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Blistering Start Brings Buzz for Belmar

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 04/28/18, 8:53AM EDT

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SPR standout has averaged a goal every 64.1 minutes in 2018 in search of higher level


With seven goals in five games to start the 2018 season, Kharlton Belmar has entered the modern era's Top 10 for regular-season goals with 36 in his career | Photo courtesy Darren Abate / San Antonio FC

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Kharlton Belmar had a prolific first season for the Swope Park Rangers in 2017, leading the side with 14 goals in the regular season and another in the USL Cup Playoffs as the club claimed its second consecutive Western Conference championship.

This year, though, the standout striker has found another gear in a blistering start to the season that has seen him score seven goals in five appearances. After earning March’s USL Player of the Month award, Belmar is averaging a goal every 64.1 minutes as the side enters Saturday’s game against Saint Louis FC (8:30 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+).

Belmar credits his start to a strong preseason with Sporting Kansas City, which itself is off to a roaring start offensively in Major League Soccer with a league-leading 20 goals going into this weekend’s action. Competing alongside SKC’s co-leading scorers Felipe Gutierrez and Johnny Russell day-in and day-out has had a galvanizing effect on Belmar’s game.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “It’s a great motivation to be in the ranks with great teammates and great players, and I’ve been able to try and take little things from each one of them and try and incorporate that into my game. Obviously, it’s just a lot of fun, I’m having a lot of fun with that and learning as much as possible.”

The question now for Belmar is whether he can get into the picture for minutes for SKC himself. With 36 regular-season goals in 86 appearances over a USL career that saw him earn 2015 Rookie of the Year honors with the Portland Timbers 2, Belmar has already reached the Top 10 in that category in the league’s modern era but has had to remain patient thanks to the exploits of those ahead of him on the club’s MLS depth chart.

It’s a challenge that has faced others in his position in recent years, and one that Swope Park Head Coach Paulo Nagamura wants Belmar to challenge head-on.

“He’s a hard-working kid, and I’m glad he’s having this early success in the year with us, but I don’t think he needs to be satisfied there,” said Nagamura, “I think he needs to have his goals to break into the first team and hopefully he can keep up with that work and he can get a chance soon.”

That he’s been available so far this season for Nagamura has been to Swope Park’s benefit on the field, where the side has once again made a good start to its season. In the bigger picture, though, maintaining or even raising that standard is going to be important for Belmar to reach the level he’s aiming for in the top flight.

“I think Kharlton’s in that transition moment where he’s excelling in USL, but he needs to step up his game and keep up with MLS standards,” added Nagamura. “I think we have a very good plan here in the club for him just like with all the other players in the roster, and hopefully he can keep improving and make that next step.”


Kharlton Belmar's two-goal outing against Phoenix Rising FC saw him produce a tremendous individual finish to add to his sterling start to 2018 | Photo courtesy Michael Rincon / Phoenix Rising FC

As fast as Belmar’s start has been this season, though, there’s also the potential for what he could accomplish should he spend much of the season with Swope Park. Effectively one-third of the way to the USL single-season record of 22 goals held by former Louisville City FC standout Matt Fondy with a long way to go in the year, the 25-year-old has a clear run at a historic season should he remain with Nagamura’s side on a regular basis.

“I think it’s an accomplishable goal,” he said. “No matter how many games I play, I expect to score a lot more. Twenty-two, if that’s the number, we’re going to go get it.”

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