Advancing in the U.S. Open Cup has pitted Republic FC against teams they seldom face off with. The semifinal is no different, as the club’s July 27 match marks the first ever with Sporting Kansas City – a legacy MLS side that’s been one of the best all-time in the Cup, winning four titles, and is led by one of the most storied men in American soccer. Ahead of the huge match, get familiar with Sporting Kansas City, and everything that Sacramento is in for when they make their way to the West Coast.
What to Know
Sporting enters the contest with eyes on becoming just the third team ever to win five Open Cups – a feat accomplished last by 1981 winner Maccabee Los Angeles – and the most successful MLS club ever in the competition. The Midwest club has won the tournament four times tying them with Chicago Fire and Seattle Sounders FC for the most among MLS squads. They previously won the trophy in 2004, 2012, 2015, and most recently in 2017. On the sidelines, the club is led by one of the most storied American footballers ever in
Peter Vermes. Vermes is a USMNT veteran with over 60 caps to his name, and legacy member of the Major League Soccer fraternity, playing in the league’s debut season and since coaching over 500 matches. At the start of the season, Kansas City lost two of its Designated Players to season-ending injuries – forward Alan Pulido and midfielder Gadi Kinda. The club has seen a 180-degree flip from their offensive form in 2021 as a result, netting only 18 scores in their first 20 matches. While the club’s gone through periods of struggle, they’ve also proven capable of going on fearsome tears unmatchable by any opponent, and keeping their composure in tight contests. All of their victories in league play this season have been by one score, and two of their three cup victories this year have come following a first-half deficit.
Their Strengths
Sporting has been tough to break down on defense this season. While they’ve conceded frequently this year, bloating their goals allowed tally is a single bad afternoon against Portland back in May. Subtracting that match, they are right in the middle of the pack defensively, and as of July 13 have actually made the second-fewest mistakes leading to scores of any MLS side all season long. Their backline is anchored by multiple players with overseas experience in Europe’s top competitions. Up top, the club does possess a few players capable of challenging any defensive group. Winger and Captain Johnny Russell leads the club in scores this season, and off the bench, Cameron Duke and former San Antonio FC loanee Kortne Ford offer threats that any opponent needs to account for all over the pitch. Against Montreal on July 9, SKC was great in transition as well as on the wings – similar to how Oakland Roots challenged Sacramento. The club will likely try to keep that up to better their chances of success.
What to Watch For
Big names occupy a few spots on their roster. In addition to Russell, Spanish defender Andreu Fontàs has been among the league’s best. Former designated player and U.S. National Team stalwart Graham Zusi waits in the wings off the bench – with years of experience in high-pressure situations at the highest levels of the game. Dominating second half performances have allowed the club to push forward in the Open Cup. In their opening contests against FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo, the club overcame two early deficits with dominating second half performances. Against Dallas, they came back from a 2-0 deficit to equalize in the final seconds of stoppage time, before netting two scores in extra time to put down their Texas foes. Against Dynamo it was much of the same, without an extra 30 minutes being necessary, converting a penalty for the winning score at the 73 minute mark.
