Sporting KC defense is intact for first time this season
The gang is back together.
For the first time this season, Sporting Kansas City fielded its regular defensive line in Saturday’s scoreless against Real Salt Lake.
The results were as expected.
The four-man group that has anchored the Sporting KC defense the past two seasons — Chance Myers, Aurelien Collin, Matt Besler and Seth Sinovic — held Real Salt Lake to only one shot on goal in the shutout.
“I feel like there were a number of guys on the field that were feeling it tonight,” Besler said.
That list included right fullback Myers, who made his first appearance of the season after missing the opening month with a groin strain. Myers played all 90 minutes Saturday.
“I thought Chance didn’t really miss a step coming back (after) having been out for quite some time,” coach Peter Vermes said.
“The thing I’m most pleased with is we had a game plan going into this game and they executed it very well.”
With Myers back in the lineup, Sporting KC started its same foursome that started the club’s MLS championship win against Real Salt Lake last December. It marked the fifth different defensive back line combination in five MLS matches.
• Toni Dovale made his MLS debut for Sporting Kansas City in the 79th minute. Dovale, a 23-year-old Spanish midfielder, signed with the club on March 11.
“I thought when he came on, he was excellent with the ball,” Vermes said. “He’s a guy who can open up a defense really, really well. He’s good on the ball. He keeps possession. He’s got great service. Very good addition. I thought he was good.”
The club’s newest addition, Igor Julião, who was signed Friday, was part of the 18-man lineup, but he did not enter the game.
• Jon Kempin served as the backup goalkeeper Saturday while Andy Gruenebaum sat out with an ankle injury. Kempin will return to his loan to the OKC Energy on Monday.
This story was originally published April 5, 2014 at 11:30 PM with the headline "Sporting KC defense is intact for first time this season."