Anticipating a packed early 2019 season schedule of CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 home-and-away matches against a formidable Toluca FC, the Liga MX Clausura runners-up, and the early MLS campaign, Sporting Kansas City was “ahead of the game.”
The acquisition of Hungarian right-channel center back Botond Barath was in the works to provide needed depth behind stalwart Ike Opara. With those two on the right and Spaniard Andreu Fontas and team captain Matt Besler on the left, Sporting was securely deep at both critical center back positions for the first time in years.