As Sporting KC waives one defender, the club hopes another can stabilize defense

Sporting Kansas City has struggled defensively in 2025. The club recently made an acquisition to help rectify that.

Enter Alan Montes, a physically imposing center back who aims to “bring order” to a back line in search of consistency.

“I’m a player who maintains a lot of order in the defensive zone,” Montes said through a translator earlier this week.

“That’s what I’m looking for in this team,” he added, “to establish order above all else, and for the team to become solid in defense and not concede any more goals.”

Sporting could use the defensive order. While multiple players have stepped up and surprised with good performances — Jansen Miller and Robert Voloder have both had strong seasons — the back line has missed a consistent organizing presence.

If Montes can provide that, he will be a remedy to one of Sporting’s most significant issues this year. KC has surrendered the most xG (expected goals) of any team in Major League Soccer. And sporting director Mike Burns brought Montes in to be a solution.

“I think it’s no secret that we’ve been OK over the course of the year in terms of scoring goals,” Burns said. “But we’ve conceded an awful lot of goals. Is that any one person’s responsibility or blame? Absolutely not.”

That’s 45 goals in 24 games, an average of 1.88 goals against per game. It’s an improvement on the rate of last year’s defense, which conceded an average of 1.94 goals per game, but it’s still too high.

Burns noted Montes’ physical presence, which is imposing at 6-4. He’s one of the tallest defenders in the league, and the tallest player on the team.

“He’s good on the ball, and we hope he will be good on set pieces,” Burns said, “both defensively and in the attack.”

Montes said he was convinced of the project that Sporting KC has been building.

“It’s a project of growth,” Montes said.

He added that Sporting KC’s interest in him as a solution to the club’s defensive problems was important. As he decided whether to come, he spoke with Santiago Muñoz, and even former Sporting KC players in Mexico, like Alan Pulido.

“They’ve given me some guidance about the club,” Montes said. “And I’m really happy to be able to take on this challenge.”

Montes could be available as soon as Saturday’s match against San Diego FC — 7:45 p.m. at Children’s Mercy Park — pending the receipt of his P-1 Visa.

Sporting waives defender Dany Rosero

Sporting KC announced on Thursday afternoon that the club has waived defender Dany Rosero.

Rosero, a center back, came to the club in a transfer in May 2023. He was out of contract at the end of this season. Rosero had not made an appearance with Sporting since May.

Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.