SPORTING KC ON THE ROAD THURSDAY TO FACE LA GALAXY
Sporting KC (5-8-2, 17 points) fell 1-0 to D.C. United last Friday, snapping a 13-game home unbeaten run against interconference opponents. The club is back on the road Thursday to face five-time MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy at StubHub Center in Carson, California. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. CT with three hours of live television coverage beginning at 9 p.m. CT on 38 The Spot and SKCTV. Listeners can also follow the contest live on 99.3 FM and 1340 AM.
Sporting KC has one win in its last 10 games and faces an LA Galaxy team that tops MLS with 2.25 goals per game. LA has been particularly lethal at home, scoring 18 times in six games with a 4-0-2 record. The clubs will meet for the second time in 2016, having battled to a 1-1 draw on May 1 as Brad Davis and Giovani dos Santos traded impressive goals at Children's Mercy Park.
SINGLE-GAME TICKETS ON SALE FOR LAST EIGHT SPORTING KC HOME GAMES
Single-game tickets for Sporting KC's final eight home matches of the 2016 MLS regular season are now on sale via Ticketmaster.com. Additional information, including details on group ticket packages, is available by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.
Sporting KC boasts a 78-game MLS sellout streak at Children's Mercy Park dating back to April 2012 and enters the second half of the 2016 campaign seeking its sixth consecutive playoff berth. The eight-game set begins July 3 with a visit from Eastern Conference champion Columbus Crew SC and ends with the all-important Decision Day finale against the San Jose Earthquakes on Oct. 23. (More info)
BESLER, ZUSI AND U.S. MNT BEGIN COPA AMERICA CAMPAIGN
Sporting KC defender Matt Besler and winger Graham Zusi have been named to the United States Men's National Team's 23-man roster for the 2016 Copa America Centenario, a prestigious international competition that runs from Friday through June 26 across the U.S. The tournament is headlined by the United States, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil and includes 16 nations from North, Central and South America.
The U.S. MNT will kick off the tournament Friday, facing Colombia at 8:30 p.m. CT at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The game will be televised nationally on FS1, Univision, UniMas and Univision Deportes Network. Besler and Zusi both featured in a pair of friendly wins last week, including the United States' 4-0 triumph over Bolivia on Saturday at Children's Mercy Park. (Full story)
SONI MUSTIVAR AND HAITI SET FOR DEBUT COPA AMERICA APPEARANCE
Sporting KC midfielder Soni Mustivar will also compete at the Copa America Centenario, joining the Haiti Men's National Team for its debut appearance in the competition. Haiti begins its tournament campaign Saturday, meeting Peru at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. The match will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT on FS2. Mustivar played 42 minutes in Haiti's 3-1 friendly defeat to Colombia last Sunday. (Full story)
SPORTING KC LEARNS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE OPPONENTS
Sporting KC learned its opponents for the 2016-17 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League on Monday during the competition’s official draw at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Sporting KC was placed in Group C alongside fellow MLS club Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Central FC of Trinidad and Tobago. (Full story)
Exact dates and times, as well as single-game ticket information, for the group stage matches will be announced in the coming weeks. Both CONCACAF Champions League group stage home matches are included in Sporting Kansas City Season Ticket Member packages.
SPORTING KC TO LEARN ITS U.S. OPEN CUP OPPONENT TONIGHT
Sporting KC will learn its fourth round opponent in the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tonight when Saint Louis FC (USL) hosts Minnesota United FC (NASL) at 7 p.m. CT at World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri. The winner will advance to the fourth round and host reigning Open Cup champion Sporting KC on June 15 at 7 p.m. CT. (Full story)
PACHUCA AND SANTOS LAGUNA TO MEET IN KANSAS CITY ON JUNE 21
Children's Mercy Park will host a friendly between storied Mexican clubs C.F. Pachuca and Santos Laguna on June 21 in conjunction with Univision Kansas City, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City and the Consulate of Mexico in Kansas City. Tickets for the match, presented by Kansas City Southern, are now on sale via Ticketmaster.com.
Two of Mexico’s most successful teams will square off next month as Pachuca and Santos Laguna begin preseason preparations for the 2016-17 Liga MX campaign. The sides have combined to win 11 first division championships since 1996 while also achieving success on the international stage. Pachuca will enter the new campaign fresh off winning the Clausura 2016 Liga MX title. (Full story)
SWOPE PARK RANGERS BATTLE SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC TO 1-1 DRAW
The Swope Park Rangers played to a 1-1 draw with Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday night at Bonney Field. After a goalless first half, the Rangers took the lead through Kevin Oliveira in the 73rd minute, but Sac Republic hit right back through Cameron Iwasa as the game finished all square. (Full story)
RANGERS IN IDAHO SATURDAY TO FACE PORTLAND TIMBERS 2
The Swope Park Rangers (3-4-2, 11 points) will conclude their three-game road swing in the United Soccer League this weekend against Portland Timbers 2 (4-6-1, 13 points). The Western Conference clash will kick off at 8 p.m. CT Saturday from Rocky Mountain Stadium in Meridian, Idaho, with a live stream on SportingKC.com.
SWOPE PARK RANGERS TO HOST BARK AT THE PARK NIGHT ON JUNE 8
The Swope Park Rangers will host Bark at the Park, presented by KC Pet Project, next Wednesday, June 8, when the team takes on Rio Grande Valley FC at 7:30 p.m. at Children's Mercy Victory Field in Swope Soccer Village. Fans are invited to bring their dog(s) to the match by taking advantage of a $22 ticket package (buy tickets here) that includes:
- Entry for one ticket holder AND one canine companion through South Victory gate
- General admission bleacher seating on east sideline
- A custom-branded portable pet bowl for first 100 dogs
- A commemorative SPR poster for first 1,000 fans
- Buck Night featuring $1 hot dogs throughout match
SECOND ANNUAL SPORTING KC DAY AT THE ZOO SET FOR JUNE 11
Sporting KC and the Kansas City Zoo are teaming up to provide a soccer-themed experience on Saturday, June 11 in Swope Park, just minutes from the team’s Swope Soccer Village training facility. Fans are encouraged to join Sporting KC players Chance Myers, Benny Feilhaber, Seth Sinovic and Brad Davis for the second annual Sporting KC Day at the Zoo. Tickets to the event are available online at kansascityzoo.org or at the Kansas City Zoo gates. Guests who wear Sporting KC apparel that day will receive $1 off the price of admission.
A new event will kick off this year’s activities as the Rare Experience Walk benefits rare disease patients and the Victory Project. The walk begins at 9 a.m. CT across from the Swope Park Bandstand. Free and open to the public, the walk wraps up next to the Kansas City Zoo entrance as the fun transitions inside with a full day of activities planned for attendees of all ages. (Full details)
SWOPE SOCCER VILLAGE TO HOST MSHSAA GIRLS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Swope Soccer Village will host the 32nd Missouri State high School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Girls Soccer State Championships today through Saturday, featuring the semfinals, finals and consolation matches for Class 1 through Class 4. All games will be played on the Children's Mercy Victory Field, and tickets will be sold on site granting admission for all matches played that day. Visit SportingKC.com for more information.
SPORTING KC U-18S CLINCH USSDA PLAYOFF BERTH
The Sporting KC Academy U-18s secured a spot in the 2015-16 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs with a 1-0 victory over Solar Chelsea SC on Saturday at Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma. The U-16s also moved within touching distance of a postseason berth with a 2-2 draw to round out the doubleheader. (Full story)
The U-18s and U-16s return to Swope Soccer Village on Sunday for the 2015-16 U.S. Soccer Development Academy regular season finale against Colorado Rush. The U-18s kick off at 10 a.m. CT before the U-16s conclude the doubleheader at 12:30 p.m. CT. Both games are free and open to the public. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for live updates.
JIMMY MEDRANDA TO APPEAR AT LEE'S SUMMIT DOWNTOWN DAYS
Jimmy Medranda will appear at the Lee's Summit Downtown Days festival from 6-7:30 p.m. CT Saturday in downtown Lee's Summit, Missouri (241 SE Main St.). The Sporting KC winger will be available for autographs and photo opportunities with fans at the annual event.
SPORTING KC FANS CAN ENTER TO WIN A FREE TRIP TO PORTLAND
Fans can visit amfam.com/sportingkc to enter the sweepstakes for a free, all-inclusive trip to see Sporting KC play at the Portland Timbers on Aug. 7. The winner will receive airfare for four, Sporting KC gear, four game tickets to the Sporting KC vs. Portland Timbers match, a $1,000 bank card, and two hotel rooms for two nights in close proximity to Providence Park. (Register here)
NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR BLUE KC SPORTING SAMARITANS
Sporting KC and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City have teamed up this season to recognize Blue KC Sporting Samaritans, honoring individuals who make the Kansas City community a better place to live. Once a month, a Samaritan will be recognized on the pitch at Children's Mercy Park before a Sporting KC home game. Supporters can nominate members of their community to be the next Blue KC Sporting Samaritan by sharing their first-person experience with the nominee at SportingKC.com/bluekc.
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.
