It is hard to believe, but 2023 marks 10 years since Sporting KC were crowned MLS Cup champions.

In a couple of exclusive interviews, the MLS Cup-winning duo of Peter Vermes and Graham Zusi reflected on that 2013 triumph almost a decade later.

That triumph was completed on December 7, 2013. Sporting KC defeated Real Salt Lake 7-6 in a penalty shootout after ending 120 minutes level at 1-1. It was a day of suffering in the frigid Kansas City temperatures before an evening of jubilation.

Temperatures reached as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit in the morning before hitting 20 degrees by kickoff. The weather did little to stop anyone as a sellout crowd of 21,650 packed Sporting Park for the Saturday afternoon kickoff.

“That was a fun time for the city,” Zusi said. “To have it at home in front of our fans was very special. I wish we would have finished it in regulation time because adding 30 minutes and penalties when it’s 5 degrees outside isn’t very fun. Credit to the fans for sticking around until the end and celebrating with us. Those are some very fond memories I have.”

It did not start well for Sporting when midfielder Uri Rossell was forced off through injury just eight minutes into the game. However, Vermes believed Sporting’s depth was prepared for situations like what happened.

“You have to bring Lawrence Olum off the bench, and he plays the whole game and he plays really well,” the Sporting KC manager said about how important the depth was to the team’s success against RSL. “If he didn’t get all those opportunities during the season to play, it might have been really difficult for him to enter into a game like that. It was that consistency of depth and also it was a group of great guys that you really relied on for that challenge.”

After a scoreless first half, Real Salt Lake scored the opener seven minutes into the second half when Kyle Beckerman’s no-look pass from the midfield was controlled well by Alvaro Saborio before firing it in from just outside the box in front of around 1,000 away fans who made the trek from Utah.

Despite facing a 1-0 deficit, Sporting did not panic. While trailing certainly made things even more uncomfortable than they already were, it was a situation that was not unique. In fact, they trailed in both the Eastern Conference Semifinals and the Eastern Conference Finals before overcoming those roadblocks to get to MLS Cup.

“I can’t say that there was ever any doubt,” Zusi said. “When you look at the entire playoffs that year we went down in almost every single game and fought back into it. I can’t remember ever having even a strain of doubt at all. That speaks to the mentality of that group.”

But still, the equalizing goal eluded Sporting while they were inches away from going down 2-0 as RSL had a shot smack the inside of the post before traveling back across the face of the goal and trickling out of play for a goal kick.

Sporting evaded all other attacks on goal and had an opportunity to equalize in the 76th minute when Zusi went over to take a corner kick.

“We had several guys who were very good in the air on set pieces,” Zusi explained. “My job was just to put it in a really dangerous spot and let them just go up and get it.”

Zusi did just that, putting the outswinging ball in a dangerous spot as Aurelien Collin smashed it with his head. The fearless French defender beat his marker before rising high and smashing the ball down into the far corner.

“I’m not sure I could feel my feet when the ball came off my foot, but it ended up being a good ball and Collin did the rest.”

The game remained 1-1 after 90 minutes and another 30 minutes of extra time. That meant for the second time in two years, Sporting would be in a penalty shootout to decide championship glory. Like the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup triumph, Sporting was successful.

Claudio Bieler was first up for Sporting, smashing his effort toward the left side of the goal before Saborio’s effort sailed over the crossbar for RSL. The pattern of a Sporting make and RSL miss repeated in round two but misses by Matt Besler and Zusi kept RSL alive.

Both teams continued to make their penalties until Olum pulled his shot wide in the eighth round. With a chance to win it for Real Salt Lake, Sebastián Velásquez had his effort saved by Jimmy Nielsen before Chance Myers and Nat Borchers pushed the shootout to its 10th round.

Known around the team for his notoriously poor penalty-taking abilities, Collin stepped into the pressured situation from 12 yards out despite Nielsen’s appeals.

“When he was getting ready to take his penalty, Jimmy Nielsen was like ‘you want me to go before him?’ because everyone knew how bad he was.”

Those appeals quickly turned into thunderous applause as Collin calmly hit the best penalty of the shootout into the side netting.

“He was the worst penalty kick taker on the team, and where he put that penalty was unbelievable.”

Peter Vermes, Sporting KC manager

Next up was Lovel Palmer for RSL. After playing 120 minutes, the defender’s quick run up to the ball led to him firing his effort off the crossbar before ricocheting away back towards the penalty spot. At that point, all of Sporting Park, other than the corner of away supporters, exploded in exhilaration.

“Pure elation and celebration with the guys,” Zusi said of what he remembers after Palmer’s kick. “You kind of black out a little bit, you don’t really remember what your doing, but it’s just pure joy and happiness.”

For the first time under new ownership, Sporting KC had won the MLS Cup.

“When they first came in, I think they had certain reasons why they bought the team,” Vermes said about the ownership group that took the reigns from Lamar Hunt in 2006. “After all that happened, I think that moment made them locked and loaded on soccer and this club for sure.”

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When asked what made the group so special, Vermes credited the team’s depth and availability.

“They were a very dominating group physically and a very consistent group health-wise. But also depth within the roster for very key positions on the field that wound up being very important to the overall success.”

Zusi credited the team’s success to the team’s cohesion.

“There were absolutely no egos on that team at all. Everyone fought for each other. It was a young group that had a very attacking and aggressive mindset. It was a great locker room of guys that came together to ultimately hoist the cup.”

That 2013 MLS Cup championship is something Zusi will cherish for the rest of his life.

“There’s a lot of people who go throughout their entire career without winning trophies, so you have to savor when you have that chance. It’s something that I’ll never forget.”

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