MLS CHAMPIONS TO VISIT THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY
President Obama will welcome Sporting Kansas City to the White House on Wednesday to honor the team and their 2013 MLS Cup Championship. The visit will include a tour, group photo with the President, remarks from the President and a youth soccer clinic on the White House lawn in support of President Obama's United We Serve campaign. Fans can go to www.sportingkc.com/whitehouse for photos and social media content surrounding the White House visit.
SPORTING KC FACES EASTERN CONFERENCE LEADERS D.C. UNITED FRIDAY AT RFK STADIUM
Sporting KC begins the final month of the 2014 MLS regular season with a pivotal showdown against D.C. United on Friday. The 7 p.m. match at RFK Stadium will be televised nationally on NBC Sports Network with Spanish radio coverage on La Gran D 1340 AM. Johnny's Tavern locations at the KC Power & Light District and in Overland Park (8719 W. 95th St.) will host official watch parties for the game. All fans are encouraged to attend for select Boulevard draft specials and the "Blue Believer" signature cocktail.
Six points behind D.C. in the Eastern Conference, third place Sporting KC (13-11-6, 45 points) will attempt to rebound from a 3-2 home defeat to the New England Revolution last Friday. Sporting KC has yet to beat D.C. this season, dropping a 1-0 road decision on May 31 before losing 3-0 at Sporting Park on Aug. 23, but own an MLS-best eight road victories in 2014.
D.C. United (15-9-6, 51 points) sits atop the Eastern Conference and is in the midst of an impressive turnaround season, having finished with the worst record in MLS (3-24-7, 16 points) last year. Forwards Luis Silva (11 goals, four assists) and Fabian Espindola (nine goals, nine assists) spearhead the attack, while 2006 MLS Defender of the Year Bobby Boswell and U.S. international goalkeeper Bill Hamid anchor a defense that has posted a League-high 11 clean sheets.
ERIK PALMER BROWN SUFFERS SEASON-ENDING INJURY
Defender Erik Palmer-Brown will miss the remainder of the 2014 season with a stress fracture to the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, the club announced on Tuesday. Palmer-Brown suffered the injury in training early Tuesday at Swope Soccer Village and will undergo surgery on Friday.
The 17-year-old played in six games for Sporting KC across all competitions in 2014, most recently starting in a 3-0 victory over Real Esteli FC in the 2014-15 CONCACAF Champions League last Tuesday. He made his professional debut in May, becoming the youngest player in MLS history to start a regular season match as a defender, for the first of three MLS appearances. Palmer-Brown started each of the team's two games in the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, featured in the Champions Shield friendly match against Manchester City on July 23, and played in the 2014 Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game on Aug. 4.
Palmer-Brown is a member of the United States Under-20 Men's National Team, recently returning from an international training camp in Buenos Aires, Argentina earlier this month. The Lee's Summit, Missouri native is a product of the Sporting KC Academy and became the club's third homegrown player upon signing a professional contract in August 2013.
JORGE CLAROS TO JOIN HONDURAS MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM FOR UPCOMING FRIENDLIES
Midfielder Jorge Claros will join the Honduras Men's National Team on Saturday for a pair of upcoming friendlies, the club announced on Tuesday. Honduras will play at Mexico on Oct. 9 in Chiapas before traveling to Boca Raton, Florida to face the United States on Oct. 14.
A World Cup veteran, Claros has featured 53 times for Honduras at the senior level and appeared in all three group stage matches for his country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Sporting KC acquired Claros in July from Honduran club Motagua. He has since played in 11 matches in all competitions, including all three 2014-15 CONCACAF Champions League group stage matches. The 28-year-old will miss Sporting KC's Oct. 10 home match against rivals Chicago Fire, but will return in time for the Oct. 18 road trip to the Philadelphia Union.
SPORTING KC FALLS TO NEW ENGLAND IN 3-2 THRILLER AT SPORTING PARK
Sporting KC suffered a 3-2 loss to the New England Revolution last Friday at Sporting Park. The result left both teams tied for second place in the Eastern Conference with 45 points heading into the final four games of the regular season.
Kelyn Rowe fired the Revolution ahead after 22 minutes, and Jose Goncalves doubled New England's advantage with his first goal of the season 10 minutes before halftime. Sporting KC responded emphatically in the opening stages of the second half, receiving goals from Paulo Nagamura and Dom Dwyer in the 54th and 56th minutes. Dwyer became the first player in Sporting KC history to reach 20 goals in a single regular season and has now scored in five straight appearances across all competitions. Should the 24-year-old Englishman score against D.C. United on Friday, he would be the first player in club history to score in six consecutive appearances.
Though the hosts continued to threaten New England's goal, it was the Revolution who grabbed an 85th-minute game-winner. U.S. international midfielder Jermaine Jones, who joined New England as a Designated Player on Aug. 24, was given space to shoot from 25 yards picked out the bottom corner to draw his team level with Sporting KC in the standings.
PAULO NAGAMURA EARNS TEAM OF THE WEEK HONORS
Midfielder Paulo Nagamura landed a spot on Bleacher Report’s MLS Team of the Week on Monday after an influential performance against the New England Revolution last Friday. The 31-year-old MLS veteran played a crucial role in Sporting KC’s second half comeback, scoring in the 54th minute to cut New England’s lead in half and assisting Dom Dwyer’s headed goal just two minutes later to level the match.
A two-time MLS Cup champion (2006 LA Galaxy, 2013 Sporting KC) in his third season with Sporting KC, Nagamura leads the current roster in League appearances (232, including postseason) and minutes played (18,684). Last Friday marked just the fourth time in his MLS career that he has scored and assisted in the same match. The Brazilian-born midfielder has started 17 games this season but was out from early July to early September with an injured left ankle.
SPORTING KC TO COMPETE IN 2015 FC TUCSON DESERT DIAMOND CUP
Sporting KC is one of six MLS clubs set to compete in the 2015 FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup, the club announced on Friday. The Colorado Rapids, Montreal Impact, New England Revolution, Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders FC will also participate in the tournament from Wednesday, Feb. 18 through Saturday, Feb. 28. All matches will be hosted at the brand new North Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona. The 2015 preseason will mark the fifth straight year in which Sporting KC travels to Tucson for training and competition.
AURELIEN COLLIN LAUNCHES AC78 CLOTHING LINE AT PAOLINI GARMENT CO.
Defender Aurelien Collin has launched his AC78 clothing line at Paolini Garment Co., a luxury menswear showroom on the Country Club Plaza (4725 Wyandotte St.). A collaboration between Collin and custom clothier Tom Paolini, the line includes suits, shirts, jackets and more. The partnership also makes Paolini Garment Co. the official clothier of Sporting KC, providing players and coaches customized suits.
SWOPE SOCCER VILLAGE TO HOST UPPER ROOM PROGRAMS
Beginning today, more than 3,000 kids between the ages of 7-14 will participate in Upper Room after-school and summer programs at Swope Soccer Village. The local non-profit organization works closely with youth groups in the Swope Park Corridor and surrounding areas of the city by providing high-quality out-of-school education and extracurricular programs to low-income families in Kansas City.
Upper Room began offering soccer programming nine years ago through Kansas City native Shane Hackett and Heartland Soccer Association, one of the largest youth soccer organizations in the United States. Today marks the first time ever that the program will utilize Swope Soccer Village for the camps, which are conducted free of charge to all families.
Upper Room opened in 1999 and offers a variety of activities and enriching experiences for students in over 25 locations across the city. The soccer curriculum provides highly qualified coaches to teach basic skills of the sport through enjoyable exercises. For more information, visit www.upperroomprogram.org.
SPORTING KC AND FRITO LAY TEAM UP FOR MONTH-LONG CONTEST
Sporting KC and Frito Lay have partnered for a month-long contest, giving supporters the opportunity to win an autographed soccer ball plus tickets to Pitch Black on Oct. 11 or tickets to a Sporting KC home game. Fans can enter the contest by taking a photo with their favorite bag of Frito Lay chips while wearing Sporting KC apparel and sharing the photo to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #SKCFritoFan. The engagement will continue through Monday, Oct. 20, with four winners randomly selected at the end of each of week of the contest.
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.
Single-day tickets for each match-day doubleheader are on sale at ussoccer.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
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, Fox Sports 2)
• Game 2: USA vs. Trinidad and Tobago – Oct. 15 (7:30 p.m. CT, Fox Sports 2)
• Game 3: Jamaica vs. Martinique – Oct. 16 (5 p.m. CT, Fox Sports 2)
• Game 4: Costa Rica vs. Mexico – Oct. 16 (7:30 p.m. CT, Fox Sports 2)
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.
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.
