Before the calendar turns to 2017, SportingKC.com is counting down the top five moments from Sporting Kansas City’s 2016 season. From thrilling wins and heroic performances to contract extensions and playoff runs (we see you, Swope Park Rangers), let’s revisit the very best of 2016.
#5: Peterson provides the Answer | #4: The Besler Game | #3: SPR wins Western Conference | #2: Vermes and Feilhaber commit to SKC | #1: Decision Day Delight
Sporting Kansas City’s season was already over by November, but two major announcements during the month proved to be defining moments of 2016 and left fans feeling optimistic about the future.
On Nov. 16, star midfielder Benny Feilhaber erased speculation of a potential move to Israel by signing a new, two-year contract with Sporting Kansas City through 2018. A fortnight later, Peter Vermes extended his contract as the club’s manager and technical director through 2019.
Feilhaber has guided Sporting KC to the MLS Cup Playoffs in each of his four years with the team, racking up 28 goals and 50 assists in 145 total appearances. He has been particularly brilliant over the last two seasons, ranking second among MLS midfielders with 45 combined goals (17) and assists (28) since the start of 2015.
In 2016, Feilhaber scored seven goals and tallied a team-high 13 assists, becoming just the second player in Kansas City history to hit double-digit assists in multiple regular seasons.
“I have always loved playing in front of our fans and for this city,” Feilhaber said upon signing his contract extension. “It’s very exciting to be able to stay here for another tow years to help this club win more trophies.”
Vermes’ contract extension brought similar relief for Sporting KC supporters. Amid links to the then-vacant U.S. Men’s National Team head coaching position, Vermes committed to Kansas City through 2019 and articulated his hopes of continuing a trophy-laden era with the club.
“In any high-performance business, there are always a lot of things that can be rumbling around, if you will,” Vermes said during a press conference on Nov. 29. “But at the end of the day, I’ll use the same line I used when I did my U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame speech: I’m exactly where I want to be, so the other things really don’t matter.”
Vermes has served as Sporting Kansas City’s manager since 2009, becoming the team’s all-time winningest coach and the eighth winningest coach in MLS regular season history. Over the last eight years, he has 103 regular season wins (103-82-61) and 128 victories in all competitions (128-96-70). He has also hoisted three major trophies — the 2013 MLS Cup and the 2012 and 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups.
Vermes, 50, has led Sporting Kansas City to a club-record six straight playoff appearances since 2011. He is the only person to win MLS Cup as a player and coach with the same team, having previously captained Kansas City to its first league title in 2000 as a central defender.
