Running throughout the season on Sports Radio 810 WHB, the Sporting Kansas City Show is available on several podcast hubs including Spotify and iTunes as well as SportingKC.com. With Nate Bukaty, Carter Augustine and Aly Trost hosting the weekly program, Sporting fans have a place to go to catch up on club storylines, guest interviews and more.
After four months of patiently waiting, the moment Major League Soccer fans have been clamoring for has finally arrived.
This weekend, MLS is back.
The 2021 regular season will begin in earnest on Friday and carry into Saturday when Sporting Kansas City visits fellow MLS original New York Red Bulls in a 7 p.m. CT showdown at Red Bull Arena. Three hours of live coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT on Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Midwest Plus and FOX Sports GO, while Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM will provide local radio broadcasts.
With the start of the season in plain sight, a new episode of the Sporting Kansas City Show dropped Tuesday night on 810 WHB as Nate Bukaty, Carter Augustine and Aly Trost covered several storylines surrounding Manager Peter Vermes' side heading into their Week 1 fixture.
After finishing in first place last year, how does Sporting shape up against the rest of the Western Conference in 2021? Which players are poised for breakouts and what should fans expect from the club's newcomers? Can Major League Soccer take another step in shrinking the gap between itself and LIGA MX? All of these topics are on the table in an episode that perfectly sets the table for the weeks and months ahead.
The 2021 campaign carries further significance due to the fact that MLS will be celebrating its 25-year anniversary throughout the season. As one of nine charter members still active in MLS, Sporting has already begun its own celebration by creating a commemorative book called "One Club: The First 25 Years of Major League Soccer in Kansas City" that chronicles the modest beginnings and meteoric rise of Sporting through the lens of club legends and passionate supporters alike.
One particular individual who has lived the entirety Sporting's fairytale story is Rob Thomson, the club's Chief Communications Officer who has spent 23 years working for the club. Thomson highlights the second segment of the podcast episode with excellent insight on the early years of MLS, the blossoming landscape of soccer in Kansas City and Sporting's momentous rebrand at the turn of last decade.
In conjunction with Saturday's opener, Sporting fans are invited to attend an outdoor watch party at Children’s Mercy Park when the club hosts its Season Kickoff presented by Michelob Ultra. Supporters can secure their free ticket to the Season Kickoff at SeatGeek.com or the SeatGeek app, with stadium gates opening at 5:30 p.m. CT and select concessions and SportingStyle locations open to guests. The watch party will utilize distanced outdoor seating in the stadium bowl with the match shown on the north and south videoboards. Face coverings will be mandatory for all in attendance.
