Sporting Kansas City has signed 22-year-old midfielder Ualefi on a short-term loan from the Swope Park Rangers ahead of tonight’s Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League match at Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. CT at BC Place with a live stream on CONCACAF's official Facebook page.
Ualefi joins Rangers teammates Amer Didic and Tyler Pasher on Sporting Kansas City's CONCACAF Champions League roster. The Brazilian will be available for selection tonight and for the remainder of the 2016-17 group stage. Per league rules, MLS clubs can sign players from their USL affiliate to Short Term Agreements (up to four-day contracts) for CONCACAF Champions League, U.S. Open Cup and exhibition matches. An MLS club can sign a player to a maximum of four short term agreements each season.
Ualefi has started all 23 matches for the Swope Park Rangers during their inaugural season in the United Soccer League. The defensive midfielder is tied for second on the team with three assists and has played a leading role for a Rangers side that has just two losses in its last 10 games.
Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Ualefi joined prestigious hometown club Corinthians in 2007. He progressed through the Corinthians Academy before joining the senior team in 2012, where he trained with three-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldo.
During his time at Corinthians, Ualefi won three tournament titles at the U-17 level: the 2011 IX Copa Ouro, the 2011 Mundialito de Clubes and the 2012 Copa Sao Paulo de Juniores. On the international stage, he was a member of Brazil's U-15 national team.
Sporting Kansas City enters tonight's CONCACAF Champions League match two points behind Vancouver in Group C. The group stage divides the 24 participating teams into eight groups of three and is contested in a round-robin, home-and-away, four-game format that runs through October. The eight group winners with then advance to the knockout round, a single-elimination format which begins in February 2017.
2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League Group C standings
<strong>#</strong> |
<strong>Club</strong> |
<strong>Record</strong> |
<strong>PTS</strong> |
<strong>GF</strong> |
<strong>GA</strong> |
<strong>GD</strong> |
1 |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
1-0-0 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
+1 |
2 |
Sporting Kansas City |
0-0-1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
Central FC |
0-1-1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
-1 |
Sporting KC 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League Schedule
<strong>Date</strong> |
<strong>Time (CT)</strong> |
<strong>Opponent</strong> |
<strong>Watch / Result</strong> |
<strong>Tickets</strong> |
Aug. 16 |
7:00 PM |
at Central FC |
<a href="//www.sportingkc.com/post/2016/08/16/recap-sporting-kc-comes-behind-earn-2-2-draw-central-fc-concacaf-champions-league" target="_blank">T 2-2</a> |
|
Aug. 23 |
9:00 PM |
at Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/concacafcom" target="_blank">CONCACAF Facebook</a> |
|
Sept. 13 |
7:00 PM |
vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/concacafcom" target="_blank">CONCACAF Facebook</a>, UDN |
<a href="http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/060050E1A70C5509?brand=sportingkc&camefrom=CCL_Single_game_article" target="_blank"><strong>Buy Now</strong></a> |
Oct. 19 |
7:00 PM |
vs. Central FC |
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/concacafcom" target="_blank">CONCACAF Facebook</a>, UDN |
<a href="http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/060050E1AAAA5A31?brand=sportingkc&camefrom=CCL_Single_game_article"><strong>Buy Now</strong></a> |
