SPORTING KC TO VISIT SOUNDERS FC IN THURSDAY'S KNOCKOUT ROUND
Sporting Kansas City clinched a berth in the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs on Sunday, closing out the regular season with a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes at Children's Mercy Park. The result gives Sporting KC a club-record sixth straight playoff appearance and the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.
Sporting Kansas City now prepares for Thursday's Western Conference Knockout Round match against Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field. Kickoff is slated for 9 p.m. CT on FS1 and UniMas as Manager Peter Vermes' men enter the knockout round on the road for a third straight year. Listeners can also follow the action live on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish), with the Sporting KC Show airing on 810 WHB at 8 p.m. CT that evening.
No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District (1370 Grand Blvd.) will host an official watch party for the match, presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.
In its last five regular season meetings with Seattle, Sporting KC is 3-0-2 with four shutouts. Vermes' side swept the 2016 regular season series, claiming a 1-0 opening-day victory at Seattle on March 6 before cruising 3-0 on July 24 at Children's Mercy Park.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR SUNDAY'S POTENTIAL HOME PLAYOFF GAME
Tickets are on sale to the general public at Ticketmaster.com for Sporting Kansas City's potential home playoff match on Sunday at Children's Mercy Park. Should Sporting KC win at Seattle on Thursday, the club will advance to the Western Conference semifinals of the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs, hosting the first leg on Sunday against either No. 1 seed FC Dallas or No. 2 seed Colorado Rapids. If Sporting KC falls to Seattle in the knockout round, all individuals who purchased tickets for Sunday's match through Ticketmaster will be refunded. Click here for more details.
SPORTING KC SINKS SAN JOSE ON DECISION DAY
Sporting Kansas City punched its ticket to the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs with a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday afternoon at sold-out Children’s Mercy Park.
Benny Feilhaber buried a first-half penalty kick before Graham Zusi iced the result with a superb late strike, ensuring Sporting Kansas City a club-record sixth straight playoff appearance on the final day of the 2016 regular season. (Full story)
SPORTING KC'S BRAD DAVIS TO RETIRE AT END OF 2016 SEASON
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Brad Davis announced Sunday that he will retire from professional soccer at the end of the 2016 MLS season.
Davis will leave Major League Soccer after a brilliant 15-year career highlighted by 2006 and 2007 MLS Cup championships, 2011 MLS Best XI accolades, six MLS All-Star selections and a 2005 MLS Supporters’ Shield. His 123 assists and 392 games played rank third and fourth on the all-time MLS regular season charts, respectively.
Including playoffs, Davis has amassed 60 goals 132 assists in 419 MLS appearances. He became the fifth player in league history to reach 400 MLS appearances when Sporting Kanas City faced FC Dallas on April 17. He retires as the all-time MLS leader in corner kicks (1,269) and is one shy of the all-time lead in game-winning assists (40).
A member of MLS for the duration of his career, Davis joined Sporting Kansas City in January after spending 10 seasons with the Houston Dynamo. He has recorded three goals and two assists in 27 appearances during the 2016 campaign, helping Sporting KC earn a club-record sixth straight berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs. (Full story)
FEILHABER AND MELIA LAND TEAM OF THE WEEK HONORS
Sporting Kansas City entered Decision Day knowing a win would send the club to the MLS Cup Playoffs. Benny Feilhaber rose to the occasion. A commanding performance from the midfield talisman drew Team of the Week plaudits from MLSsoccer.com and Goal.com the day after a 2-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes at sunny Children's Mercy Park.
Feilhaber buried the game-winning penalty kick in the 27th minute and set up Graham Zusi for a second goal on 88 minutes as Sporting Kansas City clinched a club-record sixth straight playoff appearance and ran its unbeaten streak at Children's Mercy Park to nine games.
Another key contributor to Sunday's triumph was goalkeeper Tim Melia, who made four saves en route to the shutout. The goalkeeper landed Bleacher Report Team of the Week honors and now has two consecutive clean sheets for an increasingly confident Sporting Kansas City side heading into the playoffs.
MLS RELEASES 2016-17 OFFSEASON CALENDAR
Major League Soccer today released its 2016-17 offseason calendar, outlining important offseason events and timetables as teams begin to make preparations for the 2017 MLS season.
Highlighting the offseason, the 2017 adidas MLS Player Combine returns to Los Angeles in January for the first time in 10 years, accompanied by the MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas. In addition, expansion clubs Atlanta United and Minnesota United FC will look to capitalize on five player acquisition mechanisms through December and January as they build competitive rosters for 2017.
Click here for more details and to view the 2016-17 offseason calendar.
DAVIS AND ESPINOZA UP FOR MLS GOAL OF THE YEAR
Sporting KC midfielders Brad Davis and Roger Espinoza are in contention for AT&T MLS Goal of the Year. Davis is nominated for his fantastic left-footed curler against LA Galaxy on May 1, while Espinoza is nominated for his stunning strike against the Houston Dynamo on Sept. 9. Click here to cast your votes.
MELIA WINS MLS SAVE OF THE WEEK IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE
Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia earned MLS Save of the Week honors for a fantastic stop in Sunday's 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes at Children's Mercy Park. Melia receives his third Save of the Week award this year and ends the 2016 regular season with eight clean sheets, including two straight shutouts heading into Thursday's playoff game at Seattle Sounders FC.
SWOPE PARK RANGERS FALL IN USL CUP FINAL
The Swope Park Rangers suffered a 5-1 defeat against New York Red Bulls II in the USL Cup Final on Sunday night at Red Bull Arena. Tomas Granitto scored for the Rangers, while New York’s Brandon Allen tallied a hat trick to go along with goals from Derrick Etienne Jr. and Vincent Bezecourt. (Full story)
A highly successful inaugural season comes to an end for the Rangers, who were crowned USL Western Conference champions with a 3-0 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 on Oct. 15. SPR head coach Marc Dos Santos is a finalist for USL Coach of the Year, to be announced Nov. 2, while rookie Amer Didic is up for USL Defender of the Year, to be announced Nov. 1.
SPORTING KC TO SPEND 2017 PRESEASON IN TUCSON
Sporting KC will visit Tucson, Arizona for its 2017 preseason campaign, participating in the Desert Friendlies in early February before competing in the Desert Diamond Cup from Feb. 15-25 at Kino Sports Complex. (Full story)
SPORTING KC ACADEMY U-18S STAY HOT IN USSDA
The Sporting Kansas City U-18s breezed to a 3-0 win over the Texas Rush on Saturday morning at Swope Soccer Village, keeping pace near the top of the Frontier Division in the 2016-17 U.S. Soccer Development Academy standings. The U-16s looked destined to sweep the doubleheader a few hours later, but surrendered a late lead en route to a 3-2 defeat. (Full story)
ACADEMY CONTINUES USSDA CAMPAIGN IN COLORADO
The Sporting Kansas City Academy continues its 2016-17 USSDA season with a two-game road trip this weekend, visiting the Colorado Rush on Saturday at Aurora Sports Park and Real Colorado on Sunday at Real Colorado Soccer Complex. Both days, the U-18s will kick off at 11 a.m. CT before the U-16s take the field at 1:30 p.m. CT. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for in-game updates.
WESTLAKE ACE HARDWARE HELPFUL MOMENT OF THE MONTH
Sporting Kansas City fans can visit SportingKC.com/helpful to cast their vote for the Westlake Ace Hardware Helpful Moment of the Month. Individuals can choose among three nominees for the month of October, with each participant receiving a $7 coupon to Westlake Ace Hardware locations in the Kansas City area. The grand prize includes a $300 Westlake gift card, a Sporting KC replica jersey and tickets to an upcoming match at Children's Mercy Park.
