This article was written after recording The Designated Pundits‘s Sporting KC preview for the 2026 MLS Season with special guest Jimmy Mack from “No Other Pod.” You can find that video on Spotify below.
2025 Recap
Sporting Kansas City had a season to forget in 2025, going 7-7-20 and seeing longtime head coach Peter Vermes fired in March after a 0-1-7 start.
Things got a little better midseason, but a full end-of-year collapse saw SKC go 1-2-10 in their last 13 matches.
SKC had a somewhat competent attack, led by Dejan Joveljic with 18 goals and 2 assists. They were 8th in the Western Conference in goals scored. However, their defense was the worst in the league, allowing 70 goals over 34 matches.
The fans will look forward to turning the page as quickly as possible, though 2026 (spoiler alert) could be even worse.
Transactions
Sporting KC saw more than twelve players leave this offseason, and the story of the year so far is the lack of replacements for those players. The team didn’t bring in any difference makers, and just six days before the season starts, they have only 20 players on the senior roster, four of which play goalkeeper.
I’ve never seen this lack of preparedness from a front office. There are many spots on the depth chart that have only one (or zero) true fielders. New coach, and MLS veteran Raphael Wicky is going to have a lot of work cut out to even field a roster on opening day.
Depth Chart
We know very little about playstyle, formation, tactics, or starters. I am using a 4-3-3 because that is what they used last season, and because the striker, wingers, and #10 are the only fairly certain positions on the field.
At the attack, Dejan Joveljic had another outstanding season in MLS last year, and returns as striker. Manu Garcia is the #10, and he looked good last season, but that only reflected on the statline as 9 total contributions.
Daniel Salloi will be on the left, while Shapi Suleymanov (at right) will take the right wing.
SKC is hoping that Shapi and Garcia rebuild some chemistry from when they played together in Aris FC in Greece. They were brought in as a pair, and that pair will be expected to do some heavy lifting this season.
On defense and midfield, we know extremely little. The team has no fullbacks, so ex-St. Louis CITY CB Jayden Reid and midfielder Jake Davis will occupy those positions, for now. At CB, Jansen Miller, Ian James, and Wyatt Meyer will vie for time. There is also a goalkeeper battle, but I firmly believe John Pulskamp is the better keeper, and at a young age will grow into a very good MLS piece.
Questions
- Which player, outside our projected starting 11, has the best chance to win a job?
- Stephen Afrifa. He has speed and can juxtapose Salloi late in games. Also, if Salloi misses time, Afrifa will have the chance to bring energy and pounce on a starting wing position.
- What are some realistic expectations for 2026?
- Sporting KC should win the Wooden Spoon. If not, they should be a bottom 3 team in the Western Conference.
- What are some storylines to follow throughout the 2026 season?
- How do supporters feel about the lack of ambition? Parting ways with Vermes seemed like a team reset, but with Wicky’s unambitious hiring and a stupefying roster build, morale is at an all-time low.
- What styles does this team match up well against?
- We don’t know very much about this team, but they are going to be solid offensively and bad on defense. They could win against teams who don’t take their chances and can’t score, even on bad defenses.
- What styles does this team match up poorly against?
- Sporting KC hasn’t broken down a low block in what feels like years. That, and they will struggle against MLS teams who provide SKC with a big talent gap.
- What player improves the most in 2026?
- Jake Davis. He is not a right back, and if he moves to his natural midfield position he can have a great season. He is probably the most talented young player on the roster.
- Which player regresses in 2026?
- Daniel Salloi. He is another year older, and is probably the only starter on day 1 who has a competent backup.
Hear more, and follow along as I preview all 30 MLS teams before kickoff of the 2026 season!
YouTube- youtube.com/@thedesignatedpundits
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Bob Ventimiglia is a leading soccer podcaster and handicapper, renowned for his sharp analysis and consistent success at the soccer sportsbook.
As a founding member and MLS expert on the BetUS MLS Show, he earned “Capper of the Week” honors four times during his debut season.
Now, he is producer for “The Designated Pundits” MLS podcast and “The High Impact Pundits” NWSL podcast.
💸 BetUS TV MLS Expert (4x Capper of the Week)
📝 Member- North American Soccer Reporters
