Last weekend's 4-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes was one to forget for Sporting Kansas City, who will aim to rebound this Saturday when they host the New England Revolution at 7:30 p.m. CT.
The setback in San Jose didn't unfold without history being made, however, as veteran Graham Zusi joined an exclusive group of MLS players who have logged 20,000 regular season minutes with a single club.
Zusi became the third Kansas City player on the list, which consists of 20 field players and three goalkeepers. His teammate and Sporting captain Matt Besler leads the Kansas City ranks at 23,041 minutes, while current assistant coach Kerry Zavagnin comes in at 20,515 minutes.
20,000 REGULAR SEASON MINUTES PLAYED FOR SPORTING KC
- Defender Matt Besler: 23,041 minutes (2009-present)
- Midfielder Kerry Zavagnin: 20,515 minutes (2000-2008)
- Defender Graham Zusi: 20,040 minutes (2009-present)
Of the 23 MLS players who have hit 20,000 regular season minutes with one team, seven currently remain on the clubs with which they reached the milestone: Besler, Zusi, Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chara, San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski, and Real Salt Lake trio Kyle Beckerman, Tony Beltran and Nick Rimando.
Saturday's showdown versus New England is set for 7:30 p.m. CT at Children's Mercy Park. Tickets for the Kansas City Night matchup are available at SeatGeek.com.
