Sporting KC seals first in East with 2-1 win over Philadelphia
Sporting KC 2012 team awards announced
KC Cauldron to host playoff rally on Oct. 30
Sporting KC to host MLS Cup playoff match on Nov. 7
Nielsen nominated for MLS Save of the Week
Sporting KC updated training schedule
What are you Sporting? contest ends Friday
Sporting KC stars to Flip the Switch at Plaza Lighting Ceremony
State Line Soccer Show tonight on 610 Sports Radio
Sporting KC now taking deposits for 2013 Reserved Seating
*Follow Sporting KC Online
SPORTING KC SEALS FIRST IN EAST WITH 2-1 WIN OVER PHILADELPHIA
Sporting Kansas City defeated the Philadelphia Union 2-1 in front of a sold out crowd on Wednesday night at LIVESTRONG Sporting park, securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference and the second seed overall in the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs. Sporting Kansas City will now have home field advantage through the Eastern Conference Championship, beginning with the second leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
Tickets for Sporting Kansas City’s first home playoff match are available to purchase online at Tickemaster.com or at the LSP Box Offices.
Kei Kamara led the attack for Sporting Kansas City in the regular season finale on Wednesday, assisting n Jacob Peterson’s opening goal in the 40th minute and again on C.J. Sapong’s match-winner with less than 10 minutes remaining in the match. Jimmy Nielsen made two saves, including a stop on Michael Farfan’s second-half penalty kick, to match the MLS record in the non-shootout era for wins in a season with 18.
Sporting Kansas City closed the record-setting 2012 regular season with 63 points, most in team history, and will be in position to host the 2012 MLS Cup if they reach the final and face any team other than Supporters’ Shield winners San Jose.
SPORTING KC 2012 TEAM AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Sporting Kansas City announced the team's annual award winners on Wednesday prior to their regular season finale against the Philadelphia Union at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. The following awards were voted on by Sporting Kansas City players, coaches and media members:
- 2012 Most Valuable Players: Jimmy Nielsen and Graham Zusi
- 2012 Offensive Player of the Year: Kei Kamara
- 2012 Budweiser Golden Boot: Kei Kamara
- 2012 Defensive Player of the Year: Matt Besler
- 2012 Humanitarian of the Year: Kei Kamara
- 2012 Bob Gansler Award (Most Outstanding Academy Player): Paul Dean
KC CAULDRON TO HOST PLAYOFF RALLY ON OCT. 30
Sporting Kansas City supporters are encouraged to attend the Kansas City Cauldron playoff rally on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at Crossroads KC at Grinders (417 E 18th St Kansas City, MO). The KC Cauldron, Sporting Kansas City’s largest supporters group, invites all fans to join the festivities from 7-9 p.m. CT on Tuesday.
The rally will feature a special playoff preview edition of The Sporting KC Show on Sports Radio 810 WHB, hosted by Callum Williams and Jake Yadrich from 7-8 p.m. CT live on location. The rally will officially kick off at 8 p.m. CT with Border Patrol co-host Nate Bukaty serving as the emcee for the special event.
Sporting Kansas City players will be in attendance and admission is free for all ages. Doors open at 6 p.m. CT and there will be random prizes given away throughout the rally, including a grand prize drawing for 2013 Sporting Kansas City Season Tickets.
Sixteen-ounce bottles of Budweiser, the official sponsor of Sporting Kansas City’s 2012 #PlayoffTimeInKC campaign, will be available to purchase for $3 outside and slices of pizza will be on sale for $5. Food and other drinks will also be available inside Grinders.
For more information, visit www.KCCauldron.com or follow @KCCauldron on Twitter.
SPORTING KC TO HOST MLS CUP PLAYOFF MATCH ON NOV. 7
Sporting Kansas City will host the second leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Nov. 7 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Tickets to see Sporting Kansas City in the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs, presented by Budweiser, begin at $30 and are available online at Ticketmaster.com or at the LSP Box Offices.
The team will play the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on the road on Nov. 3 or 4. Opponent, kick-off time and broadcast information for the series will be determined pending the outcome of the Eastern Conference Knockout Round on Oct. 31.
NIELSEN NOMINATED FOR MLS SAVE OF THE WEEK
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen is one of five candidates for MLS Save of the Week for Week 32. Voting is open to the general public on MLSSoccer.com and will close at 11:59 p.m. PT tonight.
Nielsen, who played every minute for Sporting Kansas City this season, has won Save of the Week honors five times in 2012 and 15 times since joining the club in 2010. He matched the MLS record for wins in the non-shootout era with 18 victories this season and leads MLS with 15 shutouts, second most in a single-season in League history.
SPORTING KC UPDATED TRAINING SCHEDULE
Sporting KC will train at 10 a.m. CT on Friday and Saturday at the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park. All Sporting Kansas City training sessions during the 2012 season are open to the public unless noted otherwise, and media are encouraged to attend for video, interview and photo opportunities.
All media members planning to attend practice are encouraged to contact Alice Schroeder (913-302-1565) of the Sporting Kansas City communications department in advance for assistance in facilitating media access and availability.
WHAT ARE YOU SPORTING? CONTEST ENDS MONDAY
In honor of Sporting Kansas City’s return to the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs, Sporting KC is hosting a contest for fans to show their support of the club. The contest takes place on Instagram and asks fans “What are you Sporting today?” Users who tag their photos to @SportingKC and use the hashtag #PlayoffTimeInKC are automatically entered to win two tickets at the team’s first home playoff game on Wednesday, Nov. 7.
The contest ends Monday, Oct. 29. To see more fan photos, visit Flickr.com/SportingKC.
SPORTING KC STARS TO FLIP THE SWITCH AT PLAZA LIGHTING CEREMONY
Sporting Kansas City players Matt Besler, Kei Kamara and Jimmy Nielsen will “Flip the Switch” as honored guests at the Plaza Lighting Ceremony. 41 Action News Chief Meteorologist Gary Lezak will host the ceremony, which will feature a performance by The Elders, followed by a free hour-long concert from The Elders immediately after the ceremony ends.
The ceremony is held on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 22nd, from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. CT at a new location on Country Club Plaza. The ceremony main stage has been moved to a brand new location on Nichols Road and Pennsylvania, near Brio Tuscan Grille and Burberry. The stage will be located on Nichols Road, just west of Pennsylvania, and will face east. The new location features a larger gathering area that will allow for more people to have great views of the ceremony’s exciting onstage entertainment and the Flip of the Switch.
STATE LINE SOCCER SHOW TONIGHT ON 610 SPORTS RADIO
Callum Williams will host the State Line Soccer Show from 6-7 p.m. CT tonight on 610 Sports Radio. He’ll be joined by Ian Nuttall, founder of TheStadiumBusiness Awards, and Sporting KC forward Kei Kamara. Listeners can tune in online at 610sports.com and call into the show by dialing 913-576-7610 to share their thoughts.
SPORTING KC NOW TAKING DEPOSITS FOR 2013 RESERVED SEATING
Sporting Kansas City supporters can now place 2013 Season Ticket Deposits for all Reserved Seating at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park by calling 888-4KC-GOAL or visitingwww.SportingKC.com.
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.
