Watching a Half of Sporting KC with Kirsten

By Kirsten Arpin // @Kirsten_Hoogs

Sunday, October 15: 0-0 Draw

Good evening, Sporting KC fans! It’s been a bit hard for me to write articles during school season, so I decided that I would let you in on what goes through my brain while watching a game on TV. This is roughly what I do on Twitter, but I might ramble because I have more than 140 characters so… oh, and I was at a concert for the first half, so this is only the final 45 minutes. We’ll see if that turns out to be a good thing.

If you don’t want to read my rambling thoughts then you can TLDR to the end for some takeaways.

• How did we spend the entire season near the top of the table, and then at the end sink to fourth? That is unacceptable. We need to get back ahead of Seattle and Seattle South (Portland).
• Peter Vermes is the best-dressed coach in the league. If you disagree you can @ me, and we can have a grown-up discussion about it.
• Second half underway. Leonardo Machado may have pushed Zusi out of bounds, but whatever.
• BENNY! Ugh, so close. Jimmy Medranda feeds the ball straight to Feilhaber who kicked it into the shin of the keeper, Mr. Beard Man. He looks like he needs a razor and a What Not to Wear makeover.
• They keep showing the Houston coach. He looks a little bit like an angry uncle.
• Benny yelling a bad word on camera. I’ll let you guess which one.
• There is going to be a fight by the end of this game. I can feel it.
• I have said this before, and I will say this again. If your name is really common (like Alex) you can’t just put that on the back of your jersey. There are too many Alexes for you to claim it for just you.
• I wonder what Tyler Deric‘s middle name is? I love when people have first names as all of their names.
• Ilie won Sporting KC’s Newcomer of the Year, and there is no one more deserving. This team would not be the same without him.
• “This ball falls to Medranda” who then promptly actually fell.
• I love when soccer commentators say “Went to ground” when someone falls like the players are plants or something.
• How is Mr. Beard Man in the way of every shot? Move Beard Guy! I would like a goal please. Also, VAR, that ball may have been in.
• Roger Espinoza almost killed a guy. It was kinda awesome.
• Benny’s ankle turned in a way that ankles are not supposed to turn. He has had some bad luck with ankles this season.
• Sidenote: husband just returned with Chinese food!
• Jimmy Medranda with a great chance, but his cross is missed by both Rubio and Salloi. Besler‘s pass to Medranda was a beauty!
• The ref just got nutmegged. That was kinda funny.
• An SKC player ends up on the ground in the box, and there is no call. Half of the season in a sentence. The other half would be: Sporting made 3 million shots on goal, and none went in, but they were really good at passing.
• Why is Tyler Deric Tim Melia-ing tonight? Geesh!
• Diego Rubio just had a gorgeous strike, but it was deflected off Machado and flew over the bar. The bad words are happening in the Arpin household.
• Ilie fashion update: After a season of black boots Ilie has moved to a pair of bright orange ones. He is also still in his trademarked long sleeved jersey. Find you someone that is as dedicated to you as Ilie is to not showing his arms.
• So in the 82nd minute, Sporting was making an attacking run, and the ref got in the way and made us lose the ball. Not cool man.
• 22 shots so far. None in the goal. #2017
• Bes motioning for the ref to hurry up and pull the yellow card is my new spirit animal.
• Ike Opara just headed the crap out of a Dynamo corner kick, and it was the bravest move I may have seen all year. He had that terrifying concussion earlier this season. There is a good amount of concussion checking for both SKC and Houston.
• Sporting needs to get their crap together because Seattle and Seattle Jr. are both killing it tonight. At least Vancouver drew.
• Hey Houston, want to actually throw the ball in? Do you need a handwritten invitation?
• Go go go go go go go go go…or kick it to the goalie. That’s cool too.
• This ref has been so in the way!
• Please score. Please! Just something! Anything! How is everything such an almost?
• And there was almost another fight!
• Ball right in front of the ball twice and no goal! How?!? Why?!? I am disgusted and annoyed at Sporting’s inability to score.

So here are my takeaways from this game, and the last game, and the majority of this season.

If we can’t start scoring goals we will not make it far into the playoffs. I don’t understand how SKC can score in the US Open Cup, but not in any other game. It’s not for lack for putting the ball on goal, but it’s about getting it past the keeper. There is no excuse for what is going on. Sporting can defend, pass the ball, dominate possession, anything but score. It boggles my mind.

The defense was on it tonight. Besler came back from the Men’s National Team with a score to settle, and he was holding it down. He was getting the ball to Zusi and Medranda all night, but unfortunately, nothing came of them. Zusi was controlling the game from the wing, Ike was a commanding presence in the middle, and Lobato was alright… Dykstra did a great job tonight too. There was rarely a time when I felt the goal was threatened.

With the draw tonight, Sporting KC has officially qualified for their 7th straight playoff appearance which is the third-longest streak in the MLS. SKC fans are looking forward to the next game against RSL to hopefully clinch home-field advantage for at least the first playoff game.

Featured image courtesy: @SportingKC

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