Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia could miss start of playoffs

As Sporting Kansas City jockeys for playoff seeding, the league’s top-performing goalkeeper will be absent from the lineup.

Tim Melia will miss the next two to four weeks, possibly longer, after injuring his right hamstring Saturday in a draw with Minnesota. Coach Peter Vermes classified the injury as a middle-grade tear, though Melia is scheduled to undergo an MRI later Monday to confirm that diagnosis and timetable.

“It’s two to four weeks, but you never know,” Vermes said. “You just don’t know with any of those things. We’re going to have to be smart and careful and deal with it the right way.”

The initial prognosis would keep Melia out for the remainder of the regular season and potentially a portion of the playoffs, as well.

Sporting KC has three matches remaining in the regular season, which concludes Oct. 22. The playoffs begin the following week — Sporting KC would play either the middle of that week or not until the weekend, depending on whether it secures a first-round bye. The top two seeds in the Western Conference are awarded byes, and Sporting KC is in second place. It travels to play Houston on Wednesday.

Melia was hurt while reaching for a ball in the second half Saturday. In the same sequence, he stepped on the turf inside TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, and his right leg slid across the field.

He initially tried to test the severity of the impairment by walking across the field, but he had to exit the match.

Sporting KC has allowed a league-low 25 goals this season. Melia leads all qualifying MLS keepers with a 0.80 goals against average and 78.1 save percentage. He is second in MLS with 10 shutouts.

His departure from the lineup creates a battle for the opening.

Andrew Dykstra filled in for Melia on Saturday and allowed the game-tying goal half an hour later, though he stood little chance on the save. Dykstra, an offseason addition to the Sporting KC roster via the re-entry draft, has played in 32 career MLS matches, making his debut in 2010. He has a career 11-11-9 record, allowing 45 goals.

The club will also consider Adrián Zendejas, whom has spent the bulk of the season with the Swope Park Rangers, Sporting Kansas City’s B team. Zendejas has allowed 22 goals in 22 starts with the Rangers this season, with a 68.1 percent save percentage.

This story was originally published October 9, 2017 at 11:09 AM with the headline "Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia could miss start of playoffs."