FC Tucson announced today the complete schedule for the 2016 Desert Diamond Cup. Sporting Kansas City will participate in the annual preseason tournament for the third time after having previously played in 2011 and 2015.
Sporting KC’s tournament schedule includes matches against 2015 MLS Cup runners-up Columbus Crew SC, 2014 MLS Cup runners-up New England Revolution and the Colorado Rapids. Tickets for the tournament are on sale now and can be purchased at fctucson.com.
The Swope Park Rangers, Sporting Club’s new USL team, will also compete in the tournament in advance of their inaugural campaign. The Rangers, who recently announced four new signings, will play matches against the Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew SC, fellow USL side AZ United and PDL club FC Tucson.
Sporting KC’s 2016 preseason, presented by Children’s Mercy, will open on Jan. 23 when the team travels to Arizona for a two-week training stint. The club will head back to Kansas City on Feb. 8 before returning to Tucson on Feb. 14 for the Desert Diamond Cup.
Sporting KC currently has 25 players under contract for the 2016 season and returns 22 players from the squad that won the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The club recently signed veteran midfielder Justin Mapp as the first free agent signing in Major League Soccer history. Fans are encouraged to follow Sporting KC on Twitter and Facebook throughout the offseason for the latest news surrounding the club.
<h3><strong>Date</strong></h3> |
<h3><strong>Time (MT)</strong></h3> |
<h3><strong>Game</strong></h3> |
<h3><strong>Location</strong></h3> |
February 17 |
5:30 p.m. |
<strong>Colorado Rapids vs. Swope Park Rangers</strong> |
North Stadium |
6 p.m |
<strong>Sporting KC vs. Columbus Crew SC</strong> |
Grandstand Field |
|
8 p.m. |
New England Revolution vs. Real Salt Lake |
North Stadium |
|
February 20 |
4:30 p.m. |
<strong>AZ United vs. Swope Park Rangers</strong> |
Grandstand Field |
5 p.m. |
Columbus Crew SC vs. Real Salt Lake |
North Stadium |
|
7 p.m. |
Colorado Rapids vs. Houston Dynamo |
Grandstand Field |
|
7:30 p.m. |
<strong>Sporting KC vs. New England Revolution</strong> |
North Stadium |
|
February 24 |
5:30 p.m. |
New England Revolution vs. Houston Dynamo |
North Stadium |
6 p.m |
<strong>Swope Park Rangers vs. Columbus Crew SC</strong> |
Grandstand Field |
|
8 p.m. |
<strong>Colorado Rapids vs. Sporting KC</strong> |
North Stadium |
|
February 27 |
4 p.m. |
<strong>Swope Park Rangers vs. FC Tucson</strong> |
Grandstand Field |
4:30 p.m. |
AZ United vs. TBA |
North Stadium |
|
6:30 p.m. |
TBA vs. TBA |
<span style="font-size: 13.5135px; line-height: 21.6216px;">Grandstand Field</span> |
|
7 p.m. |
<span style="font-size: 13.5135px; line-height: 21.6216px;">TBA vs. TBA</span> |
<span style="font-size: 13.5135px; line-height: 21.6216px;">North Stadium</span> |
