SPORTING KC ON THE ROAD TO FACE HOUSTON DYNAMO TONIGHT
Sporting Kansas City will begin a late-season stretch of four important games in an 11-day span when the team takes on Western Conference rivals Houston Dynamo (9-12-8, 9th place) at 7:30 p.m. CT tonight, followed by a nationally televised match-up with Seattle Sounders FC (14-13-3, 4th place) at 4 p.m. CT on Sunday at Sporting Park. Seeking a fifth straight postseason berth, Sporting KC (12-8-8, fifth place) sits four points ahead of seventh-place San Jose and four points behind Supporters' Shield leaders Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo (9-12-8, ninth place) square off tonight for the fourth time this year. The match at BBVA Compass Stadium will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT with pregame coverage available on KMCI-TV's 38 the Spot and SKCTV across the Midwest beginning at 7 p.m. CT. Live radio broadcasts will be available locally on 99.3 FM and 1340 AM.
Sporting KC is unbeaten against the Dynamo in 2015, including a 3-1 home win in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. The regular season series has produced two draws, a 4-4 thriller on April 25 at BBVA Compass Stadium and a 1-1 result on Aug. 1 at Sporting Park. The rivals have met 19 times across all competitions since 2011, including meetings in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Peter Vermes' men are unbeaten in five straight trips to BBVA Compass Stadium and have lost just one of their last 11 matches against Houston in all competitions. Forward Dom Dwyer has relished the rivalry in particular, having scored in six straight meetings against the Dynamo dating back to the 2013 Eastern Confrence Finals.
SPORTING KC BACK HOME ON SUNDAY TO HOST SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
Following tonight's road match in Houston, Sporting KC returns home to host Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins and Seattle Sounders FC live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 4 p.m. CT Sunday at Sporting Park. A limited number of tickets are still available, including standing room only tickets, via Ticketmaster.com while supplies last. The first 10,000 fans inside the stadium will receive a Sporting KC tote bag courtesy of UMKC and all fans are encouraged to arrive early to be in their seats for a special display, presented by Sprint, at the end of the national anthem.
SPORTING KC SNAPS FIVE-GAME WINLESS RUN WITH 3-1 VICTORY OVER FC DALLAS
Sporting KC took a major step toward the top of the Western Conference with a 3-1 victory over second place FC Dallas on Friday at Sporting Park. Benny Feilhaber scored twice and Dom Dwyer added the team's third goal of the night to give both players 10 regular season goals in 2015, marking the first time since 1998 for the club to have two double digit goal scorers in a season.
Feilhaber also becomes only the third player in club history, and first since 2005, to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists in a single season. The MLS MVP candidate has scored or assisted on 24 of the team's 44 goals this season; only Preki had previously tallied a higher total in a single season.
Feilhaber found the opening goal in the 65th minute, winning a set piece 20 yards out and curling the ensuing free kick around the wall with a shot that kissed off the post before nestling into the back of the net. Sporting KC's lead would double in the 76th minute as Dwyer won a penalty kick for the home side. Feilhaber calmly stepped to the spot, having converted his previous four attempts this season, and buried the shot for his second two-goal game of the year.
Victor Ulloa would pull a goal back for the visitors, but Dwyer -- who scored four goals against FC Dallas in the U.S. Open Cup earlier this year -- ended any ideas of a comeback for the Western Conference foes with his emphatic goal in the 83rd minute. With the win, Sporting KC improves to 13-1-4 at home in all competitions this year.
BENNY FEILHABER NAMED MLS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber was named MLS Player of the Week on Tuesday for Week 29 of the 2015 regular season. Feilhaber scored the opening two goals in Sporting Kansas City's 3-1 victory over FC Dallas on Friday at Sporting Park.
In the 65th minute, Feilhaber won a set piece 20 yards out and curled the ensuing free kick around the wall with a shot that glanced off the post before nestling into the back of the net. The goal was Sporting Kansas City's first scored directly from a free kick in the regular season since July 19, 2014 when Feilhaber was also the goal scorer against the LA Galaxy.
Feilhaber then added his second goal of the night 11 minutes later, converting his fifth penalty in five attempts this season. The 30-year-old playmaker is now tied for the team lead with 10 goals in the regular season and is also tied for the League lead with 14 assists, making him only the third player in club history to reach double digits in both goals and assists in a single season.
An MLS MVP candidate, Feilhaber has scored or assisted on 24 of the team's 44 regular season goals this season and set a new club record with 19 assists across all competitions. Toronto FC Designated Player Sebastian Giovinco is the only other MLS player with 10 or more goals and assists to date.
DOM DWYER UP FOR MLS GOAL OF THE WEEK
For the second straight weekend, a Sporting KC forward has scored one of best goals across Major League Soccer.
On the same day that Krisztian Nemeth won the vote for AT&T MLS Goal of the Week, Dom Dwyer conjured a superb strike of his own in a 3-1 victory over FC Dallas. His left-footed bullet in the 83rd minute sealed a precious victory and is one of five nominees for top goal in Week 29.
Fan voting for AT&T MLS Team of the Week will remain open until Friday morning at 1:59 a.m. CT. Sporting Kansas City players have won the weekly honor on four previous occasions this season: Benny Feilhaber has two (Week 8, Week 21), Nemeth has one (Week 28) and Dwyer is in contention for his second (Week 12). At season's end, every MLS Goal of the Week will be up for AT&T MLS Goal of the Year.
Dwyer leads Sporting Kansas City with 15 goals in 2015 -- 10 in MLS and five in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Despite playing regularly for just three seasons, his 43 career goals in all competitions are tied with Sporting Legend Chris Klein for fourth most on the club's all-time chart. In addition, his 32 league goals since the start of 2014 are the most over a two-year span by any player in team history.
KRISZTIAN NEMETH TAKES HOME MLS GOAL OF THE WEEK
Krisztian Nemeth's goal against Orlando City SC on Sept. 13 was voted the MLS Goal of the Week for Week 28, MLSsoccer.com announced last Friday. It is the first such honor for Nemeth in his first season with Sporting KC.
Down a goal, Nemeth picked up a Benny Feilhaber pass at the top of the box and slalomed past a pair of Orlando City defenders. Goalkeeper Tally Hall could do nothing but watch as Nemeth rifled a shot past him toward the upper corner of the net. Nemeth's goal collected 45.52% of the vote, 15.01% higher than Seattle Sounders forward Obafemi Martins.
Nemeth's 20 combined goals (13) and assists (7) in all competitions are the most by a Kansas City newcomer in club history (excluding the inaugural 1996 MLS season). He has bagged nine MLS goals and an additional four in the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. He has also featured four times for the Hungary Men's National Team this year, including appearances in the team's previous three 2016 UEFA Euro qualifiers.
U.S. SOCCER ANNOUNCES ROSTER FOR CONCACAF OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS AT SPORTING PARK
U.S. Soccer announced on Friday the 20-player roster for the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship, which will be played across the United States from Oct. 1-13. The U.S. will open Group A with a pair of games at Sporting Park against Canada on Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. CT and Cuba on Oct. 3 at 4 p.m. CT. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.
SPORTING KC ACADEMY OPENS 2015-16 SEASON WITH A PAIR OF WINS
The Sporting KC Academy kicked off its 2015-16 U.S. Soccer Development Academy season in emphatic fashion last weekend with a sweep of Solar Chelsea SC in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The U-18s won their opening match 5-0 while the U-16s took home a 4-1 win. Eight players who started for last summer’s U-15 US Youth Soccer National Championship squad featured for the U-16s on Sunday.
Both teams will now head home this weekend for a pair of matches against the Colorado Rapids Academy. The U-16s will kick off at 10 a.m. on Saturday followed by the U-18s at 12:30 p.m. On Sunday, the U-16s and U-14s will kick off at 10 a.m. followed by the U-18s at 12:30 p.m. All home matches are played at Swope Soccer Village and are free and open to the public. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter and Instagram for full updates.
SPORTING KC OFFERING "MATCHDAY EXPERIENCE CAMP" ON SUNDAY
In conjunction with Sunday's home match against Seattle Sounders FC, Sporting KC is offering a "Match Day Experience Camp" for boys and girls between the ages of 7-14 years old. The $200 registration fee includes a ticket to the match, an adidas Sporting KC t-shirt, a pre-game chalk talk, a behind-the-scenes tour of Sporting Park, fieldside access for warm-ups and a training session led by Sporting KC staff on the pitch after the game. For more information on youth camps -- including the upcoming Speed & Agility sessions -- visit SportingKC.com/camps.
SPORTING STRIPES OPEN HOUSE SET FOR SATURDAY IN ROELAND PARK
On Saturday, boys and girls between the ages of 2-5 years old are invited to attend a free open house for Sporting Stripes from 9-11 a.m. CT at Roeland Park Sports Dome (4850 Rosewood Drive) in Roeland Park, Kansas. Parents are encouraged to RSVP by registering online. Sporting Stripes will offer four-week classes on Friday and Saturday mornings beginning in October.
SPORTING KC PLAYERS TO APPEAR AT WAL-MART LOCATIONS FOR FIFA 16 LAUNCH
EA Sports FIFA16 launched on Tuesday in North America and several Sporting Kansas City players will be making appearances at local Wal-Mart locations on Friday and Saturday in conjunction with the video game's release:
- Tim Melia at 13600 S Alden St. in Olathe, KS from 6-7:30 p.m. CT on Friday
- Matt Besler at 15700 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park, KS from 6-7:30 p.m. CT on Friday
- Benny Feilhaber at 8551 N. Boardwalk Ave. in Kansas City, MO from 6-7:30 p.m. CT on Friday
- Mikey Lopez at 1701 W. 133rd St. in Kansas City, MO from 6-7:30 p.m. CT on Friday
- Roger Espinoza at 11701 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park, KS from 2-3:30 p.m. CT on Saturday
- Ike Opara at 1000 NE Sam Walton Lane in Lee's Summit, MO from 2-3:30 p.m. CT on Saturday
- Erik Palmer-Brown at 7207 N M1 Highway in Gladstone, MO from 3-4:30 p.m. CT on Saturday
- Chance Myers at 395 N K7 Highway in Olathe, KS from 3-4:30 p.m. CT on Saturday
SETH SINOVIC'S UNCORK FOR A CAUSE CHARITY PROGRAM SET FOR OCT. 23
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 Kansas City – 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
.
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.
