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In the starting lineup for the third straight match, Sporting Kansas City U16 Academy defender Erik Palmer-Brown helped the United States Under-15 Boys' National Team to a 2-0 win over Slovenia today at the Torneo Delle Nazioni in Grandisca, Italy. The U.S. secured their second clean sheet of the tournament and got goals from Joshua Perez and Christian Pulisic to move past Slovenia in the Group A standings.
- USA 5pts
- Slovenia 4pts
- Chile 3pts
- Italy 2pts
The United States advances to the semifinals to face the winner of Group B (likely Croatia) on Saturday. Palmer-Brown, a Lee's Summit resident, is currently a member of the U.S. Soccer Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla. and is one of 19 players chosen by head coach Tony Lepore for the 12-team international tournament. He started in the team's 0-0 draw with Italy on Tuesday and again in a 1-1 draw against Chile yesterday.
Sporting Kansas City’s first Victory Project honoree, Xander Reynolds, is one happy kid. Thanks to donations from Sporting KC fans, Xander recently received a very special gift.
Eight-year-old Xander has a brain tumor that is causing blindness in one eye and severely diminishing vision in the other. On April 5th, he was the guest of honor at Sporting’s match against D.C. United. That Friday also marked the launch of the Victory Project, a new community-driven foundation that gives owners and fans the chance to donate directly to a child affected by cancer. The project was a huge success that made a lasting impact on Xander and his family.
A month since his memorable night at Sporting Park, Xander now has a device at home that helps him see. The donations allowed him to purchase the TOPAZ CCTV, a special desktop monitor that enlarges information on a screen. Xander can now read and complete schoolwork at home like his classmates.
For more information about The Victory Project, visit VictoryKC.org.
On this day in 1996, Preki notched two goals and two assists to help lead Kansas City to a 6-4 victory over the Columbus Crew at Arrowhead Stadium. It's tied for the second highest scoring match in MLS history.
Single-day tickets for the Flatlands Country Music Festival at Sporting Park from Sept. 12-14 go on sale to the general public on Friday, starting as low as $59 each. The new country music and camping festival, presented by Marquee Events and Sporting Club, will feature performances from several of the most popular artists in country music over three days.
Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Rodney Atkins, Thompson Square and Kevin Fowler will perform on Friday, Sept. 13. Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Kellie Pickler, Love and Theft, and JT Hodges will then take the stage on Sat., Sept. 14.
The 24,000 expected to be in attendance will have the opportunity to camp in nearby areas and enjoy all amenities associated with the state-of-the-art venue. For more information, visit flatlandsfestival.com or call 800-493-3378.
Sporting Kansas City U16 Academy defender Erik Palmer-Brown started his second straight match for the U.S. Under-15 Boys' National Team today in a 1-1 draw against Chile at the Tournament Delle Nazioni. Two days after earning a scoreless draw against hosts Italy, the U.S. got a goal from Alejandro Zendejas (FC Dallas) in the game's final minute and now sit in a tie for second place heading into their Group A finale on Friday against leaders Slovenia. The top four sides from the 12-team international tournament will advance to the semifinals on Saturday.
Palmer-Brown, a Lee's Summit, Mo. resident who is currently attending the U.S. Soccer Residency Program, is one of 19 players on the trip under head coach Tony Lepore. Follow @ussoccer_ynt for updates.
Goal scorers get all the attention. Ain't that the truth.
Fresh off scoring his first two career MLS goals last weekend, Sporting KC defender Chance Myers was live in studio at Sports Radio 810 WHB this morning to join Steven St. John and Nate Bukaty on The Border Patrol. Listen to the full interview podcasted on 810WHB.com.
Myers' two-goal game against the Timbers garnered him the No. 5 spot on Major League Soccer's Castrol Index and an inclusion on the MLSSoccer.com Team of the Week for Week 9. He was also the top scoring player in MLS Fantasy for the round.
Since being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in 2008 out of UCLA and securing a starting spot at right back in 2011, Myers' strong performances now have some suggesting a shot with the U.S. Men's National Team is in order. Hear more from Myers in the most recent episode of Off the Pitch below...
22 cities. 24 teams. 61 games. 5,490 minutes played. 175 goals.
CONCACAF released the video above prior to last night's 2012-2013 CONCACAF Champions League finale as C.F. Monterrey defeated fellow Liga MX finalists Santos Laguna 4-2 on aggregate. Monterrey lifted the tournament trophy for a third consecutive year and in doing so secured a berth in the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco at year's end.
Sporting Kansas City, winners of the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, will be one of five MLS clubs participating in the 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League (tentatively scheduled to begin group play in August) to compete for the region's club championship crown. The tournament has roots dating back to 1962 and has been won by an American team twice: D.C. United (1998) and the LA Galaxy (2000). Last year, Real Salt Lake became the first MLS side to reach the final since LA's victorious 2000 campaign.
KC has twice played in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, reaching the semifinals in 2002 with triumphs over Trinidad & Tobago's W Connection and Mexico's Santos Laguna. Head Coach Bob Gansler returned his team to the tournament in 2005 but fell to eventual champions Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica) in extra time during the quarterfinal round.
The draw for the centennial edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was released earlier today by U.S. Soccer. Sporting KC will enter the competition on May 28 for the third round along with other domestic MLS clubs. The tournament kicks off with play-in matches on May 7 followed by the first round on May 14 and second round on May 21.
The first round includes Orlando City's U-23's (the PDL side of our USL Pro Affiliate), FC Tucson (Sporting KC's host for the first leg of pre-season) and several other lower division teams.
The full draw is available on USSoccer.com here.
While you're waiting for Sporting KC to play in this year's tournament and defend the team's title, re-live the team's 2012 championship run with video highlights of the final below.
If you haven't heard of Chivas USA's new head coach Juan Luis Sanchez Sola aka "El Chelis," you're in for a treat. The flamboyant and outspoken coach has attracted a lot of attention for his comments since taking over the reigns for Chivas USA in the offseason. Below is a list of the Top 5 quotes from "El Chelis" since his introduction to MLS.
- “I would rather lose 5-4 or 5-2 than to win 1-0...I want fans to be happy and entertained.”
- “I could name 15 Mexican-American players off the top of my head who have played for other teams but have never played for Chivas USA. This is a real tragedy. It is like having daughters, not knowing where they sleep and when you find them, they have each had three children and you think to yourself, ‘How did this happen?’”
- “I forget more and more each day that they are players from Chivas, that they are players from Mexico. It’s like a fruit salad – you have a hard time figuring out what’s the watermelon and what’s the cantaloupe. We’re all Chivas USA, we’re all the same cocktail.”
- "If you go into a match and you grind and grind and grind for the good of the team, at the end, it rewards you. In a barrel of feces, you're grinding and grinding, you finally poke your head up to get the fresh air. You grind, football rewards you, and those are some of my happiest moments, when my players get rewarded that way."
- "When my grandchildren misbehave, I will tell them I will send them to Utah."
UPDATE: Due to inclement weather, the Cancer Battler Cup IV festivities have been postponed until Monday, May 6.
Sporting KC defenders Lawrence Olum and Aurelien Collin will attend Blue Springs High School's Cancer Battler Cup IV on Thursday at Blue Springs High School's Billy Peve Stadium. The pair will participate in pre-game activities and will also be available for a meet-and-greet to sign autographs and take photos with fans until 7:30 p.m. CT.
The Cancer Battler Cup IV is a community fundraising event that will benefit the nonprofit Jennifer Ireland Foundation and is hosted by the Blue Springs High School Soccer Alumni Association. The night will center on a varsity girls' soccer match between the Blue Springs Wildcats and the Blue Springs South Jaguars at 6:30 p.m. CT. Jennifer played and managed soccer at Blue Springs in the years before she succumbed to colon cancer in 2007 at age 27.
At halftime, a 15-minute match between alumni from the two schools and local soccer coaches, including Sporting KC assistant coach Kerry Zavagnin, will take place. For more information, visit the CBC IV page on Facebook.