Sporting KC 0-5 Chicago Fire: Ratings and analysis for SKC players from heavy defeat

Sporting KC turned a promising first half against the Chicago Fire into a 5-0 loss. The defeat was Sporting KC’s seventh of the MLS regular season and further cemented the club’s place at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Eight points now separate Sporting KC from the final playoff spot, and the top nine are quickly slipping out of sight.

Raphael Wicky set Sporting KC up in a defensive 5-4-1 shape that worked for 45 minutes, with the teams going into halftime at nil-nil. However, Chicago head coach Gregg Berhalter made tactical adjustments in the second half, and the Wizards had no answer.

With Sporting suffering a sixth straight defeat, FotMob’s ratings provide another grim snapshot of where individual performances landed.

Goalkeeper

John Pulskamp – 6.1

Pulskamp saved Hugo Cuypers’ penalty in the second half, but could not react quickly enough to stop Philip Zinckernagel from scoring the rebound. It was another match in which Pulskamp conceded a pile of goals while receiving little help from the defenders in front of him. He made just one official save, which says plenty considering Chicago put six shots on target and scored five times.

Defenders

Right wing-back

Jake Davis – 6.6

Wicky opened in a 5-4-1 formation to slow Chicago down, and Davis put in a respectable shift at right wing-back. He finished with 12 defensive contributions, including four tackles. For long stretches of the first half, Davis handled his side of the shape well.

Center-back

Ian James – 5.4

James’ handball led to the Chicago penalty that cracked the match open. Although Pulskamp initially saved the kick, the rebound goal followed seconds later. The 17-year-old continues to log major minutes, playing 75 against the Fire with 30 touches, one tackle, and five clearances. There were moments of recovery defending, but the decisive mistake remains the headline.

Center-back

Ethan Bartlow – 4.5

After a few encouraging performances earlier in the season, Bartlow continues to look badly out of form. He posted the lowest rating of any Sporting KC starter. Bartlow still played the full 90 minutes and even managed one of Sporting’s rare shots, but a center-back making zero tackles while his team conceded five says enough. Six clearances only underline how much pressure Sporting absorbed.

Center-back

Jansen Miller – 4.9

Miller endured another rough night. Poor positioning has been a recurring issue this season, and Saturday offered little improvement. He did produce 11 defensive contributions and put one shot on target, but defenders are judged on stopping goals. Like Bartlow, Miller played every minute and was on the field for all five concessions.

Left wing-back

Kwaku Agyabeng – 7.2

Agyabeng continues to impress regardless of where Wicky deploys him. Although naturally a central midfielder, he again featured as a left wing-back and was Sporting KC’s best player. He logged 55 touches, completed 83% of his passes, completed 100% of his dribbles, and made three tackles. The larger frustration is obvious: if he looks this useful out of position, what could he offer in his natural role? Wicky and David Lee, if you’re reading, Agyabeng is your answer to the No. 6 position.

Midfield

Right midfielder

Calvin Harris – 6.7

Harris played decently, but the real takeaway is that he had only 14 touches–the fewest of any Sporting KC starting player. One of Sporting KC’s better attacking players being nearly invisible tells the story of the attack. Harris attempted just five passes all night. That’s how little he saw the ball.

Center midfielder

Lasse Berg Johnsen – 6.3

This was Johnsen’s quietest outing of the season. He had only 44 touches, though he still completed 81% of his passes and played two balls into the final third. Three tackles and two clearances added defensive value, but he never had enough possession to influence Sporting’s attacking buildup.

Center midfielder

Manu Garcia – 6.7

Garcia saw more of the ball with 64 touches and was often dropping or drifting just to get involved. His heatmap suggested a player chasing possession as much as trying to create with it. He completed 79% of his passes, had one shot on target, and added seven ball recoveries.

Left midfielder

Capita – 6.7

Kansas City still have not seen the best of Capita. Will they ever at this rate? The Angolan finished with 31 touches in 86 minutes, completed only 46% of his passes, and sent two shots off target. More tellingly, his heatmap showed most of his movement coming in Sporting’s own half, which meant almost no attacking influence.

Attack

Striker

Dejan Joveljic – 6.1

Twenty-three touches is nowhere near enough for Sporting KC’s leading scorer. If Joveljic does not get the ball, Sporting do not score. He has contributed to five of Sporting’s seven MLS goals, yet against Chicago he barely touched the ball in dangerous areas. Only two of his touches came inside the Fire penalty area. Even worse, Joveljic took zero shots!

Substitutes

Wyatt Meyer – 6.7

Despite again being caught out of position on one of Chicago’s goals, Meyer still received a positive rating. He had 15 touches, completed all nine of his passes, played two passes into the final third, and made two tackles. By the time he entered the game, Sporting were already 3-0 down.

Stephen Afrifa – 5.6

There remains a strong case for Afrifa to get more minutes. Once again, Wicky gave him very little time to impact the match. Afrifa played 15 minutes, had 12 touches, completed 83% of his passes, and delivered one accurate cross despite being dispossessed twice.

Jacob Bartlett – NR

Bartlett received only four minutes as Wicky made just three substitutions. He had six touches, completed all four of his passes, and made one defensive contribution.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow