The exterior of the Sporting Kansas City front line was occupied by a pair of United States men’s national team members, their combined salaries eclipsing $1 million. From his home in Kansas City, forward Jacob Peterson sat and watched teammates Brad Davis and Graham Zusi on TV, buried behind both of them on the depth chart.
In reality, this was the blueprint Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes drew up in the offseason — matching Davis and Zusi with striker Dom Dwyer to form the offensive attack. And that didn’t leave much room Peterson, a 12-year MLS veteran who, by his own self admission, isn’t known for his precise finishing.