Sporting Kansas City will look to write another glorious chapter in club history on Sept. 20 when the New York Red Bulls visit Children’s Mercy Park for the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, slated for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.
In our 21-day Countdown to Cup, SportingKC.com is highlighting the most relevant storylines, historical narratives and statistical trends surrounding the Open Cup Final, U.S. Soccer’s National Championship.
Our eighth installment of the daily countdown discusses the potential return of two former Sporting KC players who will have every intention of bringing the trophy back to New York.
Like most MLS matches involving league veterans, the 2017 U.S. Open Cup Final could make for a special reunion.
New York Red Bulls defenders Aurelien Collin and Sal Zizzo previously played under Manager Peter Vermes at Sporting Kansas City. On Sept. 20, they will return to Children's Mercy Park under the brightest of championship lights, hoping to emerge victorious at the expense of 20,000 spectators in attendance.
Collin was a bonafide fan favorite during his four-year stint in Kansas City from 2011-2014. The animated French center back was a three-time MLS All-Star and earned MLS Cup MVP honors as Sporting KC was crowned league champion in 2013. Zizzo was a valuable contributor during the club's 2014 campaign, tallying three goals in 19 appearances for a side that eventually fell to the Red Bulls in the playoffs.
These players followed divergent paths ahead of the 2015 season, as Collin joined expansion side Orlando City SC while Zizzo signed for New York, but were reunited in April 2016 when the Frenchman was traded to the Red Bulls. Now, the duo is poised to contend for a major championship on familiar turf.
However, one pressing question continues to linger with the Open Cup Final just a fortnight away. Will Collin be fit to play against his former team?
The 31-year-old has been limited to nine MLS appearances this year, last playing for New York on Aug. 18 before a case of plantar fasciitis caused him to exit in the 27th minute of a 2-0 loss at the Portland Timbers. "We've got to figure out a way to get him fit, get him sharp and get him back," Marsch said following the game.
Ailments have plagued Collin throughout the season, but Red Bulls head coach was hopeful that the player's prognosis was manageable when speaking to media on Aug. 22. Collin has yet to play at Children's Mercy Park since leaving Sporting KC at the end of 2014.
In his three seasons with the Red Bulls, Zizzo's career has reached new heights. The 30-year-old has logged 75 MLS appearances for New York primarily as a right back, including six in the playoffs, and helped the club win the 2015 Supporters' Shield title. Zizzo has played 19 MLS matches this season and played all but 45 minutes in New York's four-game run to the Open Cup Final.
Sept. 20 would mark Zizzo's third visit to Children's Mercy Park since leaving Sporting KC. He featured in a season-opening 1-1 draw in March 2015 before starting in New York's 2-0 defeat on May 3.
Should Collin and Zizzo make the trip on Sept. 20, it just might rekindle a few memories of the world-famous Benny Feilhaber Show.
