Sporting KC’s Peter Vermes ‘pissed off’ after historic loss

FILE – Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes speaks to players during the second half of an MLS soccer game against Real Salt Lake on November 28, 2021 in Kansas City, Kansas. Sporting KC signed a five-year contract extension with Vermes on Wednesday. 22 February 2023, who will keep his long-time manager at the club until the 2028 season. Vermes is the fourth-winning coach in MLS history. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, file)

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Sporting Kansas City is in a difficult position at the start of the season.

After finishing second to bottom in the MLS Western Conference last season with an 11-16-7 record, Sporting KC have stayed the course and entered 2023 with a 0-3-2 record.

SKC also suffered a historic loss to the Seattle Sounders on Saturday; Sounders forward Jordan Morris broke a club record for goals in a game by scoring all four goals.

After the game, SKC manager Peter Vermes expressed frustration.

“I’m more pissed off than anything. I’m pissed off.”

“Very naïve mistakes. I think our backline was bad tonight. And that’s the part that really annoys me. So I have to deal with that and I’m also very interested in bringing all the other guys back because some people need to watch the game from a different place.”

The defensive line for the game featured veterans Ben Sweat and Graham Zusi on the wings and Andreu Fontàs and Robert Voloder in the middle.

Sporting have injured several key players including defender Kortne Ford (Achilles tendon surgery), defender Logan Ndenbe (hamstring injury), defender Kayden Pierre (hamstring injury), midfielder Gadi Kinda (knee injury) and defender Tim Leibold (hamstring injury).

With two goals, the double blues also have the fewest goals in the league.

Vermes said he’s more concerned about how the team will react to the changes, with players returning from injury and pushing for starting spots.

“It has to be different from the mentality of make a mistake, make a mistake, make a mistake and the same people do it. Unfortunately we’re in a place now where we couldn’t have done subs where it was. But now we’re in a situation where we’re going to change some things because we have to, and maybe, maybe that’s for the best.”

Sporting are hoping to pick up their first win of the season against 2022 MLS Cup finalists Philadelphia Union at 6:30 p.m. Saturday