As the 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs enter the second leg of the Conference Championship series, Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes continues to make moves to bolster his roster ahead of the 2015 campaign.
After declining the contract options on six players and mutually agreeing to terminate the contract of an additional player, Vermes announced on Tuesday that he has picked up the contract option on five players. The players whose contracts were picked up include goalkeeper Jon Kempin, defenders Seth Sinovic and Ike Opara and forwards Dom Dwyer and C.J. Sapong.
Kempin made his MLS debut in the second half of a 2-0 loss at the Vancouver Whitecaps on Aug. 10, saving a penalty kick in the 84th minute to become the fifth youngest keeper in MLS history to save a penalty kick and the fifth keeper all-time to save a penalty in his MLS debut. The homegrown goalkeeper appeared in four matches this year and was named Most Valuable Player in the inaugural Chipotle Homegrown Game on Aug. 4 in Portland.
Sinovic was voted Sporting KC Defender of the Year after starting 31 regular season games and leading the club with 2,755 minutes played. The Leawood, Kansas native tallied two assists and contributed to nine shutouts.
Opara's season was cut short after the Wake Forest product suffered a season-ending ankle injury on March 29. The 6-2 centerback played a pivotal role in Sporting KC's 2013 MLS Cup winning campaign, appearing in 18 regular season matches with three goals.
Sapong appeared in 20 regular season games last year with seven starts. The Virginia native tallied two MLS goals and scored the team's lone goal in the Champions Cup match versus reigning English Premier League champions Manchester City at Sporting Park.
Dwyer broke the club's single-season scoring record in his third season in Kansas City. The former first round draft pick scored 22 regular season goals, second best in MLS. Dwyer tallied five multi-goal games en route to Offensive Player of the Year and Co-MVP honors.
More rosters moves are expected in the coming weeks as various drafts come into play. The first will be the MLS Waiver and Expansion Drafts that will take place on Dec. 10. Those will be followed by Phase 1 of the Re-Entry Draft on Dec. 12 and Phase 2 on Dec. 18. Prior to those drafts, there will be a half-day trade window on Dec. 8. Follow Sporting KC on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news throughout the offseason.
