The Sporting KC Show, held throughout the season on Sports Radio 810 WHB, is now available on Spotify and iTunes. With Nate Bukaty and Carter Augustine hosting the weekly program, Sporting fans now have a place to go to catch up on club storylines, player achievements, guest interviews and more.
How did a lifelong resident of Hungary become so eager to join Sporting Kansas City? What is it like to play three away matches in three different countries in a seven-day period? And how much intel have Sporting gleaned on their Concacaf Champions League opponent ahead of Wednesday's first leg in Panama?
These were among the several topics covered Tuesday in the newest episode of The Sporting KC Show Podcast as hosts Nate Bukaty and Carter Augustine were joined in Panama by defender Botond Barath and Sporting's performance analyst Ash Wallace.
Sporting will face Panamanian side Independiente at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday at Estadio Agustin Sanchez in La Chorrera, Panama. The first-leg fixture will stream live in English on YahooSports.com and the Yahoo Sports app while airing live in Spanish on Univision Deportes. Sports Radio 810 WHB will also carry a local radio broadcast.
Barath made his Sporting debut in Sunday's last-gasp 2-1 loss at LAFC and could be poised for a start on Wednesday with center back Andreu Fontas returning to Kansas City after suffering a minor injury in Los Angeles. The Hungarian has integrated into his new team quickly, thanks in part to fellow countrymen Krisztian Nemeth and Daniel Salloi helping him transition to the MLS game.
Wallace, who has served as Sporting's performance analyst since 2012, shared the fascinating story of how he joined the technical staff before providing fascinating insight on the strengths of Independiente, who thrashed Toronto FC 5-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16.
Episode Summary
- 0:26 – Bukaty and Augustine give a quick recap on Sporting's whirlwind tour, which has included stops in Toluca, Mexico, Los Angeles and Panama.
- 5:24 – The hosts provide a backstory on Independiente, who made a name for themselves with an impressive upset win over Toronto.
- 7:53 – Barath joins the show to reflect on his first few months with Sporting, the newspaper article that convinced him to join the club, his fanhood of American football and his anticipation for Wednesday's test in hot and humid Panama.
- 15:40 – Wallace joins the show and shares his intriguing past, growing up with the sport as a native Englishman and eventually landing full-time employment with Sporting after providing the coaching staff a comprehensive scouting report ahead of the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final.
- 24:53 – Wallace describes his day-to-day duties, which require him to prepare weeks in advance for Sporting's upcoming opponents.
- 31:43 – Wallace explains how Sporting have gained information on Independiente and the unique dangers they will pose on Wednesday night.
Listen to the full podcast below.
