Ahead of Saturday's match against San Jose, SportingKC.com caught up with ESPN.com's Jeff Carlisle to preview the Western Conference clash at Children's Mercy Park. Live coverage starts at 7 p.m. CT (kickoff at 7:30 on FOX Sports KC, FOX Sports GO, 99.3 FM, and La Grande 1340 AM. Complete online coverage is available via MatchDay Central.
What's different about San Jose this season compared to last year?
Their attack is much more varied. Last year, it was Simon Dawkins and Wondolowski and that was basically it.
They've got Marco Urena who puts in a shift up top and takes some of the pressure off Wondolowski. You've still got Dawkins there but a guy to watch is Jahmir Hyka. They call him the "Albanian Messi". He's a tricky player who can run at defenses. He's come on a sub in the first two games and he's a guy that teams are going to have to keep an eye on.
And then I think Anibal Godoy is trying to shoulder a little bit more of the attacking load. I think he was viewed last year as more of a holding midfield player but he's starting to push forward a little bit more and has scored two spectacular goals this season. He had the chip against Montreal and the blast to defeat Vancouver.
Defensively, I think they're as strong as ever and they've even had some injuries in the back. Marvell Wynne has a heart ailment so he's out. Harold Cummings, the Panamanian defender they signed in the offseason, had a hernia in preseason and should be available but Dominic Kinnear likely doesn't want to mess with a winning lineup. Right now it's been Florian Jungwirth from Germany they signed who has proven to be pretty sharp on the field and they've also got Victor Bernandez. I think it's a much more varied attack and much more balanced team.
Anibal Godoy has scored two goals in the Earthquakes first two matches (both victories). What's been the key to his increased offensive production?
I think he's just being given a little bit more attacking responsibility. The one thing Jungwirth gives them is a guy who can play the ball out of the back. That allows a guy like Godoy to take a few more risks because now the team is a little less direct than it was in the past. They're pressing a little higher up the field and Godoy is a part of that. He was very strategic in the way he pressed the Montreal defense (in the season opener). He stole the ball, exchanged a give and go with Wondolowski and scored. The team's overall ability to keep the ball better gives him a bit more freedom to push forward because you're not going to push forward if you think you're going to lose the ball right away or if you're going to have a hard time hanging on to it.
One thing I think worth pointing out is when Clarence Goodson went down last year that really compromised San Jose's ability to play out of the back. They had to be much more direct. I think it's a combination of things that have led to Godoy taking on a more prominent role in the attack.
What are your thoughts on Sporting KC through their first two matches?
Defensively, they look sharp and against Dallas they had a ton of possession but didn't create a ton of chances. Gerso looks an interesting player. Kind of like Krisztian Nemeth when he came to Sporting KC, he was a guy that definitely got more comfortable after a few months. There's some new pieces that Peter Vermes is trying to incorporate and it's just going to take a little bit of time. The quality is there. Gerso is a good player, obviously Benny Feilhaber and Dom Dwyer is a quality forward. It's just going to take a while for these pieces to mesh but if you're good defensively you can start to try some things in attack.
How are you expecting San Jose to approach the match?
I think San Jose initially will sit back and try to get a feel for the game. Especially since they gave up two early goals against Vancouver, they're going to want to make sure they're solid defensively. Because the Vancouver game is so fresh in their minds, I think they're going to try and make sure they going to have a good defensive shape. Gradually as the game goes on, I think you'll see San Jose be a little bit more adventurous, especially if Hyka starts. Tommy Thompson's been getting the starts but came off at halftime in the last match. Hyka is a guy that Kansas City is really going to have to respect and we'll see how they try to defend him. He's just so tricky and he's a good crosser of the ball too. We'll see how that goes but I think conservative to start but gradually more offensive as the game wears on assuming San Jose is able to keep it level.
What are you looking forward to seeing for Saturday's match (players, match-ups)?
I know I've talked a lot about Hyka but we'll see where he lines up. I think if Zusi continues to play at right back, that will be an interesting match-up if Hyka starts. That's definitely one want to watch.
Also, it's San Jose trying to contain Feilhaber which largely falls to Fatai Alashe. He's got a physical presence and a guy who will get his tackles but Feilhaber is a pretty saavy veteran player and it's nothing that he hasn't seen before. It's going to be interesting to see if Godoy has to sit back more to contain Feilhaber or if he's going to be given the same kind of license to go forward. Those are two match-ups I'm going to be keeping an eye on.
