If You Want Something Done Right

You need to do it yourself. Basically everyone has heard this phrase before, but it's starting to ring especially true for Sporting KC at this point of the season. KC could have gotten some help in qualification the past few days Los Angeles vs New York and Seattle vs Philadelphia. Instead though New York and Philadelphia both got wins putting more pressure on KC when it comes to their playoff qualification. But while it's easy to bitch about LA and Seattle losing games that they probably shouldn't, the bigger issue needs to go back to Kansas City. If you want to make the playoffs you have to do it yourself.

So far this season, KC have dropped 16 points from winning positions (0-4-2). In comparison they've picked up 10 points from losing positions (1-0-7), The extra 6 points that KC have dropped from winning positions would have KC firmly in the playoffs and on the verge of clinching the Eastern Conference. The other thing that has put KC into this situation has been their inability to close games out late. Of the 16 points that they've lost from winning positions, KC has lost half of them in the 88th minute on, a draw with Vancouver (when up 3-0), a loss to Seattle after being up 1-0, and a loss to Dallas after being up 2-0. To be fair, the team has picked up 4 points from losing positions after the 88th minute getting draws vs Chivas, Houston, New England, and LA. But that four point difference between those lost and won would be enough to have KC clinched a playoff spot and be a win away from clinching the East. Getting things done yourself and we're not in a position of needing LA or Seattle to beat New York or Philadelphia to keep KC in first place in the East or help to clinch a playoff spot.

While waiting for someone else to help KC out, they've now lost the ability to win the East on their own and will require assistance by either Toronto or New York to take points off of Philly, while KC wins out to win the Eastern Conference. That said, KC is still a win away from qualifying for the playoffs. But both of those games are against teams challenging for playoff spots in New York and DC.

KC could still qualify for the playoffs without winning another game, but they'd once again have to rely on other teams to help them out. And we've seen how that has helped KC so far this season in the playoff push.