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 Saturday, 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 is rolling 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 highlights the many reasons to be pumped for Sporting’s 2020 campaign. To visit the series homepage as it expands, head to SportingKC.com/countdown.
Only five days remain until Sporting Kansas City begins the 2020 MLS campaign with a compelling road test in Vancouver. Manager Peter Vermes' men have enjoyed plenty of success at BC Place in years past, but anyone familiar with MLS knows just how unpredictable Week 1 can be.
With match week officially here, all eyes are firmly cast on a tantalizing weekend slate that features all 26 clubs writing their first on-field chapters of the decade.
But before the games arrive, let's take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some of the most memorable season openers during the Sporting Kansas City era, which began in 2011 when the club rebranded and took its first steps toward becoming a perennial title contender.
March 19, 2011: Five-goal thriller in LA
The club's first official match as Sporting Kansas City was an instant classic as an early C.J. Sapong strike and an Omar Bravo brace produced a memorable 3-2 triumph over Chivas USA in Carson, California.
March 10, 2012: Late drama in the capital
A cagey battle between Sporting and D.C. United at RFK Stadium looked destined to end scoreless, but Sapong latched onto a Graham Zusi corner kick in second-half stoppage time to give the visitors all three points.
March 2, 2013: The start of something special
Sporting's MLS Cup-winning campaign began with an impressive 3-1 road win over the Philadelphia Union. The hosts truck first but an impressive response saw Zusi, Oriol Rosell and debutant Claudio Bieler find the back of the net.
March 6, 2016: Stunner in Seattle
In yet another tightly contested, low-scoring slugfest between Sporting and Seattle, MLS debutant Nuno Andre Coelho unfurled a speculative long-range effort that skipped past Sounders keeper Stefan Frei and into the corner of the net. The 1-0 result was Sporting's first victory in Seattle since 2009.
March 4, 2017: Tim Melia doing Tim Melia things
Sporting's Tim Melia has saved 10 penalty kicks in MLS competition since 2016, four more than any other goalkeeper. One of which came in the 2017 curtain raiser at D.C. United, when he pulled off a splendid double-save en route to a well-earned clean sheet.
