SPORTING KC TO HOST TORONTO FC AND NEW YORK RED BULLS
Sporting Kansas City will look to bounce back from two straight losses as they play host to Toronto FC on Friday and the New York Red Bulls the following Tuesday.
Friday’s match, presented by adidas, is set to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on KMCI 38 the Spot, SKCTV and Univision Deportes with pregame coverage beginning at 7 p.m. CT. Sporting KC is second in the Eastern Conference standings with 17 points (5-4-2), while Toronto FC is seventh with 12 points (4-4-0).
Tuesday’s matchup against the 2013 Supporters' Shield champion New York Red Bulls is presented by Providence Medical Center and will be televised nationally on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. CT. The first 15,000 fans to arrive at Sporting Park will receive replica 2013 MLS Cup championship rings. New York is fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with 14 points (3-4-5).
A limited number of tickets are available for both matches and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com.
SPORTING KC SHOW TONIGHT
The Sporting KC Show will air tonight at 7 p.m. CT on Sports Radio 810 WHB. Hosts Callum Williams, Andy Edwards and Carter Augustine will hear from Sporting KC assistant coach Kerry Zavagnin and preview Friday’s match with Kurt Larson of the Toronto Sun.
Listeners can join the conversation for tonight's show by calling (913) 3-810-810 or tweeting questions to @CalWilliamsSKC, @AndyEdMLS and @ElJefeAugustine. Live coverage of the show is available online at 810WHB.com or through the free 810 WHB mobile app.
DWYER & JULIAO EARN MLS TEAM OF THE WEEK HONORS
Forward Dom Dwyer was named to MLSsoccer.com’s Team of the Week for the second consecutive time after scoring in games against the Philadelphia Union and Chicago Fire last week. Though Sporting KC lost both contests by 2-1 scorelines, Dwyer continued his strong run of form to keep Sporting KC in contention for a result. A stunning strike Wednesday versus Philadelphia and a diving header Sunday in Chicago lifted his goal tally to eight on the season, tied for second-most in MLS. Goal.com’s MLS Team of the Week also featured Dwyer.
Defender Igor Juliao, who at 19 became the youngest player in club history to play the full 90 minutes of an MLS match in his debut last Wednesday, was named to Sports Illustrated’s Week 11 MLS Best XI for two active performances on the Sporting KC backline. Read more about the honorees.
PALMER-BROWN SETS MLS RECORD IN CLUB DEBUT
Defender Erik Palmer-Brown earned his MLS debut and first start for the club in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to at the Chicago Fire. In doing so, the 17-year-old became the youngest player in MLS history to start a regular season match as a defender. Palmer-Brown joined the Sporting KC Academy in June 2009 at age 13.
GRAHAM ZUSI TO HOST GOOGLE+ HANGOUT THIS FRIDAY
Midfielder Graham Zusi, currently in camp with the U.S. Men's National Team in Palo Alto, California, will host a Google+ Hangout on Friday as part of the “One Nation. One Team.” Digital Week. The series will feature eight MLS players on the 30-man preliminary roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Select fans from each MLS club will have the opportunity to participate in the Google+ Hangout on air, connecting them with players through a "jumping" model where the players will join multiple fan hangouts rather than one single location. A moderator will field questions in the Google+ Hangout and ask questions that have been submitted through social media and with the #ForClubAndCountry hashtag.
Zusi and Chris Wondolowski of the San Jose Earthquakes will host their hangout on Friday at 4 p.m. CT. Register for the hangout here.
U.S. OPEN CUP DETAILS ANNOUNCED
U.S. Soccer announced the pairings and match locations for all fourth round scenarios in the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last Friday. Sporting KC will host the third round winner between the Des Moines Menace (USASA) and Minnesota United FC (NASL) on June 18 at Sporting Park. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. CT match go on sale to the general public tomorrow at 10 a.m. CT. Des Moines hosts Minnesota United on May 28.
The U.S. Open Cup, recognized as U.S. Soccer’s national championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional teams affiliated with U.S. soccer. The oldest annual team tournament in American sports history has its origins in 1914 and is named after Sporting KC’s original founder Lamar Hunt. Sporting KC are two-time champions in the competition, winning the title in 2004 and 2012.
ELLIS RECALLED FROM OKC ENERGY FC
Defender Kevin Ellis rejoined Sporting KC May 16 after less than four weeks on loan with USL PRO affiliate OKC Energy FC. He played 23 minutes Sunday versus Chicago as a second half substitute. The Kansas City, Missouri native started three of Sporting KC’s first four MLS matches of 2014 and scored his first goal for the club in the first leg of the 2014 CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals against eventual champion Cruz Azul. He joined OKC Energy FC on loan April 21.
LAWRENCE OLUM MAKES COMPETITIVE DEBUT FOR KENYA
Midfielder Lawrence Olum made his competitive international debut on Sunday in Kenya's 1-0 win over Comoros in an African Cup of Nations qualifying match at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya. Olum started and played 68 minutes of the game. He joined the Kenyan Men's National Team last Thursday after Sporting KC's midweek match against the Philadelphia Union. Olum became the seventh player on Sporting KC's 2014 roster to feature for his respective national team.
2014-15 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW SET FOR MAY 28
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) will conduct the official draw for the 2014-15 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League at 6 p.m. CT on May 28 at the InterContinental at Doral in Miami. The event will divide the 24 clubs set to participate in the Champions League into eight groups of three teams.
Sporting KC qualified for the 2014-15 CONCACAF Champions League as 2013 MLS Cup champions and will compete in the tournament for the second straight season. Manager Peter Vermes’ squad advanced from the group stage during the 2013-14 CCL tournament before falling to eventual champions Cruz Azul (MEX) in the quarterfinals earlier this year.
BOULEVARD TO HONOR SPORTING KC’s 2013 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON
To commemorate Sporting KC’s 2013 MLS Cup-winning season, Boulevard Brewing Company will make Sporting Kansas City Championship Ale, a limited release beer from its Smokestack Series. The beer will hit shelves in mid-June. More information on sampling opportunities will be announced in the coming weeks.
Similar to other one-off releases in Boulevard’s Smokestack Series, only a limited amount of beer can be produced and released. The brewery plans to distribute about 2,000 cases of the 750mL bottles throughout the Kansas City area.
FOLLOW SPORTING KC ONLINE
Sporting Kansas City fans looking to keep up with the club on the worldwide web now have a place to go. The social media page on SportingKC.com features Twitter account information for the club, its players as well as many staff members. Additionally, fans may take advantage of the Media Recap page for all the latest independent news coverage available online.
