Preseason Countdown presented by Children's Mercy: 26 Days until MLS is Back

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.

What better way to begin our countdown to the highly anticipated 2021 season than with the person most responsible for Sporting Kansas City’s abundant success over the last decade.

When Peter Vermes was appointed as interim manager of the Kansas City Wizards in August 2009, few would have guessed it to be the start of the longest head coaching tenure in Major League Soccer history.

A dozen years later, here we are. Vermes has become an institution in Kansas City as one of the league’s best managers. He has hoisted four major trophies—the 2013 MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup titles in 2012, 2015 and 2017—finished atop the conference standings four times and led Sporting to nine playoff appearances in the last 10 seasons. Simply put, Vermes has built his team into a perennial championship contender.

Vermes’ unmatched longevity in Kansas City speaks volumes about his consistency at the helm. Entering his 13th season in charge, the 54-year-old dwarfs all other MLS managers in coaching tenure. Incredibly enough, only the six coaches listed below have been with their current clubs for each of the last three MLS seasons.

It also bears repeating that Vermes is the longest-tenured head coach in the history of Kansas City professional sports, as he recently surpassed the legendary Hank Stram of the Kansas City Chiefs (1963-1974).

Longest-tenured head coaches in MLS

When it comes to winning on the pitch, Vermes’ resumé continues to hold up well. During the modern era of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, his three tournament titles rank second only behind the late great Sigi Schmid. As for all-time wins in the MLS regular season, he is 15 victories shy of fourth place in league history—a mark that seems within reach this year as Sporting prepares for 2021. Among the four coaches with more wins, only Bob Bradley of LAFC and Bruce Arena of the New England Revolution remain active.

Winningest coaches in MLS regular season

*Denotes active MLS coach

What makes Vermes' track record even more impressive is the fact that he has excelled in two distinct phases of his heralded soccer career. He was, of course, one of the greatest American players in the game during the 1980s and 1990s, representing the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea and the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. After club stints in Hungary, the Netherlands and Spain, Vermes joined Major League Soccer for its inaugural 1996 campaign and spent seven seasons in the league, notably guiding the Kansas City Wizards to the 2000 MLS Cup.

Looking at the picture more broadly, Vermes and MLS have more or less gone together like peas and carrots. In fact, when Vermes leads Sporting out for the Children's Mercy Park home opener against Orlando City SC on April 23, he will become just the second person in MLS history to play or coach 600 MLS matches (including playoffs). The only individual ranking higher on that list is Jason Kreis, an MLS veteran-turned-coach who is now in charge of the United States U-23 Mens' National Team.

Most MLS matches as a player or coach (including playoffs)

As Vermes and Sporting approach the new season, momentum is palpable—and rightly so. Last year, he orchestrated the best single-season turnaround in MLS history as Sporting jumped from 22nd place in the 2019 Supporters' Shield standings to third place in 2020. He also bagged his fourth first-place conference finish since 2011, twice as many as any other coach in MLS during that time.