SPORTING KC TO HOST WESTERN CONFERENCE LEADERS FC DALLAS ON FRIDAY
Sporting Kansas City will host Western Conference leaders FC Dallas at 8 p.m. CT on Friday at Sporting Park in a match nationally televised on UniMas/UDN in English and Spanish. In addition, local broadcasts will be available on KMCI-TV 38 the Spot, Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
A limited number of tickets, including standing room only tickets, for the match are available via Ticketmaster.com and the first 10,000 ticket holders inside the stadium gates will receive a Sporting KC t-shirt courtesy of Mazuma Credit Union. After the match, fans are invited to Turn 2 Sports Bar & Restaurant at Hollywood Casino for "Sporting Kansas City Extra Time" featuring $2 wells and wine by the glass, $3 Boulevard drafts and $7 appetizers.
Sporting KC (4-2-6, 18 points) is unbeaten in five straight matches and would claim a top-two spot in the Western Conference with a win on Friday. FC Dallas (6-3-3, 21 points) currently leads the division and boasts the best scoring offense in MLS (18 goals). Friday is the second of three regular season meetings between the clubs this season, with FC Dallas prevailing 3-1 on March 14 at Toyota Stadium.
SPORTING KC DEFEATS NEW ENGLAND AT SPORTING PARK, TIES SEATTLE ON THE ROAD
Sporting KC collected four points from two MLS regular season matches last week, defeating the New England Revolution 4-2 at Sporting Park last Wednesday before holding Seattle Sounders FC to a 0-0 draw Saturday at CenturyLink Field.
Playing the team's 100th game at Sporting Park and 200th MLS match under Manager Peter Vermes, Sporting KC erased an early deficit to beat New England. Juan Agudelo opened the scoring for the visitors with an early goal in the 11th minute before Sporting KC responded with four straight goals in a 18-minute span.
Dom Dwyer's well-taken goal in the 29th minute sparked the comeback, and his equalizer was followed by two goals from Krisztian Nemeth and the game-winner from Benny Feilhaber, who also earned his League-leading sixth and seventh assists of the season. Though the Revolution's Scott Caldwell pulled a goal back in the 64th minute, Sporting KC snapped New England's nine-game unbeaten run to remain unbeaten both at home (3-0-3) and against Eastern Conference opponents (4-0-2) in 2015.
Sporting KC then stretched the club's unbeaten streak to five games with a scoreless draw at Seattle three days later, becoming the first team to hold the Sounders scoreless at CenturyLink Field in 2015. Anchored by Kansas City native centerbacks Matt Besler and Kevin Ellis, Sporting KC's defense allowed only one shot on goal—Seattle's fewest at home in the past three seasons—for the team's fifth clean sheet of the year.
KRISZTIAN NEMETH TO JOIN HUNGARY FOR UEFA EURO 2016 QUALIFYING
Forward Krisztian Nemeth has been named to the Hungary Men’s National Team for two upcoming matches, Sporting KC announced today. Hungary will play an international friendly against Lithuania at 11:30 a.m. CT on June 5 in Debrecen, Hungary followed by a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier versus Finland at 11 a.m. CT on June 13 in Helsinki, Finland.
Nemeth leads Sporting KC with five goals this season, second most among all MLS newcomers. Last week, the 26-year-old scored twice and added an assist in the team’s 4-2 victory over New England at Sporting Park. The five-point performance was the most by a Sporting KC player since June 2011 (Graham Zusi) and matched the MLS season-high in 2015.
Acquired in December with 10 years of professional experience in Europe, Nemeth has played in England, Greece, Netherlands and his native Hungary. He has 15 international appearances for the Hungary Men’s National Team, debuting in 2010 and most recently representing his country in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying.
Nemeth will join the Hungary Men’s National Team in Budapest on June 1. He will miss Sporting KC’s regular season match against the Seattle Sounders FC on June 6 at Sporting Park while away on international duty.
SPORTING KC AND GOALKEEPER LUIS MARIN MUTUALLY AGREE TO TERMINATE CONTRACT
Sporting KC announced today that the club has mutually agreed to part ways with goalkeeper Luis Marin. The 32-year-old will return to his native Chile due to personal considerations.
Marin played Sporting KC’s first eight matches (2-2-4) of 2015 with 19 saves, three shutouts and a 1.50 goals against average. A member of Chile’s 2010 FIFA World Cup team, Marin has eight career international appearances.
Additionally, homegrown goalkeeper Jon Kempin has returned from his loan with the San Antonio Scorpions and will be made active on Sporting KC's roster pending League approval. The Leawood, Kansas, native started two matches for the reigning North American Soccer League champions with five saves while on loan.
Kempin, 22, is currently in his sixth professional season since becoming the team’s first homegrown player at age 17 and has made five career appearances for Sporting KC across all competition. He earned his first selection to he U.S. MNT earlier this year and most recently joined the United States Under-23 Men’s National Team last month.
FAN BALLOT UNVEILED FOR 2015 AT&T MLS ALL-STAR GAME
Major League Soccer unveiled the fan ballot today for the 2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game featuring eight representatives—as nominated by media—from all 20 teams. Sporting Kansas City’s eligible players for fan voting are as follows:
- Goalkeeper (1): Tim Melia
- Defenders (2): Jalil Anibaba and Matt Besler
- Midfielders (3): Roger Espinoza, Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi
- Forwards (2): Dom Dwyer and Krisztian Nemeth
Voting is open through 2 p.m. CT on July 3 via MLSsoccer.com, social media and EA SPORTS FIFA 15. Eleven total players (one goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders and three forwards) with the highest combined votes will be named to the All-Star Fan XI.
In addition to votes cast online at MLSsoccer.com, fans can also vote through social media by mentioning an eligible player’s first and last name along with the hashtag #MLSAllStar on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Users may only vote for one player per post and votes are limited to one per account each day for up to 10 different players.
The 2015 MLS All-Stars will play Barclays Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur at 8 p.m. CT on July 29 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado. Four of Sporting Kansas City’s eight nominees are in contention for the first All-Star honors of their MLS careers, including World Cup veteran Benny Feilhaber who leads the League with a career-high seven assists this season. Besler and Zusi have each been named MLS All-Stars on three occasions while Dwyer (2014) and Espinoza (2012) have also received All-Star recognition during their respective careers.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR SPORTING KC'S FOURTH ROUND OPEN CUP GAME ON JUNE 16
Tickets for Sporting KC's opening match in the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on June 16 at Sporting Park are now on sale via Ticketmaster.com. Tickets for the match are included in Season Ticket Member packages as Special Game A. Single-game tickets start at just $14 for general admission.
Sporting KC enters the competition in the fourth round and will host the winner between St. Louis FC (USL) and Minnesota United FC (NASL), who play at 7 p.m. CT tonight at the World Wide Technology Soccer Park in St. Louis. That match will be live streamed via the Saint Louis FC YouTube channel.
Sporting KC defeated Minnesota United 2-0 in the fourth round of last year's competition before falling to the Portland Timbers 3-1 in the fifth round. Sporting KC are two-time winners of the U.S. Open Cup having won the championship in 2004 and 2012. The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has been held annually since 1914 and is open to all amateur/professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. This year’s winner will earn $250,000 and a berth into the 2016-17 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.
DOM DWYER UP FOR MLS GOAL OF THE WEEK
Forward Dom Dwyer's first half goal in Sporting KC's 4-2 victory over the New England Revolution last Wednesday has been nominated for MLS Goal of the Week. Dwyer's strike makes him one of five nominees alongside Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC), Alan Gordon (LA Galaxy), Lucas Pittinari (Colorado Rapids) and Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes).
Voting for MLS Goal of the Week is now open and will run through Friday morning at 1:59 a.m. CT. Dwyer's goal is the second MLS Goal of the Week nominee for Sporting KC in 2015. Feilhaber's 95th-minute equalizer in a 4-4 draw at Houston on April 25 won the weekly vote.
FEILHABER, NEMETH AND DIA SELECTED TO MLS TEAM OF THE WEEK
Forward Krisztian Nemeth, midfielder Benny Feilhaber and rookie defender Amadou Dia all received MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week recognition on Tuesday, with Nemeth also landing the honor from a host of other publications. The 26-year-old Hungarian scored twice and assisted another last Wednesday—a 4-2 win over New England—marking the first time a Sporting player has done so since Graham Zusi in June 2011. Bleacher Report, Goal.com and SI.com each reserved a Team of the Week spot for Nemeth, whose team-leading five goals rank tied for second among MLS newcomers.
Feilhaber reclaimed sole possession of first place on the MLS assist chart last Wednesday, taking his total to seven after setting up two goals in the victory at Sporting Park. He then made 15 recoveries against Seattle—the most of any MLS player over the weekend—and nearly scored a spectacular game-winner in the 92nd minute, only for his curling effort to be saved by a diving Stefan Frei.
Meanwhile, Dia earned the third and fourth starts of his young MLS career and played a large role in keeping Seattle off the scoresheet on Saturday. With Seth Sinovic and Marcel de Jong sidelined through injury, the 21-year-old turned in a pair of 90-minute performances on the left side of defense.
In addition, last week's four-point haul was enough for SBI Soccer to choose Sporting KC as its MLS Team of the Week. Peter Vermes’ side is now unbeaten in five matches and has the second fewest losses through 12 regular season games in team history.
ERIK PALMER-BROWN WITH U.S. U-20S FOR FIFA U-20 WORLD CUP
Eighteen-year-old Sporting KC Academy product Erik Palmer-Brown is currently with the United States Under-20 Men's National Team in New Zealand for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The U.S. kicks off Group A play against Myanmar at 11 p.m. CT on Friday at Northland Events Centre in Whangarei before traveling to Auckland to play New Zealand (June 2) and Ukraine (June 5). All three of the U.S. group stage matches will be shown live in the U.S. on FOX Sports 1.
ACADEMY U-16S AND U-18S TO PLAY REGULAR SEASON FINALES SATURDAY AT SWOPE
The under-16 and under-18 teams will play their regular season finales in the 2014-15 U.S. Soccer Development Academy with a doubleheader on Saturday versus the Dallas Texans at Swope Soccer Village. Both matches are free and open to the public to attend as the U-18's (13-8-5, 5th place) look to secure a berth in the Academy Playoffs when they kick off at 10 a.m. CT, followed by the U-16's (7-8-11, 8th place) at 12:30 p.m. CT. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter and Instagram for updates.
The Sporting KC Academy under-12 and under-14 squads are competing at the Kansas State Cup, an annual tournament that kicked off Tuesday and runs through Thursday, June 4, at the Overland Park Soccer Complex. The competition features the top teams from across the state and is the first step in qualifying for US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional Championships and the US Youth Soccer National Championships.
U-12 Schedule (playing in U-13 Boys Division Bracket C)
Friday at 4:30 p.m.: vs. Sedgwick County SA 02 Santos Select
Saturday at 10 a.m.: vs. MUSC KC Fusion Academy Bulwich 01/02
Sunday at 8 a.m.: vs. Toca FC U13B MLS
U-14 Schedule (playing in U-15 Boys Division Bracket A)
Tuesday: Sporting KC U-14s defeated Sporting Wichita Rojos SC 6-0
Today at 4:30 p.m.: vs. Kansas Rush Academy Blue 99/00
Thursday at 6:30 p.m.: vs. KCSC Blackstars 99/00
TICKETS ON SALE FOR CONCACAF GOLD CUP DOUBLEHEADER ON JULY 13
Tickets are now on sale via Ticketmaster.com for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup doubleheader to be played at Sporting Park on July 13. The United States Men's National Team will face Panama at 8:30 pm. CT in the Group A finale after Haiti takes on either Honduras or French Guiana at 6 p.m. CT. CONCACAF announced the group stage matchups for the 12-team tournament in March.
All tickets provide entry to both matches with prices starting at $35 for general admission seating in the South Stand or Members Stand. Sporting KC could feature players on three of the teams competing at Sporting Park that evening—Matt Besler and Graham Zusi of the U.S., Haitian midfielder Soni Mustivar and Honduran midfielder Roger Espinoza.
The Gold Cup is the region’s marquee national team tournament and the headline competition for the United States Men’s National Team in 2015. This year’s tournament carries additional significance as it will determine CONCACAF's representatives at the Centennial Cup America in 2016 and the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017.
SPORTING PARK TO HOST WATCH PARTIES FOR USWNT DURING 2015 WORLD CUP
The Boulevard Members Club at Sporting Park will welcome U.S. Women’s National Team fans for 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup watch parties hosted by WIN for KC in conjunction with Sporting KC, FC Kansas City and the NSCAA.
2015 FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP: U.S. WNT SCHEDULE
Mon., June 8 at 6:30 p.m. CT: vs. Australia in Winnipeg (RSVP)
Fri., June 12 at 7 p.m. CT: vs. Sweden in Winnipeg (RSVP)
Tues., June 16 at 7 p.m. CT: vs. Nigeria in Vancouver (RSVP)
The U.S. WNT watch parties at Sporting Park will be free to attend and open to fans of all ages. Food, drink and merchandise will be available to purchase at each event in addition to exclusive raffle giveaways and appearances by FC Kansas City and/or Sporting KC players. Doors open one hour prior to kickoff and parking will be available in Lot D.
The 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be held in six cities across Canada from June 6 through July 5. All 52 games during the 24-team tournament will be nationally televised live on FOX, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 in the United States, in addition to live streams on FOX Sports GO and FOXSportsGO.com.
Reigning NWSL champions FC Kansas City are represented by four players on the United States’ World Cup roster: defender Becky Sauerbrunn, midfielder Lauren Holiday, midfielder Heather O’Reilly and forward Amy Rodriguez.
"SPORTING KC DAY AT THE ZOO" SET FOR SUNDAY
The Kansas City Zoo is hosting "Sporting KC Day at the Zoo" on Sunday and four players (Roger Espinoza, Benny Feilhaber, Tim Melia and Chance Myers) will be in attendance from 1:30-3:30 p.m. CT to sign autographs for guests in addition to playing soccer with the sea lions and penguins. Other zoo animals will also be taking part in the festivities, including six orangutans suiting up in team jerseys, and a futsal court will be set up behind Tropics from 12-4 p.m. CT for free use by guests of all ages.
SPORTING CLUB NETWORK AND HEARTLAND SOCCER TO HOST FRIENDLIES
The Sporting Club Network announced a new partnership Wednesday with Heartland Soccer Association in conjunction with the annual Academy Affiliate Weekend. During the weekend of Aug. 14-16, Heartland’s “Fall Kick Off Challenge” will now include a new division of play – the Academy Affiliate Friendlies. Providing the perfect tune-up ahead of the fall youth soccer season, registration for this exclusive division will be restricted to only Sporting KC’s Academy Affiliate clubs.
First held in 2012, the inaugural Academy Affiliate Friendlies involved five Academy Affiliate clubs from four different states. As preparations now continue for the fourth edition of the tournament, Academy Affiliate teams from at least 16 major Midwestern cities across nine different states are expected to travel to Kansas City to participate in this exclusive event.
Registration information for the Academy Affiliate Friendlies division can be found at HeartlandSoccer.net, as well as the Academy Affiliate Weekend webpage, with registration to remain open until July 20 or until the event is sold out. Follow the SCN on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for all updates.
ENTRY FOR RALLY HOUSE FAN EXPERIENCE FAN SWEEPSTAKES OPEN THROUGH SUNDAY
Sunday is the final opportunity to enter the Rally House Fan Experience Sweepstakes for a chance to win the following prize pack: $500 gift card for a shopping spree with a Sporting KC player, authentic Sporting KC jersey and a gameday experience that includes two tickets to an upcoming Sporting KC match with a stadium tour, pre-game field access during warm-ups and a player meet-and-greet. Fans can enter online at SportingKC.com and will receive multiple entries for following @GoRallyHouse on Twitter and sharing the contest on social media.
SPORTING KC TO HOST OPEN TRYOUTS JUNE 13-14
Sporting KC will host the team's 2015 open tryouts on June 13-14 at Swope Soccer Village (6310 Lewis Road) in Kansas City, Missouri. Online registration is now open and will be available to the first 200 players who are 18 years or older.
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The club first organized open tryouts in the buildup to the team's inaugural season in 1996. More recently, Sporting KC has welcomed prospective professionals each year since 2008 when two players, Nelson Pizarro and Kevin Souter, were signed by Vermes and went on to appear in 14 matches across all competitions.
Participants must pay all expenses (registration fee, travel costs, etc.), but discounted hotel rooms are available for out-of-town players. For more information, visit the 2015 Open Tryouts webpage on SportingKC.com.
Sporting Blue Visa Credit Card available exclusively through Mazuma Credit Union
SPORTING BLUE VISA CREDIT CARD AVAILABLE THROUGH MAZUMA CREDIT UNION
All new in 2015, the Sporting Blue Visa Credit Card is available exclusively through the Mazuma Credit Union in partnership with Sporting KC.
Every qualifying purchase made with the Sporting Blue Card earns points towards club merchandise, match tickets, autographed gear, gameday experiences and more. Sporting Blue Card Rewards include all-inclusive trips (airfare, lodging, tickets and food) for Sporting KC away games and Sporting Style gift cards, as well tickets to Sporting KC home matches or special events at Sporting Park.
Visit Sporting KC.com to learn more about the partnership and click here to apply for a Sporting Blue Visa Credit Card. For more information, visit Mazuma.org or follow the credit union on Twitter and Facebook.
FOLLOW SPORTING KC ONLINE
Sporting KC fans looking to keep up with the club online have a place to go. The Social Media page on SportingKC.com features Twitter account information for the team, its players and several staff members. Supporters may also take advantage of the Media Recap page for all the latest independent news coverage.
