Ilie Sanchez feels loved.
The Sporting Kansas City midfielder saunters toward the midfield tunnel at Children’s Mercy Park, drenched in sweat just minutes after a frustrating 3-2 loss to FC Dallas. The defeat caps a forgettable month of July but precedes an excellent August during which the team rattles off four straight shutout wins.
As he reaches the tunnel, a dispirited Ilie spots a slew of supporters who have descended fieldside hoping to capture a quick selfie with the Spaniard. Their enthusiastic words resonate quickly in his mind, causing him to drift their way rather than head straight to the locker room.