Sporting KC show progress but repeat mistakes in 3-1 loss to San Jose

Sporting Kansas City’s 3-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes wasn’t just another defeat. It was a snapshot of everything this team currently is. There are signs of progress, especially in attack, but the same defensive issues continue to define results. It is the same problems we saw in 2025.

Head coach Raphael Wicky didn’t shy away from that reality.

“I think we started really well,” Wicky said. “But in general it’s just too easy to score goals against us.”

That line sums up Sporting KC right now. The performance had intent, and even control at times with 48% possession, but the margins remain brutally thin because of how easily opponents find goals. Sporting conceded 10 shots with three on target. All three of those shots on target were goals.

A bright start from Bartlett

Sporting took the lead through Jacob Bartlett, whose first MLS goal came from a well-timed run onto a Dejan Joveljic through ball. Wicky called it “a beautiful goal,” adding that Bartlett has the tools to become “a box-to-box midfielder” if he continues to grow in confidence.

Bartlett himself downplayed the finish, pointing instead to the service. “Deki did all the work for me… he’s an unbelievable player and he made my job easy,” he said.

That humility aside, Bartlett’s performance was one of the clearest positives on the night. He brought energy, movement, and a willingness to impact both sides of the ball. Those are traits Sporting KC have been missing at times. 

But as has been the case all season, the game turned not on what Sporting created, but on what they allowed.

Wicky pointed directly to defensive lapses, particularly in individual duels. 

“It’s not effort,” he said. “Sometimes we fall asleep. Sometimes we’re not thinking ahead… and we get punished.”

That showed up immediately in San Jose’s equalizer, where simple movement inside the box went untracked. It showed up again on the second goal, where Sporting committed too many numbers forward and were exposed in transition.

“We cannot attack with eight guys,” Wicky admitted. “You don’t need to attack with eight guys. Then you go into a counter-attack… and it’s very hard to come back.”

Ian James has night to forget

This is where Sporting KC’s identity is currently breaking down. The attacking structure is improving, but the balance isn’t there. When they commit forward, they lack the defensive numbers to control the opposition and protect themselves, and when they drop deeper, they struggle to win the individual battles Wicky emphasized.

That tension is also tied to personnel decisions, particularly in defense. Wicky continues to back young center-back Ian James, despite a difficult night.

“I see potential in him… that’s why I put him on the field,” Wicky said. “But there is a lot of work to do.”

James can be blamed, in some part, for all three goals. On the first, he lost track of the San Jose goal scorer who stood right in front of him. On the second, he attempted to cover for Diego Borges, but couldn't delay the attack. San Jose’s third came from a poor clearance by James.

Development-versus-results

That development-versus-results balance is shaping Sporting’s season. The team has used a different lineup in every game, and the lack of continuity is evident. Wicky acknowledged that reality, noting that “to become a good team, you need consistency,” something Sporting simply hasn’t had due to injuries and constant changes.

Bartlett, however, framed it differently. “It’s a next man up role,” he said. “I think everyone has the capability to do it.”

“We’re far enough into the season where we have to cut these things out,” Bartlett said. “There’s no excuse.”

That’s the clearest takeaway from the 3-1 loss to San Jose. Sporting Kansas City are not far off being competitive on a weekly basis, but they are still far too easy to play against defensively.