“In the box”: Sporting KC’s initiative takes a hit v Austin FC

Sporting Kansas City’s fearsome attack faced a test last Wednesday evening vs Austin FC at their Q2 Stadium. They failed it by an expected goals of 2.5 to 0.6, and a final score of 3-1. Let us look at why.

Austin’s sat three front defenders in when Sporting was in possession. The goal of those three was to hinder interior penetration into Kansas City’s midfielders, and, with their deep enough position, to team with their own midfielders to harass the ball when Sporting went wide to its advanced wing backs and when they tried to use their inner channel #8s.