Sporting Kansas City hosts Vancouver tonight
Graham Zusi up for Best MLS Player at 2013 ESPYS
Claudio Bieler part of MLS All-Star 'In the Game' Challenge
Kei Kamara nominated for MLS Goal of the Week
Sporting Kansas City trades Michael Thomas to Toronto FC
Sporting KC CONCACAF Champions League schedule set
Sporting KC signs Graham Zusi to new contract
Forward Dom Dwyer recalled from loan to Orlando City
Sporting KC and Yann Songo'o part ways
Sporting KC defeats Columbus Crew 3-2 at Sporting Park
Sporting Kansas City closes week with Sunday match at Chicago
Sporting Club Network welcomes Omaha FC as Academy Affiliate
Community MVP voting open through MLS W.O.R.K.S.
Jerome, Joseph selected by Haiti for CONCACAF Gold Cup
Sporting KC Academy U14's close out successful season
MLS All-Stars to host AS Roma in 2013 AT&T MLS All-Star Game
Tickets on sale for all Sporting KC home matches in 2013
Single-day tickets on sale now for Flatlands Festival
Sporting KC season tickets sold out for 2013 season
Sporting Park to host U.S. MNT in World Cup Qualifier
Away tickets available now
Vote Sporting in #SOCIALMADNESS
Follow Sporting KC online
SPORTING KANSAS CITY HOSTS VANCOUVER TONIGHT
Sporting Kansas City continues its stretch of three games in nine days with a home match against the Vancouver Whitecaps tonight at Sporting Park. The match, presented by Providence Medical Center, kicks off at 8 p.m. CT and can be seen live on KSMO-TV. Vancouver enters the match riding a three-game winning streak. Sporting KC is unbeaten in five of its last six games including a 3-2 win over the Columbus Crew on Saturday. A limited number of tickets are still available online at Ticketmaster.com or at the Sporting Park Box Offices.
GRAHAM ZUSI UP FOR BEST MLS PLAYER AT 2013 ESPYS
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Graham Zusi is nominated for Best MLS Player at the The 2013 ESPYS. Voting is open online at ESPN.com/ESPYS and will continue through the start of the live show on July 17 at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN.
The U.S. Men's National Team playmaker is up against San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski and New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry for the award, which was established in 2006 and has been won by either David Beckham (2008, 2012) or Landon Donovan (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011) each of the last seven years.
Zusi was an MLS All-Star, Best XI selection and MVP finalist in 2012 after leading the League with 15 assists to go along with his five goals on the year. In 2013, Zusi has three goals and five assists to give him 14 goals and 28 assists in his five-year career.
The ESPYS gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The 2013 ESPYS marks the show's 21st telecast and will be hosted by Missouri native Jon Hamm.
CLAUDIO BIELER PART OF MLS ALL-STAR 'IN THE GAME' CHALLENGE
One spot remains to be decided on the 2013 MLS All-Star Fan XI -- unveiled this Sunday during Sporting KC's match at the Chicago Fire live on ESPN -- and Sporting Kansas City forward Claudio Bieler is in contention to claim the opportunity. Among the 26 forwards on the MLS All-Star Fan Ballot, the player with whom fans score the most goals in EA SPORTS™ FIFA Soccer 13 from 11 a.m. CT today through 2 p.m. CT on Wednesday, July 10 will be named to the Fan XI!
Every goal scored with Bieler in the EA SPORTS™ FIFA Soccer 13 game modes below will count as one vote for Sporting Kansas City's Designated Player, who has scored a team-leading eight goals in MLS play this season.
KEI KAMARA NOMINATED FOR MLS GOAL OF THE WEEK
Sporting Kansas City's Kei Kamara has been nominated for MLSSoccer.com Goal of the Week for his fantastic strike in the 34th minute.
The goal started with a precise diagonal ball from Soony Saad and then a clinical finish from Kamara. It was Saad's second assist of the season and Kamara's fourth goal in his last four matches.
You can cast your vote online at MLSSoccer.com or by texting G4 to 22442.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY TRADES MICHAEL THOMAS TO TORONTO FC
Sporting Kansas City has traded midfielder Michael Thomas to Toronto FC in exchange for Toronto FC's natural second round pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, the club announced on Tuesday.
Thomas, 25, appeared in seven MLS matches for Sporting Kansas City after signing with the club in January 2012. He also made two starts in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, including a 3-0 win in the quarterfinal round of last year's championship run.
An Olathe, Kan. native and St. Thomas Aquinas High School alum, Thomas attended the University of Notre Dame before beginning his professional career in Sweden.
SPORTING KC CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SCHEDULE SET
On Monday, Sporting Kansas City learned their schedule for the group stage of the 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League. Sporting KC will open up the tournament with a road matches against Real Estelí FC on Wednesday, August 7 and CD Olimpia on Tuesday, August 27. They will then close out the group stage with home matches against Real Estelí on September 17 and Olimpia on October 2.
Tickets for the decisive two home games in the CONCACAF Champions League group stage will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. CT on Wednesday, July 10. These tickets can be secured online at Ticketmaster.com or at the Sporting Park Box Offices.
SPORTING KC SIGNS GRAHAM ZUSI TO NEW CONTRACT
Sporting Kansas City announced on Friday that midfielder Graham Zusi has signed a new contract with the club. Per team policy, terms of the agreement will not be disclosed.
Zusi, 26, was named an MLS All-Star, Best XI and MVP finalist in 2012 after tallying five goals and an MLS-best 15 assists. The Orlando, Fla. native has three goals and a team-leading five assists in 2013 and has totaled 14 goals and 28 assists in 110 career matches with Sporting KC.
Zusi earned MLS Breakout Player of the Year honors in 2011 after scoring five goals and adding seven assists in his first year as a starter. The 5-foot-10 midfielder followed that up with an invitation to the 2012 U.S. Men's National Team's January training camp and scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Panama on Jan. 25, 2012. Since then, Zusi has become a regular on the National Team, with 14 total caps and appearances in eight of the previous nine FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the U.S. MNT.
FORWARD DOM DWYER RECALLED FROM LOAN TO ORLANDO CITY
Sporting Kansas City has recalled forward Dom Dwyer from his loan to Orlando City Soccer Club, the club announced last week. Dwyer made his season debut on Saturday as a second-half substitute in the team's 3-2 victory over the Columbus Crew.
While on loan, Dwyer scored 18 goals for the Lions in all competition this season, including a USL PRO-record 15 goals in 13 league games. Dwyer added three goals in the team's run to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals and most recently scored in an international friendly against Brazilian champions Fluminense FC.
Dwyer, 22, was one of four Sporting KC players loaned to Orlando City SC in March along with Christian Duke, Jon Kempin and Yann Songo'o. Together, they helped the first-place Lions to a 10-1-2 record at the half-way point of the USL PRO season.
SPORTING KC AND YANN SONGO'O PART WAYS
Sporting Kansas City announced on Friday that the club and defender Yann Songo'o have mutually agreed to terminate his contract. Sporting Kansas City will retain rights to Songo'o within MLS.
Songo'o, 21, was signed in December 2012 and appeared in seven of the team's pre-season matches. He was then loaned to Sporting Kansas City's USL PRO affiliate Orlando City Soccer Club in March, where he led the team in minutes played in USL PRO and scored one goal in 14 appearances in all competition.
The move makes available an international roster spot. Sporting Kansas City currently has three (Claudio Bieler, Peterson Joseph and Oriol Rosell) of the team's eight international slots occupied.
SPORTING KC DEFEATS COLUMBUS CREW 3-2 AT SPORTING PARK
Sporting Kansas City secured a 3-2 win over the Columbus Crew on Saturday night. Kei Kamara scored twice and Claudio Bieler added a third in front of more than 20,000 fans for the 25th straight MLS sell-out at Sporting Park.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY CLOSES WEEK WITH SUNDAY MATCH AT CHICAGO
Sporting Kansas City will conclude their three games in nine days stretch with a Sunday afternoon match against the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park. The match will kick off at 2 p.m. CT and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. The match can also be heard locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB with Sporting KC broadcaster Callum Williams on the call.
SPORTING CLUB NETWORK WELCOMES OMAHA FC AS ACADEMY AFFILIATE
The Sporting Club Network welcomes Omaha FC as the seventh and newest Academy Affiliate. The affiliation will provide Omaha FC players and coaches with training and development opportunities available through the Sporting Club Network, as well as a direct, clear path to the Sporting KC senior team.
Among the many benefits the Sporting KC relationship provides OFC are:
- Players will have access to exclusive clinics and trainings with SKC coaches and players at the SKC facilities
- Coaches from Sporting Kansas City's technical staff will travel to Omaha to provide and present coaching education workshops, mini-clinics for players of all ages, and speed and agility sessions
- Omaha FC coaches and staff will help in the search for the next Sporting KC homegrown star, as an extension of the Sporting KC scouting network
- Top players from OFC may be invited to train with Sporting Kansas City's Academy and senior teams as part of their playing development
- Coaches from OFC will also be given access to observe Sporting Kansas City training sessions
- Member coaches can also take advantage of a coaching licensure program and premium coaches' experiences at both the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park and at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan.
For more, follow the Sporting Club Network on Twitter at @SportingKC_SCN and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SportingClubNetwork.
SPORTING KC ACADEMY U14'S CLOSE OUT SUCCESSFUL SEASON
The Sporting KC Academy U14's closed out a successful 2012-13 season at the Midwest Developmental League playoffs this past weekend at Waukegan Sports Park in Illinois. Winners of the Gateway division during the regular season with a 13-2-3 overall record, the Sporting KC U14's were matched up with Sockers FC Chicago U14 from the Great Lakes North division on Saturday. Sporting KC advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 overtime win on goals from Shane Kopplin and Edson Murguia. On Sunday, the U14's fell 4-0 to St. Louis Scott Gallagher-Metro U14 to finish third in the NPL Midwest.
Next year, the U14's will join the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for the first time and will compete in the Central Conference.
COMMUNITY MVP VOTING OPEN THROUGH MLS W.O.R.K.S.
Voting opened this week for the MLS W.O.R.K.S. 2013 Community MVP contest and every MLS club is represented by a community member who uses soccer to make a positive difference in their community. Sporting Kansas City's candidate is Rob Million, the president of Sporting Club Network member Puma FC, who helped launch "A Chance For All" to provide underprivileged youth in Kansas City a chance to play organized soccer.
Voting is conducted online through MLSSoccer.com and the MLS Facebook page and continues until 4 p.m. CT on July 12. The winner will receive a $10,000 donation to their charity of choice, as well as a trip for two to the 2013 AT&T MLS All-Star Game at Sporting Park (including accomodations, tickets, in-stadium recognition and a gift bag). The Community MVP Grand Prize winner will be announced on July 15.
JEROME, JOSEPH SELECTED BY HAITI FOR CONCACAF GOLD CUP
Sporting Kansas City defender Mechack Jerome and midfielder Peterson Joseph have been selected to the Haiti Men's National Team for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The two players departed last week to join their National Team in Canada where they will spend two weeks playing friendly matches in preparation for the tournament. Haiti will play Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador in the group stage beginning on July 8.
MLS ALL-STARS TO HOST AS ROMA IN 2013 AT&T MLS ALL-STAR GAME
This year, Major League Soccer will play Italian giants AS Roma in the 2013 AT&T MLS All-Star Game. The marquee match will be played Wednesday, July 31 at Sporting Park. The annual summer showcase will be broadcast live on ESPN2, UniMás, and in Canada on TSN and RDS starting at 8 p.m. CT.
In conjunction with the game will be five days of festivities featuring KC landmarks including a free concert featuring the Silversun Pickups in the Power and Light District on Tuesday, July 30.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR ALL SPORTING KC HOME MATCHES IN 2013
Sporting KC announced that individual tickets for the final eight MLS home matches are on sale now. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com or at the Sporting Park Box Offices.
SINGLE-DAY TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR FLATLANDS FESTIVAL
Single-day tickets for the Flatlands Country Music Festival at Sporting Park from Sept. 12-14 are on sale to the general public, starting as low as $59 each. The new country music and camping festival, presented by Marquee Events and Sporting Club, will feature performances from several of the most popular artists in country music over three days.
Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Rodney Atkins, Thompson Square and Kevin Fowler will perform on Friday, Sept. 13. Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Kellie Pickler, Love and Theft, and JT Hodges will then take the stage on Sat., Sept. 14.
The 24,000 expected to be in attendance will have the opportunity to camp in nearby areas and enjoy all amenities associated with the state-of-the-art venue. For more information visit flatlandsfestival.com or call 800-493-3378.
SPORTING KC SEASON TICKETS SOLD OUT FOR 2013 SEASON
Sporting Kansas City announced that the club's allotment of 14,000 season tickets for the 2013 season at Sporting Park are sold out. Prospective Season Ticket Members may join the club's Season Ticket Member waiting list by placing a $50 non-refundable deposit per season ticket request.
Sporting Kansas City currently leads all MLS teams in the total number of new Season Ticket Members for 2013 and have averaged over a 90% Season Ticket Member renewal rate for the last three seasons.
Sporting Kansas City are also selling five-game 'Pick Plans.' All plans include the team's match on July 3 against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC as well as four additional Sporting KC matches of the buyer's choice, including U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League or any of the remaining MLS regular season games.
SPORTING PARK TO HOST U.S. MNT IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
Sporting Park will host the U.S. Men's National Team on Oct. 11 in the team's final home qualifying match for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The United States returns to Sporting Park to play Jamaica, live on the ESPN family, WatchESPN and UniMas at 8 p.m. CT. Ticket information will be released at a later date.
Sporting Park, home to Major League Soccer's Sporting Kansas City, will host the U.S. Men's National Team for the third time since opening in June 2011. The state-of-the-art, $200+ million venue will also host the 2013 MLS All-Star Game on July 31.
AWAY TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW
Reserve your free away ticket to Sporting Kansas City's July 20 at Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium, July 27 at Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo, August 18 at San Jose Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium and August 23 at the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park by clicking here.
VOTE SPORTING IN #SOCIALMADNESS
Sporting Kansas City recently advanced to Kansas City Championship of the Kansas City Business Journal #SocialMadness challenge. The KC Business Journal #SocialMadness competition is broken into three segments divided by a company's collective social following. Sporting KC is in the large grouping with their 54,000+ followers on Twitter, 73,000+ likes on Facebook and 200,000 +1's on Google+.
For KC Championship, Sporting KC is up head-to-head against Sprint. The winner of will be announced on July 8 and will advance to the national tournament with a chance to win $10,000 for a local charity.
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.
Also, Sporting Kansas City's 2013 media guide is now available online and fans can find all the latest information for Sporting Kansas City matches at SportingKC.com/GameOn.
