Before the calendar turns to 2018, SportingKC.com is counting down the top 10 moments from Sporting Kansas City’s 2017 season. From thrilling wins and heroic performances to individual accolades and new arrivals, let’s revisit the very best of 2017.
#10-9: Homegrowns arrive and Rangers shine | #8-7: Ilie signs and Benny climbs
#6-5: Gershow Erupts and Nats lift the Cup | #4-3: Epic duel and Tim and Ike rule
#2: This One’s For Neal
1. Paint the Wall
Another grandiose chapter of Sporting KC’s proud history was written in dramatic fashion on Sept. 20 when the New York Red Bulls visited Children’s Mercy Park for the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final.
Goals in either half propelled Manager Peter Vermes’ men to a 2-1 win, played before an electric, jam-packed crowd of 21,523. A 25th-minute header from Latif Blessing and a 66th-minute strike from Daniel Salloi were just enough to secure victory as Sporting KC continued their mastery of North America’s oldest soccer tournament, lifting the Open Cup title for the fourth time overall and the third time since 2012.
The triumph was another major feather in the cap for a Sporting KC side that has now won four major trophies over the last six seasons. Among MLS clubs, only Toronto FC (five) has more championships during that time. Vermes also became just the second coach ever to win an MLS Cup (2013) and three Open Cup titles (2012, 2015, 2017), continuing an era of trophy-laden success in Kansas City since the turn of the decade.
“I signed a five-year contract back in 2014, and the main reason I signed that contract was to win championships,” captain Matt Besler said postgame. “I didn’t just say that, I meant it. That is something I believed in at the time. This is a club that consistently competes for championships, and I’ll play here for as long as we’re continuing to do that and they want me here.”
