Sporting Kansas City Weekly Update
Published on March 31, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting KC FACES VANCOUVER WHITECAPES FOR FIRST TIME ON SATURDAY:
Sporting Kansas City will continue the 2011 MLS season at 6:00 p.m. CT on Saturday night in their first-ever meeting with the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps. The match will be broadcast live in English on KSMO-TV and in Spanish on Time Warner Cable channel 5. KSMO-TV will again air a 30-minute pre-game show hosted by play-by-play announcer Callum Williams and color commentator Sasha Victorine, as well as their weekly soccer show, Off the Pitch with Sporting Kansas City, on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. CT.
Saturday ¬â¢s match, the third of 10 straight on the road to start the season while construction at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park is completed, will take place at Empire Field in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Sporting KC striker Kei Kamara, who leads MLS with two assists, returned from international duty after representing Sierra Leone in an African Cup of Nations qualifier last weekend and will reinforce a KC attack that will be without Designated Player Omar Bravo due to a mandatory one-game suspension from his red card last week.
Vancouver (1-1-0) is tied for fourth place in the Western Conference after two games, beginning their MLS era with a 4-2 home win over fellow Canadian club Toronto FC before falling 1-0 at Philadelphia last Saturday. Check SportingKC.com on Friday for full game notes and join the website ¬â¢s live chat on Saturday during the game.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY SUFFERS FIRST LOSS OF 2011 IN CHICAGO:
After opening the season with a convincing 3-2 road win at Chivas USA during MLS First Kick, the scoreline was reversed for Sporting Kansas City last weekend in Chicago as KC played shorthanded for the game ¬â¢s final 60 minutes due to a red card given to reigning MLS Player of the Week Omar Bravo.
Sporting KC defender Matt Besler scored the first goal of his professional career in the 51st minute and striker Teal Bunbury scored in his return from a dislocated elbow suffered during a pre-season for the game ¬â¢s final goal in the 72nd minute.
SPORTING KC TO HOST NEWCASTLE UNITED AT LIVESTRONG SPORTING PARK:
Sporting Kansas City will host English Premier League club Newcastle United F.C. on Wednesday, July 20th in an international friendly at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, the team announced earlier this week. The match will be included in all Sporting Kansas City season ticket packages, which are currently available for purchase at SportingKC.com/VirtualVenue. For more information, call 888-4KC-GOAL.
In preparation for the friendly, the EPL club is expected to hold training sessions at the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park from July 17 through July 19 as part of their pre-season. VIP packages, including the opportunity to attend a Newcastle United training session, an exclusive autograph session with Newcastle players and a coaches ¬â¢ clinic with the team's technical staff, will be made available at a later date.
The match is the second international event scheduled to be held at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, the 18,467 seat venue currently under construction in Kansas City, Kansas. The state-of-the-art, $200 million home ground of Sporting Kansas City is Major League Soccer's newest soccer-specific stadium and was selected to host a 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup doubleheader on June 14th, featuring the United States Men's National Team.
SPORTING CLUB CEO ROBB HEINEMAN SHOWN IN GOOGLE FIBER ANNOUNCEMENT:
Sporting Club CEO Robb Heineman was featured as one of several Kansas City, Kansas community leaders in Google's announcement on Wednesday that the multi-billion dollar tech company will build their highly anticipated fiber network in Kansas City, Kansas.
"I have all kinds of personal experiences where the internet and the speed of the internet has been incredibly frustrating," Heineman says on camera, before adding he hopes to nerd out the stadium," in reference to the team's state-of-the-art, $200 million LIVESTRONG Sporting Park that is currently under construction in Kansas City, Kansas.
Heineman attended the official announcement at Wyandotte High School, featuring Mayor Joe Reardon, who said the partnership joins LIVESTRONG Sporting Park on the long list of milestones for the region, and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, who declared Wednesday "Google Day" in Kansas City, Kansas.
Chad Ochocinco NAMED HONORARY MEMBER OF Sporting Kansas City:
Sporting Kansas City announced on Tuesday that NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco has been named an honorary member of the Major League Soccer club following his six-day tryout that began last week. Ochocinco departed Kansas City on Wednesday, but will re-join the team for reserve training and fitness/conditioning workouts next week.
FORMER KC COACH BOB GANSLER INDUCTED INTO NATIONAL SOCCER HALL OF FAME:
Former Kansas City Bob Gansler was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame on the builder ballot with 58 percent of the votes, US Soccer announced this week. Gansler, coach of the United States 1990 World Cup team, coached Kansas City to the 2000 MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield double and took home MLS Coach of the Year. In 2004, he also led KC to the U.S. Open Cup crown and their second appearance in an MLS Cup. In his eight years at the helm of the club, he compiled an 86-85-51 record during the regular season and 9-8-3 in the postseason, which the team reached in five consecutive years from 2000-2004 during his tenure.
Gansler, now heavily involved in club soccer and coaching initiatives, was honored with the prestigious Werner Fricker Builder Award by the US Soccer Federation in 2008. Prior to his coaching career, he played in the North American Soccer League and National Professional Soccer League, and captained the U.S. Olympic Team at the 1964 and 1968 Olympics.
SPORTING KC TO HOST FIRST FRIDAY ULTIMATE TAILGATE EVENT TOMORROW:
Sporting Kansas City will take part in the Crossroads District monthly First Friday event on Friday, April 1st by hosting an ultimate tailgate party outside the team offices (19th Street between Central and Wyandotte in downtown Kansas City, Mo) from 5pm to 8pm. The event will feature live music from DJ Mike Scott and an Ultimate Tailgate Trailer with food and drinks for sale, as well as an interior lounge where guests can play FIFA 2011.
The event is open to the public and attendees can enter for a chance to win two Sporting Kansas City season tickets and an autographed 2011 team ball.
LIVESTRONG SPORTING PARK JOB FAIR TO BE HELD ON SATURDAY:
Individuals interested in applying for event staff positions at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park are encouraged to attend a special job fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday at Kansas City Kansas Community College. Global Spectrum, announced last September as the lead manager and operator of Sporting Kansas City's state-of-the-art new venue, is hosting the job fair as the company looks to fill a variety of new employment opportunities for roles throughout the facility.
Who: Global Spectrum at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park
What: Global Spectrum is searching for various staff positions at their job fair, which is co-sponsored by and will be held at KCK Community College. The following positions are needed: Building attendants, concierge staff, ticket takers, ushers, box office representatives, suite, club and stand attendants, bussers/runners, bartenders, porters, vending assistants, cooks, utilities and beer and food vendors. These positions are part time, and candidates must be 18 years or older. Some positions require that candidates be at least 21. Individuals must be able to work some nights, weekends and holidays, depending on stadium events. Candidates must also be willing to walk long distances, climb stairs and stand for extended periods of time.
When: Saturday, April 2, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Kansas City Kansas Community College, 7250 State Avenue, KCKS, 66112
Why: With the opening of LIVESTRONG Sporting Park quickly approaching in June 2011, Global Spectrum is looking to hire individuals to work event days.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY LAUNCHES NEW AD CAMPAIGN:
Sporting Kansas City launched a new marketing campaign aimed to build anticipation for Sporting Kansas City and its historic 2011 season. Beginning Monday, four new billboards will be displayed throughout the metropolitan area with images of Bravo, captain Davy Arnaud and striker Kei Kamara. The boards are at the following locations...
-- I-35 North near Cambridge Circle -- Omar Bravo
-- I-435 North at Woodend -- Omar Bravo
-- I-70 and Blue River -- Davy Arnaud
-- I-435 North, south of Truman Sports Complex -- Kei Kamara
Two new commercials promoting the club will also debut this weekend during KSMO-TV's broadcast of Sporting Kansas City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, beginning with a 30-minute pre-game show at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The spots will also air regionally during the NCAA Tournament's Final Four coverage on CBS.
SPORTING KC JUNIORS RESUME U.S. DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY:
The Sporting Kansas City U16 and U18 Juniors will resume play in the U.S. Development Academy this weekend in Minnesota as both teams face Shattuck-Saint Mary ¬â¢s Soccer Club. The U18 Juniors, coached by Paul Rideout, are 2-3-2 overall in the USDA during the 2010-11 season. The U16 Juniors, coached by Jon Parry, are 3-2-2 overall in the 2010-11 Development Academy and the eight points puts them in fourth place in the eight-team Frontier Division.
Both teams will begin play in the Frontier Division this weekend as they resume the 21-game schedule. The U13 Juniors will also travel to Minnesota this weekend for friendlies against the Minnesota Thunder.
All four Juniors teams travelled to Columbus, Ohio last weekend for friendlies versus fellow MLS teams. Results and a recap from the trip are available on the official Juniors blog. The Juniors program was also featured on MLSsoccer.com on Thursday as it continues to draw attention for producing two Home Grown Players, goalkeeper Jon Kempin and defender Kevin Ellis, and continuing to be competitive against some of the best teams in the nation.
Sporting Kansas City to Hold Four Youth Camps in 2011:
Sporting Kansas City and the Sporting Kansas City Juniors will hold four youth camps in 2011 for boys and girls of all ages. Interested players and parents are encouraged to visit SportingKC.com/camps for additional information and to sign-up using the online registration forms.
The first camp of the 2011 calendar year was the Juniors ¬â¢ 2nd Annual Pre-Academy Camp held earlier this month at the club's Swope Park Training Facility. The camp was open to boys between the ages of 9-16 who are currently part of or were interested in becoming a member in the Juniors program in the future. All players were evaluated by the Juniors coaching staff, and may be invited back for future training sessions.
Other camps available in 2011, include:
Invitation-Only Training Program
Pre-Tryout Camp
2011 Fantasy Camp
For more information on all youth camps and Juniors programs, please contact Betsy Pollard at 913-387-3883.
Sporting Kansas City Merchandise Available Locally and Online:
Sporting Kansas City merchandise can be purchased at Dick ¬â¢s Sporting Goods, The Kansas City Store and Kansas Sampler locations throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area, as well as online at MLSgear.com. Dick ¬â¢s Sporting Goods launched the first line of Sporting Kansas City hooded sweatshirts, as well as short-sleeve and long-sleeve t-shirts following the team ¬â¢s announcement of their new look in November 2010, while The Kansas City Store made merchandise available prior to the holiday season and continues to carry team items.
Major League Soccer Stories from March 31, 2011
- Sporting Kansas City Weekly Update - Sporting Kansas City
- Whitecaps FC Back Home to Face Sporting Kansas City on Saturday - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Toronto FC Sign Dicoy Williams - Toronto FC
- adidas Invites Soccer Fans to Meet New York Red Bulls at Sport Performance Store in Soho - Red Bull New York
- Red Bulls Launch Ticket Exchange Website - Red Bull New York
- Whitecaps FC Add Centre Back Mouloud Akloul - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Sounders FC Face San Jose Earthquakes April 2 - Seattle Sounders FC
- D.C. United Signs Bill Hamid to New Contract - D.C. United
- Red Bulls and MSG Networks Sign Multi-Year Telecast Rights Extension - Red Bull New York
- Chicago Fire Top Colorado Rapids 2-1 to Advance in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Qualifying - Chicago Fire FC
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