Sporting Kansas City hosted the 2016 Media Game Draft on Monday at No Other Pub. Ivy Funds Sideline Reporter Jake Yadrich emceed the event while team captains Seth Sinovic and Chance Myers were on hand to select their squads.
Twenty-two names were drawn to form two sides of 11. However, due to popular demand, additional players have been added to the teams via a lottery process.
Here are the rosters...
Get to know the field...
Alan Hainkel will start in goal for Sinovic's squad who will line up in a 4-4-2. Hainkel has informed us that he will be wearing the gloves of former Sporting KC goalkeeper and MLS Cup champion Jimmy Nielsen. Hainkel's backline will be anchored by Mike Welch (610 Sports Radio) and Scott Parks (KMBZ) with Steve Serrano (MIXX 93.3) and Thad Bell (SB Nation) on the flanks. Parks has some added motivation to perform as his Sporting KC season tickets are right next to Sinovic's parents. Meanwhile, Serrano has all the hookups for concerts in Kansas City, but we'll have to find out how his soccer skills are on Sunday.
The defensive midfield pairing of Walfri Rodas and Enrique Morales exhibits a wealth of experience that will be combined with the youngest participant on the field, MIXX 93.3's Nate Davis (just 20-years-old) playing the lone attacking mid position.
Ben Heisler, producer of The Drive on 610 Sports Radio will start at right wing on Sunday. Rumor has it, Heisler's been preparing with an intense interval training program. Team Sinovic will also be looking for a certain cohesiveness from KCTV5 Sports Anchors Dani Welniak and Nathan Vickers to round out the attack. Welniak made it known that her game plan is to be aggressive. The retired professional footballer, is a three-time Pro Bowler and 2008 Super Bowl Champion. Coincidentally, Vickers also a stud footballer, played college ball at Truman State University. Can the KCTV5 pair translate their football skills to futbol?
Meanwhile, Myers' team will line up in a 4-3-2-1 and boasts co-host of Afentra's Big Fat Morning Buzz, Danny Boi in goal. Myers was very excited about this pick.
Myers team has a plethora of experience on their backline with long-time Kansas City sports anchors Jason Lamb (FOX4) and Alan Shope (KMBC). Sports Night host TJ Carpenter (Sports Radio 810 WHB) and Telemundo Arkansas talent Jose Lopez round out the defense.
Team Myers will use a diamond in the midfield featuring Univision's Juan Cruz and KSHB's Giovanni Garcia playing defensively and Nate Bukaty calling the shots at the top of the diamond. Kansas City Star reporter Sam McDowell and striker Carrington Harrison (610 Sports Radio) will bring athleticism to the front line with Carlos Chicas adding the tactical aspect. Harrison's FIFA skills are widely known, but it remains to be seen how his gaming skills translate to the pitch.
UPDATE: Some of the newest additions to the field include FOX 4 KC's Nick Vasos, KCTV5's Ellen McNamara and Yadrich who will join Team Sinovic. 102.1's Shaylee Henning and Bryan Truta, along with KSHB's Lexi Sutter have been added to Team Myers. Vasos, McNamara and Yadrich may prove to be vital additions for Team Sinovic. Vasos demonstrated his soccer skills alongside Sporting KC defender Saad Abdul-Salaam this morning, McNamara played Division I college soccer for Texas Tech and Yadrich has a wealth of soccer knowledge and the added motivation to take down his SKCTV comrade, Bukaty. Meanwhile, Henning, Truta and Sutter boast the element of surprise as all three players' soccer skills are rather unknown. However, Truta has served as Sporting KC's PA announcer in the past and brings a sound tactical understanding to the team. While Sutter's #Rio2016 preview with USWNT co-captain Becky Sauerbrunn gave many some confidence, her mother is not as convinced...
Come see for yourself on Sunday at halftime of #SKCvPOR, but in the meantime: are you #TeamSinovic or #TeamMyers?
