Major League Soccer's secondary transfer window officially opened on Thursday and will remain open until Aug. 4.
This four-week period carries significance for MLS clubs for two key reasons:
- Teams may only request the international transfer certificate of a player registered in another country during a transfer window
- During the season, intraleague loans or trades that involve players must occur during a transfer window
In other words, get ready for new faces in new places. And Sporting Kansas City's upcoming home matches - on three straight Saturdays within the next month - will shine a spotlight on several summer signings.
Sporting KC vs. LAFC on Saturday, July 23
Only two clubs in the Western Conference have made multiple additions to their roster during the secondary transfer window thus far and they'll go head-to-head at Children's Mercy Park.
Sporting's two newest players -- 27-year old German playmaker Erik Thommy and 22-year-old Nigerian striker William Agada -- could make their home debuts, while first place LAFC now feature two European superstars with the acquisition of 32-year-old forward Gareth Bale and 37-year-old defender Giogio Chiellini.
Bale, who will lead Wales at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in November, is a five-time UEFA Champions League winner and arrives after a nine-year career with Real Madrid in Spain. Chiellini, who won nine Serie A titles during a 17-year career at Juventus FC, has 117 caps for Italy -- including appearances at the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup -- and captained Italy to the 2020 European Championship as the Defender of the Tournament.
Sporting KC vs. Austin FC on Saturday, July 30
One week after hosting first place LAFC, Sporting Kansas City will welcome second place Austin FC to Children's Mercy Park. Led by a pair of Sporting Legends in head coach Josh Wolff and assistant coach Davy Arnaud, Austin will arrive with a squad strengthened by the recent addition of 23-year-old winger Washington Corozo on loan.
Corozo spent the 2021-22 season with Liga MX's Pumas UNAM - playing in both legs of this year's Concacaf Champions League Final - and debuted with the Ecuador Men's National Team during 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. Previously, Corozo won Copa Sudamericana in 2019 with Independiente del Valle and won the Peruvian Liga 1 title in 2020 with Sporting Cristal.
Sporting KC vs. LA Galaxy on Saturday, Aug. 6
While Los Angeles FC and Austin FC chase a first MLS Cup appearance since joining the league within the past five seasons, no team has more MLS Cup trophies than the LA Galaxy. The five-time champions will return to Children's Mercy Park on Aug. 6 as Sporting Kansas City honors the service and sacrifice of military members and their families with the club's fifth annual Sporting Salutes match.
The Galaxy, currently in fourth place in the Western Conference, announced this week the acquisition of 29-year-old Uruguayan midfielder Gaston Brugman via transfer from Italian side Parma Calcio. Notably, Brugman becomes just the second international transfer of the summer by a Western Conference club. The first? Sporting Kansas City's move to sign Agada from the Israeli Premier League.
Tickets for Sporting Kansas City home matches are available to purchase via SeatGeek. And with eight regular season home matches remaining, there's no better time to buy the Captain's Flex Pack which provides fans with eight ticket vouchers to secure seats at Children's Mercy Park.
