Sporting KC vs Montreal Impact: Five Talking Points

Let's put it bluntly: Montreal looked like the better team Saturday night. They were more fluid, the attacked better and looked like the Eastern Conference leaders that they now are. Sporting looked like they were sorely missing Graham Zusi and Matt Besler. Is it time to panic? Do changes need to be made? Do we all need to just stay patient and let the season take it's course?

Let's open it to the floor.

1) Sporting Park is not a fortress.

For the past three years players from teams all around the league have said that Sporting Park is a very tough place for opposing players to play. Well evidently it's not in 2013. Sporting has now lost three matches at home this season and hold a record of 3-3-2 at home. That's a .375 winning percentage at home and a 1.38 points per game average at home. For a stadium that's supposed to be a fortress, teams have had no problem coming into Kansas City and earning a result.

2) The boss is upset

Peter Vermes is certainly upset but he's not the one I'm referencing. I'm talking about THE boss: Robb Heineman.

@RobbHeineman
Home losses r unacceptable. 3 by June 1st.....no

While it may be reading too far into a tweet sent out by a man obviously frustrated right after a match it's certainly something to talk about. Heineman is right: losses at Sporting Park are unacceptable and three by June 1st is completely unacceptable. I doubt anything serious will come of this but if Robb is bold enough to share this on Twitter then anything is possible.

3) Benny Feilhaber should have started

Hindsight is always 20/20 but I stand firm in my assertion that Benny Feilhaber should have started over Peterson Joseph. In the last match between these two squads Feilhaber torched Montreal with two assists and looked great in the midfield. Last night Claudio Bieler only received one through ball. ONE. The midfield was not providing good service at all to the attack last night and that's where Benny Feilhaber should've come in earlier. If Feilhaber had started the game Sporting may have been able to open up the field a bit more and stretch the defense from the start.

4) Montreal is the real deal (For now)

As said above, Montreal looked absolutely fantastic last night. They were cohesive, fluid and extremely talented all around the field. They have the best points per game average in the league and have four matches in hand against the second place team in the Eastern Conference, the New York Red Bulls. If Montreal can keep this up it will be end up being a historically good season as they are on pace to earn 73 points. However they still have a lot of matches to play and they will bunch up rather quickly, as well as their matches in the CONCACAF Champions League. What they've done up until now has been great, however, and they will remain the team to beat in the East.

5) It is not time to panic

I understand that Sporting hasn't been so hot as of late. This is no time to panic though. May has always been a bad month for Peter Vermes' squads and this season is no different. Sporting was missing two international caliber players last night as well as Chance Myers missing at the fullback position. I don't like to make excuses but sometimes they have to be made to encourage people to be patient. The rest of the Eastern Conference has gotten better but so has Sporting the past couple of years. If we are still in this situation by matchday 30 then panic is in order, but it's not even halfway through the season yet. Patience people, let the season ride out and we'll just have to see how everything turns out.