SPORTING KC TO HOST THE PORTLAND TIMBERS ON SATURDAY
Sporting Kansas City returns home to host the Portland Timbers at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday. A limited number of tickets are available for the Western Conference tilt at Sporting Park and can be purchased via Ticketmaster.com or at the stadium box offices on gameday.
The match will be televised locally on KMCI-TV 38 the Spot and across the Midwest on SKCTV with 30 minutes of pre-game and post-game coverage. In addition, 102.9 FM (English) and 1340 AM (Spanish) will provide radio broadcasts for the match. The first 10,000 fans to arrive at Sporting Park on Saturday will receive a free Sporting KC flag courtesy of H&R Block.
Both clubs enter the contest in search of their first win of 2015. Sporting KC (0-1-1, one point) drew the New York Red Bulls 1-1 on March 8 before falling 3-1 to FC Dallas on Saturday. Portland (0-0-2, two points) has opened with a pair of home draws, playing to a 0-0 stalemate against Real Salt Lake on March 7 and tying LA Galaxy 2-2 on Sunday. Benny Feilhaber recorded an assist in each of Sporting KC's first two games and is one of three MLS players with multiple assists on the season. Meanwhile, Fanendo Adi has scored both goals for the Timbers after recording nine goals in his first MLS campaign last year.
Sporting KC earned a 1-0 road win at Portland last season, but the Timbers have been victorious in each of their last two trips to Kansas City. Caleb Porter’s team left Sporting Park with a 3-2 win in April 2013 en route to finishing atop the Western Conference regular season standings. Last June, Portland eliminated Sporting KC from the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 3-1 triumph in the round of 16.
ROGER ESPINOZA SCORES IN 3-1 DEFEAT AT FC DALLAS
Sporting KC fell 3-1 at FC Dallas on Saturday for their first defeat of 2015. Roger Espinoza scored his third career MLS goal for Sporting KC, but a brace from Panama international Blas Perez and a late strike from Fabian Castillo gave FC Dallas (2-0-0, six points) their second straight win to open the season.
Espinoza cancelled out Perez's 17th minute opener just before halftime, receiving a pass from Benny Feilhaber and blasting a 22-yard shot into the corner of the net. The Honduran international celebrated in front of more than 800 traveling Sporting KC supporters who made the eight-hour drive from Kansas City for Saturday's road match.
FC Dallas seized control of the game with two second-half goals, the first amid controversy in the 52nd minute. Michel's cross from the right wing found Perez at the far post in an offside position. The linesman's flag stayed down and Perez tucked home to restore the hosts' lead. Castillo sealed the result in the 73rd minute, racing onto the end of a Ryan Hollingshead through ball and finishing past goalkeeper Luis Marin.
TICKETS ON SALE THURSDAY FOR CONCACAF GOLD CUP DOUBLEHEADER ON JULY 13
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. CT on Thursday via Ticketmaster.com for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup doubleheader to be played at Sporting Park on July 13. The United States Men's National Team will face Panama at 8:30 pm. CT in the Group A finale after Haiti takes on either Honduras or French Guiana at 6 p.m. CT. CONCACAF announced the group stage matchups for the 12-team tournament last Thursday.
All tickets provide entry to both matches with prices starting at $35 for general admission seating in the South Stand or Members Stand. Sporting KC could feature players on three of the teams competing at Sporting Park that evening—Matt Besler and Graham Zusi of the U.S., Haitian midfielder Soni Mustivar and Honduran midfielder Roger Espinoza.
The Gold Cup is the region’s marquee national team tournament and the headline competition for the United States Men’s National Team in 2015. This year’s tournament carries additional significance as it will determine CONCACAF's representatives at the Centennial Cup America in 2016 and the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017.
SKC AND SPORTS RADIO 810 WHB ENTER NEW THREE-YEAR BROADCAST AGREEMENT
Sporting KC announced on Tuesday a three-year broadcast agreement with Sports Radio 810 WHB to continue serving as the club’s official English-language radio partner through the 2017 season.
Sports Radio 810 WHB aired Sporting KC’s season opener live from Sporting Park and has broadcasts rights to the team’s matches throughout the duration of the agreement.
The station will also air The Final Whistle: Sporting KC Postgame Show in conjunction with their match coverage, as well as weekly hour-long editions of The Sporting KC Show with hosts Nate Bukaty, Andy Gruenebaum and Carter Augustine. Fans are encouraged to join the discussion all season long by calling 913-3-810-810.
The station first hosted the Kansas City Soccer Show in 2010 and has carried Sporting KC matches each of the last four seasons. Daily programming regularly features interviews with Sporting KC players, coaches and executives – available after they air as podcasts on both 810whb.com and SportingKC.com.
SPORTING KC TELEVISION NETWORK ANNOUNCES AFFILIATES FOR 2015 SEASON
Sporting KC announced last Friday the affiliates that will comprise the Sporting Kansas City Television Network in 2015. Entering its fourth year, the SKCTV Network includes eight affiliates across six states.
Continuing this Saturday with the team's home match against the Portland Timbers, the Sporting Kansas City Television Network will produce 26 games in HD to air on the following affiliates:
- KMCI (38 the Spot) - Carrying all 27 games as flagship station in Kansas City
- KZOU - Carrying 24 games in Columbia, Mo. market
- Cox Channel (Kansas) - Carrying up to 24 games live across select Kansas markets including Topeka and Wichita
- Cox Channel (Oklahoma) - Carrying up to 24 games live in Oklahoma City, Okla. and Tulsa, Okla. markets
- Cox Channel (Nebraska) - Carrying up to 24 games live in Omaha, Neb. market
- Cox Channel (Arkansas) - Carrying up to 24 games in Northwest Arkansas
- MC22 - Carrying 24 games in markets across Kansas, Missouri and Iowa
- Lake City Channel 32 – Carrying 23 games live in more than 100,000 homes in the Lake of the Ozarks
The club's 10 MLS matches not available on the Sporting Kansas City Television Network in 2015 will be nationally televised on FOX Sports 1 (4), ESPN2 (3) or UniMas (3). All matches in UniMas will also be broadcast in English locally on 38 the Spot. Each month, a complete schedule including which affiliates will carry which broadcasts will be updated at SportingKC.com/BroadcastSchedule.
The Sporting Kansas City Television Network will feature the broadcast team of Nate Bukaty (play-by-play), Andy Gruenebaum (commentator), Jake Yadrich (lead analyst) and Kacie McDonnell (network host). On-site coverage for every home and away broadcast will feature 30-minute pregame and 30-minute postgame shows.
SKC ACADEMY U16'S AND U18'S CRUISE TO VICTORY, EXTEND UNBEATEN RUNS
The Sporting KC U16's and U18's extended their unbeaten runs in the 2014-15 U.S. Soccer Development Academy with a pair of 4-1 victories Saturday over the Colorado Rush at Swope Soccer Village.
Now undefeated in seven straight matches, the U18's (9-7-3) received goals from Dakota Karns, Daniel Salloi, Logan Luca and Dominick Parry to move into the sixth and final playoff position with eight matches remaining.
After going winless in their first nine matches of the season, the U16's (4-6-8) have strung together nine games without a loss. Paul Whitener, Andrew McLeod, Felipe Hernandez and Jared Crist all found the back of the net in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.
Both clubs will return to action Saturday, April 11 when they face MLS Academy rivals FC Dallas on the University of Tulsa campus. The FC Dallas U16's lead the Central Conference with a 14-1-2 record while the U18's sit in second place at 10-4-3.
Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter and Instagram for all the latest updates from the club's youth development system.
50% OFF AT PAPA JOHN'S IN SUPPORT OF VICTORY PROJECT
Sporting KC is among a group of local Papa John's partners to compete in a week-long contest with the winner receiving $500 for a charity of their choice. Sporting KC supporters can visit PapaJohns.com and use the promo code 'SPORTINGVIP' through this Sunday, March 22, to receive 50 percent off regular-price items at local participating Papa John's locations in Kansas and Missouri. Sporting KC is representing the Victory Project, an initiative to help children thrive through life's challenges.
The day after Sporting KC scores at least two goals in a match throughout the 2015 season, fans can use the promo code 'SPORTINGKC' at PapaJohns.com to receive 50 percent off each regular menu price pizza.
REGISTRATION OPEN FOR SPORTING KC YOUTH CAMPS IN 2015
Sporting KC is offering a series of youth camps to foster the next generation of soccer players in the region. Camp registration is now open at SportingKC.com/camps, including the upcoming Speed and Agility Camp every Wednesday from April 1 to May 6 (six weeks) at Swope Soccer Village. For more information on the youth camps available to boys and girls, visit SportingKC.com.
FOLLOW SPORTING KC ONLINE
Sporting KC fans looking to keep up with the club online have a place to go. The Social Media page on SportingKC.com features Twitter account information for the team, its players and several staff members. Supporters may also take advantage of the Media Recap page for all the latest independent news coverage.
