With playoffs out of reach, Dynamo, SKC have eyes on future

The end can't come soon enough for the Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City, as the two clubs spend Decision Day in Kansas City, Kan., playing their final match of the season.

Houston (9-15-9, 36 points) was eliminated from the MLS Cup playoffs with a 4-2 loss at home to San Diego Oct. 4. The Dynamo have lost three of their last four games.

"It's a sad state of affairs that we're not in a position on Decision Day to at least be in the conversation," Houston head coach Ben Olsen said earlier this week. "That disappointment is real, but we have to live with that.

"But these two weeks (of preparation) have been about Kansas City and getting a result and trying to end in the right way."

Houston has struggled to score goals this season. The Dynamo have just one player who has reached double figures in goals--Ezequiel Ponce with 10. Houston has a minus-13 goal differential.

Sporting KC (7-20-6, 27 points) has lost five straight matches and nine of their last 10. It's been a struggle all season long for Sporting.

It's been a one-man show offensively for Sporting KC this season. Dejan Joveljic leads Sporting with 18 goals, 11 more than the next closest player, Daniel Salloi. Joveljic is completing the first year in a three-year contract.

But who will join Joveljic on the roster next season is anybody's guess, along with who will be the lead man on the bench. Kerry Zavagnin, who took over as interim manager early in the season, knows that his job is anything but secure.

"For sure it's been a difficult season," Zavagnin said Friday. "The results haven't gone our way. But we've had the opportunity to evaluate the things we have with this group and the things we need moving into next year.

"There's no doubt that this was going to be a transition year in many aspects. With so many contracts expiring at the end of the year, there's going to be a lot of new faces come next year."

--Field Level Media