Sometime a handful of matches ago, Sporting Kansas City Captain Johnny Russell was shown on one of Sporting’s social media platforms exultating at the end of a match. He stated directly into the camera (and I paraphrase), “I think this might be our year.”
Around 4:10pm, last Sunday afternoon, Russell stood on the Children’s Mercy Park field just outside the 18-yard box of the goal in front of The Cauldron. Hands on hips and his head level, a turmoiled Russell stared into space with the countenance of a man trying to make sense of all that had just taken place in a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference Semifinal.