When the U.S. Men's National Team takes the field next summer in Brazil, it will mark their seventh straight appearance at the FIFA World Cup. That streak started all the way back in 1990 when Bob Gansler led the United States -- captained by Peter Vermes -- to the country's first World Cup appearance in 40 years.
Gansler, a former player with 25 caps for the U.S. MNT, went on to become Kansas City's longest-serving head coach for eight seasons from 1999-2006. His 95 career wins rank seventh most in MLS history and he led KC to five straight playoff appearances from 2000-2004. In 2000, Gansler was named MLS Coach of the Year for his role in the team's MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield trophies. In 2004, he lifted the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and led KC back to the MLS Cup final.
He was honored with the prestigious Werner Fricker Builder Award by the US Soccer Federation in 2008 and was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2011. On Friday, Gansler will be formally inducted into the inaugural class of Sporting Legends at halftime of Sporting KC's regular season home finale against D.C. United (7 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Network).
Sporting Legends, a new initiative paying tribute to club icons, provides a platform for inductees to re-engage with the local soccer community and recognizes the roles individuals within the organization have played in the growth of soccer in Kansas City.
