More than a decade ago, as Peter Vermes presented a blueprint for Sporting Kansas City’s sustained, long-term success, he won over the club’s ownership. In fact, early into the conversation with his bosses, he was interrupted.
“We sort of said, ‘OK, let’s quit talking about it and go do it,’” Sporting KC principal owner Cliff Illig said. “We were 100 percent behind all of it.”
The vision centered around a staple, a reliable influx of talent that would not require outbidding teams for free agents nor encounter the challenges of integrating new players into Sporting’s style of play.