What Sporting KC’s Peter Vermes said about Alan Pulido’s return, Uri Rosell’s departure

There’s no question Sporting Kansas City is excited about the prospect of having forward Alan Pulido back on the pitch. But If there were any lingering questions about his importance to the upcoming campaign, perhaps brought on because he missed the last year due to injury, two happenings on Friday set the record straight.

Actually, make it three.

First, there were the comments from Sporting KC manager and director Peter Vermes, who was asked about his star forward’s return a number of different times in a number of different ways during a 20-minute session with media on Friday.

“We need him on our team,” Vermes said. “He’s the guy that we went out and got because we felt he was the best striker for our team. And so the great thing is since then we’ve also added some other players in that area in the field, which can help us as well. It’s exciting that he’s going to be back with us.”

No. 2?

Pulido followed Vermes to the press room … and he went even longer, enduring a half-hour Q&A with media from not only the United States, but several different Spanish-speaking outlets, who wanted to know about his return from injury and facing his former team in a high-profile matchup. That brings us to No. 3.

This summer, in the inaugural Leagues Cup 2023, Sporting will play host to storied LIGA MX club Chivas Guadalajara, which Vermes called arguably the “most recognizable” club in Mexico with a “great history.” Pulido starred for Chivas before joining MLS and Sporting KC ahead of the 2020 season.

“I think it’s always difficult to play against your former club, but if there’s one thing I do know about Alan, he’s an incredibly respectful person. He has a lot of respect for Chivas and his time there,” Vermes said. “I think he’ll be excited to play against them, but I also think he’ll always ... be the most respectful when he plays against his former club.”

OK, but what about getting on the field at all?

As Sporting preps for its preseason slate after an extended offseason, Pulido has returned to individual workouts and described, according to a translator at his Friday media session, the “final stages of healing” from knee surgery as “finally (being) over.”

“I’m happy to be back and enjoy playing again,” Pulido said, via the translator. “I’ve worked really, really hard to get here. I’m mentally and physically stronger as well. I’m very excited to play with my team, help my team and to be able to score goals again and feel that excitement of scoring a goal after not having been able to for about a year now.”

Vermes estimates Pulido could be ready for Sporting KC’s first regular-season game, but there’s a caveat.

“Just because he’s ready,” Vermes said, “doesn’t necessarily mean that I will use him to start with.”

Vermes specifically mentioned not wanting to throw Pulido into the mix on a strict minutes restriction just to get him on the pitch. Instead, Vermes said he wants Pulido to feel comfortable and have the confidence and fitness to play “a solid amount of minutes” when he returns.

“The great thing is that he has worked incredibly hard,” Vermes said. “I’ve watched him all year working, still is working, trying to get back to I think the best version of himself. And so I have an incredible amount of faith — when I see someone work as hard as he does — they’ll find success because of that mentality. And he has a great mentality.”

On the injury, Vermes said Pulido’s “knee is great,” but that it’s more a case of building up the rest of his body, since he’s been out for a year. Vermes mentioned that other injuries, such as a quad or hamstring tear, can pop up as the result of rushing someone back after they’ve been off for an extended period of time.

“Obviously he was incredibly missed last year,” Vermes said. “I’ve said this many times, a healthy Alan Pulido is — if not the (best) — for sure one of the best forwards in our league. So it’s been unfortunate he’s been a little bit unlucky when it comes to the injuries. … He just never could get away from that last year.”

Sporting KC waives midfielder Uri Rosell

Also on Friday, Vermes commented on the club waiving Uri Rosell, who made 20 appearances for Sporting across all competitions last season. The 30-year-old midfielder was in his second stint with the club after winning an MLS Cup with Sporting in 2013.

“It’s a roster-spot decision,” Vermes said. “Uri, honestly he is — known him for a long time. I have an incredible amount of respect for him; forget about soccer player, he is a fantastic person. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s one that centered more about roster spots and the way our rosters are built.

“He knows it, and we parted in a very good way just because the great character he is and him also understanding sometimes this is what happens. I’m sorry it didn’t work out the way I wish it would’ve, but that’s the way it happens sometimes. He’ll land on his feet, and, like I said, he’s a fantastic human being.”

This story was originally published January 20, 2023 at 5:19 PM with the headline "What Sporting KC’s Peter Vermes said about Alan Pulido’s return, Uri Rosell’s departure."