Children's Mercy Park will host its annual Media Game on Wednesday at halftime of Sporting KC's match verses the defending MLS Cup champion Seattle Sounders FC.
In preparation for the big match, Sporting KC media members gathered at No Other Pub last Wednesday to participate in the draft. To accommodate the varying levels of fitness, ages and abilities, each team will boast 15 field players plus one goalkeeper.
Team captains were selected by tenure. The longest tenured Kansas City media member (that was present at the draft), FOX4's Jason Lamb was selected to captain the Retro team, since that squad will dawn a uniform highlighted by a Retro theme.
Meanwhile, the opposition will be captained by KCTV5's Emily Sinovic, who joined the station in January and was the shortest tenured Kansas City media member present at the draft. Sinovic's team will wear the classic Sporting Blue primary kits. Both teams will be playing a 5-5-5 formation unless there's an audible on gameday.
Here are the squads...
Get to know the players:
Lamb is back in goal after a standout performance in the majority of the 2016 Media Game. Starting the match at centerback, Lamb selflessly volunteered to replace Danny Boi in net after an injury sidelined the co-host of Afentra's Big Fat Morning Buzz. Carrington Harrison featured on the front line in last year's match, but his teammates saw him more as an outside back for this year's contest. KSHB's Kevin Holmes and The Blue Testament's Thad Bell will provide a good mix of athletic presence and experience in the center of the field for Lamb's squad. La Picosa KC's Ricardo Soto and 102.1's Shaylee Henning round out the backline.
The midfield will line up with Sports Radio 810 WHB's Cody Tapp and Rob Brenton, KCTV5's Andrew Carter, FOX4's Kerri Stowell and La Semana del Sur's Walfri Rodas. This group may need to lean on Rodas, who is the only returner from the match in 2016. While there is the element of surprise pertaining to this group's soccer ability, we do know Carter is a big pickup basketball guy and perhaps his shooting guard skills will translate nicely with a ball at his feet. Not to mention, Carter did spend a few hours out at the training field last night and our sources tell us that a forward roll will be his celebration of choice, should he convert on Wednesday.
In contrast, the front line features many returnees from 2016 including Mix 93.3's Steve Serrano, The Kansas City Star's Sam McDowell and Sports Radio 610's Mike Welch and Ben Heisler. McDowell scored a screamer last year and will look to repeat, while Heisler is in search of redemption from this play a year ago. The good news though, Heisler's been practicing and even secured a private training session with Sporting KC Head Fitness Coach Mateus Manoel and Manager Peter Vermes.
Meanwhile, Sinovic selected KMBC's Alan Shope to play in goal on Wednesday and the team's backline appears to boast a good combination of youth (Mix 93.3's Nate Davis, Topeka Capital-Journal's Paul Anderson, KMBC's Jennifer McDermed) and experience (FOX4's Nick Vasos); not to mention a former Kansas City Wizard in La Grande 1340 AM's Diego Gutierrez.
In contrast to her soccer star brother and Sporting KC outside back Seth, Emily Sinovic fancies herself as a center mid and will have support from The Sporting KC Life's Bob Rusert, SBISoccer.com's Skylar Rolstad, Univision's Juan Cruz and Lazlo from 96.5 The Buzz. Sporting KC defender Graham Zusi has put strong backing behind Lazlo, and while Lazlo has always referred to himself as a goalkeeper, Sinovic thought he'd show better on the wing. Only time will tell.
Along the front line, Hola Media's Carlos Chicas set the bar high after a golazo, chipping the keeper from 25 yards out to help his team earn the W last year. KCTV5's Dani Welniak should be a good complement and make for a dangerous duo up front with Chicas, as the former professional American footballer now has a year of soccer under her belt. Sinovic's front line contains some more questions marks though, with first year Media Gamer's in x1051KC's Cody Bradley, KMBC's Len Jennings and KSHB's Patrick Fazio.
Read full player bios for each media member participating before catching all the action at halftime of #SKCvSEA on Wednesday night.
