For the first time in the 25-year history of Major League Soccer, the month of February will mark the start of regular season play. On Feb. 29, clubs across the United States and Canada will step between the white lines with hopes of collecting three points to begin 2020.
A delectable opening day of MLS action will see Sporting Kansas City visit Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 9:30 p.m. CT, giving supporters their first real look at Manager Peter Vermes’ side since last October.
As the anticipated date approaches, SportingKC.com will roll out a 28-day countdown to first kick, offering a comprehensive preview of the season ahead. From key storylines and positional breakdowns to new fan initiatives and perks at Children’s Mercy Park, our Countdown to Kickoff series will highlight the many reasons to be pumped for Sporting’s 2020 campaign. To visit the series homepage as it expands, head to SportingKC.com/countdown.
Like any other offseason, the last few months have seen a slew of fresh faces join Sporting Kansas City. Some are distinctly familiar, having returned for their second stint at the club, while others are entirely new to the family.
First, a rapid-fire rundown of those who left after last season: goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas joined Nashville SC in a trade, Jimmy Medranda was taken by the same team in the MLS Expansion Draft, contract options were declined for Benny Feilhaber, Seth Sinovic and Gedion Zelalem, and contracts expired for Nicolas Hasler, Krisztian Nemeth and Rodney Wallace. On Tuesday, goalkeeper Eric Dick was loaned to USL Championship side Phoenix Rising FC for the 2020 campaign.
Now that we're caught up on departures, here's a look at the six arrivals—a group that could yet grow before Sporting battles Vancouver on Feb. 29. The club has added players on all four lines of the field, so let's jump in.
Goalkeeper Richard Sanchez (Acquired Nov. 25)
Sporting took Sanchez in Stage 1 of the MLS Re-Entry Draft. At age 25, he already has nine seasons of professional experience under his belt after developing in the FC Dallas Academy and competing in the United States and Mexico. He has spent the last three seasons in MLS with the Chicago Fire, where he totaled 90 saves across 27 league appearances.
Defender Roberto Puncec (Acquired Dec. 4)
Puncec has amassed almost 300 professional appearances across 12 professional seasons in Croatia, Israel and Germany. The center back arrives at Sporting after spending the last two and a half seasons with Croatian first-division club HNK Rijeka, where he won the 2019 Croatian Cup last spring. Puncec has started alongside captain Matt Besler in Sporting's first two preseason matches in Arizona.
Forward Khiry Shelton (Acquired Dec. 9)
Shelton, who has spent 2019 with German outfit SC Paderborn 07, returns to Kansas City for his second stint at Sporting after helping the club to first place in the Western Conference and a record-breaking scoring season in 2018. Sporting was 12-3-5 in regular season matches that Shelton played, a clear indication that his impact went beyond the two goals and five assists that year.
Forward Alan Pulido (Acquired Dec. 10)
Alas, the biggest deal of the offseason. Pulido has scored over 100 combined goals for club and country during a decorated career highlighted by five domestic championships, the 2018 Concacaf Champions League title and 13 caps for the Mexico Men’s National Team. The striker joins Sporting on a club-record transfer fee after finishing atop the Liga MX scoring charts with 12 goals for C.D. Guadalajara in the 2019 Apertura season last fall.
Defender Amadou Dia (Acquired Jan. 10)
Like Shelton, this isn't the first Sporting rodeo for Dia, who began his professional career with Sporting as the 20th overall pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft out of Clemson University. He made 37 appearances for the club in all competitions during a two-year stint highlighted by a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title and consecutive playoff appearances. Dia has spent the last three seasons with perennial USL Championship contender Phoenix Rising FC, where he was named the team’s Defender of the Year in both 2018 and 2019.
Midfielder Gadi Kinda (Acquired Jan. 23)
Acquired on loan from Beitar Jerusalem with an option to buy at the end of 2020, Kinda has played over 200 matches in Israel since turning professional in 2011 at age 17. He arrives in Kansas City after starring as one of the Israeli Premier League’s best players during the first half of the 2019-20 season. Before his move to Sporting, the playmaker ranked fourth in the league with a team-best seven goals while also leading the side with four assists.
Defender Winston Reid (acquired Feb. 14)
Sporting Kansas City announced this month that the club has acquired Reid on loan from English Premier League side West Ham United. The 31-year-old arrives in Kansas City after logging over 300 club appearances in Denmark and England, including 166 Premier League matches with West Ham. The 6-foot-3 center back has also earned 25 caps for the New Zealand Men’s National Team, including three starts at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
