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Sporting KC Weekly Update

February 6, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


ZUSI AND BESLER ON USMNT ROSTER, WATCH LIVE AT 3PM CT

Sporting Kansas City defender Matt Besler and midfielder Graham Zusi were named to the U.S. Men's National Team on Monday, U.S. Soccer announced. The U.S. Men's National Team begins the Final Round of 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying against Honduras at 3 p.m. CT today. Watch the match live on beIN Sports.

Zusi started each of the United States last three FIFA World Cup qualifiers in the previous round and has made seven total appearances for the U.S. Men's National Team. The 26-year-old playmaker led Major League Soccer with a single season career-high 15 assists in 2012, earning MLS Best XI and All-Star honors en route to finishing third in MVP voting.

Besler, 25, made his international debut last week in scoreless draw against Canada and is one of seven players on the roster seeking their first appearance in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. The Overland Park, Kan. native is coming off a stellar 2012 campaign in which he received Best XI honors and was named MLS Defender of the Year and MLS Breakout Player of the Year.

Both players have been training with the U.S. Men's National Team from Jan. 7-29 as part of the team's January Camp and will join their Sporting Kansas City teammates in Orlando, Fla. following today's match.

SPORTING KC TO DEPART FOR ORLANDO TOMORROW

For the second straight year, Sporting Kansas City will compete in the 2013 Disney Pro Soccer Classic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. The club will face the Montreal Impact at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday in their first of four games in the eight-team tournament. Fans can watch live streams of the group stage matches on SportingKC.com.

Sporting Kansas City will spend 18 days in Orlando from Feb. 7-24.

SPORTING KC EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH SPORTS RADIO 810 WHB

Sporting Kansas City announced on Tuesday a two-year extension to the club's broadcast agreement with Sports Radio 810 WHB that will see the station continue as the official radio partner of Sporting Kansas City through the 2014 season.

Sports Radio 810 WHB is currently scheduled to broadcast each of Sporting Kansas City's five nationally televised (English language only) home matches in 2013, including a 30-minute pre-game show. Additionally, The Final Whistle: Sporting KC Postgame Show hosted by Dave Borchardt and Andy Edwards will return for the majority of Sporting Kansas City's MLS matches this season.

The station -- with a listening audience that includes the states of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma - will also air an hour-long radio show hosted by Callum Williams beginning Feb. 26 and continuing weekly through the conclusion of the season. Fans are encouraged to join the discussion by calling 913-3-810-810 and can tune in at 810whb.com to hear interviews with Sporting KC players, coaches and executives.

SINGLE-GAME TICKETS ON SALE THURSDAY FOR FIRST NINE MATCHES

Tickets to Sporting Kansas City's first nine regular season MLS matches will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. CT on Thursday via Ticketmaster.com. Fans will have the opportunity to secure their seats for the first nine regular season MLS matches at Sporting Park, including the highly anticipated home opener on March 16 against rivals Chicago Fire, the U.S. Open Cup rematch against the Seattle Sounders on May 8 and an MLS Cup Playoffs rematch versus the Houston Dynamo on May 26.

MATCH TIMES FINALIZED FOR FOUR SPORTING KC MATCHES

Match times were announced on Tuesday for Sporting Kansas City's three regular season games in Canada for 2013, as well a new start time for the club's July 3rd home match against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC as part of the TSN and RDS national broadcast schedule.

The following four matches will be played at the times listed:

Sat., March 9 at 12:30 p.m. CT vs. Toronto FC (Rogers Centre)

Wed., July 3 at 8 p.m. CT vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Sporting Park)*

Sat., July 27 at 6 p.m. CT vs. Montreal Impact (Stade Saputo)

Sat., Sept., 21 at 3 p.m. CT vs. Toronto FC (BMO Field)

*Originally scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT

TSN and RDS, the official national broadcasters of Major League Soccer in Canada, unveiled a broadcast schedule on Tuesday that includes three Sporting Kansas City matches. The club will now have 15 of their 34 regular season matches broadcast nationally in the United States or Canada.

Visit SportingKC.com/schedule for the team's full 2013 match schedule.

NINE U18 ACADEMY PLAYERS COMMIT TO COLLEGES

Nine players from the Sporting Kansas City Under-18 Academy team committed to colleges across the country on Wednesday in conjunction with national signing day. These nine players will be continuing their soccer careers at the following schools:

NCAA Division I

Joe Amico - University of Central Florida (Conference USA)

Matt Bernard - Drake University (Missouri Valley)

Darby Cronin - University of Missouri - Kansas City (Summit League)

Seo-In Kim - Duke University (Atlantic Coast Conference)

Adam Lightner - Northern Illinois University (Mid-American Conference)

Wes White - University of Missouri - Kansas City (Summit League)

NCAA Division II

Paul Dean - Rockhurst University (Great Lakes Valley Conference)

National Junior College Athletic Association

Rene Rodriguez - Dodge City Community College (Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference)

Christian Verduzco - Dodge City Community College (Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference)

SPORTING KC ACADEMY DEFENDER REPRESENTS U.S. U-17 MNT

Sporting Kansas City Academy defender Erik Palmer-Brown was one of eight defenders named to the 21-player travel roster last week for the U.S. U-17 Men's National Team's training camp at U.S. Soccer's National Training Center at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

The United States U-17's played two matches during the camp, facing the LA Galaxy on Friday and Nike's The Chance Team, featuring players from around the world, on Monday. Palmer-Brown appeared in both matches.

Palmer-Brown was one of three players at the training camp roster who is new to the Residency Program in the Spring Semester. Last September, Palmer-Brown was at U.S. Soccer's National Training Center as a member of the United States U-15 National Team for a training camp under head coach Tony Lepore.

The U.S. U-17 MNT is preparing for the 2013 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, which takes place April 6-19 in Panama.

SPORTING KC DEFEATS PORTLAND TIMBERS 1-0 IN PRE-SEASON

Sporting Kansas City concluded their preseason trip in Arizona on Friday with a 1-0 victory over the Portland Timbers at the Kino Sports Complex.

Guest trialist Jerome Mechack scored the lone goal of the match to improve Sporting KC's record to 1-0-2 in the preseason. Sporting KC had a 1-1 result against FC Tucson on Tuesday and scoreless draw against the New England Revolution last Friday. The match was the first appearance for new Designated Player Claudio Bieler, who started and played 30 minutes.

SPORTING KC TO HOST OPEN TRYOUTS JUNE 15-16

Sporting Kansas City will hold open tryouts for prospective players on Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16 at the team's Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park, the club announced on Friday. The tryouts are open to players who are 18 years of age and older, and are among the first 200 registrants.

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

Interested individuals can register for the 2013 open tryouts at SportingKC.com. Players must pay the $208 tryout fee for the opportunity to participate and also must be able to provide their own transportation, lodging and food for the weekend.

GREG MADAY HONORED BY INGRAM'S MAGAZINE

Greg Maday, one of five members of the Sporting Club ownership group, was recently honored by Ingram's magazine on their annual list of "50 Kansans You Should Know." Launched in 2011, the distinction recognizes "high achievers, critical thinkers and visionaries who understand and embrace values they consider typically Kansan - hard work, self-reliance, entrepreneurship, friendliness and an unmatched sense of honesty, integrity, care and compassion."

Maday, chairman and chief executive officer of SpecChem, LLC., is featured in the January issue of Ingram's, alongside the likes of Jordy Nelson (Green Bay Packers wide receiver), Clifton Pemble (Garmin) and other Kansas executives. The Mission Hills resident and University of Missouri alum was also featured in the Fall 2012 Mizzou Business Brief newsletter.

MLS, SPORTING INNOVATIONS IN NEW REALITY TV SHOW

MLS is the featured company in the fourth episode of THE JOB, airing on March 1 from 7-8 p.m. CT on the CBS Television Network, and Sporting Innovations will be one of the three guest companies for the episode, along with Modell's Sporting Goods and FC Harlem. Representatives from the guest companies will have the opportunity to make an on-the-spot offer to one of the candidates, who must decide if they will accept the offer or remain in the running for the episode's dream job.

For this episode, the five candidates will be vying for an associate producer position at MLSSoccer.com and will participate in several rounds of elimination challenges before a panel of MLS executives that will include Kathy Carter (President of Soccer United Marketing), Howard Handler (Chief Marketing Officer), Nelson Rodriguez (Executive Vice President of Competition, Technical and Game Operations) and Greg Lalas (MLSSoccer.com Editor-in-Chief).

Hosted by Emmy Award nominee Lisa Ling, THE JOB is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Embassy Row. Emmy Award winners Michael Davies, Mark Burnett and Jay Bienstock are executive producers. For more information, visit www.cbs.com/thejob and follow them on Twitter at @TheJobCBS.

SPORTING KC ENTERS INTO AFFILIATION WITH ORLANDO CITY SC

Sporting Kansas City (Major League Soccer) and Orlando City (USL PRO) have entered into a two-year partnership, with the Lions becoming the official USL PRO affiliate of Sporting KC. The landmark agreement made by the two clubs kicks off an important stepping stone in the U.S. Soccer pyramid, with MLS reserve players to be integrated into USL PRO play beginning in 2013.

Starting with an announcement via the two leagues, MLS teams now have the chance to partner with USL PRO clubs. As an official affiliate, Orlando City will retain a minimum of four Sporting KC players for development throughout the USL PRO regular season. Those players would then get playing time, in preparation to be called up by their MLS club. The four reserve players Sporting will send to Orlando for the 2013 season have not yet been announced.

In addition to providing loan opportunities for select Sporting Kansas City reserve players, the technical staffs from both teams will pursue several strategic initiatives such as joint coaching seminars, business endeavors, scouting mechanisms and access to facilities. These efforts would strive to be mutually beneficial for both clubs and serve to build upon the foundation that has been established.

VERMES ON BALLOT FOR VETERAN U.S. SOCCER HALL OF FAME

Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes is among 15 nominees on the National Soccer Hall of Fame Veteran Ballot. Also appearing as Class of 2013 candidates are former Kansas City players Chris Henderson and Roy Lassiter (final year of eligibility) on the Player ballot, as well as Mike Burns and Mike Sorber on the Veteran ballot.

Vermes represented the United States in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, and was named 1988 Chevrolet U.S. Male Soccer Athlete of the Year for his efforts. He also starred for the bronze-medal winning U.S. team at the World Five-a-Side Tournament in Holland in 1989, where he was the tournament's leading scorer with six goals.

He was next an integral part of a young U.S. team that qualified for their first World Cup in 40 years and appeared in every U.S. match at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, where he nearly scored a sensational goal against the host Azzurri. Over the course of eight years with the U.S. Men's National Team, Vermes earned 66 appearances with 11 goals and three assists.

Following his retirement at the end of the 2002 season, Vermes now enters his seventh season as Sporting Kansas City's technical director and fifth season as manager in 2013. He has been a finalist for MLS Coach of the Year each of the last two seasons after leading Sporting KC to back-to-back first place finishes in the Eastern Conference.

PRE-SALE NOW OPEN FOR SPORTING KC'S 2013 HOME UNIFORMS

Sporting Kansas City's new 2013 home uniform will launch on Feb. 26. Prior to the official launch, fans may access a special pre-sale for 2013 authentic home jerseys at shop.sportingkc.com and be among the first to order the team's newest gear.

The officially licensed MLS product is manufactured by Adidas and can be customized with your favorite personal or player name and number.

SPORTING PARK TO HOST 2013 MLS ALL-STAR GAME, VERMES NAMED COACH

Kansas City will be the host city for the 2013 MLS All-Star Game . The annual showcase event will feature three days of festivities, culminating in a match between the League's top players and a renowned international club on Wednesday, July 31 at Sporting Park, home of Sporting Kansas City.

The 2013 MLS All-Star Game will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. CT on the ESPN, Univision, TSN and RDS family of networks. Exact networks will be announced at a later date. Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes, a finalist for MLS Coach of the Year each of the last two seasons, will coach the 2013 MLS All-Stars.

The 2013 All-Star Game will mark the 10th time that an elite international club has played the MLS All-Stars, who are 6-2-1 in those matches. In addition to honoring the best players in MLS, the game has featured successful, world-famous clubs such as Manchester United (2010 & 2011), Everton FC (2009), Chelsea FC (2006 & 2012), and Chivas de Guadalajara (2003). The opponent for this year's game will be announced at a later date.

ALL-STAR GAME TICKETS ON SALE TO GENERAL PUBLIC ON FRIDAY

Tickets for the 2013 MLS All-Star Game at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. will go on sale to the general public for the first time on Friday. The 2013 MLS All-Star Game will be played on July 31 at 8 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on the ESPN and Univision family of networks, TSN and RDS.

Fans will have access to multiple seating categories, with prices ranging from $50-$160. More than 9,000 tickets have already been purchased through a presale exclusively offered to Sporting Kansas City season ticket holders.

The 2013 All-Star Game will mark the tenth time that an elite international club has played the MLS All-Stars, who are 6-2-1 in those matches. In addition to honoring the best players in MLS, the game has featured successful, world-famous clubs such as Manchester United (2010 & 2011), Everton FC (2009), Chelsea FC (2006 & 2012), and Chivas de Guadalajara (2003). The opponent for this year's game will be announced at a later date.

PARTIAL SEASON TICKET PACKAGES ON SALE NOW

Sporting Kansas City partial season tickets (10-game packs) plans are now available for the 2013 season at Sporting Park. Fans may choose between two options, each of which feature eight MLS regular season home games and both CONCACAF Champions League group stage matches.

More information can be found on our 2013 Partial Season Ticket Plans page or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.

PRE-ACADEMY SPRING BREAK CAMP REGISTRATION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

The 2013 Pre-Academy Spring Break Camp is open to all boys (8-16yrs old) who are looking to play for the Sporting KC Academy program in the future. All players will have the opportunity to be trained by and be evaluated by Sporting KC Academy coaching staff members. This camp is offered to the committed player who wants to be part of U.S. Soccer's Development Academy as well as the Sporting KC Academy. The training sessions will be challenging, fun and will allow players to improve technically, tactically, physically, and psychologically.

When: March 18th-20th (Monday-Wednesday) Who: Boys Ages 8-16yrs old Schedule: 9am-10:30am: 14-16 years old 11am-12:30pm: 11-13 years old 1:30pm-3:00pm: 8-10 years old Where: Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park Cost: $125 (Includes adidas Sporting KC shirt)

2013 DISNEY PRO SOCCER CLASSIC SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

The schedule has been announced for the 2013 Disney Pro Soccer Classic. The six Major League Soccer (MLS) teams participating in Central Florida Soccer Spring Training, as well as Orlando City Soccer Club (USL) and the Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL), will compete in two weeks of group play, with Group A consisting of Orlando City, Philadelphia Union, Toronto Football Club and Columbus Crew. Teams in Group B will include the Tampa Bay Rowdies, D.C. United, Montreal Impact and Sporting Kansas City. All games will be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World.

Travel packages are available that include lodging, Disney Pro Soccer Classic game tickets, attraction tickets and exclusive VIP experiences. Additionally, Soccer Spring Training will include a number of events aimed at increasing excitement for soccer in Central Florida, including a College Combine, International Trials and amateur soccer tournaments.

For more information about Central Florida Soccer Spring Training and to book a travel package, please visit www.soccerspringtraining.com or call the official travel provider, GET Travel, at 888-877-4445, option 3.

FOLLOW SPORTING KC ONLINE

Sporting Kansas City fans looking to keep up with the club on the worldwide web now have a place to go. The new social media page on SportingKC.com features Twitter account information for the club, its players as well as many staff members. Additionally, fans may take advantage of the Media Recap page for all the latest independent news coverage available online.

Additional news and notes leading up to the team's opening MLS match on March 2 can be found at sportingkc.com/preseason and sportingkc.com/tracker.

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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.

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