Defenders Matt Besler and Seth Sinovic have battled through their fare share of epic matches in Sporting Kansas City uniforms.
The Kansas City natives have held down the left side of Manager Peter Vermes' defense for most of the last decade, amassing well over 200 MLS appearances each for a club that has advanced to eight straight postseasons.
Sunday's Western Conference Semifinal against Real Salt Lake, the first playoff game held at Children's Mercy Park since 2013, will rank up near the top of the list for both Besler and Sinovic, who made radio appearances this week following their 4-2 victory that sealed progression to the Western Conference Championship.
Besler joined Sports Radio 810 WHB on Tuesday morning to recall the momentous triumph with Border Patrol hosts Nate Bukaty and Steven St. John. The Sporting KC captain saved particular praise for the supporters who packed Children's Mercy Park and created an electric playoff atmosphere.
"Our fans exceeded expectations, for sure," Besler said. "For the first 20-25 minutes, every single person in the stadium was on their feet, and with that energy we were able to score two early goals that gave us a big advantage in the series."
Sporting KC took a 2-0 lead into halftime, but RSL struck on either side of Ilie's penalty kick to make the score 3-2 going into the final 15 minutes. A draw would have sent RSL through on away goals, meaning another goal conceded by Sporting KC would have ended the season.
"With about 10 or 15 minutes left, we were holding on a bit and we needed something. We needed an extra pick-up. The fans sensed that, and once again, everyone just got up on their feet and just started making noise. It got really, really loud, and the final play of the game when Daniel Salloi clinched the series—that was one of the loudest moments that I've ever experienced in sports, not just at Children's Mercy Park."
Sinovic, meanwhile, joined a MLS-centric soccer program on Fox Sports 910 in Phoenix. The left back echoed Besler's sentiments when recalling the game-sealing goal that Salloi tucked home in the 97th minute.
"When we scored that fourth goal for us to cap it off, I don't think I've ever been in a louder environment than that," Sinovic said before discussing why he thinks Sporting KC has enjoyed so much success this season.
"Some teams are more attacking-minded and some are more defensive-minded," he said. "I think it's important for us to have balance. Defense is always coming first for us, and we ranked third in (fewest) goals allowed this season. So the defense was still really strong this year, but to add a balanced attack going forward has been huge for us. We set a franchise record for goals scored in a season, so it's been a great year for us."
Listen to the entirety of both podcasts below.
Matt Besler on Sports Radio 810 WHB
Seth Sinovic on Fox Sports 910 Phoenix
