Sporting KC set for an ‘injection of capital’ to make additions during 2020 offseason
Standing in front of a large screen before the Sporting Kansas City ownership group, Peter Vermes presented his 2015 end-of-season review presentation. It was a yearly occurrence, in which Vermes discussed the past season’s accomplishments and shortfalls, and made pledges and promises for the upcoming year — a yearly formality.
Kansas City had just squeaked into the playoffs that year, before crashing out in the knockout round on penalties to Portland.
But the last slide of the presentation didn’t reflect that downfall. Instead, it was a picture of Kansas City winning the 2015 U.S. Open Cup — the club’s second Open Cup in a four-year span. Everyone who was anyone with the club was present for the photo — players, coaching staff, the owners sitting right in front of him.
And to cap off his presentation, Vermes pointed up at the screen.
“Don’t ever take this for granted because everyone who gets into sports wants to win,” Vermes told the group before him. “And when you do, you have to hold onto it for as long as you can.”
But with Kansas City’s eight-year Major League Soccer playoff streak coming to an end in 2019, that same board of owners is ready to make an “injection of capital” into the club to keep up to pace in an increasingly money-stuffed league.
“I can tell you this. We’re definitely getting a player on each of the lines,” Vermes said on Tuesday morning as Kansas City begins its preparations for the 2020 season.
“I just think that with the injection of capital, it’s opened us up to a whole other one, two, three different tiers that we can look at that maybe in the past we couldn’t,” he continued.
Vermes’ words back up those said by Mike Illig, a Sporting KC principal owner, to The Star in October. The club is making obtaining a forward, specifically the No. 9 position, a primary goal before the start of the 2020 season, a position deemed the most expensive in world soccer.
“It’s a level we have not played in — but it doesn’t scare us,” Illig said. “We’re not going to go make stupid decisions and pay our way out of it. We’re going to be smart about it. But I don’t think it’s a question of whether we’re willing (to spend). I’m telling you: Yes, we’re willing.”
And while Vermes won’t disclose specifics on the players Kansas City is looking to bring in — partly because the world market doesn’t open until January — Sporting did bring in its first player on Tuesday.
With the departure of Adrian Zendejas to Nashville last week, Kansas City acquired goalkeeper Richard Sanchez from the Chicago Fire via the re-entry draft. Sanchez was the Fire’s primary goalkeeper throughout the 2018 campaign, making 25 of his 27 appearances in 2018.
The arrival is the first since Sporting lost several players last week to free agency, including defender Seth Sinovic, who spent nine years at the club.
“I’m always straight with the guys and I explain to them where we’re at. Those guys were great servants for the club, their service was incredible,” Vermes said.
“I’ve said this to Seth many times, not just this year, but he’s probably the most team-orientated guy that I’ve ever been around,” he continued. “He wore the club emblem on his heart, that guy. So I have nothing but the utmost respect for him and everything that he did here, and it’s just hard.”
But the longest-tenured coach in MLS also recognizes the hard facts to succeed in MLS.
“If you want change, some people are going to have to be moved down for change,” Vermes said. “It’s part of my job to try and make those decisions.”
This story was originally published November 27, 2019 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Sporting KC set for an ‘injection of capital’ to make additions during 2020 offseason."