Sporting Kansas City announced today that the club has signed 21-year-old center back Chris Rindov, who in December was taken as the 37th overall pick in MLS SuperDraft 2023 presented by adidas.
Rindov has signed an MLS contract for the 2023 season with option years in 2024, 2025 and 2026. He becomes Sporting’s first MLS SuperDraft selection to sign for the first team since 2018 and the second defender on Sporting’s active roster to join as a second-round draft pick out of Maryland, alongside World Cup veteran and seven-time MLS All-Star Graham Zusi. Rindov has appeared in each of Sporting’s first four matches of the 2023 preseason presented by Children’s Mercy, logging 150 minutes of action.
Rindov was a defensive mainstay for perennial powerhouse Maryland, starting in each of the program’s 38 matches over the last two seasons and finishing his college career with four goals and five assists in 58 appearances. Rising from freshman walk-on to team captain as a senior, he had a banner year last fall as an All-Big Ten First Team honoree and an MLS College Showcase participant.
Rindov played every minute in all 20 matches for the Terrapins in 2022, pushing Maryland to the Big Ten regular season title with an unbeaten 4-0-4 conference record. The 6-foot-2 defender scored goals in early-season wins over Virginia and Michigan and helped his team post five shutouts, including a 1-0 victory over Michigan State in which Rindov also tallied an assist.
A two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, Rindov guided the Terps to their 22nd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance last November, highlighted by a first-round triumph over Fairleigh Dickinson.
Rindov, who has citizenship in the United States and Bulgaria, logged nine appearances for Maryland as a freshman in 2019 and started nine of 10 matches the following year. His breakout junior campaign was punctuated by eight shutouts, with Rindov playing in all but four minutes throughout the 2021 season. He added two goals and two assists as the Terrapins finished with a 12-4-2 record.
Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, and raised in nearby Rockville, Rindov won four consecutive state championships with his club team OBGC, where he also competed at two national championships and won an Eastern Regional title in 2018.
For a full list of Sporting's offseason roster moves, visit SportingKC.com/news/tracker.
Sporting Kansas City will kick off the 2023 MLS campaign on Feb. 25 by visiting the Portland Timbers in the earliest start to a regular season in club history. The season opener will air live on MLS Season Pass, a new subscription service from Apple and MLS that will stream every match of the regular season, Audi MLS Cup Playoffs and Leagues Cup with no blackouts.
Sporting Kansas City’s home schedule begins March 11 against the LA Galaxy at Children’s Mercy Park. Season tickets are available by calling 888-4KC-GOAL or visiting SportingKC.com. Additional ticket packages and promotions are available as well as single-match tickets for the club's first eight regular season home matches.
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City (MLS) signs defender Chris Rindov to one-year MLS contract for 2023 with options for 2024, 2025 and 2026.
VITALS
Chris Rindov (RIN-dove)
Position: Defender
Born: 10/8/2001 (21 years old)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190 lbs.
College: University of Maryland
Hometown: Rockville, Maryland
Birthplace: Silver Spring, Maryland
Citizenship: USA, Bulgaria
Twitter: @chrisrindov
Instagram: @chris_rindov
