In the process of extending Sporting Kansas City's unbeaten start to the season with Saturday night's 1-0 victory over the Portland Timbers, three members of the club reached significant milestones.
Manager Peter Vermes coached his 300th Sporting KC game in all competitions, and the win brought his all-time record to 131-96-73. In the process, Vermes has guided Sporting KC to MLS Cup glory in 2013, as well as triumphs in the 2012 and 2015 U.S. Open Cup.
Joining their manager in achieving major milestones were the two longest-serving members of the team, Matt Besler and Graham Zusi. With his inclusion in the lineup, Besler made his 200th regular-season start for Sporting KC, while Zusi reached 200 regular-season appearances for the club.
Besler's start broke a tie for fifth in all-time regular-season starts, having previously sat on 199 alongside Preki. The 30-year-old leads all MLS defenders in having contributed to 62 shutouts since 2010. Zusi's appearance puts him in a tie for seventh in club history, with Chris Klein also playing in 200 games for Sporting KC. In the last seven years, Zusi's 49 assists place him fifth in MLS.
