Can Sporting KC get back to being elite? The 2023 MLS season kicks off Monday night

The 2023 MLS season is fast upon us, and Sporting Kansas City is looking to return to the Western Conference’s elite.

It’s not impossible, as Sporting went from worst in the West in 2019 to first in the conference in 2020 ... and generated a bit of a turnaround over the final stretch of last season, too.

With a few new signings in tow and some key players back from injury, Sporting could be primed for a return to the level of play that’s been customary under manager Peter Vermes.

But as we’ve learned over the years in Major League Soccer, nothing should be taken for granted. Here are some key storylines to follow as Sporting KC embarks on its 2023 MLS campaign Monday night in Portland, Oregon:

Development of Pierre and Pulskamp

Defender Kayden Pierre, age 20, and goalkeeper John Pulskamp, 21, had opportunities to prove themselves during the second half of last season.

Both men took full advantage, contributing valuable starting minutes in the process. But to earn permanent starting roles, each will have to supplant the veteran ahead of him on the depth chart: in Pierre’s case, that means Graham Zusi; for Pulskamp, it’s Tim Melia.

Zusi, 36, endured some injury issues in 2022. Given where he’s at in age and physicality, he won’t be able to play every day. Melia — while also 36 — is not considered “old” for his position, but Pulskamp is certainly viewed as his eventual successor.

At times last season, both Pulskamp and Pierre displayed the quality required for players to succeed at this level. But doing so consistently, that’s how you solidify your role as a starter.

Can they make that leap in 2023?

What happens with the backline?

Sporting KC is in an intriguing spot with its defensive depth chart.

Vermes had a solid left-back duo on his roster but still opted to add a third in Tim Leibold. Sporting did so without adding a central defender, and then Kortne Ford was lost to a season-ending injury.

This could be a problem. Sporting KC didn’t defend well at all for two-thirds of the 2022 season. Sporting could hardly defend the cross and sometimes shut off mentally when reacting to the ball’s second bounce (though the team did enhance its attack with last year’s midseason additions of Erik Thommy and Willy Agada).

So this year Andreu Fontas will likely be “the guy” at LCB, and Robert Voloder will probably start alongside him at Portland in Sporting’s season opener Monday night. But even Vermes acknowledges that this partnership might click ... and might not.

Can Voloder take the job and not let go? Failing that, might rookie Chris Rindov or newcomer Robert Castellanos be the answer alongside Fontas? Or will Sporting need to sign a center-back?

Defense probably represents Sporting’s most significant question mark and could even be the difference between this club being a good team or a true Western Conference elite in 2023.

How will Sporting navigate a hectic schedule?

The 2023 season will mark the first time MLS takes an entire month off from league competition for the Leagues Cup. But don’t confuse this with a month’s vacation.

Sporting KC will play a minimum of two games during that time. And the rest of the MLS schedule was condensed and is starting sooner than ever (Monday’s opener is the earliest yet for Sporting) in order to free up that open month the Leagues Cup games. And we haven’t even talked yet about the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Add it all up, and Sporting KC could potentially play more than 40 matches this season before the newly expanded MLS playoffs arrive.

Major League Soccer hasn’t changed its roster rules for some time now. Each team still gets just 20 senior roster spots and 10 supplemental slots. Sporting enters the season with 19 players on its senior roster and nine on its supplemental (most teams enter the season without a full roster to leave themselves wiggle room in the event guys are lost to injury and positions must be backfilled).

As long as Alan Pulido and Gadi Kinda can return to form — both sat out pretty much all of last year with respective injuries — Sporting should remain competitive thanks to its stable of capable backups at most positions.

Playing such a rigorous schedule means some roster juggling will be inevitable as Vermes seeks to keep his players rested along the way. But continuous shifting of a roster makes it difficult for guys to get fully comfortable with one another.

So what to expect from Pulido and Kinda?

This is one of the most critical questions for Sporting KC. Losing designated players Pulido and Kinda last season took away two of the club’s star attackers.

The midseason signings of Willy Agada and Erik Thommy were a definite boost, but by the time they arrived and were cleared to play, the damage had been done with too many losses. The hole was too big for Sporting to escape.

This offseason, thanks to the emergence of Agada and Thommy, some speculated that Pulido and Kinda were unnecessary luxuries on a roster in need of greater help elsewhere.

Sporting KC isn’t that foolish. Vermes went into last season lacking depth in the attack, and that’s why the losses of Pulido and Kinda were so crippling.

Pulido is healthy now for the first time in a long time, and Kinda’s recovery track seems to be right behind Pulido’s. You won’t see them a ton at the start of the season, but by the time the schedule gets busy they should be ready to contribute regularly.

How will Vermes get all of that attacking talent into its matches this year? Unclear for now, but that’s a good problem to have.

OK, so bottom line: Can Sporting return to the playoffs?

Major League Soccer has undoubtedly made it easier to reach the postseason this year. The league on Tuesday announced a new playoff system that for the first time features wild-card spots, meaning nine teams from each conference will earn playoff berths this fall.

Under the new format, the 8 and 9 seeds will meet in a one-game playoff. Once the field of eight is set in each conference, the first round will be a best-of-three series, with the higher seed getting the first home game (and the third, if necessary). Games tied after regulation will go to a penalty-kick shootout.

Sporting KC’s conference, the Western Conference, now includes just 14 teams — St. Louis arrives as an expansion club in the West and Nashville moves back to the East. This means just five teams from the West won’t make the playoffs.

Sporting KC shouldn’t be one of the five worst teams in the conference. So the odds are in their favor to return to the postseason in 2023.

Note: This story was updated since original publication to reflect that the Sporting KC-at-Timbers season opener has been moved from Saturday to Monday because of severe winter weather in the Portland area.

This story was originally published February 23, 2023 at 12:52 PM.