Sporting Kansas City Weekly Update
May 19, 2011 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
SPORTING KANSAS CITY TRAVEL TO TAKE ON SEATTLE SOUNDERS ON Saturday
Sporting Kansas City will continue the 2011 MLS season at 9:00 p.m. CT on Saturday night when they face Seattle Sounders FC. The match will be broadcast live in English on KSMO-TV. KSMO-TV will again air a 30-minute pre-game show hosted by play-by-play announcer Callum Williams and guest color commentator Cliff McCrath, 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 eighth of 10 straight on the road to start the season while construction at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park is completed, will take place at the Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington.
Seattle (3-3-5) sits in fifth place in the Western Conference after 11 matches, most recently drawing 1-1 at home against Portland Timbers on Saturday. Check SportingKC.com on Friday for full game notes and join the website ¬â¢s live chat on Saturday during the game.
SINGLE GAME TICKETS ON SALE TO PUBLIC
Sporting Kansas City announced Monday the release of single game tickets for the 2011 season at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Tickets to individual Sporting Kansas City regular season home MLS matches at state-of-the-art LIVESTRONG Sporting Park can be purchased online via Ticketmaster.
SPORTING CLUB LAUNCHES SPORTING CLUB NETWORK
Sporting Club announced Wednesday the launch of the Sporting Club Network, a groundbreaking membership of athletes and athletic organizations created toaffiliate all interested soccer and other organizations in the Midwest withSporting Club and Sporting Kansas City. Sporting Club Network affiliates will be provided with unique member benefits and access opportunities to Sporting Club ¬â¢s facilities, content and events.
The founding members of the Sporting Club Network are the Kansas City Blues Rugby Club, Heartland Soccer Association, Kaw Valley Soccer Association, Blue Valley Soccer Club,Metro United Soccer Club, Sunflower Soccer Association, Blackfire Soccer Club, Leavenworth Soccer Association, Prodigy Soccer Club, Newton United Soccer Club, Club Azzurri and the United Soccer League of Kansas City. As part of the Sporting Club Network, each organization ¬â¢s membership will become members of Sporting Club, the parent organization of Sporting Kansas City.
KEMPIN SELECTED FOR U.S. UNDER-18 NATIONAL TEAM
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jon Kempinwas named to the United States Under-18 National Team roster for the Lisbon International Tournament in Lisbon, Portugal from May 19-29.
Kempin is one of two goalkeepers selected to the 20-player squad and will train under head coach Mike Matkovich as the team plays three matches against European competition. The United States opens the tournament against Netherlands on May 25th before taking on hosts Portugal one day later and concluding the tournament against Finland on May 28th.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY DRAWS 1-1 WITH CHICAGO FIRE IN RESERVE LEAGUE
Chance Myers scored his third goal of the 2011 MLS Reserve League season as Sporting Kansas City drew 1-1 with the Chicago Fire on Tuesday. Sporting KC now has four points through three games of the reserve league season.
The next reserve league match for Sporting Kansas City is Sunday, May 29th away to the Colorado Rapids. The team ¬â¢s next home match in the league will be Tuesday, July 19th, at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
INJURY WOES STARTING TO CLEAR UP FOR SPORTING KC
After beginning the season with significant injury worries at several key positions, Sporting Kansas City is finally getting healthy.
Defender Michael Harrington, midfielder Ryan Smith and forward Teal Bunbury have all recovered from knocks that plagued each of them throughout preseason while designated player Omar Bravo is on the road to recovery after undergoing successful sports hernia surgery in Los Angeles recently. Bravo has returned to training and is listed as probable for Saturday ¬â¢s match in Seattle.
Bravo has not featured in a match for Sporting Kansas City since starting in the 1-0 U.S. Open Cup win over Houston Dynamo on April 6th. Bravo has two goals in MLS play so far this season.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY LAUNCHES THE SPORTING 22 COMMUNITY PROGRAM
Sporting Kansas City announced recently the launch of its newest community outreach program, Sporting 22 presented by Teva Neuroscience. The Sporting 22 program is based around giving local high-school students the ability to execute ideasthat will positively impact the health of local children using soccer or related activities as a tool.
Students may begin submitting their project ideas beginning immediately via the official Sporting 22 Scholarship and Grant Application. The application is open and submissions will be accepted until midnight, May 28. The team will select 22 winners, whereupon each winner will be given up to $500 in grant funding as well as a $2,000 college scholarship once their program iscompleted.
Questions regarding the program can be directed to Sporting KC community relations manager, Erin Lawless, who can be reached at elawless@sportingkc.com, or by phone at 913-387-3424.
FARM AID CONCERT COMING TO LIVESTRONG SPORTING PARK
Farm Aid announced last week that it will bring its annual benefit concert to Kansas City, marking the first time that the organization will stage the event in Kansas. Farm Aid 2011 will be the first concert event at the new LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, which opens June 9.
Farm Aid 2011 will feature Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews on Saturday, Aug. 13. Other top artists will soon be announced.
For more information on Farm Aid 2011 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, visit the official website.
KAMARA NAMED GOODWILL AWARD RECIPIENT
Sporting Kansas City forward Kei Kamara was named the recipient of a Goodwill Award from the United Brothers and Sisters of Sierra Leone (UBSSL) at the organization ¬â¢s Inaugural Dinner and Awards event, held April 30 in Fullerton, California.
Following Sporting Kansas City ¬â¢s 3-2 win over Chivas USA on March 19, Kamara joined fellow Sierra Leone native Michael Lahoud in an autograph session to support Schools for Salone.
Kamara, born in Kenema, Sierra Leone, is a member of the Leone Stars national team and has seven appearances, most recently in an African Cup of Nations qualifier in March.
SPORTING KC JUNIORS CONTINUE DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY PLAY
The Sporting Kansas City U18 and U16 Juniors continued play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy this weekend in Colorado. The U16 Juniors, coached by Jon Parry, moved to 10-4-4 overall after drawing 1-1 with Real Colorado on Saturday, and topping Colorado Rush Auxerre 3-1 on Sunday. The U16s currently sit in first place in the Frontier Division table.
The U18 Juniors lost both matches over the weekend, falling first to Real Colorado on Saturday and then to Colorado Rush Auxerre on Sunday.
News and results from the Sporting KC Juniors program can be found on the official Juniors blog. The Juniors program was also recently featured on MLSSoccer.com 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 KC TO HOST NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION IN U.S. OPEN CUP
The next opponent for Sporting Kansas City in the U.S. Open Cup was determined recently. The New England Revolution overcame D.C. United by a 3-2 scoreline at the Maryland Soccerplex. Forward Kheli Dube scored twice and 16-year old Home Grown player Diego Fagundez made his fullprofessional debut for a New England side that will now travel to play Sporting Kansas City in the final qualifying round of the tournament.
The match will be held May 25th at the Blue Valley District Activities Complex in Overland Park, Kansas. The match is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets for the match cost $15 and are currently on sale to Sporting KC season ticket members via Ticketmaster.
The U.S. Open Cup has been held annually since 1914 and is named after Lamar Hunt, original owner of Sporting Kansas City from 1995-2006. Kansas City won the U.S. Open Cup in 2004, defeating the Chicago Fire 1-0 on a golden goal by striker Igor Simutenkov off a free kick in the 95th minute at Arrowhead Stadium on September 22nd, 2004.
SPORTING Club SELECTS KC AMERICAN SPORTSERVICE
Sporting Club announced Tuesday it has selected KC American Sportservice ¬" a joint venture of Delaware North Companies Sportservice and American Food & Vending ¬" to provide food and beverage services at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
A division of global hospitality provider Delaware North Companies, Sportservice is one of the leading sports venue food service companies in the world. It operates at more than 50 professional sports andentertainment venues, including at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Soldier Field in Chicago and Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. Delaware North also operates food and beverage services at some of the premier soccer venues in the world outside of the United States, including Wembley and Emirates stadiums in London.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR NEWCASTLE UNITED FRIENDLY
Sporting Kansas City announced recently the release of tickets for the club ¬â¢s international friendly against English Premier League side Newcastle United on July 20th.Tickets for the match start at just $20, and can be purchased on-line via Ticketmaster, or by calling 1-888-4KC-GOAL.
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.
The match will be included in all SportingKansas City season ticket packages, which are currently available for purchase at SportingKC.com/VirtualVenue. For more information, call 888-4KC-GOAL.
SPORTING KC RELEASE TAKE TEN TICKET PACKS, ADDITIONAL GOLD CUP TICKETS
Sporting Kansas City announced recently the release of the club's Take Ten ticket packages. The packages start at just $200/person and give fans access to a total of 10 matches throughout the 2011 season at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, including the inaugural match June 9th against the Chicago Fire and the international friendly match against Newcastle United on July 20th.
The Take Ten ticket packages and full season ticket packages can be purchased either by visiting SportingKC.com or by calling the Sporting Kansas City ticket office at 1-888-4KC-GOAL.
Sporting Kansas City also announced on Friday the release of an additional allotment of tickets to the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup ¢ doubleheader to be played on June 14th at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Fans can purchase tickets to see the doubleheader here.
SPORTING KC, SPORTS RADIO 810 TO AIR KANSAS CITY SOCCER SHOW TONIGHT
Soccer fans in Kansas City once again have a place to air their views on the beautiful game, as the Kansas City Soccer Show has made its return to Sports Radio 810 AM.
The show, which will air tonight from 7-8 p.m. CT, will cover the international game and the Kansas City soccer scene, including Sporting KC, Sporting KC Juniors and local youth soccer. The showwill also feature interviews with Sporting KC players, coaches and executives. It will be hosted by Jake Gutierrez, a Sports Radio 810 producer and formergoalkeeper at Western Illinois, and Josh Whisenhunt, a member of the Sporting KC communications department.
Fans are encouraged to share their views and submit questions via Twitter and Facebook, and by calling in to the show at 913-3-810-810.
SPORTING KC PARTICIPATING IN US SOCCER FOUNDATION PASSBACK PROGRAM
Sporting Kansas City is once again participating in the US Soccer Foundation's Passback program to help provide soccer gear to disadvantaged children through local charitygroups in the Kansas City metro area.
Sporting Kansas City is helping to coordinate equipment drives across the metro for the following sets of dates. Fans are encouraged to donate new or used soccer equipment they might have at their disposal.
Date: May 17 - May 31: Overland Park Soccer Complex (In conjunction with Blue Valley Soccer Club)
Any questions regarding Sporting Kansas City's participation in the Passback program can be directed to Erin Lawless at 913-387-3424.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY CONTINUES NEW AD CAMPAIGN AND PROMOTIONS:
Sporting Kansas City recently launched a new marketing campaign aimed to build anticipation for Sporting Kansas City and its historic 2011 season. Currently, there are four new billboards displayed throughout the metropolitan area with images of Omar 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 continue to run during KSMO-TV's broadcast of Sporting Kansas City vs. New York Red Bulls, beginning with a 30-minute pre-game show at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. The spots will also air on KSMO's weekly soccer show, Off the Pitch with Sporting Kansas City, on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. CT. The spots will also feature during a variety of prominent network shows, including SportsCenter, Modern Family and American Idol.
Recently, Sporting KC has also activated the Put Out the Fire promotion in partnership with local sandwich outlet Firehouse Subs. The promotion, based around the performance of rival Chicago Fire, rewards Kansas City fans with a free medium sub with the purchase of chips and a drink theafter a Chicago Fire loss in MLS play.
Finally, select fans around the KC metro area were shown red cards of a different variety recently as part of Sporting Kansas City's new grassroots marketing initiative. Fans were approached by referees on recently and asked about their past attendance at matches. Those that had never attended before were 'shown a red card' with a promotional code directing them to the club's Facebook page to register for a voucher for two free tickets to a match at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
The referees made their most recent appearance in Lawrence, Kansas.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY TO HOLD VARIOUS YOUTH CAMPS IN 2011:
Sporting Kansas City and the Sporting Kansas City Juniors will hold four more 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.
Remaining camps available in 2011, include the following:
Pre-Tryout Camp, June 6-8, 2011
2011 Fantasy Camp, August 1-4, 2011
Boys Development Camp, June 20-22, 2011
Sporting Youngsters Camp, June 20-23, 2011
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 May 19, 2011
- Toronto FC Part Ways with Three Academy Players - Toronto FC
- Sounders FC to Invite Fans to Participate in Food Drive on May 25 - Seattle Sounders FC
- Timbers' Danso, Gleeson, Purdy Called up to National Teams - Portland Timbers
- Sporting Kansas City Weekly Update - Sporting Kansas City
- Sporting Club Announces Affiliation with Kansas City Blues Rugby - Sporting Kansas City
- Game Notes: Sounders FC Vs. Sporting Kansas City - Seattle Sounders FC
- Philadelphia Union to Host Real Madrid at Lincoln Financial Field - MLS
- Lincoln Financial Field Brings World Soccer Powerhouse to Philadelphia - Philadelphia Union
- Date Change: Sounders FC to Host Philadelphia on October 8 - Seattle Sounders FC
- Whitecaps FC, Toronto FC Tie 1-1 in First Leg of Nutrilite Canadian Championship - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
