The Loons will hit the road again Saturday for a matchup against Sporting Kansas City, where things have been a little tough lately for our friendly foes. After three 2025 matchdays, SKC has yet to notch a single result. The major departures of Johnny Russell, Tim Melia, and Alan Pulido have left a void on the field, and Sporting certainly has some odds to overcome. They haven’t taken home a title in years and have only made the cut for playoffs once since 2022. Currently sitting at the bottom of the table with a big fat zero in the Points Column, our fellow Midwesterners need to find that 2010s-era shine before the shadow of doubt gets to Head Coach Peter Vermes.

Now, this wouldn’t be the first time SKC’s head man has faced a daunting challenge. Back in 2009, things were dire on the Kansas City soccer scene. The Wizards had a loss-heavy record and sat at the bottom of the league standings. It was time for an overhaul, leading the club to fire coach Curt Onalfo and shift Vermes to interim head coach. After demonstrating pretty quickly that he was exactly what the club needed, they dropped the interim title, and Vermes has simply never left.

Vermes was a familiar face to KC fans when he took the reins, having played as a defender for the Wizards in his prime and come back on as technical director in ‘06, in addition to being a regular on the United States national team in the Olympics and World Cup in 1988 and 1990.

Things picked up fast with Vermes on board. The Wizards beat Manchester United F.C. in a summer friendly that boosted the fanbase and attendance, and the club finished third in the Eastern Conference in 2010. 2011 brought the rebrand to Sporting Kansas City, putting the Wizards and their spotty record in the past.

Over the next several years, Vermes and his team transformed SKC into the class of MLS. Vermes is now the longest-tenured coach in Major League Soccer and has a whole slew of accolades that speak to his effectiveness as a coach. He led the club to a U.S. Open Cup victory in 2012 and followed up with the MLS Cup in 2013, making him the only person to win the league as a player and coach on the same team. Sporting took the USOC silverware home again in 2015 and 2017. Between that crazy trophy case and his time with the US National Team, he was a shoo-in for the National Soccer Hall of Fame in April 2013. It’s not a stretch to say this guy is a soccer legend.

However, he’s in a tough position now that things have slowed down in KC, and he needs to show that he can turn this club around the same way he did in 2010. Vermes used to be a Wizard, but is there enough magic left in him to get Sporting to where it needs to be this year?

Having lost all five matches they’ve played in 2025 (including CCC competitions), Vermes’ side will be increasingly desperate to come out on top at home this Saturday. And while the Loons are riding a three-game winning streak against Sporting, they’ve long been a thorn in the side of Minnesota fans. SKC still leads the pair’s all-time head-to-head stats at 14 wins to Minnesota’s nine, with four draws. As a Loons fan, I hope that we can dominate the pitch, give SKC a friendly handshake, and be on our way this Saturday night. But giving credit where credit is due, I’ve got to hold out some hope for the guy who’s done so much for the American soccer scene; maybe we’ll see SKC turn the tide. But hopefully not until after this weekend.