As Sporting Kansas City prepares for its 26th season as a charter member of Major League Soccer, SportingKC.com is rolling out a 26-day countdown to the start of the 2021 campaign. A mouthwatering opening weekend of MLS action will see Sporting Kansas City visit the New York Red Bulls at 7 p.m. CT on April 17, giving supporters their first look at Manager Peter Vermes’ side since last December.
The 2021 Preseason Countdown, presented by Children’s Mercy, will serve as the comprehensive, go-to preview of everything that awaits Sporting Kansas City in the weeks and months to come. From key storylines and bold predictions to statistical breakdowns and players to watch, the 2021 Preseason Countdown will highlight the many reasons to be excited for what’s ahead. To visit the series homepage as it expands, visit SportingKC.com/2021countdown.
With less than three weeks until MLS is back, yours truly is taking editorial liberty to make five bold predictions about Sporting Kansas City's 2021 season. Like they say on Twitter, these opinions are my own and don't necessarily reflect the views of my employer. Not yet, at least.
Before we dive in, a quick message to all readers who revisit this post at the end of the year: I told you so.
Have any Sporting predictions of your own? Let @skovzan hear them on Twitter.
1. Sporting will earn road wins at Seattle, LAFC and FC Dallas.
Seattle and LAFC are two of the best teams in the league on an annual basis, while FC Dallas are always tough as nails at home. Over the last three regular seasons, these clubs have combined for 84 wins, 15 losses and 34 ties on home soil. During that same time period, however, Sporting are tied for second in MLS with 16 road victories.
My prediction here is bolstered by the fact that Sporting will visit all three teams twice each. They'll have two bites at the apple to get their win at Seattle (July 25 and Oct. 23), LAFC (Aug. 3 and Sept. 3) and Dallas (Aug. 14 and Sept. 29).
2. Nicolas Isimat-Mirin will be an MLS Defender of the Year finalist.
This one is more of a gut pick, but Isimat-Mirin's pedigree is undeniable. The 29-year-old French center back has UEFA Champions League experience and almost 100 appearances each in the French Ligue 1 and Dutch Eredivisie. He was also an integral part of a PSV Eindhoven side that won three league titles from 2015 to 2018. All of this has me thinking that Isimat-Mirin will provide a steadying defensive presence and thrive under Manager Peter Vermes.
3. Wilson Harris will score at least eight goals in all competitions.
The 21-year-old Harris has yet to play a single minute in MLS, but last fall he became the youngest player ever to hit 20 career goals in the USL Championship. The California native and Sporting KC Academy product has a remarkable nose for goal, and with a condensed match schedule on the docket, Harris will undoubtedly get his opportunities in the center forward position. With four preseason goals to his name thus far, you just get the feeling that this guy could be a silent assassin.
4. Sporting will win Leagues Cup and then paint the wall at Children's Mercy Park.
In case you missed it, Sporting are one of eight clubs participating in Leagues Cup this summer. And here's how it will unfold.
In mid-August, Sporting will beat a LIGA MX opponent in the quarterfinals at Children's Mercy Park. In mid-September, they'll beat another LIGA MX foe in the semifinals at Children's Mercy Park.
A week later, they'll travel to a really cool neutral-site venue in the U.S. and beat their third LIGA MX opponent to become the first MLS team to win a competitive international tournament in well over a decade. Upon their return to Kansas City, they will punctuate their Leagues Cup accomplishment by painting the famous wall in the northwest corner of Children's Mercy Park.
Book it.
5. At some point in 2021, Sporting will begin a full-capacity sellout streak of 100+ MLS matches.
For the last 12 months, we've been longing for full stadiums at sporting events. Great things come to those who wait, and at some point in 2021, Children's Mercy Park will once again rock with over 20,000 fans in attendance. It'll be a beautiful, emotional and awe-inspiring occasion when it happens. It'll also mark the start of at least 100 straight MLS sellouts at Children's Mercy Park.
