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Sporting Kansas City Selects Three College Seniors in 2011 MLS SuperDraft

January 13, 2011 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Sporting Kansas City welcomed three new draft picks to the club on Thursday at the 2011 MLS SuperDraft in Baltimore, Maryland. Forward C.J. Sapong was taken in the first round, 10th overall, while J.T. Murray and Konrad Warzycha were added in the second and third rounds, respectively.

"I think we walk away with three players that we identified that we feel can help our team," Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes said. "They will provide depth and they fit into the way we play. I think that's where we gained the most."

In addition to the draft activity, Sporting Kansas City announced on Thursday that defender Michael Harrington had agreed to terms in principal on a new contract for the 2011 season. The move came less than 24 hours after the club officially added defender/midfielder Luke Sassano, whose rights were acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Galaxy last month.

Sapong, a 22-year-old forward, comes to Kansas City after finishing his college career at James Madison University with 37 goals and 21 assists in four seasons from 2007-2010. He was awarded First Team All-Conference and team Offensive MVP honors all four years, a first in program history, and was the CAA Player of the Year as a senior co-captain in 2010. Sapong was a two-time NSCAA First Team All-South Atlantic Region selection. In 2007, he led the team and conference in goals scored, and was named the CAA and VaSID Rookie of the Year and was the only freshman chosen to the Third Team All-South Atlantic Region.

"I was so excited when I heard my name. I looked over at my mom and she could not believe her ears," said Sapong, whose parents both come from Ghana. "I kind of got flooded with emotions for a little bit, but I brought myself back because I worked for this, I'm ready. The re-branding, the new stadium...I see the fans on TV, and I love them. I can't wait until that first time I step onto the field."

"We think he's a very explosive and powerful type of forward that plays very well with his back to the goal," Vermes said. "So we think that, not only right away he can have some impact with the team, but we think over time he's got a huge upside. We're pretty excited about the pick."

Murray, 22, is a defensive prospect who was taken 32nd overall in the second round of Thursday's SuperDraft . He played in all 87 games of his four-year career at Louisville from 2007-2010, starting every game from his sophomore through senior seasons. He recorded eight goals and seven assists, and after moving to defense for his junior season, helped the Cardinals set a school record with 13 shutouts. He was a Big East All-Tournament team selection during his senior season when he started all 24 games and helped the defense post eight shutouts in reaching the 2010 College Cup national championship against Akron.

"I'm a left back that likes to get forward a lot," Murray said. "I think I'm dynamic because I like to think I'm pretty good with both of my feet. And I like to shoot. So if I can get around the box and get a look, I'll take my chance. I'll be real excited to come out and try to make the team."

"We've seen him outside of the combine, and we think that's he's going to be a guy that has a good chance of working his way into our team over time," Vermes said. "When you're talking about the way we play, he fits our style from a player that will help us build out of the back with his ability to make good decisions on the ball."

Warzycha, the 21-year-old son of Columbus Crew coach Robert Warzycha, was taken 46th overall in the third round . The Dublin, Ohio native attended nearby Ohio State University from 2007-2010, teaming up with Sporting Kansas City defender Roger Espinoza as a freshman as the school reached the 2007 NCAA National Championship. After a Second Team All-Big Ten selection in 2009, Warzycha was a First Team All-Big Ten selection following his senior season when he led the Buckeyes in scoring with eight goals. In his four years at Ohio State, Warzycha compiled 13 goals and nine assists, primarily playing in the midfield throughout his 75-game career.

"It's a dream come true," Warzycha said. "I've been looking forward to this day since I can remember. Any player, this is the reason why you start out playing soccer, to one day hopefully hear your name get called... It was everything you expect and more."

Sporting's selection of Warzycha marks the second straight year Kansas City drafted the son of a former MLS player, after Alex Bunbury's son Teal Bunbury was taken 4th overall. Robert Warzycha, entering his third full season in charge of Columbus, played for the club from 1996-2002 and holds the Crew's all-time assists mark (61).

"Obviously it's a unique situation with the father-son dynamic," Robert Warzycha said. "I'm very proud. My son is joining a great League in MLS and I'm happy KC took him. They are a good organization with a new stadium, good team and good coaching staff. From my perspective, it was a good selection. They picked a winner."

"Konrad obviously comes from a pretty good background with his dad being a player," Vermes said. "He understands the game really well, he reads it very well. He's got a really good shot from distance, so hopefully we found a sleeper in this guy."

Full details on each player, including video highlights and a quote sheet with comments from all players drafted by Sporting Kansas City on Thursday are below.

C.J. Sapong (Sah-PONG) -10th Overall (1st Round)

Position: Forward

Born: 12/27/1988

Height: 6-2

Weight: 185

College: James Madison University

Hometown: Manassas, Virginia

Citizenship: USA

Highlight Video

J.T. Murray - 32nd Overall (2nd Round)

Position: Defender

Born: 08/04/1988

Height: 5-11

Weight: 165

College: University of Louisville

Hometown: Grove City, Ohio

Citizenship: USA

Highlight Video

Konrad Warzycha (war-ZEE-ha) - 46th Overall (3rd Round)

Position: Midfielder

Born: 02/14/1989

Height: 6-1

Weight: 190

College: Ohio State

Hometown: Dublin, Ohio

Citizenship: USA

Highlight Video

-- Sporting Kansas City Quote Sheet -- 2011 MLS SuperDraft

Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes

On his evaluation of the team's draft...

"I think we walk away with three players that we identified that can help our team. They will provide depth and they fit into the way we play. I think that's where we gained the most."

C.J. Sapong, First Round, No. 10 Overall

On being drafted...

It was pure elation. I looked over at my mom and she could not believe her ears. I was so excited when I heard my name. I kind of got flooded with emotions for a little bit, but I brought myself back because I worked for this, I'm ready. The re-branding, the new stadium. I see the fans on TV, I love them. I can't wait until that first time I step onto the field. I know I'm going to have to prove myself, I had to do it until now. This is just more motivation to try even harder.

About himself...

I'm a flashy, outgoing person. I'm fun-loving. You're going to see that I'm having fun on the field. I have fun with life. No matter what situations I come across, I take the best out of them. I know God has a path for me. I have faith that whatever the path may be, I will be successful. I just have to keep believing.

On Manager Peter Vermes' first words to him...

He said, 'do you know how crazy it's going to be to play in our stadium with all those fans ' I was like, 'I don't, but I'm ready.'

Peter Vermes, Sporting Kansas City Manager

About what he sees in Sapong...

There are a couple of things. Last year Teal Bunbury we picked with the 4th overall pick the 1st round. We felt that his explosive style in the League can be very dangerous with the way we play. And C.J. brings a lot of the same qualities. I think that between the two of them, they can be a pretty interesting tandem. We think he's a very explosive and powerful type of forward that plays very well with his back to the goal. So we think that, not only right away he can have some impact with the team, but we think over time he's got a huge upside. We're pretty excited about the pick.

On Sapong coming from a smaller program...

I think what happens is a lot of players that come out of those situations is that they have the ability but maybe weren't on the big stage. They're always trying to prove that they belong. I think there's not only an inner-confidence, but also a inner-motivating factor that he wants to prove himself to be a big-time player. I think he's got an excellent, excellent attitude for the game. So I really think that over time, the kid's got something that he's going to be able to deliver to this League.

On Sapong's impact going forward...

I think that from any coach's perspective, you always want guys to have an immediate impact. But I think you also have to patient with the fact that it takes time to adjust to our League, especially making the jump that he is. And you don't want to put too much pressure on him right away to be successful because you want to build that confidence up as you go and do that on an upwards slope as opposed to being up-and-down, all around.

J.T. Murray, Second Round, No. 32 Overall

On finding out he was drafted...

I was pretty excited. I was just relieved actually to get invited to the camp. I had heard that Kansas City was interested from my college coaches and what not, and I was just hoping I could get called in the second round.

About him as a player...

The last three years I've played left back. I'm a left back that likes to get forward a lot. I can hit a big switch. I think I'm dynamic because I like to think I'm pretty good with both of my feet. And I like to shoot, so if I can get around the box and get a look, I'll take my chance.

On playing in every game in his college career...

I never really missed too many practices through injury or anything. I think I was one of the only guys to play in every game in four years here. That to me, that's pretty awesome; it just says how much our coaches and our staff and our trainers do to keep you healthy. I'm dependable and I like to play.

Peter Vermes, Sporting Kansas City Manager

About Murray's qualities as a defender...

"We need someone on the left side as someone that can sort of build into that position. I think that he's actually very, very good on the ball coming out of the back. Our outside backs are on the ball quite a bit, and we thought that he has been very good on the ball. We've seen him outside of the combine, and we think that's he's going to be a guy that has a good chance of working his way into our team over time."

On Murray's experience at Louisville...

"Again, I go back to, this guy has played in a lot of games, and has played in bigger games in college. And as I said, he's pretty calm and cool on the ball. So when you're talking about the way we play, he fits our style from a player that will help us build out of the back with his ability to make good decisions on the ball."

About Murray's versatility and transition from midfield to defense in college...

"I think that's why it makes him so good on the ball. Having played in the midfield and being a guy that's around the ball quite a bit, it gives him an opportunity then to be able to sit right back into the backline, and when you're facing the field, it's easier to make decisions. So I think that's been a big help for him, going into the back."

Konrad Warzycha, Third Round, No. 46 Overall

On being selected in the SuperDraft...

Obviously, it's a dream come true. I've been looking forward to this day since I can remember. Any player, this is the reason why you start out playing soccer, to one day hopefully hear your name get called. When I heard it, I had a couple friends with me and we started jumping up and down going crazy. My phone started ringing....it was surreal. It was everything you expect and more.

On what he brings to the team...

I'm 6'1, so a bigger guy. I've got a couple pounds of muscle on me. I battle in the midfield, look to win the ball and distribute. I've been told I have a strong shot, so I work to hit it from distance from time-to-time. And I like to score goals whenever I can.

On talking to his father, Columbus Crew Manager Robert Warzycha, after his selection...

He said congratulations. He was proud of me. He said Kansas City was a good team and talked about Peter Vermes a little bit and how he's a good guy. He thought it was a good fit for me.

On being close to the game while growing up...

I've been around the Crew ever since 1996 when my dad started playing. I've been in-and-out of the locker room since when I was little. I went to practices with my dad and I got to train with them the last couple of years in the off-season. I'd like to think I have a good understanding of how the professional world works as a player. It's helped a lot actually.

Peter Vermes, Sporting Kansas City Manager

On the potential of Warzycha...

Konrad obviously comes from a pretty good background with his dad being a player. He understands the game really well, he reads it very well. He's got a really good shot from distance. We've seen him in college over the last couple of years. I think he needs to work on some parts of his game, but he could be a decent MLS player over time for sure. It will be interesting to see how he comes along, especially when we start him in pre-season. He's got a little pressure on him, because obviously his dad was a big player in this League and he's got a lot to live up to. But we already drafted one guy like that, and he's turned out pretty good so far. So hopefully, maybe we found a little sleeper in this guy.

On how Warzycha fits in on Sporting Kansas City...

I think he's really going to turn into more of a defensive midfielder type player. But the thing about him, is again, he has a real strong pop from distance. So that could be something that could be good for us, because we do create a lot of chances. And more importantly, we create shots from distance so I think that could be a big help.

Robert Warzycha, Columbus Crew Manager and Konrad Warzycha's father

On seeing his son drafted...

"Obviously it's a unique situation with the father-son dynamic. I'm very proud. My son is joining a great League in MLS. I'm happy KC took him. They are a good organization with a new stadium, good team and good coaching staff. From my perspective, it was a good selection. They picked a winner."

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