Roger Espinoza spent the last match of Sporting Kansas City's 2015 season alone at home with his dog, watching his club lose a heartbreaking 11-round shootout in a Western Conference Knockout Round slugfest.
Now, having quietly assumed the captain's role at midseason, the veteran midfielder is trying to lead Sporting back into the postseason – with one match left to seal a sixth straight playoff berth.
“The last time we were out of the playoffs here was in 2010,” Espinoza told reporters during a Thursday news conference ahead of Sunday's regular-season finale against the San Jose Earthquakes (4 pm ET, MLS LIVE).