Sporting Kansas City after 10 games: Comparing the 2025 season to the 2026 season, is there an improvement?

Sporting Kansas City have five points from their opening 10 MLS matches in 2026. It is a dreadful return for a club that entered the season calling this campaign a rebuild. Yet, despite all of the talk surrounding a new era under head coach Raphael Wicky and sporting director/general manager David Lee, the numbers show Sporting KC are not much different from the team supporters watched unravel in 2025.

Through 10 MLS matches in 2025, Sporting Kansas City also struggled badly. The team picked up just seven points from a possible 30, scoring 12 goals and conceding 18. The Wizards averaged 1.2 goals per game while allowing 1.8 goals per match.

Fast forward to 2026 and the numbers are even uglier.

Sporting KC have scored just eight goals in 10 matches, averaging a league-worst 0.8 goals per game. Defensively, the club has completely fallen apart, allowing 26 goals. That figure gives Sporting an average of 2.6 goals conceded per match. It also puts the team on pace to concede 88.4 goals this season, which would be the worst defensive campaign in club history.

Attack has regressed badly

The biggest issue for Sporting Kansas City in 2026 has been the attack. Last season’s team had flaws everywhere, but they still created and scored chances at a higher rate than this current squad.

The 2026 team owns the worst xG in MLS at 6.8 after 10 games. Sporting are also averaging the fewest shots on target per game in the league at 3.0. Simply put, this team struggles to create quality opportunities consistently.

Dejan Joveljic has carried the attack almost by himself. The Serbian striker has contributed to 75% of Sporting KC’s league goals this season. Without Joveljic, the attack would be completely lifeless.

Compare that to 2025, when Sporting KC at least spread goals around the team more effectively during the opening weeks of the campaign. Daniel Salloi scored four goals and Erik Thommy added two. Joveljic scored five goals in the opening 10 games of 2025–the same tally as this season.

Defensive issues continue

Defensive instability has become the defining theme of Sporting Kansas City over the last two seasons. Injuries, poor roster building, and constant lineup changes have all contributed to the collapse.

Wicky has already used multiple different defensive combinations this season. Sporting KC’s backline has looked disorganized for much of the campaign, while former starting goalkeeper John Pulskamp struggled badly before being replaced by Stefan Cleveland against the Seattle Sounders.

Cleveland’s debut in the 1-1 draw with Seattle immediately brought calmness and organization to the defense. Sporting KC conceded just once despite facing 26 total shots. It was one of the few positive defensive performances supporters have seen in months.

Still, one solid performance does not erase the first nine matches of the season.

Is this progress?

The frustrating part for Sporting KC supporters is that this season was supposed to represent a fresh start. Instead, the opening 10 games suggest the rebuild may not have actually started.

Sporting Kansas City have fewer points, fewer goals scored, and significantly more goals conceded than they did at the same stage in 2025. The underlying metrics are worse, the attack has regressed, and the defense remains one of the weakest in MLS.

There are signs of improvement after the draw with Seattle. The challenge now is proving that performance was not just a one-game reaction, but the beginning of actual progress.

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