GROUP TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR 2015 SEASON AT SPORTING PARK
Sporting Kansas City is now accepting deposits for groups of 20 or more to attend home matches at Sporting Park in 2015. Those interested are encouraged to act now due to high demand and limited availability. Individuals can contact a group sales representative by phone at 913-387-3400 or by completing the online registration form.
Group deposits start at $300 and will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis to secure priority consideration for preferred seating areas, game dates and requested matchday amenities. Accommodations are limited and advance reservations are required.
Sporting Park has sold out 53 straight MLS matches (including postseason) dating back to 2012. The stadium will feature unique premium hospitality options specifically tailored to group experiences in 2015, including indoor/outdoor seating, all-inclusive food/drink, pre-match tailgating and on-field VIP experiences.
The highly anticipated 2015 Major League Soccer season will run from March through October with Sporting KC playing 17 regular season home matches. The two-time MLS Cup champions will celebrate their 20th season with a move to the Western Conference, guaranteeing home dates against the LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders FC—the top three teams in the West this season—who feature the likes of MVP finalists Robbie Keane and Obafemi Martins and U.S. Men’s National Team captain Clint Dempsey.
Major League Soccer will release the full 2015 schedule following MLS Cup 2014.
STEUBLE AND THE PHILIPPINES ADVANCE TO SEMIFINALS OF 2014 AFF SUZUKI CUP
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Martin Steuble played 90 minutes as the Philippines lost 3-1 to Vietnam in its final group stage match of the 2014 Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup on Friday.
The result at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam dropped the Philippines (2-1-0, 6 points) to second place in Group A, one point behind co-hosts Vietnam. The Azkals, who had clinched progression to the knockout rounds with comfortable wins over Laos and Indonesia, will face Group B winner Thailand in the first of a two-legged semifinal on Saturday. The second leg will be played Wednesday, Dec. 10.
Steuble’s 15 caps in 2014 are the most by a Sporting KC player this year. He joined the MLS club on July 16 from Swiss side FC Wil 1900. He featured in the club's international friendly against Manchester City on July 23 before making his MLS debut against the Philadelphia Union on Aug. 1 for the first of three league appearances.
The midfielder previously spent his entire professional career in Switzerland, featuring for FC Wil 1900, Grasshopper Zurich, Lausanne Sport, FC Wohlen, and Neuchâtel Xamax. Steuble committed to the Philippines Men's National Team in 2013, made his international debut this March and scored his first Azkal goal in April. He competed in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup in May, helping the Philippines to a second place finish.
Steuble is one of seven Sporting KC players to feature in international matches in 2014 along with Matt Besler (USA), Graham Zusi (USA), Lawrence Olum (Kenya), Jorge Claros (Honduras), Soony Saad (Lebanon) and Erik Palmer Brown (USA U-20).
THREE ACADEMY ALUMS ADVANCE TO NCAA TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS
Three Sporting Kansas City Academy alums are one win away from advancing to the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's College Cup after notching victories on Sunday. Junior defender Eric DeJulio started and played the full 90 minutes as Creighton advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over Xavier, while North Carolina also progressed with a 2-1 win at Clemson. Forward Zach Wright made a second-half appearance for the Tar Heels, whose roster also features freshman Andy Lopez.
Creighton, the tournament's No. 12 overall seed and ranked No. 9 in the country, will host Maryland-Baltimore County at 7 p.m. CT on Friday at Morrison Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska. The quarterfinal appearance is the school's 10th since 2000 and third in the past four years.
North Carolina—unseeded in the NCAA tournament but ranked No. 16 in the country with a 15-5-1 record—will now proceed to the program's sixth quarterfinal appearance in the last seven years. The Tar Heels will face No. 2 seed UCLA at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday in Los Angeles.
Quarterfinal winners will advance to the Men’s College Cup, to be held Dec. 12 and 14 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. Visit NCAA.com for the full bracket and live coverage throughout the tournament. Additional Sporting KC Academy news can be found via the Academy news section, Academy blog or by following@SKCAcademy on Twitter and Instagram.
SWOPE SOCCER VILLAGE TO HOST NCAA DIVISION III MEN'S AND WOMEN'S FINAL FOURS THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
The Final Four is set for the NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Soccer Championships this Friday and Saturday at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri. Tickets are available by calling 816-389-4193.
FRIDAY, DEC. 5
Men's Semifinal #1: SUNY, Oneonta vs. Wheaton College at 11 a.m. CT
Men's Semifinal #2: Tufts University vs. Ohio Wesleyan University at 1:30 p.m. CT
Women's Semifinal #1: Lynchburg College vs. Illinois Wesleyan University at 5 p.m. CT
Women's Semifinal #2: Johns Hopkins University vs. Williams College at 7:30 p.m. CT
SATURDAY, DEC. 6
Men's NCAA Division III National Championship at 1:30 p.m. CT
Women's NCAA Division III National Championship at 5:30 p.m. CT
On the women's side, a first-time champion will be crowned in a Final Four that features three at-large bids looking to knock off No. 1 ranked Lynchburg College. The men's Final Four features a pair of two-time national champions in Ohio Wesleyan University (1998, 2011) and Wheaton College (1984, 1997) along with No. 3 ranked SUNY, Oneonta and unranked Tufts University.
The 2014 NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Soccer Championships at Swope Soccer Village will be co-hosted by the Kansas City Sports Commission and Fontbonne University. This year's final four is the first of four consecutive years in which NCAA men's and women's soccer championships will be competed at the state-of-the-art complex (Division III in 2014 and 2015; Division II in 2016 and 2017).
The 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer College Cup will be held at Sporting Park from Dec. 11-13, 2015. For more information, visit NCAA.com/championships.
SPORTING CLUB AND WWI MUSEUM TO CO-HOST SECOND ANNUAL TRUCE TOURNAMENT
Sporting Club and the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial will host the second annual Truce Tournament on Dec. 26. The Kansas City soccer community is invited to participate in the 3v3 tournament that will be played on Liberty Hill and attend an English Premier League Watch Party inside the WWI Museum.
Following a tradition that began last year, the 2014 Truce Tournament comes on the 100th Anniversary of World War I and pays homage to the time-honored story of the Christmas Truce. According to legend, WWI battles temporarily ceased around Christmas 1914 as members of both warring armies ventured into No Man’s Land to exchange gifts, sing carols and play soccer.
Registration for the event is open until Dec. 18 at www.TheTruceKC.com. Click here for more information on the Truce Tournament.
SPORTING CLUB PRESENTS NEW CLOTHING LINE
Sporting Club has released its new fashion line for Sporting KC, offering fans an extensive selection of new clothing and merchandise. The Sporting Club brand -- featuring recently released men's and women's items -- is available for purchase on Sporting Style’s website while supplies last. Fans are encouraged to follow @SportingStyle on Twitter throughout the holiday season for all the latest news.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR NCAA D-II FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP AT SPORTING PARK
Tickets are on sale to the general public for the NCAA Division II Football Championship to be played at Sporting Park on Dec. 20. Hosted by the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Associations and the Kansas City Sports Commission, the championship game will be held inside the state-of-the-art stadium for the next four years. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com while supplies last.
FOLLOW SPORTING KC ONLINE
Sporting KC fans looking to keep up with the club online now have a place to go. The Social Media page on SportingKC.com features Twitter account information for the club, its players and several staff members. Fans may also take advantage of the Media Recap page for all the latest independent news coverage.
