Ahead of Sporting Kanas City's upcoming match against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, two homegrown midfielders, Cam Duke and Felipe Hernandez sat down with The Border Patrol on 810. Duke and Hernandez currently pace the team in assists with three apiece and are gearing up for a busy July featuring an Open Cup Semifinal and six MLS matches.
The interview starts with the duo discussing their first professional contracts and their soccer journeys. Hernandez highlights his thought process when having to make the choice between playing professional soccer and going to college, while Duke dives into his development and his goals as a soccer player.
Both Hernandez and Duke talk about the growth of soccer in America and how growing up with the MLS is different than some of the players on the team. They talk about jumping right into training at the professional level at such a young age. Both Duke and Hernandez are Sporting KC Academy products and they know firsthand the level of commitment that comes from taking the leap to the first team.
Nate Bukaty then asks the pair about the 2022 season. Both Duke and Hernandez have been playing consistent minutes for Sporting this season and Duke starts the conversation off by talking about starting most of the matches this season.
Hernandez talks about the moment it clicked for him this season and mentions the Open Cup match against Dallas. He played the full 120 minutes and mentions his confidence and riding that momentum for the rest of the season. Bukaty brings up the time Duke played four different positions in one match and he talks about his thought process and trusting his ability.
The next topic is Hernandez's goal on Father's Day, in his hometown of Nashville in front of his family. The midfielder skipped a setpiece past the keeper from long-range to give Sporting a one goal lead and he says it is the best moment of his career so far.
The show wraps up with Duke and Hernandez previewing Sunday's match against the New York Red Bulls. Duke, Hernandez and Sporting KC will kickoff against the Red Bulls at Children's Mercy Park at 7 p.m. CT with tickets available at SeatGeek.com and TV coverage on 38 The Spot.
