2010 SEASON-TICKET PACKAGES NOW ON SALE:The Kansas City Wizards are now accepting renewals from current season ticket holders and new season ticket deposits for the 2010 Major League Soccer season. The Wizards will begin the 2010 campaign with a home match on Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. CT against D.C. United at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Kansas City, a charter member of Major League Soccer, will play its 15th season in 2010.
Fans who renew their season tickets or purchase new season-ticket packages will retain an early priority number that will determine seat locations in Kansas City's new stadium. To renew season tickets or place a deposit for new season tickets, call the Wizards locally at 913-387-3400, toll free at 1-877-828-7222 or visit www.kcwizards.com.
Prices for the 2010 Kansas City Wizards season at CommunityAmerica Ballpark will remain unchanged, with the exception of some premium seating sections. Season tickets start at just $180 for an 18-game schedule that includes 15 regular-season MLS contests and three "Special Game" tickets. The Wizards will offer FREE parking for all matches at CommunityAmerica Ballpark again in 2010.
After the season opener, the Wizards will travel to face the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. CT. The full 2010 MLS schedule will be announced in January of next year, and Kansas City's broadcast schedule will be announced leading up to the start of the 2010 campaign.
2010 Season Ticket Prices
Seating Category
Full-Season Rate
Per-Game Rate
Gate Price
Field Side Reserved
$1,800
$100
$120
Terrace Table (4 Seats)
$3,600
$50
$60
Stadium Reserved
$396
$22
$25
Bleacher Reserved
$324
$18
$20
Cauldron
$252
$14
$20
Grass Berm/General Admission
$180
$10
$15
DEFENDER JIMMY CONRAD NAMED TO U.S. NATIONAL TEAM:
Kansas City Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad has joined the United States National Team for training in advance of Saturday's friendly against Slovakia, who also qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The match kicks off at 9 a.m. CT and will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel. The United States will then travel to face Denmark next Wednesday, November 18 at 1:30 p.m. CT in a game shown on the ESPN family of networks. U.S. Head Coach Bob Bradley will consider making changes to the squad following Saturday's match at Slovakia before the team will make their first ever visit to Denmark for the USA's 24th and final match of the year. Conrad has appeared 26 times in a U.S. uniform, including two matches during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
"These matches present a terrific opportunity to continue building on the nucleus of our team, and at the same time evaluate more of the player pool against very good opponents," Bradley said. "We are very pleased with what we have accomplished in a long and challenging year, and we move forward with the goal of getting ourselves ready to be a competitive team in the World Cup."
The U.S. team began training this morning in Bratislava with 11 players, and the second half of the roster will be arriving during the next two days. The 24 matches during 2009 represent the third most games ever in a calendar year for the U.S. The team set a record for the most games in official competitions in a year with 21 total, including the 10 final round matches the U.S. played to earn first place in CONCACAF qualifying for the FIFA World Cup and the five games that culminated in the final of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa.
Conrad played in two matches for the U.S. during the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, suffering a concussion during the first half of a quarterfinal tilt against Panama that forced him to miss the semifinals and final. Conrad has appeared 26 times for the U.S. National Team since 2005 and scored one goal. Conrad's lone international goal was a game-winning header in a 2-0 victory over archrival Mexico Feb. 7, 2007. He was on the game day roster for each of the USA's final two World Cup qualifiers, though he did not see the field in either match.
Former Wizards forward Eddie Johnson, now with Fulham FC of the English Premier League, also made the roster. Johnson has appeared for the United States 37 times, scoring 12 goals. Johnson played for Kansas City between 2006-2007. Johnson scored 17 goals in MLS play over that time, putting him in 9th place on the Kansas City's all-time goals list. Johnson set career highs in goals (15) and assists (6) in 2007 for the Wizards. Johnson then transferred to Fulham FC in January of 2008.
KANSAS CITY BID COMMITTEE LAUNCHES ONLINE PETITION TO SUPPORT FIFA WORLD CUP™ EFFORT:
The Kansas City / USA Host City Bid Committee announced Monday that an electronic petition drive has begun to boost the city's chances of hosting FIFA World Cup™ matches in 2018 or 2022 should FIFA choose the United States as a host nation. Kansas City is one of 27 remaining cities in the running to be part of the USA Bid Committee's bid submission to FIFA. The USA Bid Committee is expected to include 18 cities in their bid to FIFA. Matches in Kansas City would be played at Arrowhead Stadium. To support the effort, Kansas Citians are asked to sign the petition at www.goUSAbid.com/kc and pass the petition along to their friends and family.
A series of emails will be sent from community leaders to their employees, patrons and clients in the coming days to support to the online petition effort. All Kansas Citians are encouraged to click through the email and sign the petition, then pass the message along to their friends and family members. The Kansas City / USA Host City Bid Committee is Co-Chaired by Kansas City Chiefs Chairman of the Board Clark Hunt and Cerner Corporation's Chairman and CEO and Kansas City Wizards co-owner Neal Patterson. The USA Bid Committee will select final cities to be included in the bid in December. The USA Bid Committee will then submit their bid to FIFA, world soccer's governing body, in May of 2010. FIFA will select host countries for the 2018 and 2022 events in December of 2010.
"On behalf of the Kansas City Bid Committee, I would encourage sports fans across the Midwest to sign the petition to bring the FIFA World Cup™ to Kansas City," Hunt said. "Hosting the FIFA World Cup™ at Arrowhead was a longtime dream of my father's. The time is right to bring the world's most prestigious soccer competition to the Kansas City community. The USA Bid Committee will soon make its final selections for cities to be included in the USA Bid. We need the community's help to ensure that Arrowhead and Kansas City will showcase the international excitement that is the FIFA World Cup™."
A study released previously by the USA Bid Committee indicates that the total economic impact projected for any one host city ranges from approximately $400 million to $600 million at today's dollar value. That figure is based on 12 host cities staging five to six matches, along with ancillary venues such as the International Broadcast Center (IBC) in one city and FIFA Fan Fest™ in each city. The study also estimates 5,000 to 8,000 jobs would be created in each host city during the event's operation.
"It is not often that citizens from every walk of life have the opportunity to play such an important role in bringing a world-class event to their city," Patterson said. "This is one of those rare opportunities. I encourage all Kansas Citians to visit goUSAbid.com/kc and sign the petition. Hosting an event of this magnitude would showcase our fine community to the rest of the world and bring hundreds of millions of dollars to our local economy."
The Kansas City / USA Host City Bid Committee features members and expertise from a wide range of Kansas City metropolitan area public and private entities from both sides of the state line, including: The Kansas City Chiefs; Kansas City Wizards' ownership group OnGoal, LLC; the Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation; the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas; the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA); and POPULOUS, formerly HOK Sport Venue Event.
The full list of cities still in the running includes: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York City, Oakland, Orlando, Philadelphia, Glendale-Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, and Washington, D.C.
CHET NORTH NAMED HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER OF THE YEAR:
Kansas City Wizards Head Athletic Trainer Chet North has been named the 2009 MLS Head Athletic Trainer of the Year, presented by Mueller Sports Medicine. Fellow MLS Head Athletic Trainers and League and team staff members voted on the award. North has served as the team's Head Athletic Trainer in every Major League Soccer season, only missing a pair of games during that stretch for the births of his two children. North is the last remaining member of the staff from 1996. North is constantly researching the latest in Athletic Training development and trends to ensure the best possible service to Wizards players. His track record is outstanding, as the Wizards have one of the lowest injury rates in MLS.
"It means a lot when you are honored on an individual level," North said. "I would like to thank my assistant, Kenny Ishii and the rest of the technical staff for their support. With this ownership group and technical staff leadership, we're on a very exciting journey. I look forward to the future with the Kansas City Wizards."
SIX FORMER WIZARDS MAKE HALL OF FAME BALLOT:
The National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum distributed the 2010 Player Ballot today to all voters. The ballot features 24 retired national team and professional players who all have contributed to the growth of soccer in the United States. Among the players on the ballot are three FIFA Women's World Cup winners who helped launch the Women's United Soccer Association in 2001, and ten men who have played in the FIFA World Cups of 1990, 1994, 1998 or 2002. Five players on the ballot had international careers and were among the early pioneers of Major League Soccer.
Six players on the ballot played for the Kansas City Wizards, highlighted by Wizards Technical Director Peter Vermes and all-time leading scorer Preki. Vermes finished as one of 10 finalists in each of the last two years. Former Wizards Head Coach Bob Gansler is also up for the National Soccer Hall of Fame on the Builder Ballot. The players on the ballot are (former Wizards players in bold):
Mike Burns
Mauricio Cienfuegos
Raul Diaz Arce
Thomas Dooley
John Doyle
Marco Etcheverry
Robin Fraser
Chris Henderson
Eduardo Hurtado
Dominic Kinnear
Roy Lassiter
Shannon MacMillan
Joe-Max Moore
Victor Nogueira
Peter Nowak
John O'Brien
Cindy Parlow
Preki Radosavljevic
Mike Sorber
Earnie Stewart
Steve Trittschuh
Carlos Valderrama
Tisha Venturini-Hoch
Peter Vermes
CONRAD NAMED U.S. SOCCER FOUNDATION/MLS W.O.R.K.S. HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR:
Kansas City Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad received Friday his second honor of the year for his off-the-field contributions to the Kansas City community. MLS W.O.R.K.S., Major League Soccer's community outreach initiative, and the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the Major Charitable Arm of Soccer in the United States, announced Friday that Conrad and Chicago Fire midfielder Logan Pause were selected to receive the 2009 U.S. Soccer Foundation/MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year Award. This marks the first time that two players have shared the honor. Conrad was previously named Kansas City's Team Humanitarian of the Year.
"The best gift someone can give is themselves and their time," Jennifer Currier, Midwest Regional Walk Director for Autism Speaks said. "Jimmy is busy in the community, spreading awareness about Autism and promoting healthy activity among children. He honestly cares about the kids and helps them have fun at clinics and other events."
Conrad, who hails from Temple City, Calif., is an 11-year MLS veteran, five-time MLS All-Star and former MLS Defender of the Year. He continues to be active in philanthropic efforts throughout the Kansas City area and is being recognized as an exemplary role model within the community for his involvement with local schools, youth organizations and MLS W.O.R.K.S. initiatives. Conrad regularly speaks with students at local schools about teamwork and the importance of setting goals in presentations that he designed. Conrad was recently named to the Board of Directors for the Kansas City Zoo.
For a second consecutive year, Conrad served as a spokesperson for Athletes Against Autism and the Child Protection Center, actively partaking in efforts to raise money and awareness for the organizations. This season he participated in an appearance at the Kick It 3v3 Championships to raise awareness for the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign, and also raised funds for the campaign locally through autograph sessions in Kansas City.
Conrad also receives support for his philanthropic efforts from his wife, Lyndsey. While he is busy supporting community groups, Lyndsey, serves as the President of the Kansas City Wizards Wives Club. Their biggest project this season was a school supply drive at CommunityAmerica Ballpark called "Stuff the Bus." As part of the event, Conrad and his wife set up a soccer clinic for inner-city children with other MLS players. They donated school supplies collected during "Stuff the Bus" and spoke to the children about the importance of staying in school.
Conrad has won Team Humanitarian of the Year four times during his career, including three times for Kansas City. Conrad was first recognized with the award in 2002 while a member of the San Jose Earthquakes. Conrad has won the Kansas City award in both 2004, 2005 and 2009.
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS PLAYERS UP FOR GOAL OF THE YEAR, SAVE OF THE YEAR:
Three Kansas City Wizards players have been nominated for end-of-season honors recognizing outstanding individual plays throughout the 2009 Major League Soccer season. Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman has three saves nominated for the Degree Men Save of the Year award, while attackers Davy Arnaud and Claudio Lopez each have two goals nominated for the AT&T Goal of the Year award. Voting began Tuesday through MLSnet.com and team websites, with winners to be announced on Nov. 18.
The voting breakdown follows:
1. Nov. 3 - Nov. 10 - Voting to select top 10 goals and saves from original 40 nominees
2. Nov. 11 - Nov. 17 - Voting to select the 2009 AT&T Goal of the Year and Degree Men Save of the Year from the top 10 nominees
The 2009 Goal of the Year and Save of the Year will be announced on Nov. 18, 2009. This year marks the inaugural season for the Degree Men Save of the Year.
Click on the links provided here to vote for the 40 nominees:
AT&T Goal of the Year - http://web.mlsnet.com/sights/goal_of_the_year/
Degree Men Save of the Year - http://web.mlsnet.com/sights/save_of_the_year/
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS AT&T GOAL OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Week 1
Davy Arnaud - MLS Goal of the Week Nominee
Launches long-range shot into upper corner of goal against Toronto FC.
Week 10
Claudio Lopez - MLS Goal of the Week
Struck bending free kick over the wall and into the top corner against Chivas USA.
Week 13
Davy Arnaud - MLS Goal of the Week
Worked consecutive give-and-go sequences with Herculez Gomez and Claudio Lopez to weave through New England defense for tap-in goal.
Week 19
Claudio Lopez - MLS Goal of the Week
Connected on remarkable strike from beyond the half line in 1-1 tie with Los Angeles Galaxy.
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS DEGREE MEN SAVE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Week 8
Kevin Hartman - MLS Save of the Week
Stopped breakaway effort by Eddie Gaven of Columbus.
Week 11
Kevin Hartman - MLS Save of the Week
Stretched fully and palmed shot from Chris Klein wide of goal with his top hand.
Week 32
Kevin Hartman - MLS Save of the Week
Changed directions to palm shot off the foot of Ben Olsen over the bar in 2-2 tie with D.C. United.
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