So many games, so little time. Sporting’s next challenge is Houston, but rest is coming

Peter Vermes was excited when he first saw Sporting Kansas City’s 2020 schedule back in December.

Outside of U.S. Open Cup fixtures, Sporting KC was slated to play just two midweek games all season — home against L.A. Galaxy in June and at Real Salt Lake in July.

But then the season came to a grinding halt after just two games. That was followed by a four-month stoppage in play as the world recoiled from the COVID-19 pandemic. And now, finally, Sporting KC is back on the field — but Vermes’ team will be playing midweek games nearly every week now.

“That all has changed dramatically and I was looking forward to that schedule,” he said Friday. “But we’ve got to deal with what we have to.”

Since Aug. 21, KC has played four games and is set to play its fifth Saturday night in Houston against the Dynamo. That’s five matches in 16 games. Between each game, KC has had just three off-days. There’s only two off-days between Wednesday’s 1-1 tie to FC Dallas and Saturday’s game in Texas.

This ridiculously tight schedule has resulted in injuries and fatigue and, as a result, some interesting lineup selections by Vermes.

Right back Jaylin Lindsey played several games at left back due to a niggling Achilles injury sustained by Luis Martins. Khiry Shelton played center forward against Dallas, a position he hasn’t played for Kansas City since 2018. In the same game, Graham Zusi made a substitute appearance in central midfield for the first time since the early 2010s.

Both Zusi and fellow U.S. National Team veteran Matt Besler came off the bench.

“It’s not the norm,” Vermes admitted. “But at the same time I think everybody is providing a lot of good information, and we’re trying to do our best to make the most educated decisions as we possibly can to put a team out on the field that can help us get a result.”

But even the results haven’t been going KC’s way the last couple of games. The team is currently on a three-game winless streak and Saturday’s game comes against a Houston team that beat Sporting 5-2 at Children’s Mercy Park last week.

And yet again, Vermes could be forced into some interesting selections against Houston. Star forward Alan Pulido is day-to-day and could miss his second-straight game, forcing Shelton inside again — or a first start of the season for Erik Hurtado.

Roger Espinoza is also day-to-day and Ilie Sanchez will remain unavailable until at least next week due to family issues. With Felipe Guttierez out for the season, Vermes could again start an all-homegrown midfield, with Zusi coming in as a substitute late in the game.

“Zusi has a lot of experience there, just as the fact that he has versatility — it’s a huge thing with him — and right now, because of roster rotation, I need that with quite a few guys,” Vermes said.

Zusi didn’t start Wednesday’s game against Dallas because Vermes expected he would have to put the veteran right back in midfield at some point in the game.

“I told (Zusi) before, ‘Look, I’m going to not start you for these reasons, and one of them could be you may have to go in the midfield,’” Vermes said. “I actually think we got that right for that game — I think it was the right decision — so he was a good addition into the midfield there.”

As for Pulido and Espinoza, although it’s not confirmed, there’s a good chance that both will come off the bench.

Each could be technically fit to start, but the decision all goes back to Vermes’ age-old belief of not rushing a player back. Hurry a player back, and he could be re-injured, the thinking goes; better to give him an extra game to regain full fitness.

“I’ve always said this,” Vermes said. “I would rather give a guy another week than try to hurry him back because I think sometimes you wind up losing all the time that you spent getting a person healthy, or what have you, and now taking a risk when it’s only for one game.”

Luckily for Vermes and his staff, Sporting KC will after the Houston game enjoy its first full week off since “phase one” of Major League Soccer’s restart began. Sporting’s next game after Saturday isn’t until Sept. 13 against Minnesota United.

That week away from competition should enable Espinoza and Pulido to fully recover, and Vermes also hopes to have Sanchez back by then. Center back Winston Reid might also be back in action for the Minnesota game after being injured against Colorado last week. But Vermes’ side has plenty of depth in that position, regardless.

Beyong the Minnesota game, Vermes isn’t sure what’s in store. The remainder of the regular-season schedule hasn’t yet been released by MLS.

“I can tell you this,” Vermes said. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was in uncharted territory, in that none of us have really had to coach in this type of environment before.”

This story was originally published September 4, 2020 at 3:47 PM with the headline "So many games, so little time. Sporting’s next challenge is Houston, but rest is coming."