Two of Sporting Kansas City’s brightest stars have been named among Bleacher Report’s Top 50 Players in MLS in 2016.
Striker Dom Dwyer and midfielder Benny Feilhaber formed a dynamic duo throughout the season, combining for 23 goals and 16 assists as Sporting Kansas City earned a club-record sixth straight playoff berth. Both players wound up in the top half of Bleacher Report’s Top 50.
Dwyer was ranked No. 18 after netting 16 goals and adding a career-best three assists. Sporting KC’s 2016 team MVP is second in MLS with 50 goals since the start of 2014 and has become the first player in club history to score at least 12 times in three straight regular seasons. During this torrid stretch, the target forward has vaulted to second on Sporting Kansas City’s all-time goal scoring charts.
In addition to racking up the goals, Dwyer has proven to be one of Sporting Kansas City’s most durable players. He has made at least 36 appearances (all competitions) every year since 2014 as the club’s main man up top.
Feilhaber came in at No. 24, following up an MVP-caliber 2015 with seven goals and 13 assists in 2016. The playmaker became just the second player in Sporting KC history to reach double digit assists in multiple regular seasons, delivering several man of the match performances en route to Sporting KC Offensive Player of the Year honors. His 28 assists over the last two campaigns are second-most in MLS.
Coming off two straight seasons of solid production, Feilhaber could be braced for an exciting 2017 as well. The midfielder signed a new contract with Sporting KC last month, and U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bruce Arena has hinted at Feilhaber’s return to the national team setup.
