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For the first time since 2009, Sporting Kansas City will play under new leadership.
When they host St. Louis City on Saturday night, SKC will be run by longtime assistant coach Kerry Zavagnin. Sporting (0-5-1, 1 point) parted ways with Peter Vermes on Monday after the team lost 2-1 at FC Dallas on March 29.
The dismissal of Vermes truly marked the end of an era. Not only was he the longest-tenured coach in MLS by seven years, but he was also one of the longest-tenured coaches in the world.
However, Sporting KC fell on hard times over the past four years. Kansas City hasn’t finished higher than eighth in the Western Conference since 2021 and is winless in its past 13 matches in all competitions dating back to last year. The team’s supporter’s group even called for Vermes to step down on Sunday.
“One of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” team co-owner Mike Illig said of canning Vermes. “It was brutal. It was a heavy moment. It was difficult and a hard conversation. … It was understood why it was being had.”
Illig said he would conduct a worldwide search for the next coach but has also told Zavagnin that the job is “his to lose.”
While Sporting KC embark on their next era, St. Louis City (2-2-2, 8 points) are in search of goals. They were blanked in their past two matches, including a 1-0 home defeat against Austin FC on Sunday.
St. Louis has conceded just two goals this season — the lowest figure in MLS — but has scored only four, three of them in a March 9 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy. Coach Olof Mellberg said finding ways to put the ball into the net is essential for his team.
“We just lacked the quality in the final third,” he said following the loss to Austin. “I think you could see that. I think as a team, we created enough chances. We had a lot of entries in the final third.”
One bit of good news for St. Louis on Saturday night is the return of midfielder Eduard Lowen to the starting lineup. Lowen was suspended for the Austin FC match after earning a red card on March 22 in a 1-0 loss at Philadelphia.
–Field Level Media
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