Fans can tune into FOX Sports Kansas City and FOX Sports GO at 7 and 9 p.m. CT this Saturday for a re-airing of Sporting Kansas City's unforgettable shootout win over Seattle Sounders FC in the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final.
Taking place at sold-out Children's Mercy Park, the historic matchup will feature a second-screen experience with commentary from former Sporting greats Paulo Nagamura and Jimmy Nielsen, both of whom helped the hosts to their first major championship in eight years.
Saturday's re-airing can also be streamed on the FOX Sports GO app and at FOXSportsGO.com by customers of pay-TV providers who receive FOX Sports Kansas City. For a full list of FOX Sports Kansas City channel numbers, click here.
Sporting had undergone a special transformation since rebranding from the Kansas City Wizards in late 2010 and moving into Children's Mercy Park the following year. Crowds of 20,000 filled the stadium and a 125-game MLS sellout streak had begun. The team had vastly improved on the field under Manager Peter Vermes, developing into a real winner. The only component missing from the ultimate turnaround tale was a trophy.
That brings us to the evening of Aug. 8, 2012, in Kansas City, Kansas.
Even before kickoff, the scenes at Children's Mercy Park were suitable for a film. A rain storm delayed kickoff for nearly an hour, leaving a brilliant double rainbow in its wake. Seeking their first major trophy in eight years, Sporting had the task of dethroning Seattle Sounders FC, which entered the match with a three-year stranglehold on the Open Cup and a six-game unbeaten streak against Vermes' side. A hotly contested game ended tied 1-1 after 120 minutes, bringing forth a penalty kick shootout in front of the raucous Cauldron.
In the fourth round, Nielsen made a pivotal stop to deny Christian Tiffert and carry the shootout into a fifth frame. Nagamura then slotted home, putting the onus on Seattle's Eddie Johnson, who was back in Kansas City for the first time since playing for the Wizards in 2007. Johnson's attempt sailed well over the crossbar, sending Children's Mercy Park into pandemonium as Sporting claimed a coveted trophy for the first time since 2004 and kicked its decade of excellence into another gear.
