Sporting KC makes first winter move, signs veteran left back to 2-year guaranteed deal
Sporting Kansas City on Monday dipped into the transfer market for the first time this winter, signing free-agent left back Ben Sweat.
Sweat signed a two-year deal through 2023, with an option for 2024, after his option was declined by Austin FC.
“I’m 30 years old and I don’t have any silver yet on my resume,” Sweat told The Star. “And obviously Sporting, being a top team in the league every single year and competing every single year, me having a multi-year deal here, I’ll have a few opportunities to win.”
The signing of Sweat comes as little surprise as Sporting KC entered the offseason with no natural left backs on its roster after declining contract options for Luis Martins and Amadou Dia last month.
The lack of depth at the position is one reason Sweat opted to sign with Sporting KC. He also had interest from the Portland Timbers, but he said Sporting was his first choice once he learned Austin would not be exercising his contract option.
“I think the situation is a win-win for both sides,” he said. “I’m super grateful for them (Kansas City) to be the club that’s showed the most interest and are willing to give me that ability to have that comeback. I’m super excited about it; it’s a big, big opportunity and for a big, big club.”
Sweat, 30, brings valuable Major League Soccer experience, arriving with 102 MLS matches under his belt (89 starts). The bulk of those appearances came with New York City FC in 2017-19, but he’s also made appearances for the Columbus Crew, Inter Miami and, most recently, Austin.
Sweat has also made two appearances for the U.S. Men’s National Team, featuring in friendlies against Colombia and Peru in October 2018.
He becomes just the fourth player on KC’s roster with experience on another MLS team’s first-team roster — Khiry Shelton (NYCFC), Tim Melia (Real Salt Lake, Chivas USA) and Kendall McIntosh (Portland, NY Red Bulls) are the others.
Although the signing fills in a much-needed area for KC, it also comes with some risk. Sweat joins Kansas City after a tough year that saw him traded to 2021 expansion team Austin, then tear an anterior cruciate knee ligament early in the season.
He hasn’t played a game since that injury in late April 2021, meaning it will have been 10 months since he last played a competitive match by the time he’s available for selection for Sporting KC’s season opener on Feb. 27 at Atlanta United.
“Everyone knows I’m coming off an ACL injury, so I’m going to have to go into there and going to have to compete, whether I’m supposed to be the starting left back or the other way around,” Sweat said. “It’s going to be fun. I went through a long year, so I’ve got a lot of desire behind me right now to make a good comeback.”
Sweat trained with the Austin first team down the final stretch of the season as he worked back to full fitness. He said his knee feels stronger than ever, and he isn’t worried about it heading into the new season.
With Sweat healthy and competing for a starting spot, he’ll add both the attacking threat and defensive stability that Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes desires in his outside backs. During his time in New York, Sweat was a regular along an NYCFC back line that made three straight playoff appearances, conceding an average of just 43.3 goals per season.
Sweat has seen his offensive production drop, providing just five assists since 2018. But if he can emulate his breakout 2017 campaign, in which he tallied six assists and a goal, he should comfortably slot into Sporting’s back line.
Sweat won’t be the last player added to Sporting KC’s roster this offseason. The club still needs at least one more left back and further depth at right back and center back.
This story was originally published December 20, 2021 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Sporting KC makes first winter move, signs veteran left back to 2-year guaranteed deal."