KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After a wild, often bumpy and historically long ride through the playoffs, Swope Park Rangers are in their second USL Cup final in as many seasons of existence. But the jury is still out on whether Sporting Kansas City's second-tier team will be successful in accomplishing the parent club's goals.
That has less to do with how Rangers do on Monday night in the title game at Louisville City FC, Sporting manager and technical director Peter Vermes says, than with how much the side assists in player development – especially in serving as a conduit from the Sporting Academy to the senior team.