KC Soccer Journal: A Sporting KC Podcast · FFSN Sporting KC

A Pile of Ash - Shades of Blue

·54 min·5 clips

Sporting KC hasn't won a season opener in five years, and this 3-0 loss feels like a punch in the face.

This episode of KC Soccer Journal features hosts Cody Bradley, Thad Bell, Robert Russert, David Greenwald, and Kerry Robinson reacting to Sporting KC's 3-0 season-opening loss to the San Jose Earthquakes. The panel dissects the team's poor performance and the ongoing roster overhaul under new coach Peter Vermes. The hosts highlight the team's 0-4-1 record in its last five season openers, all played on the road. They express shock at the unfamiliar starting lineup, noting the absence of injured veterans like Gadi Kinda and Johnny Russell, and the surprising benching of center-back Kortne Ford in favor of Wyatt Omsberg and Ian Fray. The discussion centers on midfielder Gianluca Busio being deployed as a deep-lying playmaker, which the panel believes limits his attacking impact near striker Alan Pulido. A key turning point was the injury to right-back Kayden Pierre, which forced midfielder Jake Davis to drop into defense and disrupted the team's shape. The hosts describe the defense as "fragile," citing specific errors like a poor pass from Ian Fray that led to a turnover and the second Earthquake goal. They debate whether young player Felipe Hernandez showed any positive signs before his injury. The conversation shifts to the recent trade of longtime homegrown player Daniel Salloi to Toronto FC for up to $1 million in General Allocation Money. The panel acknowledges Salloi's loyal service and fan popularity but sees the trade as necessary business for a rebuilding team. They note that only four players from two seasons ago remain on the roster, underscoring the scale of the rebuild. The hosts briefly touch on NWSL news, discussing ESPN's new "Women's Sports Sunday" programming and the Kansas City Current's offseason, including the trade of Claire Hutton. Around MLS, they mention the Philadelphia Union's early red card and Inter Miami's 3-0 loss to LAFC, where Lionel Messi confronted officials after the match. The tone is frustrated and sarcastic but analytical, with hosts using humor to cope with the dismal performance. This episode is essential for die-hard Sporting KC fans seeking detailed, post-game analysis and roster discussion. Casual fans or those seeking optimistic coverage might find it too negative.

As heard by us

A blunt Sporting KC autopsy that makes roster turnover feel specific.

KC Soccer Journal treats the 3-0 Sporting KC loss in San Jose less like a routine recap and more like a reckoning, and the conversation keeps returning to the same uneasy question: what this roster has become.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want the raw postgame after Sporting KC got destroyed 3-0 in San Jose and nobody sands it down.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from KC Soccer Journal: A Sporting KC Podcast