Starting XI: We are the Champions

Starting XI, presented by Ford, is a biweekly series on SportingKC.com that highlights 11 of the biggest storylines and news updates from Sporting Kansas City, MLS and soccer around the globe. Click here to visit the Starting XI archive.
This edition highlights the major storylines to emerge from Sporting KC's 2-1 win over the New York Red Bulls in the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final on Wednesday at Children's Mercy Park.

Sporting KC were crowned champions of the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night, defeating the New York Red Bulls 2-1 in a nail-biting final at sold-out Children’s Mercy Park. A 25th-minute header from Latif Blessing and a 66th-minute strike from Daniel Salloi were just enough to secure victory as Sporting Kansas City continued their mastery of North America’s oldest soccer tournament, lifting the Open Cup title for the fourth time overall and the third time since 2012.

Another euphoric dose of Open Cup glory makes Sporting KC the only MLS club with four major championships over the last six seasons. Manager Peter Vermes also becomes just the second coach ever to win an MLS Cup (2013) and three Open Cup titles (2012, 2015, 2017), continuing an era of trophy-laden success in Kansas City since the turn of the decade.

2. Party Like a Champ

All Sporting KC fans are invited to attend the U.S. Open Cup Championship Party and Medal Ceremony on Friday at the Kansas City Live! Block in the Power & Light District. The event is free and open to supporters of all ages, and supporters who RSVP to the Championship Party at SportingKC.com/rsvp will be entered to win a signed Sporting KC jersey and tickets to an upcoming match.

Friday’s celebration will begin at No Other Pub with exclusive happy hour specials from 4-6 p.m. CT. The first 100 fans to arrive at No Other Pub will get a voucher to receive their own authentic Open Cup championship medal later that night. The official Open Cup medal ceremony and trophy presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT on the KC Live! Block stage with Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes addressing the crowd. Medals will then be presented to each Sporting KC player, culminating with the team lifting the Open Cup trophy.

3. Blessed

Latif Blessing was the smallest man on the field Wednesday night, but it didn’t stop him from rising above the rest to nod home Sporting KC’s go-ahead goal. His inspiring first-half performance marks the continuation of a year in which he has captured the hearts of Sporting KC supporters. The Kansas City Star’s Sam Mellinger chronicled Blessing’s standout contributions on Wednesday night, underscoring the idea that the diminutive Ghanaian plays well beyond his stature.

4. Championship DNA

Manager Peter Vermes and Sporting KC showcased their penchant for winning titles yet again on Wednesday, while the New York Red Bulls’ chase for their first cup stretched onward. As MLSsoccer.com’s Steve Brisendine writes, all it took for Sporting KC to emerge victorious was a pair of goals from forwards aged 20 and 21, respectively, giving the club its fourth major honor since the start of the decade. That championship DNA was exemplified once more on Wednesday, with center backs Matt Besler and Ike Opara anchoring a defensive effort that kept a hungry Red Bulls outfit at bay.

5. Call Them a Dynasty?

Can Sporting KC be called a dynasty yet? That’s the very question ESPN FC’s Graham Parker addresses after the team prevailed in its trophy-laden home fortress on Wednesday night. Sporting KC's third Open Cup title since 2012 takes the side into a select group of four-time winners, joining Seattle Sounders FC and D.C. United. It’s also Peter Vermes fourth trophy won over the last six seasons and his third to be hoisted at Children’s Mercy Park, marking a glittering start to the stadium's short life.

6. The Sporting KC Way

Other teams spend more money. Competing clubs have bigger stars. But as MLSsoccer.com’s Bobby Warshaw points out, no team has mastered the art of winning championships quite like Sporting KC over the last several seasons. In a style described as the “Sporting KC Way,” Warshaw believes Peter Vermes’ men have found success through keeping things simple. The team has a defined system as well as consistency of approach, training preparation and team selection. Through this simplistic implementation, Sporting KC has become the cream of the crop.

7. Vermes Pulls the Right Strings

SI.com’s Brian Straus offered a well-measured take on Wednesday night’s victory at Children’s Mercy Park. The result cements Sporting KC as Major League Soccer’s premier small/mid-size market club and demonstrates Peter Vermes’ ability to maintain a winning culture even while massaging his roster, parting with big names and altering the style. It also sends SKC back to the CONCACAF Champions League, although it’ll have to wait until 2019 for that opportunity.

8. Winning Formula

Ives Galarcep of Goal.com relayed similar sentiments to those offered by Warshaw and Straus, pointing out that it was Peter Vermes who helped instill a winning mentality at Kansas City when he won the 2000 MLS Cup as a player. More than a decade later, the player-turned-manager is successfully steering his team into Major League Soccer's next era without missing a beat. The team's evolution was clear to see on Wednesday, with a young pair of forwards finding the back of the net to key the triumph.

9. Salloi Ecstatic

Daniel Salloi played a major role in Wednesday’s 2-1 win, scoring what became the match-winning goal in the 66th minute. The 21-year-old homegrown forward came off the bench before halftime to replace the injured Latif Blessing and made the most of the opportunity he was afforded.

10. Player Ratings

MLSsoccer.com's Greg Seltzer offered his ratings for all 28 players who featured in Wednesday's final, saving particular praise for captain Matt Besler and first-half hero Latif Blessing. Besler wiped away cross after cross and racked up 12 clearances, while Blessing scored, repeatedly unnerved the Red Bulls defense with his pace and shrewdly released Gerso for a breakaway chance on goal.

11. Dance-Off

We save arguably the best for last. Latif Blessing caught up with MLSsoccer.com's Andrew Wiebe in the aftermath of Wednesday's victory, giving a wildly pleasurable interview before showcasing his signature dance moves in front of the KC Cauldron.

Games to Watch (Sept. 22-25)