{"id":8861,"date":"2017-08-01T14:06:44","date_gmt":"2017-08-01T18:06:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonsoccer.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=8861"},"modified":"2017-08-01T14:06:44","modified_gmt":"2017-08-01T18:06:44","slug":"sporting-kc-fine-without-dwyer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2017\/08\/01\/sporting-kc-fine-without-dwyer\/","title":{"rendered":"Saturday’s victory is indication that Sporting KC should be just fine without Dom Dwyer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editorial- In Sporting KC’s 3-2 Victory<\/a> over the Chicago Fire last night, a couple things were evident. One, Dom Dwyer wasn’t there. The other? That Sporting KC will be just fine without him.<\/p>\n

Saturday’s victory is indication that Sporting KC should be just fine without Dom Dwyer<\/h1>\n

Dom Dwyer has been the face of Sporting KC since his breakout 2014 season, and of course when he stepped up to the plate in their 2013 MLS Cup run<\/a>. The shocking nature of his trade put Kansas City into a bit of shock. A fan favorite will never be easily erased from memory. It does become easier when your team plays well without him though. And Saturday’s performance should begin to do that for Sporting KC fans.<\/p>\n

The Sporting KC attack was different. Instead of swinging it wide into the channels and looking to play a ball into the box, it was the front three combining and interchanging, giving Chicago’s backline an incredibly difficult time.<\/p>\n

The front three of last night’s match was actually a man short, as Gerso Fernandes was suspended. So it was left up to Latif Blessing, Diego Rubio and Daniel Salloi. All three got on the scoresheet in some fashion, and Rubio could’ve easily had another goal and assist. When asked about the front three’s play after the match Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes said, \u201cSome of the best we\u2019ve had all year.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Rubio and Salloi’s combination play was really eye popping, especially in the second half. “I was telling somebody before that I thought Diego and Daniel, it\u2019s almost like they played together for 10 years, the relationship and type of play they had, the ball that diego plays him there late in the second half, that was a fantastic little combination,”<\/em>\u00a0said Vermes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

That was just the start as well.\u00a0According to Vermes, the front three were hungry. “They were hungry. I knew that putting Daniel out there, he\u2019s gonna go for goals. And then his movement is going to be very good,”\u00a0<\/em>said Vermes. “Then I also thought that Latif was very dangerous in the first half. He stretched the defense a lot, and they weren\u2019t ready for it.\u00a0But being able to play through a focal point up front was a big piece of tonight\u2019s success.<\/em><\/p>\n

The biggest line of Vermes’ post match comments though had to be the very last line of that answer. “…being able to play through a focal point up front…”<\/em><\/p>\n

Let’s take a look at the passing map from 11tegen11 for Sporting KC vs. Chicago:<\/p>\n

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Passmaps & xGplot for Sporting Kansas City against Chicago Fire. #passmap<\/a> #xGplot<\/a> #autotweet<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ER9YWIbqL3<\/a><\/p>\n

— 11tegen11 (@11tegen11) July 30, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n