The newest chapter of Sporting Kansas City’s proud history unfolded in glorious fashion Wednesday night.
Goals from Latif Blessing and Daniel Salloi paced Manager Peter Vermes’ men to a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls in the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, played before an electric crowd at jam-packed Children’s Mercy Park.
The win was another major feather in the cap for a Sporting Kansas City side that has tasted more championship success over the last six seasons than any other club in Major League Soccer.
The biggest statistical talking point to emerge from Wednesday’s triumph is simplistic in nature, but too profound to ignore.
Indeed, Sporting Kansas City has become the first MLS team to win four major trophies over the last six seasons. The club also kept their unblemished record in Open Cup finals, joining Seattle Sounders FC and Chicago Fire as the only four-time champions among MLS outfits.
MAJOR TROPHIES AMONG MLS CLUBS SINCE 2012
| Team | Trophies | MLS Cup | Supporters' Shield | Domestic Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sporting KC | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Toronto FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| LA Galaxy | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| FC Dallas | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| New York Red Bulls | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Montreal Impact | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
U.S. OPEN CUP WINNERS AND FINALISTS
(MLS TEAMS SINCE 1996)
| Team | Wins | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sporting KC | 4 | 0 | 2004, 2012, 2015, 2017 | |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 4 | 1 | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014 | 2012 |
| Chicago Fire | 4 | 2 | 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006 | 2004, 2011 |
| D.C. United | 3 | 2 | 1996, 2008, 2013 | 1997, 2009 |
| LA Galaxy | 2 | 2 | 2001, 2005 | 2002, 2006 |
| FC Dallas | 2 | 2 | 1997, 2016 | 2005, 2007 |
| New England Revolution | 1 | 2 | 2007 | 2001, 2016 |
| Columbus Crew SC | 1 | 2 | 2002 | 1998, 2010 |
| Philadelphia Union | 0 | 2 | 2014, 2015 | |
| New York Red Bulls | 0 | 2 | 2003, 2017 | |
| Real Salt Lake | 0 | 1 | 2013 | |
| Miami Fusion | 0 | 1 | 2000 | |
| Colorado Rapids | 0 | 1 | 1999 |
This narrative, of course, isn’t complete without shining the spotlight on Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes. The 50-year-old is one of just two coaches to win three Open Cups as well as an MLS Cup.
U.S. OPEN CUP TITLES BY COACH
(MODERN ERA, 1995 - PRESENT)
<strong>Titles</strong> |
<strong>Coach</strong> |
<strong>Years</strong> |
<strong>MLS Cup wins</strong> |
5 |
Sigi Schmid |
2001, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014 |
2002, 2008 |
<strong><em>3</em></strong> |
<strong><em>Peter Vermes</em></strong> |
<strong><em>2012, 2015, 2017</em></strong> |
<strong><em>2013</em></strong> |
2 |
Bob Bradley |
1998, 2000 |
1998 |
2 |
Dave Sarachan |
2003, 2006 |
|
1 |
Bruce Arena |
1996 |
1996, 1997, 2011, 2012, 2014 |
1 |
Steve Sampson |
2005 |
2005 |
1 |
Bob Gansler |
2004 |
2000 |
1 |
Oscar Pareja |
2016 |
|
1 |
Ben Olsen |
2013 |
|
1 |
Tom Soehn |
2008 |
|
1 |
Steve Nicol |
2007 |
|
1 |
Greg Andrulis |
2002 |
|
1 |
Dave Dir |
1997 |
Children's Mercy Park provided an electric atmosphere for Wednesday's final, serving as the ideal venue for the nationally televised showdown on ESPN2. It was not only a fitting climax to the Open Cup competition, but affirmed that the world-class stadium is among the greatest fortresses in North America. With Toronto FC's 5-3 home loss to the Montreal Impact on Wednesday, Sporting KC is the only MLS team yet to lose a competitive match on home soil in 2017.
