Eric Kronberg
Given the way the last several months of their season played out, it was no surprise that Sporting Kansas City fell 2-1 in a one-and-done play-in game at the New York Red Bulls last week.
What was surprising about the game was that KC actually looked fairly effective for the first time in ages, taking a 1-0 lead into the 77th minute. How did they do it? By throwing their high press, work-work-work style out the window, that’s how. Something they should have done a long, long time ago.
In a season that saw Sporting play in three different competitions (US Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, MLS regular season), not to mention the extended absence of multiple players for the World Cup, and a slew of injuries that riddled the squad, it would have made sense to try and keep legs a bit fresher. To back off the maniacal high press that requires KC’s players to sprint wildly at the ball no matter where on the pitch it is located. To slow things down a touch, instead of playing the “system” no matter what the situation was.
Maybe this season’s drastic slide is what it finally took for KC boss Peter Vermes to recognize this?
We can only hope.
The thing is, systems don’t win games, players do. Which is why endless debates about the 4-4-2 versus the 3-5-2 are pointless. It doesn’t matter what system you play, unless you are clearly the inferior squad. And I don’t think Sporting is or has been the clearly inferior squad in many games this season.
In other words, if you have the good players, you can put them in any reasonable formation and get results.
But to rely on out-working teams is just not feasible. Sure, you might pull out a couple wins just by shear grit, but it’s not a good long-term strategy to base your whole team identity around. It saps players’ legs, reduces their ability to be creative, and in my opinion adds more wear and tear on bodies that are already going through a brutally long and busy season.
By deciding against the usual high press against New York, Vermes gave his squad a chance – and was 15 minutes away from advancing after a sweet Benny Feilhaber pass found Dom Dwyer streaking in behind the Red Bull defense on a counter attack.
Unfortunately, life-long backup keeper Eric Kronberg crushed any chance that the boys in blue would advance. After making several errors in the first half – including going over two of his own defenders to punch the ball out, only to have it land right on the head of Dax McCarty at the top of the 18, who should have scored on the open net – Krony signed his own death warrant with a ridiculous sequence in the 90th minute.
With the game tied 1-1, a very high cross was sent in from the right flank. Kronberg took a step and a half out, but then hesitated. The ball fell right on the head of the most dangerous striker in MLS, Bradley Wright-Phillips, right on the edge of the 6. BWP was not close to being marked, and had a free opportunity to finish from close range, which he did.
Why didn’t Kronberg come out and simply snatch the ball? It was clearly his play. And by taking a few steps out, he threw his defenders off in the process, as they expected their keeper to make a play on the ball.
“The way the ball was so high in the air for so long, I think there was an ability for him to come out, for sure,” Vermes told MLSSoccer.com after the season-ending loss. “We weren’t matched up in the box as well.”
That’s pretty strong stuff. Usually you get the usual, “well, it’s hard to say, blah blah blah.” I think Kronberg is toast.
I hope Kronberg is toast.
I think Kronberg is toast as the starter. I don’t know what he is making, but he could go back to being a backup if his salary works for it. His biggest problem is that he hesitates all the fucking time. He can’t seem to make a choice and commit to it. He makes some pretty good instinct saves, but when he has a second to think he fucks it up. I good holding midfielder and good keeper would equate four or five more wins next year.
Collin and Besler have not helped him at all. I know part of the blame falls on him but it also lays on Besler, Collin and Vermes and his stupid high pressure system.
They were clearly tired at the end of the season. Our defense was routinely over matched and, as has been pointed out, Kronberg sucks. There’s a reason the guy had never been a starter. This team needs a goalie and a disruptor in the middle of the field.