Sporting Kansas City kicked off the 2010s in the exact same way they opened the 2020s: with an emphatic 4-0 home victory over a longtime MLS foe.
Ten years ago today, in the club's final season at CommunityAmerica Ballpark and its first full campaign under the guidance of Manager Peter Vermes, Kansas City put D.C. United to the sword with a pair of goals in both halves.
Kei Kamara and Davy Arnaud gave the hosts a 2-0 lead before the break, not to be outdone by Englishman Ryan Smith and Missouri native Jack Jewsbury in the latter stages.
Played on March 27, 2010, the contest also served as club legend Jimmy Nielsen's Kansas City debut. The Danish goalkeeper made three saves en route to his first of 65 wins and 52 shutouts for the team in all competitions.
From 2010-2013, Nielsen established himself as one of Major League Soccer's greatest all-time goalkeepers—his 0.99 career goals against average is tops in MLS history—and guided Sporting to the playoffs in each of his last three seasons.
As Vermes' side blossomed into a perennial title contender, Nielsen donned the captain's armband as an unmistakable leader of the side and delivered heroically when Sporting needed him the most: look no further than his contributions in shootout victories of the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final and 2013 MLS Cup at Children's Mercy Park. Nielsen announced his retirement from professional soccer just days after being crowned an MLS Cup champion in Kansas City.
