Kansas City Comets are in ‘good spot’ in MASL standings. They want to get better

Even while sitting atop the Major Arena Soccer League standings, the Kansas City Comets believe there is still another level to reach.

Kansas City has positioned itself as a frontrunner for the MASL Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular-season record, but players and coaches alike feel missed opportunities have prevented the team from fully separating from the pack.

With just three games in February, the Comets are focused on making the most of a stretch that could shape the postseason race.

“We’re in a good spot, but there’s still a lot to improve on and get better at,” head coach Stefan Stokic said. “No matter how good we play, there’s always something to improve, so for me, we’re doing well, but we can do better for sure.”

The Comets opened the season with a heavy workload, playing 15 games across the first 10 weeks. Milwaukee and San Diego, currently tied for second place, have each played 13 matches, leaving the standings tight and unpredictable as the schedule begins to even out over the coming weeks.

Kansas City returns to action on Tuesday, Feb. 10, ending its longest layoff of the season and opening a pivotal two-game stretch against its closest challengers in the MASL Shield race.

“Having some time between games almost feels a little too relaxing,” Stokic said. “It’s been very intense for the last two months, so it feels good to break things up more because it gives us some time to reset.”

Tuesday’s matchup in Milwaukee renews the league’s most heated rivalry, with the Wave hosting a morning kickoff at 10:35 a.m. for their Kids Day Game. The Comets then return home Saturday, Feb. 14, to face San Diego in another contest that could carry major implications in the race for the league’s top regular-season honor.

For Stokic, the focus centers on consistency, particularly on the defensive end.

“I don’t think we’ve exceeded at anything,” Stokic said. “We need to work hard and get better at defending, being more organized and being consistent in our performances both individually and as a group.”

The Comets have allowed 5.7 goals per game this season, a number the team views as too high for a championship contender. While Stokic is largely encouraged by the Comets’ offensive production, he believes improvement is needed across the board as the postseason approaches.

“I feel like we have really good moments, and then really bad moments,” he said. “The narrative is when things don’t go our way and things don’t pan out the way we want to, we have to find solutions within it and not make it worse.”

The Comets will have an action-packed March with six games before the postseason begins in April.

The Comets’ home game Saturday against San Diego will also be a red-out game in support of the MASL’s Play with Heart campaign, in partnership with the American Heart Association. Tickets are available at kccomets.com/tickets.