SPORTING KC TO HOST VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC ON SATURDAY
With a three-game road swing in the books, Sporting Kansas City (10-11-5, 35 points) will return home to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC (8-11-6, 30 points) on Saturday. Kickoff at Children's Mercy Park is set for 9 p.m. CT, and a limited number of tickets for the match are available via Ticketmaster.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL. SKCTV and 38 The Spot will televise three hours of live coverage beginning at 8:30 p.m. CT, while local radio broadcasts will air on 99.3 FM (English) and 1340 AM (Spanish). The Final Whistle: Sporting KC Postgame Show will air immediately after the match on 99.3 FM. Fifth-place Sporting KC is currently five points clear of eighth-place Vancouver and owns a five-game unbeaten run in the series.
ALL FOR THE SUMMER CELEBRATION SET FOR SATURDAY
Ticket holders to Saturday’s regular season tilt are encouraged to arrive early to Children’s Mercy Park for an All For the Summer Celebration leading up to kickoff. Festivities will include an on-field performance from Kansas City-based rapper Tech N9ne, a ceremony recognizing Kerry Zavagnin as the newest Member of Sporting Legends, and a pregame party for Boulevard Members Club ticket holders and 500 Season Ticket Members with Kansas City native, professional tennis star and Olympic gold medalist Jack Sock. (Full story)
KERRY ZAVAGNIN TO BE INDUCTED INTO SPORTING LEGENDS
Sporting KC will induct assistant coach and former midfielder Kerry Zavagnin into the club’s Sporting Legends hall of honor on Saturday in an on-field ceremony at halftime of the team’s match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Children’s Mercy Park. Zavagnin becomes the eighth member of the Sporting Legends, an initiative launched in 2013 that pays tribute to club icons and provides a platform for inductees to reconnect with the Kansas City soccer community. Zavagnin was selected through an online vote that featured three other finalists — Mo Johnston, Ron Newman and Josh Wolff. (Full story)
SPORTING KC EARNS 2-2 DRAW AT CENTRAL FC
Sporting KC came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at Central FC in the club’s opening match of the 2016-17 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League group stage at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago.
Defenders Seth Sinovic and Kevin Ellis bookended the scoring with their first goals of the season, while Marcus Joseph and Kenwyne Jones struck for the Sharks in a match that was scoreless at halftime but burst to life in the final 45 minutes. The result leaves Sporting KC in second place in Group C, two points behind Vancouver Whitecaps FC with three group stage matches still to play.
Right back Saad Abdul-Salaam was the only player to retain his spot in Sporting KC's starting XI from Saturday's a 2-2 draw at FC Dallas. The reshuffled lineup included a Sporting KC debut for 21-year-old center back Amer Didic, who has played 21 matches this season for USL affiliate Swope Park Rangers. Left back Ever Alvarado also made his club debut. (Full story)
DWYER SCORES TWICE AS SPORTING KC TIES FC DALLAS 2-2
Dom Dwyer scored a pair of second-half goals to give Sporting KC a valuable 2-2 draw at FC Dallas on Saturday night. Tesho Akindele and Maximiliano Urruti struck on either side of Dwyer’s brace — with all four goals scored over a wild 10-minute span — as the MLS charter members played to an enthralling stalemate at Toyota Stadium.
Saturday’s result snapped a three-game road losing streak for Sporting KC (10-11-5, 35 points), who remain fifth in the Western Conference table and four points clear in the playoff race. FC Dallas (13-6-6, 45 points) extended its home unbeaten run to 18 games, the sixth-longest streak in league history, to stay atop the Supporters’ Shield standings. Dwyer’s late double gives him 12 regular season goals in 2016, tied for fourth in MLS. (Full story)
JIMMY NIELSEN UP FOR BEST ALL-TIME MLS GOALKEEPER
Former Sporting KC captain Jimmy Nielsen has reached the semifinal round of voting for MLSsoccer.com's Best All-Time MLS Goalkeeper. Supporters can vote for Nielsen until 10:55 p.m. CT tonight, with the championship round of voting scheduled for Thursday.
DOM DWYER NAMED TO MLS TEAM OF THE WEEK
For the third time in eight weeks, Dom Dwyer was named among Major League Soccer's best players. The Sporting KC striker bagged a second-half brace on Saturday, propelling his side to a well-earned 2-2 draw at MLS Supporters' Shield leaders FC Dallas. An opportunistic finish with his weaker right foot leveled proceedings in the 68th minute, while his clinical left-footed strike fired Sporting Kansas City ahead five minutes later. Dwyer landed Team of the Week recognition fromMLSsoccer.com and Bleacher Report on Monday. (Full story)
RANGERS TO HOST SAINT LOUIS FC AT CHILDREN'S MERCY PARK
The Swope Park Rangers (8-9-5, 29 points) will look to move up the USL's Western Conference table Sunday when they play their second match at Children's Mercy Park, an all-important showdown with cross-state rivals Saint Louis FC (7-9-7, 28 points). The game will kick off at 6 p.m. CT and tickets starting as low as $8 can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.
SWOPE PARK RANGERS TO FEATURE NEW COACH IN 2017
The Swope Park Rangers have mutually agreed to part ways with head coach Marc Dos Santos at the conclusion of the United Soccer League season, the club announced today. Dos Santos, who became the team’s first-ever head coach in late 2015, will return to the North American Soccer League with 2017 expansion side the San Francisco Deltas. (Full story)
RANGERS SIGN FORWARD AKEIL BARRETT
The Swope Park Rangers have signed forward Akeil Barrett, the club announced on Monday. Barrett most recently played for Piteå IF in the Swedish Division 1, having spent the 2015 season with Jacksonville Armada FC in the North American Soccer League. (Full story)
RANGERS FALL 1-0 AT REAL MONARCHS SLC
The Swope Park Rangers saw their four-game unbeaten streak snapped with a 1-0 defeat to Real Monarchs SLC at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday night. Emilio Orozco scored the only goal of the game in the ninth minute before the Rangers poured pressure on the Monarchs defense for the remainder of the game but were unable to find the breakthrough. (Full story)
PLAYERS TO APPEAR AT ETHNIC ENRICHMENT FESTIVAL AT SWOPE
The 2016 Ethnic Enrichment Festival will take place Friday through Sunday at Swope Park on the corner of Meyer Boulevard and Swope Parkway. The event features more than 60 different cultures worldwide offering their native foods, crafts and performing ethnic music and dances. Sporting KC and Swope Park Rangers players will appear at the festival for autographs and photo opportunities with fans, per the schedule below. Admission for adults is $3 each day, while children 12 and under gain free admission. For more information about the three-day event, click here.
- Rangers defender Amer Didic: 7-8 p.m. CT Friday
- Rangers forward Dane Kelly: 12-1 p.m. CT Saturday
- Two Sporting KC players TBD: 1-2:30 p.m. CT Sunday
SCN AND SPORTSENGINE ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP
The Sporting Club Network, presented by Price Chopper, has entered into a multi-year agreement with SportsEngine. Through this strategic partnership, SportsEngine will become the Preferred Technology Partner of the Sporting Club Network, helping provide website and registration services to the clubs and organizations within the SCN. (Full story)
VOTE FOR THE NEWEST KLEMENT'S SPORTING SAUSAGE
Supporters can visit SportingKC.com/klements to vote for the newest Klement's Sporting Sausage to be served at concessions in Children's Mercy Park for the remainder of the season. Those who make a selection will have the chance to win a grand prize that includes a year-supply of Klement's sausages and branded items, tickets to and field access to Sporting KC's match against San Jose Earthquakes on Oct. 23, and a Matt Besler jersey.
ENTER THE GAIL'S HARLEY-DAVIDSON SWEEPSTAKES
Supporters can visit SportingKC.com/gailsharley and enter for a chance to win a brand new Sporting KC-branded Harley-Davidson Street 500 motorcycle and tickets to the club's regular season finale vs. San Jose Earthquakes on Oct. 23.
FOLLOW SPORTING KC
For news, photographs and instant updates throughout the 2016 season, follow Sporting Kansas City on its Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat (sportingkc) accounts and visit the club's social media page.
