Sporting Kansas City was recognized on Thursday as winners of the 2019 Audi Fan Faceoff. The Sporting KC Academy will be awarded a $50,000 grand prize from Audi, in addition to the funds the club will receive from the Audi Goals Drive Progress initiative.
Starting on July 31st, Major League Soccer and Audi launched the Audi Fan Faceoff by encouraging fans to celebrate goals scored by their team in MLS matches on Twitter and Instagram with a designated club hashtag. Sporting Kansas City supporters lifted Sporting atop the Audi Fan Faceoff standings as the club with the highest average number of fan posts per game.
As part of a multi-year partnership between Audi of America and Major League Soccer to further elevate the game in North America and support MLS youth development academies, the Audi Goals Drive Progress initiative was unveiled in conjunction with this year's MLS All-Star Game. Audi kicked off the program by committing $5,000 for every goal scored during the All-Star game, $500 for every goal scored in the regular season, $2,000 for every goal during the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs and $10,000 for every goal scored during MLS Cup for up to a $1 million total commitment of funds in 2019.
“Audi has been an invaluable supporter of Major League Soccer and our clubs since 2015, and this new initiative to support MLS Academies is extraordinary,” said Todd Durbin, MLS executive VP of competition and player relations. “A forward-thinking partner, Audi recognizes the value of collaborating with MLS in advancing the game across North America. We look forward to working with Audi to positively impact the next generation of soccer players for many years to come.”
The Sporting KC Academy, led by Academy Director Jon Parry, was named MLS Academy of the Year in 2019. Sporting currently has seven Academy products on its first team roster: forward Daniel Salloi (2016), midfielder Gianluca Busio (2017), defender Jaylin Lindsey (2017), midfielder Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal (2018), forward Tyler Freeman (2018), midfielder Cameron Duke (2019) and midfielder Felipe Hernandez (2019).
