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Sporting Kansas City

Sporting Kansas City Weekly Update

February 18, 2011 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


SPORTING KANSAS CITY HOME GROWN PLAYER TO BE ANNOUNCED TODAY: Sporting Kansas City will hold a press conference at 1:30 p.m. CT today at the team's Swope Park Training Center to announce the second Home Grown Player signing in club history. The event will be streamed live on SportingKC.com as the player pens his first professional contract. Followers can submit questions for Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes and the team's newest signing via Twitter by sending reply messages to @SportingKC for selected use during the press conference.

Major League Soccer established the Home Grown Player initiative in 2007 to permit teams to promote youth academy players to professional contracts, bypassing the league's annual SuperDraft or traditional allocation process. These players must meet Home Grown Player regulations as determined by the League, including participation in the club's youth system for at least one year.

Goalkeeper Jon Kempin was signed in August 2010 as the first Home Grown Player signing in Sporting Kansas City history. The Leawood, Kansas native and Blue Valley North High School graduate has represented the United States National Team at the Under-18 and Under-20 levels since signing with Kansas City.

Sporting Kansas City launched their Juniors youth development academy in 2007 to provide a professional-level environment for aspiring players to participate in and with the goal of producing players capable of joining the senior team. Providence Medical Center is the official sponsor of the Sporting Kansas City Juniors youth program, which is led by Director of Coaching Jon Parry.

MANAGER PETER VERMES ON BALLOT FOR 2011 HALL OF FAME CLASS: Sporting Kansas City Manager and Technical Director Peter Vermes is one of 25 players nominated for the 2011 National Hall of Fame, U.S. Soccer announced on Thursday. Vermes spent seven seasons in Major League Soccer from 1996-2002 after returning from Europe, where he played for clubs in Hungary, Netherlands and Spain. He first appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2007.

Vermes, who played in 205 regular and post-season games in his MLS career, arrived in Kansas City in 2000 as part of a trade with the Colorado Rapids and won MLS Defender of the Year and Best XI honors as he helped KC win their first MLS Cup. Kansas City reached the playoffs all three years Vermes anchored the backline, appearing in 78 games prior to retiring following the 2002 season.

Vermes was also a regular on the U.S. Men's National Team, earning 67 caps and participating in the 1988 Olympics and 1990 FIFA World Cup. Once a forward, Vermes scored 11 goals for the U.S. after debuting in May 1988.

Former Kansas City players Mike Burns (2001-02), Roy Lassiter (2001-02) and Chris Henderson (1999-2000) are also up for induction in the players category, while former Manager Bob Gansler (1999-2006) is one of seven nominations in the builders category. Voting began Thursday and will continue through March 11th.

SPORTING PARK HONORED AS KC CREW PROJECT OF THE YEAR:

Sporting Kansas City's state-of-the-art stadium, Sporting Park, was honored as the Project of the Year by the Kansas City Commercial Real Estate Women (KC CREW) on Thursday at the non-profit organization's annual IMPACT Awards Ceremony. Sporting CEO Robb Heineman attended the event, held at the American Institute of Architects Kansas City office in downtown Kansas City.

Sporting Park, currently under construction in Kansas City, Kansas, will open June 9th as Sporting Kansas City takes on the Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. CT on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com. The $180 million plus stadium will hold 18,467 soccer supporters and features a dramatic canopy roof that covers every seating section. It will also include two high definition video boards, with a 2,016-square-feet screen on the south end and a 550-square-feet screen on the north end.

The city's first professional soccer-specific stadium, Sporting Park opens approximately 16 months after groundbreaking occurred at the site near The Legends in Wyandotte County in January 2010. The stadium is designed as one of the best in the world for its size and has world-class accommodations, including an innovative Members Club, the first of its kind in MLS, for Members Section ticket holders.

The Project of the Year Award recognizes a commercial real estate project in the greater Kansas City area that has made a significant impact on the real estate industry. KC CREW is a non-profit organization of commercial real estate professionals affiliated nationally through membership in the CREW Network, providing opportunities for networking, education, leadership development and civic/philanthropic involvement.

TEAM ENDS FIRST LEG OF PRE-SEASON IN ARIZONA: Sporting Kansas City returned home on Tuesday after completing their first of a pair of two-week stays in Phoenix, Arizona in preparation for the upcoming 2011 MLS season. The team is training at the Reach 11 Sports Complex for the second consecutive season, where they are undergoing two-a-day workouts at the 33-acre complex, which opened in 2007 and features 18 lighted fields. Additionally, the team is utilizing the local Athletes Performance for weightlifting sessions and fitness testing under the direction of Sporting Kansas City Fitness Coach Mateus Manoel.

During their two weeks in Phoenix, Sporting Kansas City faced three MLS clubs and the United States Under-18 National Team in pre-season exhibitions. After draws with Columbus and Colorado in the opening two matches, Sporting dropped both games of a doubleheader on the team's final day in Phoenix on Tuesday.

Houston, who will join Sporting in the Eastern Conference this season, prevailed 3-1 in a match that lasted approximately 80 minutes and was broken into three separate periods. The Dynamo pulled away to a 3-0 lead on an own goal credited to Sporting trialist Daneil Cyrus, a penalty kick converted by Jason Garey and a goal from defender Andrew Hanault off a set piece. Kansas City pulled one back in the game's final moments on a cross from trialist Scott Lorenz. Forward Chance Myers was well positioned at the backpost to finish the chance.

Sporting then used a mixed squad for in the day's second scrimmage against the U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team, currently in training camp in Arizona. U-18's midfielder Khiry Shelton scored the game's lone goal in the 14th minute as the U.S. youth team held on to the 1-0 lead for the remaining 45 minutes despite an offensive onslaught from KC.

See below for the 2011 pre-season schedule, subject to change:

Date Opponent Time/Result Location

Saturday, February 5th Columbus Crew 2-2 T Phoenix, AZ (Reach 11)

Wednesday, February 9th Inter-Squad Recap Phoenix, AZ (Reach 11)

Saturday, February 12th Colorado Rapids 0-0 T Phoenix, AZ (Reach 11)

Tuesday, February 15th Houston Dynamo 1-3 L Phoenix, AZ (Reach 11)

Tuesday, February 15th U.S. U18 MNT 0-1 L Phoenix, AZ (Reach 11)

Saturday, February 26th Portland Timbers 11:00am Casa Grande, AZ (Grande Sports World)

Saturday, February 26th Montreal Impact 12:30pm Casa Grande, AZ (Grande Sports World)

Friday, March 4th Arizona Sahuaros 7:00pm Tucson, AZ (Hi Corbett)

Saturday, March 5th New York Red Bulls 7:00pm Tucson, AZ (Hi Corbett)

FORWARD TEAL BUNBURY SUFFERS DISLOCATED ELBOW:

Preliminary results indicate Sporting Kansas City striker Teal Bunbury suffered a subluxed right elbow in the team's scrimmage against the Houston Dynamo on Tuesday and he is now expected to be out four to six weeks. Bunbury was taken to a local hospital in Phoenix and initial tests revealed no broken bones and no nerve damage. Bunbury returned to Kansas City with the team on Tuesday and met with team physicians today.

The injury occurred in a collision with Dynamo defender Andrew Hainault during the second session of Kansas City's 3-1 loss at the Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix, Arizona.

Bunbury is coming off a successful rookie season for Kansas City after being drafted fourth overall by the in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. The 20-year-old Akron product contributed five goals and two assists in 26 appearances, and also scored in Kansas City's U.S. Open Cup game in April and recorded an assist in the Wizards historic upset of Manchester United in July.

The strong rookie season led to appearances in each of the last two matches for the United States Men's National Team. After making his debut against South Africa in November, Bunbury scored his first international goal on a penalty kick against Chile in January.

TRIALIST SHELDON BATEAU RELEASED FROM PRE-SEASON ROSTER:

Trinidad and Tobago defender Sheldon Bateau has been released from Sporting Kansas City's pre-season roster and is no longer with the team as Manager Peter Vermes continues to shape his roster for the upcoming 2011 season. Bateau, last with San Juan Jabloteh in Trinidad, appeared in four of Kansas City's pre-season exhibition matches against the Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo and the United States Under-18 National Team, all of which were played in Phoenix, Arizona.

Bateau, 20, has represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea and at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt. Most recently, Bateau captained the Trinidad and Tobago U-20 National Team to qualification for the 2011 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, scoring the game-winning goals in back-to-back games against the Suriname U-20's on December 10th and December 20th. He had also scored earlier in qualifying in an 8-0 win over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on November 18th.

SPORTING KANSAS CITY RETURNS TO PHOENIX ON MONDAY:

Kansas City will return to Phoenix on Monday, February 21st for the second leg of their 2011 pre-season preparations in the Arizona capital. Sporting will play a doubleheader on Saturday, February 26th against the expansion Portland Timbers at 12 p.m. CT, followed by a game versus the Montreal Impact, who will join MLS in 2012, at 1:30 p.m. CT. Both games will be played at the Grand Sports World in Casa Grande, Arizona.

Sporting will then travel further south to Tucson, Arizona for the 2011 MLS Desert Cup, hosted by FC Tucson. The tournament will see Kansas City face the NPSL's Arizona Sahuaros on Friday, March 4th and the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, March 5th. Both games will be played at Hi Corbett Field at 8:00 p.m. CT and tickets are now on sale.

Sporting Kansas City opened pre-season camp on January 24th and will go through nearly eight weeks of preparation for the start of the 2011 campaign, with the team's season opener coming on March 19th at Chivas USA. Sporting Kansas City and Major League Soccer are entering their 16th season in 2011, which will feature two new expansion teams in the Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers, as every club plays each team twice in a 34-game season.

Sporting Kansas City 2011 Pre-Season Schedule:

Feb. 21st â€" Team departs for Phoenix March 11th â€" Team returns to Kansas City March 19th â€" Season opener at Chivas USA

2011 MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED: Sporting Kansas City announced their 34-game regular season schedule last week for the club's highly-anticipated 2011 Major League Soccer season, the team's first to be played at the $180 million plus, state-of-the-art soccer-specific stadium currently being built in Kansas City, Kansas.

For 2011 ticket information, contact the Sporting Kansas City ticket office toll-free at 1-888-4KC-GOAL, or visit www.sportingkc.com/virtualvenue.

Kansas City, a charter member of Major League Soccer, will begin its 16th season with ten games on the road, all to be played on Saturdays over a twelve-week span. During this time, final touches will be made at the stadium site ahead of its nationally-televised grand opening on June 9th when Sporting Kansas City faces rivals Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. CT on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com.

The marquee match is one of eight Sporting Kansas City regular season MLS games to be broadcast nationally in 2011. Six of the eight matches scheduled for national exposure in the United States or Canada will be played at Sporting's brand new home ground, which will seat 18,467 soccer supporters and features an iconic canopy roof that covers every seating section.

Sporting Kansas City's 17 regular season home matches will come predominantly in the second half of the 2011 schedule, including nine consecutive games at home from July 23rd through September 10th. The homestand is part of a larger stretch that sees Sporting scheduled to play 13 of 16 games at home in July, August and September.

Excluding the home opener, nationally telecast on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com on June 9th, all Sporting Kansas City home and away matches will be telecast live locally in high definition on KSMO-TV, with one or more games slated to be simulcast on KCTV-5.

DIGITAL COVERAGE OF SPORTING KC PRE-SEASON PROVIDES NEWS AND NOTES:

Sporting Kansas City supporters are encouraged to visit SportingKC.com for all the latest on the team's pre-season preparations while the team is in Phoenix, Arizona for the 2011 season. Videos, photos, stories and more are posted daily to give fans a comprehensive look at the team as it takes shape for First Kick on March 19th at Chivas USA.

The Sporting Way, the official blog of Sporting Kansas City, also provides daily doses of information, as well as links to the team's social media sites on Twitter and Facebook.

NINE SPORTING KANSAS CITY U18 JUNIORS COMMIT TO COLLEGE PROGRAMS:

The Sporting Kansas City U18 Juniors academy team will send nine players to college programs across the country as part of incoming recruiting classes announced throughout the month of February. February 2nd marked the official National Signing Day, when high school seniors can send in their Letters of Intent for the first time to commit to college programs to continue their playing careers.

The following nine players are part of the Sporting Kansas City U18's and will now be pursuing college opportunities as freshman in the fall.

Marques Mayoras -- Ohio State Konner Knoll and Jordan Rideout â€" University of Missouri â€" Kansas City Paul Oliver and Tom Adams â€" Oral Roberts Will Witherspoon â€" Virginia Tech Shane Bowlen and Michael Oakley â€" William Jewell Asher Herbet -- Long Island University (Brooklyn Campus) KANSAS CITY TO HOST 2011 CONCACAF GOLD CUP DOUBLEHEADER ON JUNE 14:

Sporting Kansas City's state-of-the-art new stadium will host a first round doubleheader for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup™ on June 14, 2011. Kansas City was one of 11 U.S. cities chosen to host games during the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup™ and the international matches will take place at Sporting Kansas City's $180 million new stadium, currently under construction in Kansas City, Kansas.

The tournament brings 12 of the region's best National Teams to compete for the continental crown and the right to be the region's representative in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. The following 12 nations will compete in this summer's competition: United States, Mexico, Canada, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, Cuba, Grenada, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador and Guatemala.

The 2011 Gold Cup will mark the 20th anniversary of the tournament, the region's highest level of competition, and is scheduled to take place across the United States from June 5th to June 25th. CONCACAF will announce the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup™ groups, schedule and ticket information in early March.

The Gold Cup doubleheader in Kansas City will be included as part of 2011 Sporting Kansas City season ticket packages, which can be purchased at www.SportingKC.com/VirtualVenue or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL. Season tickets begin at $14-per-seat ($280 total for 20 games).

SPORTING KANSAS CITY TO HOLD OPEN TRYOUTS ON MARCH 12TH and 13TH:

Sporting Kansas City will hold open tryouts for prospective players on March 12th and 13th at the team's Swope Park Training Facility. The tryouts are open to players who are 18 years of age and older, and are among the first 300 registrants.

This year's event marks the fourth consecutive year the club has held an organized open tryout. The previous occasions have drawn as many as 200 players from more than a dozen different countries.

Members of the Sporting Kansas City technical staff will conduct the tryouts, evaluating and identifying all players who participate on Saturday, March 12th. They will then select a group of the top performers from day one to return on Sunday, March 13th for a second session to allow the players an additional opportunity to showcase their abilities. No registered players are guaranteed a spot at the second day of tryouts.

Finalists from the open tryouts may then be given the chance to train with the Sporting Kansas City first team as they kick off their 16th season in Major League Soccer one week later.

Interested individuals can register for the 2011 open tryouts at SportingKC.com. Players must pay $200 for the opportunity to participate and also must be able to provide their own transportation, lodging and food for the weekend.

JUNIORS ANNOUNCE 2ND ANNUAL PRE-ACADEMY CAMP MARCH 14-16

The Sporting Kansas City Juniors will host their 2nd Annual Pre-Academy Camp from March 14th - 16th at the club's Swope Park Training Facility. The camp is open to boys between the ages of 9-16 who are currently part of or interested in becoming a member in the Juniors program in the future. All players will be evaluated by the Juniors coaching staff, with the opportunity to be invited back for future training sessions. The camp is designed for the committed player who wants to work their way into the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and the Sporting Kansas City Juniors.

The camp costs $125, which includes a ticket to a Sporting Kansas City home game inside the team's state-of-the-art new stadium and an adidas Sporting Kansas City t-shirt. The schedule for the 2011 Pre-Academy Camp is as follows:

· 14-16 year olds: 9-10:30am

· 11-13 year olds: 11-12:30pm

· 9-10 year olds: 1:30-3pm

SPORTING KANSAS CITY MERCHANDISE AVAILABLE LOCALLY AND ONLINE:

Sporting Kansas City merchandise can be purchased at Dick's Sporting Goods and The Kansas City Store locations throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area, as well as online at MLSgear.com. Dick'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'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.

Additionally, Sporting Kansas City supporters can visit the official online store of Major League Soccer for scarves, towels, soccer balls and hats with the new logo and Sporting Blue color.

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