Sporting Kansas City welcomes Toronto FC on Saturday
Graham Zusi up for Best MLS Player at 2013 ESPYS
Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi nominated for MLS Goal of the Week
Sporting KC trio voted to the MLS All-Star Fan XI
Sporting KC CONCACAF Champions League schedule set
Community MVP voting open through MLS W.O.R.K.S.
Sporting KC defeats rivals the Chicago Fire 2-1 at Toyota Park
Jerome, Joseph feature for Haiti in CONCACAF Gold Cup
MLS All-Stars to host AS Roma in 2013 AT&T MLS All-Star Game
Tickets on sale for all Sporting KC home matches in 2013
Single-day tickets on sale now for Flatlands Festival
Sporting KC season tickets sold out for 2013 season
Sporting Park to host U.S. MNT in World Cup Qualifier
Away tickets available now
Sporting KC advances to national #SocialMadness competition
Kevin Gray awards
Sporting KC players in the community
Follow Sporting KC online
SPORTING KANSAS CITY WELCOMES TORONTO FC ON SATURDAY
Sporting Kansas City faces Toronto FC for the second of three meetings during the 2013 MLS season on Saturday. The match, presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT at Sporting Park. Saturday’s match will be broadcasted on KSMO-TV and can also be heard on Sports Radio 810 WHB La Gran D 1340 (Spanish).
Sporting KC is coming off a 2-1 road victory over the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park last weekend with goals from Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi. Sporting KC in undefeated in seven of the club’s last eight MLS matches.
Toronto FC heads into the weekend following a 3-3 draw with the Montreal Impact on July 3 and a bye over the weekend. Toronto FC defeated Sporting KC 2-1 the first time the clubs met this season with a pair of first half goals from Robert Earnshaw. Claudio Bieler scored the lone goal for Sporting KC in the 77th minute.
A limited number of tickets are still available online at Ticketmaster.com or at the Sporting Park Box Offices.
GRAHAM ZUSI UP FOR BEST MLS PLAYER AT 2013 ESPYS
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Graham Zusi is nominated for Best MLS Player at the The 2013 ESPYS. Voting is open online at ESPN.com/ESPYS and will continue through the start of the live show on July 17 at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN. The U.S. Men's National Team playmaker is up against San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski and New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry for the award, which was established in 2006 and has been won by either David Beckham (2008, 2012) or Landon Donovan (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011) each of the last seven years.
Zusi was an MLS All-Star, Best XI selection and MVP finalist in 2012 after leading the League with 15 assists to go along with his five goals on the year. In 2013, Zusi has three goals and five assists to give him 14 goals and 28 assists in his five-year career. The ESPYS gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The 2013 ESPYS marks the show's 21st telecast and will be hosted by Missouri native Jon Hamm.
BENNY FEILHABER AND GRAHAM ZUSI NOMINATED FOR MLS GOAL OF THE WEEK
Sporting Kansas City's Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi have been nominated for MLSSoccer.com Goal of the Week for their goals in Sporting KC’s 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire on Sunday. Feilhaber put Sporting KC ahead in the sixth minute when he picked up a deflected ball and hammered off the far post in the sixth minute. Zusi doubled the visitor’s lead two minutes later when his long ball into the penalty box sailed over the head of Fire goalkeeper Paolo Tornaghi. You can cast your vote online at MLSSoccer.com or by texting G4 (for Feilhaber) or G5 (for Zusi) to 22442.
SPORTING KC TRIO VOTED TO THE MLS ALL-STAR FAN XI
Three Sporting Kansas City players were voted to the MLS All-Star Fan XI announced on Sunday. Defenders Matt Besler and Aurelien Collin, along with midfielder Graham Zusi receive All-Star recognition for the second time in their MLS careers as three of 10 players chosen by fans.
Sporting Kansas City’s three selections to the MLS All-Star Fan XI are the most among any team. All three players were members of the MLS Best XI in 2012.
SPORTING KC CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SCHEDULE SET
Sporting Kansas City learned their schedule for the group stage of the 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League. Sporting KC will open up the tournament with a road matches against Real Estelí FC on Wednesday, August 7 and CD Olimpia on Tuesday, August 27. They will then close out the group stage with home matches against Real Estelí on September 17 and Olimpia on October 2.
Tickets for the decisive two home games in the CONCACAF Champions League group stage went on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. CT today. These tickets can be secured online at Ticketmaster.com or at the Sporting Park Box Offices.
COMMUNITY MVP VOTING OPEN THROUGH MLS WORKS
Voting closes on Friday for the MLS WORKS 2013 Community MVP contest and every MLS club is represented by a community member who uses soccer to make a positive difference in their community. Sporting Kansas City's candidate is Rob Million, the president of Sporting Club Network member Puma FC, who helped launch "A Chance For All" to provide underprivileged youth in Kansas City a chance to play organized soccer. Voting is conducted online through MLSSoccer.com and the MLS Facebook page and continues until 4 p.m. CT on July 12. The winner will receive a $10,000 donation to their charity of choice, as well as a trip for two to the 2013 AT&T MLS All-Star Game at Sporting Park (including accommodations, tickets, in-stadium recognition and a gift bag). The Community MVP Grand Prize winner will be announced on July 15.
SPORTING KC DEFEATS RIVALS THE CHICAGO FIRE 2-1 AT TOYOTA PARK
Sporting Kansas City secured a 2-1 win over their Eastern Conference rivals on Sunday. Benny Feilhaber beat goalkeeper Paolo Tornaghi after gaining possession of a loose ball just inside the 18-yard-box with a well-struck shot. Feilhaber’s first goal this season came just six minutes into the match. Zusi doubled the score just two minutes later, curling a shot just inside the far post.
Mike Magee got in behind Sporting KC’s backline in the 38th minute of the match adding his fifth goal in his past six games and League-leading 11th of the season. Sporting KC was able to sustain the pressure and maintain the 2-1 lead.
JEROME, JOSEPH FEATURE FOR HAITI IN CONCACAF GOLD CUP
Sporting Kansas City defender Mechack Jerome and midfielder Peterson Joseph both started in Haiti’s 2-0 loss against Honduras on Monday night in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Mechack Jerome played the full 90 minutes while Joseph was subbed out at the 56 minute mark.
Haiti will need at least a draw or better against Trinidad & Tobago (Friday, 6 PM, Fox Soccer) to have a chance at advancing to the knockout stage.
MLS ALL-STARS TO HOST AS ROMA IN 2013 AT&T MLS ALL-STAR GAME
This year, Major League Soccer will play Italian giants AS Roma in the 2013 AT&T MLS All-Star Game. The marquee match will be played Wednesday, July 31 at Sporting Park. The annual summer showcase will be broadcast live on ESPN2, UniMás, and in Canada on TSN and RDS starting at 8 p.m. CT.
In conjunction with the game will be five days of festivities featuring KC landmarks including a free concert featuring the Silversun Pickups in the Power and Light District on Tuesday, July 30.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR ALL SPORTING KC HOME MATCHES IN 2013
Sporting KC announced that individual tickets for the final eight MLS home matches are on sale now. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com or at the Sporting Park Box Offices.
SINGLE-DAY TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR FLATLANDS FESTIVAL
Single-day tickets for the Flatlands Country Music Festival at Sporting Park from Sept. 12-14 are on sale to the general public, 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 visitflatlandsfestival.com or call 800-493-3378.
SPORTING KC SEASON TICKETS SOLD OUT FOR 2013 SEASON
Sporting Kansas City announced that the club's allotment of 14,000 season tickets for the 2013 season at Sporting Park are sold out. Prospective Season Ticket Members may join the club's Season Ticket Member waiting list by placing a $50 non-refundable deposit per season ticket request.
Sporting Kansas City currently leads all MLS teams in the total number of new Season Ticket Members for 2013 and have averaged over a 90% Season Ticket Member renewal rate for the last three seasons.
Sporting Kansas City are also selling five-game 'Pick Plans.' All plans include the five Sporting KC matches of the buyer's choice, including U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League or any of the remaining MLS regular season games.
SPORTING PARK TO HOST U.S. MNT IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
Sporting Park will host the U.S. Men's National Team on Oct. 11 in the team's final home qualifying match for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The United States returns to Sporting Park to play Jamaica, live on the ESPN family, WatchESPN and UniMas at 8 p.m. CT. Ticket information will be released at a later date.
Sporting Park, home to Major League Soccer's Sporting Kansas City, will host the U.S. Men's National Team for the third time since opening in June 2011. The state-of-the-art, $200+ million venue will also host the 2013 MLS All-Star Game on July 31.
AWAY TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW
Reserve your free away ticket to Sporting Kansas City's July 27 match against Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo, August 18 match against the San Jose Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium and the August 23 match against the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park by clicking here.
SPORTING KC ADVANCES TO NATIONAL #SOCIALMADNESS COMPETITION
Sporting Kansas City was recently dubbed the overall winners in the Kansas City Business Journal #SocialMadness large category. The scores were based on engagement through social channels, meaning that Sporting KC mentions, likes, comments, follows and shares on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ were the most active in the area.
Sporting KC now advances to a national bracket-style tournament – hosted by American City Business Journals and kicking off on July 16 – to be matched up against brands and businesses from across the country.
KEVIN GRAY AWARDS
Sporting Park will host an awards ceremony for the 2013 Kevin Gray Awards at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday. The Kevin Gray Player of the Year Awards were established in 2011 to honor the late Kansas City Sports Commission president Kevin Gray and recognize the athletic achievements of soccer players in the Kansas City area.
SPORTING KC PLAYERS IN THE COMMUNITY
Sporting KC players will be in the local community this weekend. A Sporting KC player and the club’s mascot will be at Aristocrat Motors in Merriam, Kan. (9400 W. 65th St.) on Saturday from 1:30-3 p.m. CT for a special meet-and-greet opportunity with customers and fans. Teal Bunbury will visit the Microsoft Store at Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, Kan. (11149 W. 95th St.) from 2-3:30 p.m. CT on Sunday.
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.
Also, Sporting Kansas City's 2013 media guide is now available online and fans can find all the latest information for Sporting Kansas City matches at SportingKC.com/GameOn.
