SPORTING KC AIMS TO CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT TONIGHT VS. COLORADO
Two pivotal home matches remain in Sporting Kansas City’s drive to the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs, presented by Shawnee Mission Kia. First up is a meeting with the Colorado Rapids at 7:30 p.m. CT tonight at Sporting Park — a match that was originally slated for May 16 but was postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be televised on KMCI-TV 38 The Spot and SKCTV with radio broadcasts available on 99.3 FM and 1340 AM.
Sporting KC (13-10-9, 48 points) currently occupies the sixth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference and would clinch a postseason berth with a win this evening. The last-place Colorado Rapids (8-14-10, 34 points), already eliminated from playoff contention, will embrace the spoiler role and seek their first MLS victory in Kansas City since 2002. A limited number of tickets for tonight's match are available at Ticketmaster.com. All previously purchased tickets will be valid for the rescheduled match per club ticket policies. Sporting KC Season Ticket Members and group ticket holders may call 888-4KC-GOAL with inquiries.
The regular season finale will then be held at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday between Sporting KC and the LA Galaxy in a nationally-televised Decision Day match-up on ESPN. Tickets are available for both matches online at Ticketmaster.com and the first 5,000 fans inside the stadium on Sunday will receive Sporting KC touchscreen gloves courtesy of Pepsi.
SPORTING KC SUFFERS 1-0 DEFEAT AT SAN JOSE
Sporting KC's winless streak in San Jose continued last Friday with a 1-0 loss in the team's first match at Avaya Stadium. Anibal Godoy's 47th minute goal extended the Earthquakes home unbeaten streak in the series to 17 straight games in MLS competition (including playoffs) dating back to 2001.
With two home games remaining in the regular season, Sporting KC sits fourth in a Western Conference table in which second through seventh place are separated by only four points. Sporting KC can next book a postseason berth when the team hosts the Colorado Rapids at 7:30 p.m. CT tonight at Sporting Park.
Chris Wondolowski, named the club's MVP prior to the match, set up the break-through goal and earned his first assist of the year. The World Cup veteran sent a volley across the goalmouth for a tap-in from Anibal Godoy, whose two MLS goals this year have both come against Sporting KC. Goalkeeper Tim Melia tied an MLS career-high with seven saves in the losing effort.
NEMETH AND HUNGARY TO FACE NORWAY IN EURO 2016 PLAYOFF
Sporting KC forward Krisztian Nemeth and the Hungary Men's National team will meet Norway in a two-game, aggregate goal playoff to be held Nov. 12 (Oslo, Norway) and Nov. 15 (Budapest, Hungary) with only one of the two teams booking a berth for the 24-team field at UEFA Euro 2016 next summer in France.
Hungary's quest for their first UEFA European Championship since 1972 will likely see Nemeth return to his national team next month after the 26-year-old appeared in each of their final five qualifiers. He is one of three MLS players in contention for a role in the Euro 2016 playoffs along with the Irish duo of Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy) and Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids).
The games will be played during the FIFA fixture window from Nov. 9-17, during which time CONCACAF's World Cup qualifying campaign will resume with both the United States (Matt Besler, Graham Zusi) and Canada (Marcel de Jong) in action on Nov. 13 and Nov. 17. The Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs accomodates the international break with the conference semifinals concluding on Nov. 8 and the conference championships kicking off on Nov. 22.
Nemeth has contributed 15 goals, including the game-tying goal in the U.S. Open Cup Final, to go along with seven assists in 30 games played across all competitions in 2015. His 22 combined goals and assists are the most by a KC newcomer since the team's inaugural 1996 season.
AMADOU DIA TO MAKE GAMEDAY APPEARANCE AT LEGENDS 14 THEATRE
Amadou Dia will make a gameday appearance tonight at the Legends 14 Theatre (1841 Village West Parkway) in Kansas City, Kansas from 5-6:30 p.m. CT. Located less than a mile from Sporting Park, fans are encouraged to stop by the theater prior to the match against the Colorado Rapids for autographs and photo opportunities.
MIKEY LOPEZ MEET & GREET AT WESTLAKE ACE HARDWARE SET FOR THURSDAY
Mikey Lopez will participate in a meet-and-greet from 4:30-6 p.m. CT on Thursdayat Westlake Ace Hardware (4049 Somerset) in Prairie Village, Kansas. Fans can enter the All-Star Patio sweepstakes for a chance to win a prize pack that includes patio essentials and outdoor decor, as well as Sporting KC tickets and merchandise. In addition, 10 runner-up winners will receive a $100 gift card to Westlake Ace Hardware and a Sporting KC scarf/t-shirt.
NEW EPISODE OF THE SPORTING KC SHOW TO AIR THURSDAY
A new episode of The Sporting KC Show will air live on 99.3 FM from 6-7 p.m. CT on Thursday with hosts Nate Bukaty, Andy Gruenebaum and Carter Augustine. Fans can join the discussion by calling 913-491-8255. The trio will recap Sporting KC's midweek match with the Colorado Rapids, look ahead to Sunday's regular season finale against the LA Galaxy and discuss the Major League Soccer playoff picture ahead of #DecisionDay.
SPORTING KC U-16S CONTINUE PERFECT START TO SEASON
The Sporting KC Academy U-16s continued their perfect start to the 2015-16 U.S. Soccer Development Academy season with a 5-2 victory over Texas Rush on Saturday at the Championship Field at Swope Soccer Village. With the win, the Sporting KC U-16s maintained their position atop the Frontier Division with a 5-0-0 record.
The Sporting KC U-16s are off to their best start since the 2012-13 season, when they went unbeaten through their first six matches at 4-0-2. The team currently has the third best goal differential (+16) in the country among all U-16 programs. They trail only the New York Red Bulls (+21) and Weston FC (+19), who have played seven and eight games, respectively.
In the opening match of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Sporting KC U-18s fell to Texas Rush 4-1. The Sporting KC U-18s have lost back-to-back games after winning their first three to open the season. The team is currently in fourth place in the U-18 Frontier Division with nine points through five games.
Both teams will head to Claremore, Oklahoma this weekend for matches against the FC Dallas Academy. FC Dallas is currently in second match in the U-18 division and third place in the U-16 division. The FC Dallas U-16s defeated the Sporting KC U-16s 4-1 in last week’s U-17s Generation adidas Cup at Swope Soccer Village.
Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter and Instagram for updates this weekend and throughout the season.
SETH SINOVIC'S UNCORK FOR A CAUSE CHARITY PROGRAM SET FOR FRIDAY
Sporting KC defender Seth Sinovic's 2015 Uncork for a Cause charity program will kick off Oct. 23 with a special event to raise awareness and funding for The Victory Project.
In 2013, Sporting Club – the parent organization of Sporting KC – launched The Victory Project, which unites the team’s supporters, players and staff to make a tangible difference in the lives of children who are battling cancer and all of life’s challenges. These challenges could be related to a child’s health, physical, developmental or socio-economic status.
Fans can join Sinovic, his teammates and special guests from 7-9 p.m. CT on Oct. 23 for the exclusive gathering at The InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza. The event also serves as the release party for Sinovic's very own 2012 Sonoma Reserve Red Wine. Only one barrel of this Cabernet blend was bottled for Sinovic's charity program.
For tickets and additional information about the event, visit UncorkforaCause.com. To learn more about The Victory Project, visit VictoryKC.org.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP AT SWOPE SOCCER VILLAGE
Tickets for the 2015 Big 12 Soccer Championship are now available at Big12Sports.com/buytickets or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL. The Championship will take place Nov. 4, 6 and 8 at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City.
Single day passes are on sale for $10 with three-day championship passes available for $15. A 15-ticket team pack is also available for $120.
Sporting Club and the University of Kansas will again co-host this year’s championship, which will feature the Big 12’s top eight teams competing for the Conference’s postseason title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship.
In conjunction with the Championship, the Kansas City Sports Commission will be hosting a free soccer clinic for boys and girls ages 6-12 on Saturday, November 7. The clinic will be held from 8:30-10:30 a.m. as a part of their youth clinic series at Swope Soccer Village. In addition to a free t-shirt and goodie bag, all clinic participants will receive a voucher for free admission to the Big 12 Championship match on Sunday, Nov. 8. To register for the clinic, visit SportKC.org.
The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the championship will be streamed live on Big12Sports.com, while the championship match will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1. This year’s championship at Swope Soccer Village will be the third straight hosted in Kansas City.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR 2015 NCAA MEN'S COLLEGE CUP AT SPORTING PARK
Tickets are now on sale for the 2015 NCAA Men's College Cup at Sporting Park via Ticketmaster.com. Ticket packages start as low as $27 for admission to the semifinal doubleheader on Friday, Dec. 11 and the national championship match on Sunday, Dec. 13 with passes also available for access to the Ameritas Shield Club and Boulevard Members Club.
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.
