Running throughout the season on Sports Radio 810 WHB, the Sporting Kansas City Show is available on several podcast hubs including Spotify and iTunes as well as SportingKC.com/SportingKCShow. With Nate Bukaty, Carter Augustine and Aly Trost hosting the weekly program, Sporting fans have a place to go to catch up on club storylines, guest interviews and more.
The newest episode of the Sporting Kansas City Show debuted Tuesday night on Sports Radio 810 WHB, featuring a 20-year-old youngster who figures to play an increased role as the home stretch of the 2020 MLS regular season beckons.
Hosts Nate Bukaty, Carter Augustine and Aly Trost were joined by right back and Sporting KC Academy product Jaylin Lindsey, who helped Sporting to a 1-0 shutout win on Oct. 7 against Chicago Fire FC before going the full 90 in a 2-1 home defeat of Nashville SC on Sunday.
Lindsey has logged a career-high 609 minutes at the MLS level this year and will be relied upon heavily over the next several games due to the absence of veteran Graham Zusi, who suffered a foot injury in the Chicago matchup last week at Children’s Mercy Park.
“It’s obviously pretty hard to fill the shoes of Graham Zusi, a club legend and a great player for the U.S. national team,” Lindsey said. “It’s a good thing that I’ve been learning from him for the past couple of years to see what he does to succeed on the pitch and off the field as well. Those are hard shoes to fill, but I’m going to do my best, play my game and (find) that same chemistry with the other guys on the backline.
“It’s about communicating with them and gelling with them during practice. I have the confidence to know I can play in this league and with this team, so I’m excited to see how we do over the next couple of games.”
Lindsey is one of several Sporting KC Academy products who have shouldered increased responsibilities in 2020. Gianluca Busio has blossomed into a regular starter at age 18, while Felipe Hernandez and Cam Duke have also broken into the first team. One of the most important variables contributing to that development, Lindsey said, is simply getting the opportunity to step onto the field in competitive matches.
“Getting minutes is super important,” he said. “Playing games is the best way to learn and develop as a player—just getting those game reps in because those are real-life situations. Maybe sometimes you do well and sometimes you don’t do well, but you’re always learning when you’re playing in a game.
“You see all of these young guys in the rest of the league getting minutes—guys like Busio, where it seems every game he’s getting better and better. Getting minutes helps you adapt to the league and to the speed of play. I’m excited to get a good run going for me, and hopefully I can showcase my game as well. This is something I’ve been waiting for, so I’m excited to go after it.”
In addition to hearing from Lindsey, the hosts opened the episode by remarking on the standout performances of center back Winston Reid and winger Johnny Russell, who has recently donned the captain’s armband for Sporting.
Reid has played every minute during Sporting’s three-game winning streak—a surge that has seen the side move within a point of first place in the Western Conference—and six days ago earned MLS Team of the Week honors after becoming the second Sporting player since the dawn of the Opta era in 2010 to record seven interceptions and a game-winning goal in a shutout victory. That salvo came at the expense of Chicago and was followed up by another stellar defensive showing versus Nashville.
Russell, meanwhile, has taken the reigns as Sporting’s captain by delivering in a big way on the pitch. He has four goals and two assists in his last six games and on Monday was selected to the MLS Team of the Week bench for his role in the Nashville win. The Scottish international provided the assist for Gerso Fernandes’ 53rd-minute equalizer, finished with a game-high four dribbles completed and eight duels won, and completed 54 of his 59 passes, including a game-high 29 successful passes in the attacking third.
Sporting will play for a fourth successive victory tonight when they visit Toyota Stadium to face FC Dallas at 7:30 p.m. CT. Fans can catch the action live on FOX Sports Kansas City, FOX Sports Midwest, FOX Sports GO, Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
