It took one missed postseason for Sporting Kansas City to decide to alter their plan — and perhaps, in so doing, the blueprint for small- and mid-market teams around MLS.



Under the direction of coach and general manager Peter Vermes, Sporting have been among the most successful MLS teams of the last decade. They did this by spending big off the field — a new stadium, a state-of-the-art training facility, a top academy — and in spite of conservative spending on the first-team roster. Using that model, Sporting won MLS Cup in 2013, U.S. Open Cups in 2012, 2015 and 2017 and made the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons.



SKC was a leader of the MLS 2.0 era, a model for other small-market MLS teams. If Sporting could win without pouring money into the roster, so could any other team.



But the introduction of big spenders like Atlanta United and LAFC, expanding a group that previously included the LA Galaxy, Toronto FC and Seattle, have changed...