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The year is coming to a close and with that comes some reflection on the year that was. As part of that it’s time to take a look at my wishes for 2024 and see how they turned out, spoiler not great.
1. Silverware. This was a success for the Kansas City Current, taking home the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup defeating the Gotham FC in the final of the tournament in October of this year. KC finished the tournament unbeaten and allowed just two goals over the course of the tournament.
Kansas City had two other teams make respective finals in 2024. Despite a frustrating MLS season, Sporting KC made the US Open Cup final, though ended up falling to Los Angeles FC 3-1 in extra time in the final. The Kansas City Comets made it all the way to the Ron Newman Cup final against the Chihuahua Savage in two games, both by a single goal.
2. Fill the 3rd DP Slot. I guess I should have been more specific with this wish. Sporting technically did fill all three of the team’s DP slots in 2024, but not by bringing in new talent, but by naming Nemanja Radoja and Daniel Salloi as DPs for roster relief purposes.
3. Pulido surpasses 2023 goal total. Alan Pulido finished the 2024 season with half the goal total of goals he had in 2023. Pulido scored just seven goals in league play in 2024, while adding another goal in the US Open Cup. Well below his total of 14 league, 15 in all competitions last year.
4. Top 4 in the West. Well off the target with this one, KC missed the playoffs and finished just off the foot of the Western Conference, ahead of only the San Jose Earthquakes.
5. More game-to-game tactical adjustment from KC. There was a little bit of this from Peter Vermes this season. KC went to the double pivot at times this year, but the main thing that did is exploit holes in how one dimensional in terms of style many of the players in KC’s system were. It was nice to see a bit more tactical adjustment from KC though it didn’t lead to much in terms of results in 2024.
6. Figure out the transition path from Melia. Technically not signing him to a new deal and letting him walk is a path. We’ll see how successful that path is going forward. As of right now it appears to be John Pulskamp’s job, though Mike Burns has talked of adding a veteran domestic goalkeeper to the roster to join Pulskamp, Ryan Schewe, and Jack Kortkamp in he goalkeeper room.
7. Current return to the playoffs. This was an understatement for the Current in 2024. The NWSL season in 2024 was very top heavy with the top four teams all being good enough to have run away with the league in other years. Kansas City finished fourth in the regular season before losing to the Orlando Pride in the league’s semifinal.
8. Comets finish top 3 in the East. After a stretch in early 2024 that saw the Comets lose eight in a row, and nine of ten, the Comets finished the regular season on a six game winning streak, allowing them to finish one point ahead of the Milwaukee Wave for 3rd in the East. They then defeated Utica City and Milwaukee each in two games before falling to Chihuahua in the final.
9. Reget makes US Futsal team, US qualifies, and has a good showing at the Futsal World Cup. This wish didn’t come true at all in the end. CONCACAF’s Futsal championship, the federation’s qualifying for the World Cup took place right in the middle of the MASL playoffs for KC. Reget was not named to the roster, though it came out that Reget had asked to stay with the Comets for the playoff run. Unfortunately for the US they finished 1-1-1, third in their group. They made the knockout round, but fell to Panama 2-1 in a game that determined qualifiers for the World Cup.
10. Sporting KC II build on the 2023 season, make the playoffs again. A theme for this year for men’s teams in KC was long winless runs, and that bit Sporting KC II as well in 2024 as they went eleven straight with only one regulation win during the MLS Next Pro season. That stretch of the season for KC helped keep Kansas City from returning to the playoffs in 2024. Obviously with the nature of MLS Next Pro teams, winning isn’t the only metric, a few players for KC did show bright moments. Kamron Habibullah led the team with 11 goals followed by Maouloune Goumballe and Beto Avila with nine. New first team signings, Kortkamp and Ian James got their first taste of professional soccer while playing on academy contracts for SKCII.
11. USMNT have a good showing in the Copa America. Getting grouped in a tournament you’re hosting is never a good thing, ever. It rightly cost Gregg Berhalter his job as USMNT coach.
12. Kansas City has a good showing while hosting Copa America. Results aside it seemed to be a fairly successful tournament for KC. The Canada-Peru game drew 15,000 at Children’s Mercy Park. The USA drew the second largest soccer crowd in Kansas City’s history after the Sporting-Inter Miami earlier this year, drawing over 55,000 for the USA’s third and final group stage game.
I hit on five to six of my wishes for 2024, not exactly a banner year in that regard. The KC Current had sold out crowds at CPKC Stadium all season which will be the biggest takeaway from 2024 for KC soccer. The Comets making the finals of the Ron Newman Cup is second. But a massively disappointing year for both Sporting teams.
A Look Back at 2023 Wishes
The Blue Turf: Two more games versus the Ambush
Footy Headlines May Have Leaked Sporting KC’s 2025 Kit
Current signs star Brazilian keeper
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