It's official: Sporting Kansas City has a new No. 9.
Forward Krisztian Nemeth joined the club Monday in a trade from the New England Revolution, returning to a city where he was a fan favorite during an excellent 2015 campaign in Sporting colors.
Manager Peter Vermes visited with Border Patrol hosts Nate Bukaty and Steven St. John on Tuesday morning to discuss the move, confirming that he intends to play Nemeth as the center forward in Sporting KC's three-pronged attack. The Hungarian notched 16 goals and seven assists from the left wing position in 2015, when he was selected the Sporting KC Newcomer of the Year and bagged the MLS Goal of the Year award.
"Krisztian has been here before, he's had success here, we know him and he knows us, and he had interest in coming here," Vermes said a day after Sporting KC traded $350,000 in allocation money to New England to reacquire Nemeth's services. "I've always known that his best position is the No. 9 position. He possesses the qualities that we look for in that position, and that's why we're excited to have him here."
Nemeth has been training regularly with the Revolution during the summer months, and Vermes expects him to be fit enough to make an immediate impact on the field. The Sporting KC boss says he will probably be available for selection Saturday when the club visits Los Angeles Football Club for a pivotal Western Conference clash at 9:30 p.m. CT on FOX Sports Kansas City, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, Sports Radio 810 WHB and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM.
“Another big piece is that Krisztian has already played at the club," Vermes said. "When you have all of that and add it all up together, it gives him a very fast acclimation period from my perspective. It also gives him a really good chance — the fact that he’s been in the league and understands the climate we play in, the travel, and the opponents — all of those things are very favorable to getting in form really quickly.”
Listen to the full podcast below.
