Sporting Kansas City II vs. Des Moines Menace
2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup | First Round
Wednesday, March 19 | 6:30 p.m. CT (6:33 kickoff)
Children's Mercy Victory Field | Kansas City, Missouri
Broadcast Information: U.S. Soccer YouTube
A historic night for soccer in Kansas City is set for Wednesday, March 19 as Sporting Kansas City II makes their Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup debut, taking on the experience-laden USL League Two side Des Moines Menace at Children's Mercy Victory Field.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT with a free live stream available on the U.S. Soccer YouTube page as the 110th rendition of the American soccer competition will be making its first stop at Swope Park, which opened in 1896. Tickets are on sale for just $10 at SeatGeek.com and are free to all Sporting KC Season Ticket Members.
In a match chalk full of connections, SKC II head coach Istvan Urbanyi has one of his own, playing with the Menace for a pair of games in 2004. In his third match at the helm of SKC II, he will turn to forward Maouloune Goumballe and captain Cielo Tschantret for stability. Goumballe appeared in 27 MLS NEXT Pro matches in 2024, scoring nine goals and assisting three times. Tschantret was selected as the skipper for the first two matches of the 2025 season after playing 22 matches in his first professional season.
SKC II's defense will get a boost with two first-team loanees joining the squad for the Open Cup clash. Goalkeeper Ryan Schewe is set to make his 2025 second team debut. The Georgetown alum started 14 games, made 46 saves and earned nine results. Homegrown defender Jacob Bartlett, a native of Overland Park, Kan., will also be available for Urbanyi. The 19-year-old has already notched four starts for Sporting Kansas City, debuting in the Concacaf Champions Cup against Inter Miami as a midfielder. He played the full 90 as a centerback in SKC II's Friday night fight with St. Louis CITY2, showing his versatility.
The Sporting KC Academy has played an increased role in the early stages of the MLS NEXT Pro season. Seven players have signed amateur agreements and one, midfielder Shane Donovan, inked a professional contract. Leo Christiano and Johann Ortiz have appeared in both matches this season while Carter Derksen made his pro debut in the season opener at Houston Dynamo 2. Former Academy player Nati Clarke, in his second professional season, has started and completed both games on the backline, playing both rightback and centerback.
Newcomer Beckham Uderitz netted the first goal of the campaign at Dynamo Dos, finishing off a cross played in from Stephen Afrifa. Fellow rookies Anthony Samways and Gael Quintero have also played in the first two matches of the season.
For a second straight year, former U.S. Men's National Team member and MLS Season Pass personality Sacha Kljestan has taken on a psuedo-general manager position for the Menace. He has brought on former Premier League player Bradly Wright-Phillips - who ranks sixth on Major League Soccer's all-time goal scoring charts -- along with 2015 MLS Best XI member Dax McCarty, 2016 MLS Defender of the Year Matt Hedges, four-time U.S. Open Cup champ Ozzie Alonso and more.
Also making his return to Children's Mercy Victory Field is Sporting Legend Benny Feilhaber. The midfielder is a two-time U.S. Open Cup champion, 2013 MLS Cup winner and the former coach of Sporting KC II.
The stage is set for a dramatic opening to the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Sporting KC II brings a youthful side filled to the brim with players set to make their Open Cup debuts against an accolade-studded, mature Des Moines Menace group to set the stage for a thrilling First Round fixture on Wednesday night at Children's Mercy Victory Field.
