Sporting Kansas City continues their 2014-15 CONCACAF Champions League campaign Tuesday night against Nicaragua’s Real Esteli. A win would put Sporting KC on the brink of winning Group 2, but Esteli salvaged a 1-1 draw at Sporting Park last September.
For this match’s prep talk, I spoke with color commentator and former U.S. international Brian Dunseth, who will call the game Tuesday night on Fox Sports 1 alongside JP Dellacamera (7 p.m. CT, also on Univision Deportes).
JF: What did you take away from Sporting KC’s win against Saprissa last Thursday?
BD: It was a really good performance. Saprissa is a tricky team to deal with. When you look at that group and how well Ariel Rodriguez has been playing in this tournament—four goals coming into that game—there was always a danger that Sporting KC had to be aware of at all times. It was a pretty typical Sporting KC performance: a lion’s share of possession, good opportunities created, good width out wide and at the same time, combining through the middle to create chances. It was a great result at home, and they kind of set themselves up in a tricky group. If you look at the game on Tuesday, it’s a big game. It’s got to be a confident performance against a team that isn’t that good on the road. You have to get three points, because that last game at Saprissa is probably going to be the most volatile atmosphere Sporting KC is going to face for a long time, and on the least ideal surface possible.
JF: How has Antonio Dovale positively impacted Sporting KC?
BD: He’s been really good. Like any player that comes into this league, it takes time for them to really understand exactly what the expectations are individually and collectively as a group. I’ve been incredibly impressed at times with him. He wants the ball at his feet; he wants to combine with players. He’s not afraid to be aggressive when the opportunity presents itself, and I think he’s been a really good addition for a team that has had a lot of competitions to focus on. Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, he can be a guy that really hurts opponents because he forces them to sit back and absorb pressure. Technically, he’s an incredibly sound player.
JF: How will the familiarity between these two teams affect Tuesday’s match?
BD: It plays to the advantage of Sporting KC for sure. For Real Esteli, they are realistically going to have four or five players that are on the same level of play as Sporting KC. But once you get past those four or five impact players, the depth and quality falls into the favor of Sporting KC. The tricky part about games like this is that Real Esteli’s players aren’t just looking at this as an opportunity to advance in the group. They’re playing for themselves. This is their opportunity to put themselves in the shop window on national television, to prove that they’re better than just a team that plays in the CONCACAF Champions League—that they’re MLS-caliber players. The fact that Sporting KC is playing them for the fourth time is key. Knowing what their weaknesses and strengths are makes it a lot more manageable as opposed to being unsure of what you’ll face.
JF: What are the keys to Sporting KC getting all three points?
BD: For Sporting KC, it’s just about playing their game. If I was Real Esteli coming into this match, I would try to amp up physically and set the tone with a couple early, hard tackles. I would try to limit the influences of guys like Graham Zusi and Toni Dovale. Ultimately where Sporting KC really breaks their opponents down is they force them to chase the game through possession. That simple possession forces teams to fatigue. If you start from there and you force them to chase you, you’re going to find opportunities to capitalize and punish the opponent.
JF: How do you expect the match to unfold?
BD: I think it’s going to be one of those physical battles. It’s going to be one of those games where Sporting KC is going to have to set the tone through possession and punish Esteli’s mistakes. There are going to be plenty of opportunities to create chances in the final third. If Sporting KC gets that opening goal, can they pump up that goal differential as high as possible and recognize that it’s not just this game that’s important? They’re trying to separate themselves from a Saprissa side that’s going to be difficult to deal with at their place.
JF: Can participation in the CCL end up helping Sporting KC’s form in MLS?
BD: I really do. At times the CCL congests the schedule, and that can be a negative thing. But when you find yourself up against some bad results and you feel like you’ve been playing well but the points aren’t coming, that gets frustrating. So to be in a tournament like this provides a positive distraction. It also affords players the opportunity to get a lot of confidence back. MLS can be a grind, and if you can get away from MLS and focus more on a tournament format, it changes how you approach games. It’s been a welcome distraction for the club. I know it’s a dangerous and difficult time with the final (MLS) games before the playoffs, but this tournament provides teams the opportunity to get confidence back. To put three goals past Saprissa is a huge positive. Saprissa is consistently the one difference maker outside of Mexico in CONCACAF.
