Unbeaten through five straight games, the Orange and Blue hope to continue their streak

The Garys have been able to get 13 points out of 15 in play (four wins and one draw) with patched up lineups due to injuries, suspensions, and visa issues, and sit in first placed tied in points with Charlotte in the Eastern Conference. Can they continue their rise against the storied Sporting Kansas City (SKC)?

Orange and Blue

The last five games have seen the Orange and Blue start with a tie and then four straight wins by one goal, two of them as visitors. Their backline has been constantly in a state of flux with Pat Noonan having to dig deep into the roster, at times improvising by putting players in positions they are not used to playing. But the team has been able to also dig deep into their own resilience and produce results through grit, intelligent playing, capitalizing on opportunities, at times depending on individual play from various players, and timely substitutions. Noonan has received criticism on this last point before, but he has recently been very good in making the right in-game moves to either change the tactics/energy on the pitch or close out games.

It has helped that the Cincinnati Kid, Nick Hagglund, finally started to have minutes after a long recovery time from last year’s injury. He has brought energy and leadership to the backline which had seemed lacking in those areas. Also, Gilberto Flores, the 21-year-old Paraguayan center back (CB) has been a very pleasant surprise with strong performances. Veteran Brian Anunga has been able to step up as defensive midfielder and fill a considerable hole in the absence of Obi Nwobodo. And of course, Evander and Kevin Denkey have started to show their quality of play as they gel with the team and with each other.

Now comes another test for the team. On paper, SKC seems to be the type of team FCC should easily beat. But nothing ever seems to come easily to this team. First, we have yet to see the full potential of the team given the constant rotation of lineups. Second, FCC is still in the habit of playing to the level of their opposition. They allow teams to “hang around” when they could have closed out the game earlier. And finally, SKC is showing signs of life under a new coach, even if he is interim and he has been with the organization for 25 years, including his time as a player, assistant coach, and now interim head coach.

FCC will enter this game with almost their complete roster healthy. Matt Miazga is still being brought up to full match condition and Obi Nwobodo is returning after being injured for a few weeks. There will still be some notable absences either on the pitch or on the bench such as Teenage Hadebe and Yuya Kubo. But the team is finally getting healthy enough that we should start seeing more consistency in the lineups.

Sporting Kansas City

The club began play in 1996 as a charter team in the league (it was then named Kansas City Wiz). They have been a storied franchise, winning two MLS cups, four US Open Cups, and one Supporters Shield. But the last time they won any silverware was in 2017. The club is currently in a transition period with long-serving head coach Peter Vermes having been dismissed on March 31st and his assistant coach, Kerry Zavagnin, named interim head coach.

SKC has historically been known for a high-pressing, possession-based style. It emphasized strong defense, quick transition, and aggressive pressing. They have played a 4-3-3 formation, building from the back, while controlling the midfield and using their wingbacks to create opportunities. Their physicality, discipline, and hard playing allowed them to grind out results.

Kerry Zavagnin, while still maintaining the 4-3-3 formation, has already started to focus more on flexibility, creativity, and innovation. He seems less rigid than Vermes but has also expressed a desire to not make too many changes too quickly. He wants to evolve their style of play over time and explore ideas he’s had throughout his career as an assistant coach. This could explain his use of a 4-1-4-1 formation in their previous game against San Jose Earthquakes. They won that game 5-3 as a visiting team.

SKC will have key pieces missing in their backline and midfield. At CB they will miss Joaquin Fernandez due to injury. German Robert Voloder, who hasn’t played many minutes this year, will fill that role. One of their key midfielders, Jake Davis, is also out due to injury. But they still have Dániel Sallói, a midfielder who scored two against San Jose, and Magomed-Shapi Suleymanov, who assisted in another goal, to create opportunities through the wings.

The Orange and Blue have a great opportunity to end April with 12 points from four games. But they will need to be very focused and not play down to the level of SKC relative to their position in the standings. This team has shown on several occasions falling into traps with teams that are much lower in the standings. They cannot afford to let their guard down especially since Zavagnin seems to have breathed new life into the team. Whether or not he can sustain that for the rest of the season remains to be seen but he and his players will be motivated to punch above their weight at the home of one of the leaders in MLS. FCC can make a statement by not just winning three points but doing it with authority.