus. If you wouldāve said to us at the start of the season that youāve got one game, at home, to get to MLS Cup, we wouldāve taken it right away. Weāve worked hard to get to this position. Weāre here now and we know what we have to do to make sure that MLS Cup can be our reality.ā