Sporting KC 2019 Year in Review: Nicholas Hasler

The 2019 MLS season is one Sporting Kansas City fans will be looking to forget. But with a very long offseason ahead that may not have soccer until March (assuming no MLSPA strike), we feel compelled to look back at the good and the bad from 2019. For the full list of players reviewed, head to our dedicated Year in Review page.

The Blue Testament continues our look back at 2019 with the Liechtenstein international who is probably on his way out, simply because he isn’t a domestic player — Nicholas Hasler.

2019 Stats*

Games Played (Started): 9 (7)

Minutes Played: 635

Games Suspended: 0

Goals: 0

Assists: 1

xG (expected goals): 0.33

Positions Played: Right back

2019 Salary: $183,666.67

Contract Through (Option Years): 2019 (None)

*All stats from 2019 MLS regular season unless otherwise noted.

Best Moment of 2019

It’s probably a cop out to go to his only assist, but it sure was nice. He fought to win the ball, sent it up the field to Yohan Croizet (who fought pretty hard too) who ultimately laid it off to Johnny Russell in the Seattle Sounders game. Hasler doesn’t offer as much going forward as Graham Zusi, but he is definitely the better defender.

Worst Moment of 2019

It’s hard not to pick the embarrassing 5-1 loss to Los Angeles Football Club. Hasler played the full 90 and though it was a team effort to play defense that poorly, Hasler had his fair share of contributions.

Interesting Stat

Three. As in three teams that Nico has played for in his four year MLS career. I suspect if he wants to continue his time in MLS, he’ll add a fourth team to that list. He played a little under two seasons with Toronto FC, including their 2017 MLS Cup winning season. He was traded to the Chicago Fire. He was getting along fine there until they added Nico Gaitan which meant they needed an international spot. Likely Hasler will be out in KC for much of the same reason. He mostly played fine but he’s the third RB on the roster.

Fan Vote: Keep, Banish or Wait

Keep: 34.3%

Banish: 47.1%

Wait: 18.6%

Zusi is under contract until 2021. Jaylin Lindsey is in the same boat (plus a 2022 option). There is just no room on a team for three players that basically only play right back. Especially when MLS teams only get eight international spots and Nico is taking up one of them. If he was the starter that would be one thing, but he’s buried on the depth chart.

Of the other internationals on the roster, they are mostly starters (Gutierrez, Russell, Martins, Nemeth) or fringe starters (Barath and Fontas — one of them is a starter until someone else is signed). Hasler also makes quite a lot of money for a third right back. If Cameron Duke can really play right back, he’s on a very cheap deal. Sorry Nico!