Sporting Kansas City are on the brink of MLS Cup 2018, but one final hurdle remains. That test comes Thursday when Manager Peter Vermes’ side hosts the Portland Timbers in the decisive second leg of the Western Conference Championship at Children’s Mercy Park, slated for 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN and Sports Radio 810 WHB.
After delivering a man of the match performance in Sunday’s first leg, Sporting KC captain Matt Besler joined The Border Patrol hosts Nate Bukaty and Nate Bukaty on Tuesday morning for a preview of what will be the club’s biggest home game of the year.
Besler anchored a backline that kept Portland off the scoresheet in the 0-0 draw, leaving all to play for when the sides rematch at Children’s Mercy Park. And while the Timbers would advance with a score-draw of any kind (1-1, 2-2, etc.) due to the away goals tiebreaker, Besler is confident in Sporting KC’s ability to get the job done.
“If we win the game, we advance to MLS Cup,” Besler said. “That’s the way we’re looking at it. If you break it down like that, you’ve got to feel good about it, right? We’ve got one game in our stadium in front of our amazing home fans, and we’ve got to go win the game. Everybody’s really excited about that, for sure.”
Besler, the club’s all-time appearances leader, has enjoyed a brilliant run of form over the last few months. Sporting KC are 10-2-4 since the start of August with a 0.81 goals against average, and Besler leads all players during the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs with a combined 9.3 clearances and interceptions per match.
“I feel really good. I’m just seeing the game very clearly, and I have a lot of confidence to feel what’s going to happen before it happens,” Besler said. “That’s allowed me to anticipate things really well and make some plays when I need to make them. It’s a good feeling to have confidence at this time of year.”
Thursday’s contest will give the Children’s Mercy Park faithful an opportunity to show out in full voice, just as they did in Sporting KC’s 4-2 conference semifinal win over Real Salt Lake on Nov. 11. In a delicately poised matchup against Portland, Besler think the fans just might sway the series in favor of the hosts.
“Thursday night is going to be insane—the energy, the anticipation, the lead-up to the game,” he said. “We had an unbelievable home game in the last round against Real Salt Lake, and it was a great experience for all of our guys. Our fans are going to play a big role. I know I always say this, but they really do factor in.
“When you get to this time of year, the margins are so small and the difference between winning and losing is so slim that fans can play a big role. They can give us that little energy boost, that extra motivation, and they can put pressure on the other team. All these little differences can add up and could be what gets us over the hump.”
Listen to the full podcast below.
