Sporting Park had a few special guests on Wednesday night. Players from the Kansas City Chiefs showed up ready to enjoy the evening and cheer on their fellow Kansas City athletes.
From corner back Brandon Flowers to safety Eric Berry, several Kansas City Chiefs were among the stadium’s sold out crowd.
“It’s fun, it’s a lot of fun,” Chiefs’ safety Tysyn Hartman said of his first game in Sporting Park. “I’m enjoying it so far and learning a lot. I’ve been playing a lot of FIFA video games and started watching it on TV, so I’ve been learning more and more. It’s nice to come here and see it in person.”
Though considerably smaller in size than Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs thought the Sporting Park atmosphere was impressive and they had an extra special appreciation for the Cauldron.
“This is a great stadium,” defensive tackle Anthony Toribio said. “The fans are awesome, and, what do you call that? The ‘Blue Hell?’ Those fans are awesome. I want to be a part of that, seriously. It’s a really nice venue, good atmosphere, great night – I love it.”
The first time Toribio saw Sporting KC play was Sunday afternoon when Sporting defeated Chivas USA 4-0.
“Last Sunday was my first game here,” Toribio said, “and I said, ‘I have to come back.’ it’s pretty sweet.”
When it comes to favorite players, there were a few guys on Sporting KC’s squad that really stood out to these football pros.
“I’ve been told Zusi is the man, so I’ve been trying to watch him as much as I can,” Hartman said, “but number 3, Ike Opara, I’ve been watching him and he’s been playing really well.”
Defensive back Jalil Brown said he’s been to quite a few Sporting KC games, and when it comes to choosing a favorite player, picking just one isn’t easy.
“They’re all pretty exciting to watch,” Brown said. “C.J. (Sapong) is pretty cool, I’ve seen him play a couple of times, but I’d say all of them, as a whole, they’re a great team.”
After two good experiences at Sporting Park, Toribio said he’s officially become a fan of MLS.
“I don’t know a lot about Sporting KC since I follow the EPL a lot, Liverpool is my favorite team,” Toribio explained as he pointed down to the Liverpool jersey he was proudly wearing. “So I’m just now starting to get into MLS. It’s pretty exciting, and these guys are really good.”
