Dany Rosero brings a big personality (and impact) to the Sporting KC defense
Down a goal, Sporting’s big center back Dany Rosero beat his man to a cross — with perfect placement from Memo Rodriguez — and headed home an equalizing goal. As Rosero jumped onto the advertisement boards and celebrated in front of The Cauldron, he stretched his arms out wide.
“It’s always awesome to see how the fans react when you score a goal,” Rosero told The Star through a translator. “It was also really great to see my family celebrating in the stands for me.”
Less than a year ago, Rosero arrived to a Sporting KC team that desperately needed a jolt. In the midst of its winless start to the 2023 season, Sporting needed help on defense and a spark overall.
Rosero walked into a difficult situation smiling and happy, unaware of the frustration — and maybe even doubt — that permeated Sporting during that rough stretch.
Sporting manager Peter Vermes said Rosero was “thrown to the wolves” upon his arrival, and Vermes lauded the impact Rosero has had on and off the field.
“I can’t say enough about the guy’s personality,” Vermes said. “He’s happy every day, the ultimate team guy. ... He’s just a great guy to be around. He’s always thinking about the team, always thinking about the best way to help the team.”
Rosero, who is from Colombia, speaks very little, if any, English. However, most of the back line and midfield can communicate with him in Spanish.
Even though Daniel Salloi — a forward originally from Hungary — says he can’t understand him, he calls Rosero hilarious.
Rosero was named to the “MLS Team of the Matchday” for his dominant performance as Sporting picked up its first win of the 2024 season against the San Jose Earthquakes. His goal included a pass that won’t make the stat sheet as an assist but perfectly split the San Jose midfield, finding Erik Thommy to jump-start the attack.
The pass was the 10th in a sequence of 17 that finished with Alan Pulido putting the ball in the net for the lead, eventually giving Sporting its first win.
Why all this talk about Rosero as a passer and goalscorer? Well, that’s because, as usual, he had the defensive side covered. He blocked a shot and made four clearances — two head-on clearances, two interceptions and three ball recoveries. The whole night, he only lost one duel.
Without Andreu Fontás, who usually leads the bulk of the attack from the back line, it was Rosero’s turn to show that side of his game. He only misplayed four passes, finishing with the highest pass-completion rate of any Sporting player. Four of those were completed into the final third.
Before coming to Sporting, passing out of the back wasn’t a huge part of Rosero’s game. But with the team’s model of play, it needed to be ... eventually.
“It’s honestly minor details,” Rosero said. “It took me a year to get consistent in playing. Now that this season has started and we’ve got a couple of matches under our belt, it’s about fighting for every ball, winning clearances and just keep going for the rest of the season.”
As Rosero has grown into the team, he’s also grown into Kansas City. He bought a house this offseason and even missed a large chunk of the preseason while trying to get his green card. All of that aside, he has hardly missed a beat with Sporting through the first four matches of 2024.
“I feel at home here,” Rosero said. “Only more happiness and great things are to come for me and my family here in Kansas City.”
Rosero and Sporting KC will take on the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Children’s Mercy Park.
Leagues Cup Schedule
The match calendar for the 2024 Leagues Cup is set, and Sporting KC will host both group-stage matches against some familiar foes.
First up is the Chicago Fire on July 28, and then a rematch from last year’s knockout stage. Sporting will face Toluca on August 5. Both matches will start at 8 p.m. central.
