The Blue Testament: For Sporting Kc Fans

Sporting KC earned a 2-2 draw against the always tough FC Dallas over the weekend after goals from Johnny Russell & Daniel Salloi. Are things starting to trend in the right direction for SKC? With the recent news of Gadi Kinda's season ending surgery and the closing of the transfer window, Peter Vermes will have to make due with his current roster. However, this last match gave us signs of hope. Cody & Thad recently spoke with Salloi about his expertise in getting fouled, compared to his teammate Khiry Shelton. This skill paid off with Daniel earning a questionable penalty kick which led to the opening goal vs Dallas. Pen or no pen.. what say you? Nikola Vujnovic hasn't featured in the last two matches, and he's only seen the pitch for a few minutes in his last several appearances. He's a different player than Shelton, and Peter Vermes doesn't like to disrupt the flow of a match. Or is he perhaps in the dog house? Kortne Ford turned in another solid performance. We analyze the entire backline, including Cam D

At just 20-years-old, Robert Voloder has already had an interesting journey to MLS. Up to this point, not much was known about him and he was a bit mysterious to us. Even Sporting KC staff told us they were eager to learn more about him from this interview! He's a rather serious guy and is clearly wise beyond his years. But Cody & Thad get the SKC centerback to open up and have fun talking about the temptation of American food and the biggest crowds he's every played in front of.. by far. "Robbie", as his teammates call him, has appeared for both the Bosnia & Herzegovina and Germany youth national teams. We ask him just how closely he remains in contact with the German ranks. Might he get another opportunity soon? Voloder's English is very strong, but we learn that the youngster speaks several languages as well. The young German says he's beefed up since arriving, as is required for the physicality of MLS. He's blown away by the facilities & amenities with SKC. "Disciplined" is a great word to describe Volode

Sporting KC has fallen to 12th place in the West, and 26th overall, after another disappointing result against the Columbus Crew. Which line are we upset with this week? Khiry Shelton got the start again and played the full 90 minutes, With Nikola Vujnovic waiting behind him, how long his Khiry's leash? Daniel Salloi has gone cold again. The show wants to see more Marinos Tzionis, but disagrees on where he can be used best. Peter Vermes made changes on the backline and he was rewarded with a shutout by centerbacks Kortne Ford & Robert Voloder. Will we see the same four against FC Dallas? The show takes turn picking a change to lineup to deploy this weekend. Notable friend of the pod Jacob Peterson is also an admirer of Logan Ndenbe. And his calves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US Open Cup matchups have been announced and Sporting KC will face off with FC Dallas on May 10th at in Kansas City. Our MIKE STAT of the week is.. unsurprisingly.. a negative one. If SKC doesn't show some offensive firepower this weekend against the Columbus Crew, a very unfortunate scoring record will be set. Is one goal enough for a soccer team to expect to win each week? Head coach Peter Vermes was a bit more outspoken this week about his team and he's been taking a bunch of heat from a very frustrated fan base. But we aren't doing a Fire Vermes show. It's not happening. That being said, his statements indicate he's frustrated as well. Simply put... these are some dark days for SKC Nation. Thankfully, Robert leaves us with some optimism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a rough beginning to his time with Sporting KC, Andreu Fontas has cemented himself as the anchor of the back line and even had MLS stats nerds listing him among MLS MVP candidates last year. But now that Fontas overcame injuries and found a new level to his game, SKC have fallen apart. We ask him about playing with a rotating cast of midfielders in front of him, as well as being reunited with Ilie Sanchez, the previous man occupying the #6, last weekend. The centerback is desperate to turn things around and says the team must be "mentally strong ... when things aren't going well." Fontas' boyhood club, FC Barcelona, have gone through a rough patch themselves. But he says this helped him rediscover his love for the club. Unsurprisingly he loves the idea for the Catalan Cafe and shared some native cuisine ideas for us. 32-year-old has fallen in love with KC, like so many before him. We talk about family life and the strange language dynamic for his trilingual daughters. Andreu appears to be peaking in his

He's a 35-year-old with a mountain of experience, but playing in the holding midfield role is still pretty new to Roger Espinoza. He wasn't caught off guard by having to play the 6 recently, because if you aren't versatile and ready for anything, you likely won't be on Peter Vermes' field anyway. He says he wished he had done better, but now he can use that "ammunition" to help turn things around for Sporting KC. Roger is a clear leader in the clubhouse, often mentoring and being tough on younger players. What would he say to his younger self with the long hair and full Roger-face? He recently married Lo'eau LaBonta of the Kansas City Current. She was once told by a coach to watch SKC and emulate a certain Honduran player. We talk about their competitive life at home and how they find the right balance away from soccer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the loss to Nashville, Johnny Russell was seen entering the stands and confronting a fan and we're totally cool with it. It's only been seven games in which Sporting KC lost two star players among a myriad of injuries and absences. Do fans really "deserve better" than this? This show cannot remember a time when SKC were any good at set pieces. They can't score off them, nor can they prevent others from scoring. Why? How? Daniel Sperry of the KC Star helps us figure out the problem. Can this team make the playoffs without brining in reinforcements? All they need to do is just LA Galaxy their way into 7th place. Peter Vermes isn't a fan of a major signing mid-season, but will he be forced to make a move this year? We start off negative, but convince ourselves there's enough talent on the roster to turn things around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

His dog might look like a super villain, but Daniel Salloi assures us he is in no immediate danger. Which is good, because right now Sporting KC needs all the firepower on the front line it can possibly get. DS20 loves Kansas City and the fans love him right back. But the homegrown Hungarian's contract is up at the end of this season. Will he re-sign with SKC? Will a European club pluck him away from us? Cody & Thad test his preparedness for a line of questioning he's sure to get all season. We talked about the current state of the team and what he believes are the problems holding them back. We ask him about Khiry Shelton's social media post calling out MLS referees and the quality of refereeing league wide. Daniel also helps us to understand the nuances in the art of getting fouled. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sitting in 11th place in the Western Conference, Sporting KC have had a rough start to the season. Injuries, key international absences, and new players still getting acclimated to MLS have plagued this team so far. But this is Sports Talk. We're here to assign blame and point fingers. We try to decide the one glaring issue holding them back. Is it Peter Vermes' roster construction? Is it a lack of talent in the midfield compared to the rest of the league? What about the attacking core? The show is torn on Ben Sweat, but ready for Logan Ndenbe to return. Felipe Hernandez hasn't quite taken the next step this team was needing. But where is his ceiling? Gadi Kinda will return at some point, but will he solve all the issues? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a big soccer weekend, especially for the US Men's National Team, we called in Nate Bukaty to help us cover all the action. As a staunch Kansas Citian and the Sporting KC TV Commentator, Nate has a passionate, unique point of view. He says we're in the midst of "the most important 5-year window in the history of American soccer". Not only does this team have a much higher level of talent than generations' past, but they've also regained the "attitude" which historically defined them. It's a dangerous combination. Nate goes Freudian on the toxicity within the US Soccer community online. Cody wants to fight them on Twitter (@thatcodytho). SKC got the win over Real Salt Lake after the Curious Case of Khiry Shelton made an appearance. How does this keep working with a striker who is indifferent about scoring? Now that Nate is on TBT airwaves, free of the shackles of his Sporting KC bosses, what goods can we get him to spill? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was the match in Chicago terrible.. or just bad? The midfield is starting to become a real worry. Roger Espinoza wasn't supposed to be playing this much. Remi Walter is inconsistent. Will Cam Duke & Felipe Hernandez take that next step? Nikola Vujnovic hasn't had much of an impact on the attack in his first two games.. Do you miss Khiry Shelton yet? We give an update on the injury status for several players as Sporting KC prepares to face Real Salt Lake this weekend. Who, by the way, are somehow at the top of the Western Conference. Thanks for listening! Please subscribe, rate, & review. Or yell at us on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's a lot of frustration among Sporting KC faithful after the first three matches, so we start off with the fun stuff. Like making fun of NYCFC's MLS Cup banner. And hairy-armed referees. But as always, we get to the serious stuff. For instance, is "Johnny & Tzionis" and alliteration? Marinos Tzionis looks eager and dangerous. But what does he need to work on? Newcomer Nikola Vujnovic made his debut just four days after arriving, or did he? His teammates couldn't seem to find him out there. But hey, at least we know how to say his name now! Is the problem in the back just a few bad isolated moments, or is there a systemic issue? We try to decide which line is worse off, and it might actually be the midfield. The loss to the Colorado Rapids is one of those matches to forget it ever happened. What's up next? The Chicago Fire who have yet to concede a goal. Cool. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To clarify... both the team AND this show are a tad askew. The Sporting KC attack isn't exactly firing on all cylinders. Khiry Shelton disappeared at times, but we still don't hate him with the fiery passion that some of you do. Remember, there's still a striker on the way, and 20-year-old Marinos Tzionis has looked formidable in two brief appearances. With two starters sidelined at the moment, the midfield has been a bit scrambled as well. Is Felipe Hernandez ready to take the next step in his MLS career? Remi Walter scored after doing an interview on Shades of Blue. This week's stat from Mike Kuhn is quite depressing in regards to SKC and their recent trips to play the Colorado Rapids. David has words for Diego Rubio. If Thad were a tree, he would live in a forest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We recorded this interview from Media Day and were sharing two microphones, so apologies for audio issues. Sporting KC left back Logan Ndenbe just made his MLS debut and was a clear bright spot for the team. He says he's feeling good about the transition to a new league and seems to be wise beyond his 22 years. Logan joined us along side his friend, and fellow French speaker (Cody calls them both Frenchmen by mistake), Remi Walter. The midfielder is in his second season with Sporting and will now have to step up in a big way. With Uri Rosell's injury & the departure of Jose Mauri, Remi is going to be busy. The two of them are very focused on the field, but understand the importance of unwinding and enjoying things outside of soccer. Like video games. As a Frenchman who enjoys fine dining, Remi tells us some of us favorite places to eat around KC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sporting KC held Media Day on Wednesday and they gave us all whiskey and pretzels. We brag about all the inside knowledge picked up at the open-to-the-public session. Is Graham Zusi allowed an "old man day" from training? Felipe Hernandez has most of the show excited and ready for a breakout season. After finally decided on what to actually call Oriol "Uri" Rosell, we try to figure out what three players will start in the midfield for the home opener vs the Houston Dynamo. If Paulo Nagamura's first match at the helm is any indication, Houston won't exactly be trying to play "jogo bonito" this weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recorded immediately following Sporting KC's 3-1 loss at Atlanta United to open the 2022 MLS Season, there are plenty of feelings and emotions flying about. Hopefully this show can walk some of you off the ledge after that rough start. Everyone offers their best, and worst, moments in the match. Logan Ndenbe was a clear positive from many disappointing performances. The return of Rosell was rubbish. Dom Dwyer scored... because of course he did. But don't let that fool you. How much can we learn from this one? What trends will continue going forward? When exactly is that new striker getting here? In a new segment, we present dramatic readings from the Cauldron Facebook Page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

MLS Matchday 1 is already here. Who is good in the West? What's the first word you think of upon hearing "Seattle Sounders"? Where will Sporting KC finish the season? Robert has a terrible Keanu Reeves take. We assess SKC's offseason, checking out the departures and arrivals. Battles for starting jobs, chemistry between players, and expected team MVPs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of our favorite days on the Sporting KC calendar is Kit Drop Day. The State Line 3.0 kit has arrived for the 2022 season. We're joined by Chad Reynolds, Senior Director of Brand, and Thomas Earle, Director of Retail for Sporting KC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Chad Reynolds is on the show, we can talk forever. So we split the show into two manageable parts. In Hour 2, Chad and Thomas unveil the State Line 3.0 kit for us while recording. We talk about all the fine details, the story the jersey is telling, and it's message to the Kansas City as a whole. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're talking about Sporting KC's new striker, as well as all the other roster additions. The club also announced a new broadcast partner for the upcoming season, which has been welcomed with celebrations in the streets of Kansas City. Plus, we check in with all the preseason action so far. Is the Cauldron FB Page really calling for 'Vermes Out' already? A the end of the show, David unveils a new segment called “Wrong Answers Only”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices