Sporting KC to open MLS Cup Playoffs on Sunday on NBC
Away tickets for first leg of Conference Semifinals available
LIVESTRONG Sporting Park to host watch party on Sunday
Sports Radio 810 WHB to air Sporting KC playoff matches
Sporting KC to host MLS Cup Playoff match on Nov. 7
Standing room only tickets for Nov. 7 game released
Playoff guide available on SportingKC.com
Weekly press conference at 12 p.m. CT this Friday
Jacob Peterson up for Goal of the Week
Jimmy Nielsen wins Save of the Week
Sporting KC sets club attendance record in 2012
Zusi and Nielsen finish as MLS assist and shutout leaders
Collin, Myers represent Sporting KC in Movember
 campaign
Erik Palmer-Brown invited to Academy Select Game
Sporting KC rap song released by B Double E
Sporting KC stars to Flip the Switch at Plaza Lighting Ceremony
Sporting KC now taking deposits for 2013 Reserved Seating
Follow Sporting KC Online

SPORTING KC TO OPEN MLS CUP PLAYOFFS ON SUNDAY ON NBC
Sporting Kansas City will open the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs with a national broadcast audience as NBC will air the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at 2:30 p.m. CT on Sunday, Nov. 4.
Sporting Kansas City will begin the team's Quest for the Cup, presented by Budweiser, with a visit to No. 4 seed Chicago or No. 5 seed Houston for the first of two matches in the aggregate-goal series. Those two potential opponents will meet in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round at 8:00 p.m. CT tonight at Toyota Park, live on ESPN2. The winner will advance to host Sporting KC on Sunday.
For all the latest on Sporting Kansas City's postseason, visit the SportingKC.com playoff guide.


AWAY TICKETS FOR FIRST LEG OF CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS AVAILABLE
Depending on the result of tonight’s Knockout Round game between the Houston Dynamo and Chicago Fire, Sporting Kansas City will travel to Houston or Chicago for the first leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday, November 4th at 2:30 pm CT. You can be there to support Sporting Kansas City with fellow SKC fans.
If Sporting Kansas City plays at Chicago Fire:
• Purchase through this link: www.chicago-fire.com/KCplayoffs
• Tickets will be $20.00 each and are located in Section 134.
• Deadline to purchase tickets is Sunday, November 4th, at 12 pm CT.
If Sporting Kansas City plays at Houston Dynamo:
• Please consult the Kansas City Cauldron Facebook page to RSVP for tickets
• Tickets will be $22.00 each.
• Tickets will be bought through the Kansas City Cauldron and money will be collected individually.
• Deadline to purchase tickets is 24 hours after the CONCLUSION of HOUvCHI Knockout Round.
LIVESTRONGSPORTING PARK TO HOST WATCH PARTY ON SUNDAY
The Members' Club at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park will host an all-ages watch party for the first leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday.Doors open at 1:30 p.m. CT with parking in Lot D. For $3, fans get a choice of a hamburger, hot dog or bratwurst served with chips. All jerseys are buy one, get one 50% off from Sporting Style. RSVP on Facebook!
SPORTS RADIO 810 WHB TO AIR SPORTING KC MATCHES
Sporting Kansas City’s two matches in the Eastern Conference Semifinals will air live on Sports Radio 810 WHB. America’s largest all-sports radio station and Kansas City’s ESPN Radio affiliate, Sports Radio 810 WHB will offer pre-game and post-game coverage live for both legs of the conference semifinals.
Play-by-play commentator Callum Williams and color analyst Jake Yadrich will call all the action from Sporting Kansas City’s opening match of the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs on Sunday, Nov. 4. Coverage on Sports Radio 810 WHB begins at 2 p.m. CT and fans will also be able to listen live online at 810whb.com or via the free Sports Radio 810 mobile app.
The return leg at 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park will be broadcast in its entirety along with an hour-long pre-game and post-game show hosted by Dave Borchardt and Andy Edwards. Additionally, Todd Leabo and Nate Bukaty will be appearing live from the LSP Members’ Club from 2-6 p.m. CT during Between the Lines with Kevin Kietzman.
SPORTING KC TO HOST MLS CUP PLAYOFF MATCH ON NOV. 7
Sporting Kansas City will host the second leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Nov. 7 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Tickets to see Sporting Kansas City in the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs, presented by Budweiser, begin at $30 and are available online at Ticketmaster.com or at the LSP Box Offices.
The team will play the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on the road at 2:30 p.m. CT on Sunday.
STANDING ROOM ONLY TICKETS FOR NOV. 7 GAME RELEASED
A limited amount of standing room only tickets for the first home match of Sporting Kansas City’s playoff run are now available to the public online at Ticketmaster.com or at the LSP Box Offices. The match will kick off at 8:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
PLAYOFF GUIDE AVAILABLE ON SPORTINGKC.COM

A comprehensive guide to Sporting Kansas City’s 2012 Quest for the Cup, presented by Budweiser, is available on SportingKC.com. The page lays out standings, ticket info, match-ups, media coverage and more in an easy-to-understand format. There are also free Facebook cover photos for download and Sporting KC gear for purchase available on the guide. You can also download a #PlayoffTimeinKC Twibbon here.


WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE AT 12 P.M.
 CT THIS FRIDAY
Sporting Kansas City will host their weekly press conference with Manager Peter Vermes and a Sporting KC player at 12 p.m. CT on Friday at the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park. Prior to the press conference, the team will train at 10 a.m. CT. These will be the only photo/video/interview opportunities with the team prior to their departure for the opening game in the MLS Cup Playoffs on Sunday.
All training sessions are open to the media for b-roll and interview opportunities unless otherwise stated. If you plan on attending, please contact Alice Schroeder at 913-302-1565.


JACOB PETERSON UP FOR GOAL OF THE WEEK
Jacob Peterson’s sliding strike against the Philadelphia Union is nominated for the MLS Goal of the Week for Week 33. The goal marked Peterson’s fourth of the season, the most he has scored in a single season since 2006 when he played for the Colorado Rapids.
Voting runs until 9:59 pm CT on Thursdays. Click here to vote online or text G1 to 22442.
JIMMY NIELSEN WINS SAVE OF THE WEEK
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen was the top vote getter in MLSSoccer.com's Save of the Week for Week 32. The award was his second in as many weeks and sixth of the 2012 season, second most among all MLS goalkeepers this season. Nielsen garned more than 40 percent of the fan vote for his sprawling stop on Kenny Cooper in the 41st minute of a scoreless draw at Red Bull Arena.
SPORTING KC SETS CLUB ATTENDANCE RECORD IN 2012

Sporting Kansas City set an all-time attendance record during the 2012 Major League Soccer regular season with an average of 19,404 per match. The record improves on last season's average of 17,810, which was the inaugural year for LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
Sporting KC sold out 16 of 17 home matches, including sellouts in 15 consecutive regular season matches (April 1 to October 24). Along with the season record, Sporting KC broke the single-game attendance record with 21,010 in attendance for the team's 2-0 victory over the Chicago Fire on September 28.
Overall, it's been a very strong year for not just Sporting KC but all of MLS. Another League attendance record was set with 18,807 per MLS match and Sporting KC was one of eight clubs averaging over 19,000. This is the first time in club history that KC's average (19,404) has surpassed the League's average.
MLS is now seventh worldwide in attendance for professional soccer leagues.
ZUSI AND NIELSEN FINISH AS MLS ASSIST AND SHUTOUT LEADERS

Along with the team's impressive 18-7-9 regular season record, it's been a great season for MLS leaders Graham Zusi and Jimmy Nielsen. Zusi finishes the regular season with a League-leading 15 assists, one above Landon Donovan, and more than double his 2011 season. Nielsen finishes with 15 shutouts in 34 matches which is three more then second place Nick Rimando.
Zusi's five goals and 15 assists meant he was a contributor for nearly half of Sporting KC's 42 goals. The midfielder was selected to the 2012 MLS All-Star Game and recently has excelled during call-ups to the US Men's National Team.
Nielsen's 2012 regular season is arguably one of the best ever for a goalkeeper. A 0.79 goals against average is fifth all-time in MLS and his 15 shutouts is second all-time to Tony Meola, who had 16 shutouts in 2000 for KC. Nielsen has won six Save of the Week awards including back-to-back in Week 31 and Week 32.

Both players were recently named Co-MVPs when the 2012 Team Awards were announced.
COLLIN, MYERS REPRESENT SPORTING KC IN MOVEMBER CAMPAIGN
Sporting Kansas City defenders Chance Myers and Aurelien Collin will team up with MLS W.O.R.K.S. for Soccer Kicks Cancer’s Movember 2012 Campaign. Movember is a mustache-growing campaign that raises funds and awareness for men’s health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives. Myers and Collin will begin growing their mustaches on Nov. 1 and invite fans to join them in their hairy quest.
How to register:
- Click here to go to the Sporting KC page
- Click Join to register
- Once you’re registered, you can take advantage of Movember’s available resources to customize your MO SPACE page and solicit additional members to join your team and support your efforts.
Myers and Collin’s mustaches will be documented on social media and the blog throughout the month-long campaign and fans are encouraged to Tweet/Facebook pictures of their mustache to Sporting KC.
All 19 clubs in the MLS will be represented in the campaign and MLS W.O.R.K.S. will match funds raised by the highest individual fundraiser in the MLS Network (individual person, not team). The funds raised support prostate cancer and testicular cancer initiatives. The funds raised are directed to programs run directly by Movember and their men’s health partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG Foundation.
ERIK PALMER-BROWN INVITED TO ACADEMY SELECT GAME

Sporting Kansas City Academy player Erik Palmer-Brown has been invited by the U.S. Soccer Federation to play in the Academy Select game at 5 p.m. CT on Dec. 1 at the Premier Sports Complex in Bradenton, Fla. 

The Winter Showcase Select Game is an important part of the player identification and evaluation process for the Youth National Team program. The Showcase Select Teams are selected by the U.S. Soccer Scouting Network and will be coached by a member of the U.S. Soccer National Team Staff.


SPORTING KC RAP SONG RELEASED BY B DOUBLE E
Sporting Kansas City supporters at the KC Cauldron playoff rally last night were on hand for the debut performance of "Kick It (Sportin' KC)" by local recording artist and Sporting Kansas City Season Ticket Member B Double E (@BDoubleEKC on Twitter). Check out the rap here (lyrics here); the mix can also be found on cdbaby.com and will be available on iTunes on Friday. Sports Radio 810 WHB has aired the audio and a music video is also in production.
SPORTING KC STARS TO FLIP THE SWITCH AT PLAZA LIGHTING CEREMONY
Sporting Kansas City players Matt Besler, Kei Kamara and Jimmy Nielsen will "Flip the Switch" as honored guests at the Plaza Lighting Ceremony. 41 Action News Chief Meteorologist Gary Lezak will host the ceremony, which will feature a performance by The Elders, followed by a free hour-long concert from The Elders immediately after the ceremony ends.
The ceremony is held on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 22nd, from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. CT at a new location on Country Club Plaza. The ceremony main stage has been moved to a brand new location on Nichols Road and Pennsylvania, near Brio Tuscan Grille and Burberry. The stage will be located on Nichols Road, just west of Pennsylvania, and will face east. The new location features a larger gathering area that will allow for more people to have great views of the ceremony's exciting onstage entertainment and the Flip of the Switch.
SPORTING KC NOW TAKING DEPOSITS FOR 2013 RESERVED SEATING
Sporting Kansas City supporters can now place 2013 Season Ticket Deposits for all Reserved Seating at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park by calling 888-4KC-GOAL or visiting www.SportingKC.com.
FOLLOW SPORTING KC ONLINE
Sporting Kansas City fans looking to keep up with the club on the worldwide web now have a place to go. The social media page on SportingKC.com features Twitter account information for the club, its players as well as many staff members. Additionally, fans may take advantage of the Media Recap page for all the latest independent news coverage available online.
