While the Montreal Impact has come flying out of the gates in 2013, Sporting Kansas City has seen its fair share of struggles.
Flashback: SKC 0, MTL 2
The Eastern Conference regular season champs from last season have managed just one win in its first four games, going 1-1-2.
Now five points and 5th place in the conference might not be the end of the world, but KC’s record this year is in stark contrast to last season, when the club started the 2012 campaign with seven straight wins.
Part of the reason might be lineup inconsistency early on in 2013.
Last week, Kansas City had centre back Matt Besler and midfielder Graham Zusi called into camp for the US national team's World Cup qualifiers. Starting right back Chance Myers missed the last two games after aggravating a quad strain and it will be some time before forwards Jacob Peterson (shoulder) and Teal Bunbury (ACL) are cleared to play.
Although Zusi and Besler should be back and ready to go for the Impact’s visit this Saturday at 8:30pm (ET), SKC lost another significant player in the offseason in aerial master Kei Kamara, who was loaned out to Norwich City of the EPL.
READ: Impact remains only team to win all games in MLS
SKC did replace Kamara’s firepower upfront by bringing in Argentinian striker Claudio Bieler, who already has two of SKC’s four goals in four games played this season.
Part of the reason may also be that Sporting has started the year with three of four matches on the road, earning two 0-0 draws and one loss to Toronto FC. Following a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Union in the season opener, SKC has managed just one goal in its last three games.
Despite the offensive woes, SKC is still a solid team defensively, having allowed just three goals. The Impact is in for a defensive battle when it returns to Sporting Park, the site of its first ever road win in MLS.
