Sporting KC’s new veteran Ben Sweat filling big hole at Left Back

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Sporting KC has over 10 new additions to the club, a mix of young and defender Ben Sweat is new but a veteran.

“We have our group of older guys, there’s a few 25-year-olds, but then everybody’s 18-21, so it’s helping those younger guys,” Sweat said.

Sweat has been around Major League Soccer now on his 5^th club. But Sporting’s different because, one, it’s established compared to his last two stops at expansions sides.

“It’s kind of nice to be at a club, that, everyone knows their jobs and their roles.  There’s a system, there’s a culture built, and new players can come in and establish themselves and blend in really quick,” Sweat said. 

“It’s probably been one of my easiest moves within a club.  Just the environment here, the way Peter (Vernes, SKC head coach) runs things, it suits me.”

“Both Ben Sweat and Logan Ndembe, their ability to acclimate to the team has been fantastic, it’s been so fast,” Vermes said.

A stable, established club is something he needed after coming back from ACL injury.

“Going through something like that, it’s not easy, but it gets better and better and when you’re surrounded by the right people who are helping you every day, it’s making my job a lot easier,” Sweat said.

What has come easy for Sweat: fishing. 

“It’s something I love to do, if I wasn’t doing soccer, I’d love to be doing that full time.”

So acclimating to new teammates, not hard; finding a place to fish for 100 pounders, might be an issue.