Sporting KC next plays Saturday, probably. Status of games no sure thing amid protests

Ten MLS teams boycotted games Wednesday night, and Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes is unsure what will happen with KC’s game against the Colorado Rapids Saturday.

Five midweek MLS games were boycotted in protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer. Games were also boycotted Wednesday night in the NBA, WNBA and Major League Baseball.

Sporting KC is slated to travel to Colorado to play the Rapids Saturday at 8 p.m. Central Time.

“I don’t know what is going to happen,” Vermes said. “I’m usually not a guy that tries to spend a lot of time speculating so we’re preparing as if we’re going to play, and if we don’t, we as a staff have always done a pretty good job of adapting and adjusting to situations.”

Colorado was one of the 10 teams to boycott its game Wednesday. The Rapids and their opponent, FC Dallas, agreed to call off the game shortly before it was to begin.

Sporting KC released a statement Thursdaycondemning racism and demanding equality.

“Sporting Kansas City stands united with our players as we condemn racism and demand equality,” the statement, put out via Twitter, said. “We stand in solidarity with the Black community. From many paths, we become one.”

Although Vermes is unsure about what will happen Saturday, he did have a meeting with his team Thursday about what might come next for the club.

“I would say this: We have an open line of communication on a regular basis, and I would leave it at that,” Vermes said. “It’s good and I feel comfortable with the guys and vice-versa.”

During the MLS is Back Tournament last month the group Black Players for Change staged a demonstration ahead of the tournament’s opening game. Several Sporting KC players took part in that demonstration, held in protest of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

“Right from the beginning, Peter came up to me and came up to some of us and said ‘Listen, whatever you guys want to do, whether it’s having no practice or you guys want to do something like a speech, whatever it is you just tell me and I’ll make it happen,’” SKC player Amadou Dia told The Star after that protest.

Vermes has had these kinds of personal conversations with players more frequently in recent months. Whether talking to them about their concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic or listening to their thoughts on today’s roiling social issues, Vermes has not only kept open this line of communication, he agrees with their concerns.

“One of the things I think that I’ve got to commend the guys for is the fact that they’re pursuing excellence in two areas,” Vermes said. “One is they’re trying to be the best players that they can on the field in the current situation that they’re in and the other is that off the field things — they would like to see change and I support that, I agree with it.”

“What’s going to be the tipping point to make that clear and make that step forward is going to be the key,” he continued. “I spend a lot of time with the guys — my mind is always open to them — and yeah, I’ve had some very, very intimate and personal conversations with guys, and whenever I can help I’ll do so.”

And if the players do decide to boycott Saturday’s game?

Vermes doesn’t know if those discussions have taken place among his players or within the MLS Players’ Association, but he said he would not expect any sort of fines or loss of wages if a decision to boycott was made by anyone on his team.

Vermes is basing that expectation on the fact that no players were fined or suspended for opting out of the MLS is Back Tournament due to COVID-19.

“There are many issues over the years that I have had to deal with as a coach,” Vermes said. ‘Whether it be personal issues for players or what have you, where we as an organization have always been nothing but respectful of the personal wishes of an athlete.”

“I’m not sure how we would deal with this but I’m sure we would give it an amount of very strong consideration and support.”

This story was originally published August 27, 2020 at 3:19 PM with the headline "Sporting KC next plays Saturday, probably. Status of games no sure thing amid protests."