Sporting midfielder Gadi Kinda successfully adjusting to life in MLS

It would have been easy to understand if Sporting Kansas City newcomer Gadi Kinda needed time to settle into the team.

He joined the squad for preseason training in January having spent the vast majority of his life in Israel. His English was limited. The culture change was drastic. Then came one of the most transformative developments in modern history—the COVID-19 pandemic.

None of it prevented Kinda from enjoying a brilliant start to his MLS career. The 26-year-old was nothing short of superb in the early stages of the season, bagging a pair of goals and adding an assist in wins over Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the Houston Dynamo. He was the only player to earn MLS Team of the Week honors…