SPORTING KC HOSTS DEPORTIVO SAPRISSA TOMORROW IN CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Sporting Kansas City will host Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday at Sporting Park in the first of two home games during the 2014-15 CONCACAF Champions League group stage. A limited number of tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com and the game will be nationally televised on FOX Sports 1 (English) and Univision Deportes Network (Spanish).
The only MLS team competing in the CONCACAF Champions League for a second straight year, Sporting KC drew their first group stage match at Nicaraguan club Real Esteli on Aug. 19. Sporting KC is in third place in Group 2 with one point, but has played just one of their four group stage games. Deportivo Saprissa leads the group with four points after two games against Real Esteli, a 1-1 road draw and a 3-0 home win. Real Esteli is second with two points through three contests.
Deportivo Saprissa is the defending champion of the Costa Rican Primera Division and is undefeated (3-0-1) in their first four league games. Forward Ariel Rodriguez is the Champion’s League joint-top scorer thus far with four goals in the tournament, including a hat-trick on Aug. 26.
The CONCACAF Champions League is a 24-team tournament featuring the top clubs from North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The clubs are split into eight groups of three teams, with the eight group winners advancing to the 2014-15 quarterfinals next February or March. The winner of the competition will compete at the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup. Sporting KC advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2013-14 edition before falling to eventual champion Cruz Azul of Mexico.
DOM DWYER NETS RECORD-BREAKING GOAL AS SPORTING KC BEATS CHIVAS USA 4-0
Sporting KC cruised to a 4-0 win over Chivas USA last Friday as Dom Dwyer set the club's single-season scoring record with his 19th goal of the campaign. Benny Feilhaber, Graham Zusi and Claudio Bieler all added goals to move Sporting KC (13-10-6, 45 points) within two points of the Eastern Conference lead. The four-goal margin of victory was tied for the club's second-largest road win all-time.
Dwyer broke the record formerly held by Preki in the 39th minute, receiving an over-the-top pass from Graham Zusi before slotting past goalkeeper Dan Kennedy. Feilhaber doubled the lead on the stroke of halftime, smashing home a rebound after Antonio Dovale's curling strike hit the post. Seven minutes into the second half, Zusi was on the scoresheet after cutting into the middle of the penalty area and firing low into the right corner. Bieler added an insurance goal three minutes from full time, intercepting a pass and rounding the keeper before finishing into an empty net.
The shutout win snapped a four-game losing streak, Sporting KC's longest since 2011, and marked the team's first clean sheet in 13 League games. With five contests remaining on their MLS schedule, Peter Vermes' men resume League play Friday, Sept. 26 against the New England Revolution at Sporting Park.
ZUSI RECEIVES TEAM OF THE WEEK HONORS FROM MULTIPLE PUBLICATIONS
Graham Zusi earned MLS Team of the Week recognition from MLSsoccer.com, Goal.com, Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report on Monday. Zusi punctuated a standout performance with an impressive solo effort goal and an assist to Dom Dwyer. The U.S. international leads Sporting KC with seven assists this season and is tied for second on the team with four goals.
KEMPIN NOMINATED FOR BEST SAVE OF CCL GROUP STAGE
Goalkeeper Jon Kempin is a nominee for Best Save of the CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage. The homegrown goalkeeper reacted quickly to stop Juan Barrera's 81st-minute volley in a 1-1 road draw at Estadio Independencia on Aug. 19. The save was one of two for Kempin in his Champions League debut. The 21-year-old Leawood, Kansas native has featured five times in all competitions for Sporting KC this year, including four starts in MLS play.
Fans can vote for Kempin's save on CONCACAF's official Facebook page and must "like" the page to be eligible to vote.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR TUESDAY CCL SHOWDOWN VS. REAL ESTELI
Single-game tickets for Sporting KC’s CONCACAF Champions League group stage match against Real Esteli on Tuesday are available to purchase through Ticketmaster.com. The game is included in Sporting KC Season Ticket Member packages. The MLS Cup champions will host the Nicaraguan club at 7 p.m. CT with television coverage on Fox Sports 1 and Univision Deportes.
MATCHUPS SET FOR CONCACAF WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP AT SPORTING PARK
The group stage draw for the eight-team 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship has been announced, with the first round of group stage matches kicking off at Sporting Park on Oct. 15 and 16.
The No. 1 ranked U.S. Women’s National Team will face Trinidad and Tobago at 7:30 p.m. CT on Oct. 15. All eight nations, including regional rival Mexico, will begin their World Cup qualifying campaigns at Sporting Park during doubleheaders on consecutive days.
Series tickets to see all four games at Sporting Park are on sale via Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Please note: tickets will not be sold at the Sporting Park box offices. The top three teams from the tournament will directly qualify for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada next summer, while the fourth place finisher will advance to a playoff.
2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship matches at Sporting Park:
• Game 1: Guatemala vs. Haiti – Oct. 15 (5 p.m. CT)
• Game 2: USA vs. Trinidad and Tobago – Oct. 15 (7:30 p.m. CT)
• Game 3: Costa Rica vs. Mexico – Oct. 16 (5 p.m. CT)
• Game 4: Jamaica vs. Martinique – Oct. 16 (7:30 p.m. CT)
SPORTING KC PLAYERS TO APPEAR AT AREA SUBWAY RESTAURANTS
Subway and Sporting KC continue their partnership in September with player appearances at various Subway locations in Kansas City and surrounding areas. The appearances resume Friday when Chance Myers will visit the Subway in Sedalia, Missouri (2750 S Limit Avenue). All appearances will be from 5-6:30 p.m. CT and one Sporting KC player will be in attendance to meet fans and sign autographs. The first 100 fans at each location will receive a free t-shirt.
Click here for a full schedule of all upcoming player appearances at local Subway locations.
PARK UNIVERSITY TO PRESENT SPORTING KC’S “SALUTE TO TROOPS PLATFORM”
Sporting KC and Park University are partnering to honor those who serve their community and country as part of the club’s season-long “Salute to Troops” armed forces military appreciation platform.
The partnership strives to raise awareness and appreciation for current and retired U.S. military members in the Kansas City area. The program provides game tickets in Sporting Park’s “Zone of Courage” section and VIP experiences for the game’s honoree and his/her family. In addition, those recognized will be featured on the Salute to Troops homepage at SportingKC.com.
SPORTING CLUB RELEASES NEW CLOTHING LINE
Sporting Club has released its new fashion line for the defending MLS champions, offering fans an extensive selection of new clothing and merchandise. The Sporting Club brand is available for purchase on Sporting Style’s website and at Sporting KC’s remaining five home games while supplies last.
JOSTENS RELEASES SPORTING KC FAN COLLECTION
Jostens, the leading national custom jewelry designer and producer, has unveiled a fan collection to celebrate Sporting KC’s 2013 MLS Cup championship. Items available in the collection include fan rings (men’s and women’s), championship fan paperweights, fan pendants, key rings and championship posters. All can be purchased online at Jostens.com/sportingkc.
Founded in 1897, Jostens has produced championship rings for professional sports teams and athletes for more than 60 years. In addition to creating Sporting KC’s 2000 and 2013 MLS Cup championship rings, Jostens has worked with other Kansas City-area professional sports organizations including the Kansas City Chiefs for their NFL Super Bowl IV Championship rings.
THE PITCH NOMINATES SPORTING KC IN BEST OF KANSAS CITY 2014
The Pitch has revealed the finalists in their Best of Kansas City 2014 ballot. Sporting KC is nominated for multiple honors, including Best Place to Watch KC Pro Sports and Best Stadium (Sporting Park), Best Local Hero (Matt Besler) and Best Thing That Changed KC in the Past Year (Sporting KC). Voting is open until tonight at 11:59 p.m. CT and the winners will be revealed in The Pitch’s annual Best of KC issue on Oct. 9.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR NCAA D-II FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP AT SPORTING PARK
Tickets are on sale to the general public for the NCAA Division II Football Championship to be played at Sporting Park on Dec. 20. Hosted by the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Associations and the Kansas City Sports Commission, the championship game will be held inside the state-of-the-art stadium for the next four years. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com while supplies last.
FOLLOW SPORTING KC ONLINE
Sporting KC fans looking to keep up with the club online now have a place to go. The Social Media page on SportingKC.com features Twitter account information for the club, its players and several staff members. Fans may also take advantage of the Media Recap page for all the latest independent news coverage.
