SPORTING KC ON THE ROAD TO FACE CHICAGO FIRE TONIGHT
Sporting KC (8-8-4, 28 points) extended their unbeaten streak to five MLS matches with a 3-1 home win over New York City FC on Sunday. The club currently sits fifth in the Western Conference standings and will play two road games this week. First up is tonight's meeting with Eastern Conference bottom dwellers Chicago Fire (3-8-5, 14 points) at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois. The interconference clash will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT with three hours of live television coverage starting at 7 p.m. CT on 38 The Spot and SKCTV. Listeners can also follow the match on 99.3 FM and La Grande 1340 AM, with The Final Whistle: Sporting KC Postgame Show airing immediately after the game on 99.3 FM.
After struggling for most of April and May, Sporting KC has returned from the Copa America break with newfound momentum. The club has won three of its last four league games, including a pair of three-goal victories over the last 10 days. Greeting Peter Vermes' men tonight are the Chicago Fire, who have lost just one of their last seven home games despite sitting at the bottom of the Supporters' Shield standings.
SPORTING KC TO VISIT COLORADO RAPIDS ON SATURDAY
Following tonight's contest, Manager Peter Vermes' men will then travel from Chicago to Commerce City, Colorado, for a Western Conference tilt against second-place Colorado Rapids (9-2-7, 34 points) on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. CT at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, with 38 The Spot and SKCTV again providing three hours of live coverage starting at 7:30 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast on 99.3 FM and La Grande 1340 AM, and Sports Radio 810 WHB will air The Final Whistle: Sporting KC Postgame Show upon the game's conclusion.
NATIONAL TRAINING AND COACHING DEVELOPMENT CENTER BREAKS GROUND
Sporting Club, U.S. Soccer and Children’s Mercy broke ground Sunday on the National Training and Coaching Development Center in Kansas City, Kansas. The NTCDC will provide a world-class environment to develop players, coaches, and referees of all ages.
Set to open in November 2017 at the southeast corner of Parallel Parkway and 98th Street in Wyandotte County, the NTCDC is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between a professional sports team, a national sports federation and a first-class sports medicine provider. The site will be home to the U.S. Soccer National Coaching Education Center – providing a permanent, national home for the education of coaches and referees — and the Children’s Mercy Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center, which will offer a full range of sports medicine services, resources and programming for youth athletes in all sports.
The NTCDC will accommodate clubs and national teams at the youth and senior levels from around the world, also serving as the new state-of-the-art training home for the Sporting Kansas City first team. (Full story)
SPORTING KC ACQUIRES FORWARD CAMERON PORTER IN TRADE
Sporting KC acquired 23-year-old forward Cameron Porter from the Montreal Impact on Tuesday in exchange for defender Amadou Dia. Porter will be added to the Sporting KC roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate.
Montreal selected Porter with the 45th overall pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. He played five matches during his rookie campaign, including two MLS appearances and three games in the CONCACAF Champions League knockout stage.
Porter scored one of Montreal’s most important goals in club history on March 4, 2015, netting a 94th-minute equalizer against Mexican side CF Pachuca in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. His first professional tally, scored before a crowd of 38,104 at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, sent the Impact to the semifinals and allowed the club to eventually finish runners-up in the tournament. Porter suffered an ACL tear to his left knee two weeks later and missed the remainder of the 2015 season. (Full story)
SPORTING KC SIGNS MIDFIELDER EMMANUEL APPIAH
Sporting KC has signed 22-year-old Ghanaian midfielder Emmanuel Appiah, the club announced Tuesday. Appiah has been added to the Sporting KC roster ahead of Wednesday’s match at the Chicago Fire.
Appiah joined the Colorado Rapids in January as the No. 15 overall pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. The midfielder played two matches on loan at USL club Charlotte Independence before parting ways with Colorado on June 30. (Full story)
SPORTING KC CRUISES TO 3-1 WIN OVER NYCFC
Sporting KC claimed a comprehensive 3-1 victory over Eastern Conference leaders New York City FC on Sunday night at a sold-out Children’s Mercy Park, extending the club’s unbeaten run to five MLS matches.
Benny Feilhaber fired the hosts ahead in the 8th minute and Jimmy Medranda belted his first MLS goal eight minutes later, restoring the lead after Frank Lampard had equalized for New York City FC. Ike Opara sealed the victory with a close-range effort early in the second half, giving Sporting KC its 50th regular season win at Children’s Mercy Park. The result snaps New York City FC’s four-game winning streak and solidifies fifth place in the Western Conference for Sporting KC (8-8-4, 28 points), who enjoyed their second straight three-goal game in a convincing performance from beginning to end. (Full story)
SPORTING KC LOANS ELLIS, ALVARADO TO RANGERS
The Swope Park Rangers have added defenders Ever Alvarado and Kevin Ellis on loan from Sporting KC, the club announced Tuesday. (Full story)
Alvarado joined Sporting KC on June 24 from C.D. Olimpia, having claimed his third career Liga Nacional title in May. The 24-year-old made 73 appearances in all competitions for Olimpia over the last three seasons, scoring six goals. Alvarado has also earned six caps with the Honduras National Team, scoring his first international goal against Nicaragua on Jan. 28, 2016.
Ellis, 25, became the second Homegrown Player in Sporting KC history when he signed in February 2011. He has since gone on to make 54 MLS appearances, including five this season, while his four goals in 2015 led all defenders in the league. Ellis enjoyed a breakout year in 2014, making 27 appearances in all competitions and scoring his first career goal in a CONCACAF Champions League victory over Cruz Azul.
MATT BESLER NAMED TO MLS ALL-STAR FAN XI
Sporting KC defender Matt Besler was named to the MLS All Star Fan XI on Saturday ahead of the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game on July 28.
2016 MLS ALL-STAR FAN XI
Goalkeeper: Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union)
Defenders: Matt Besler (SKC), Laurent Ciman (MTL), Kegan Rosenberry (PHI)
Midfielders: Kaka (ORL), Darlington Nagbe (POR), Andrea Pirlo (NYC), Giovani dos Santos (LA)
Forwards: Didier Drogba (MTL), Sebastian Giovinco (TOR), David Villa (NYC)
Besler, 29, earns MLS All-Star accolades for the fifth time in his career, third most in club history behind Preki (seven) and Jimmy Conrad (six). The center back has played 11 MLS matches this season, anchoring a defense that has faced a league-low 9.5 shots per game and ranks fourth with a 1.16 goals against average.
A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Besler scored the third goal of his professional career in the 91st minute of a 3-2 victory over Columbus Crew SC on July 3. It was his first appearance for Sporting KC since spending the month of June with the United States Men’s National Team, where he started two matches at Copa America Centenario. (Full story)
TICKETS ON SALE FOR BUZZ BEACH BALL 2016
Tickets are on sale for Buzz Beach Ball 2016, presented by Sporting KC and 96.5 The Buzz. Buzz Beach Ball 2016 will be held Saturday and Sunday at Children's Mercy Park, marking the first time the show has been extended to a second day. Twenty-four artists are slated for the concert, including Cage The Elephant and Alabama Shakes. Single-day tickets start at $35 and weekend passes can be purchased for as low as $49. Visit beachballkc.com for more information.
DOWNLOAD UPHORIA TO WIN BUZZ BEACH BALL TICKETS
The official mobile app of Sporting KC is giving music lovers a chance to receive free tickets to the premier alternative rock concert of the year. Through July 15, all fans who download Sporting KC Uphoria on the App Store or Google Play and register a free account will be entered to win tickets to Buzz Beach Ball 2016 on July 16-17 at Children's Mercy Park. Winners will be selected every day leading up to the marquee event, and signing up is easy. Simply create a Uphoria account through Facebook, Google or email, and you could be one of dozens of winners. (Details)
RANGERS FALL 2-0 AT HOME TO OKC ENERGY FC
The Swope Park Rangers suffered a 2-0 defeat OKC Energy FC on Tuesday night at Swope Soccer Village. Late goals from two FC Dallas loanees, Coy Craft and Timo Pitter, were enough to condemn the Rangers to their first defeat since June 18. (Full story)
RANGERS CLAIM 1-1 DRAW AT ARIZONA UNITED SC
The Swope Park Rangers played to a 1-1 draw with Arizona United SC on Saturday night at the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz. The two sides traded first-half penalties, converted by Long Tan and Kris Tyrpak, before Matheus Silva and Ayrton were both shown red cards in the second half as the game finished in a draw. (Full story)
MLS ALL-STAR GAME DAY ROSTER UNVEILED SUNDAY
Major League Soccer will unveil the game day roster for the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game on Sunday during ESPN's coverage of Montreal Impact vs. LA Galaxy, which begins at 4 p.m. CT. Sporting KC center back Matt Besler was named to the MLS All-Star Fan XI on Saturday, earning All-Star accolades for the fifth time in his career.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR U.S. WNT AT CHILDREN'S MERCY PARK
The United States Women's National Team will face Costa Rica on July 22 at Children's Mercy Park in their final tune-up match before traveling to Brazil for the 2016 Olympics. The game will kick off at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN, and tickets to see the reigning World Cup and Olympic champions can be secured at Ticketmaster.com.
U-18S SUFFER HEARTBREAKING LOSS IN USSDA QUARTERFINALS
The Sporting KC U-18s' remarkable run through the U.S. Soccer Development Academy playoffs came to an end last Thursday with a 1-0 extra-time defeat to FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas. The loss brings an end to a 2015-16 campaign that saw the U-18s advance to the USSDA quarterfinals for the first time in team history.
The lone wildcard team to reach the quarterfinal stage of the USSDA Playoffs, Sporting KC traveled south to the Toyota Soccer Center for a matchup against the highest-seeded club remaining in the 32-team tournament. A hotly contested game remained scoreless through regulation and was ultimately decided by Giovanni Montesdeoca's goal in the 108th minute, sending FC Dallas to the USSDA semifinals next Thursday at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Carson, California. (Full story)
WIN A TRIP TO SEE SPORTING KC PLAY IN PORTLAND
Supporters can visit amfam.com/sportingkc to enter a sweepstakes for a free, all-inclusive trip to see Sporting KC play at the defending MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers on Aug. 7. The winner will receive airfare for four, Sporting KC gear, four game tickets to the game, a $1,000 bank card, and two hotel rooms for two nights in close proximity to Providence park.
FOLLOW SPORTING KC
For news, photographs and instant updates throughout the 2016 season, follow Sporting KC on its Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat (sportingkc) accounts and visit the club's social media page.
