MLS NEXT Pro Sporting Kansas City II

Defender Kortne Ford Announces Retirement from Professional Soccer

Published on April 18, 2024 under MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Sporting Kansas City II News Release


Sporting Kansas City II defender Kortne Ford announced today his retirement from professional soccer.

Ford, a native of Olathe, Kansas has spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons in Major League Soccer with Sporting Kansas City, where he scored one goal and made 16 appearances in all competitions. Ford signed an MLS contract with Sporting in early 2022 and started nine of 14 MLS appearances during his debut season with the club. He also logged two starts in Sporting's run to the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals, scoring his first goal for the club in a 6-0 quarterfinal victory over Union Omaha at Children's Mercy Park. Ford missed all of 2023 after suffering an Achilles injury during preseason.

In three standout seasons at the University of Denver, Ford was a two-time All-Summit League First Team selection and a Top Drawer Soccer Second Team All-America honoree in 2016. He started in all 62 college appearances, notching five goals and three assists, and led the Pioneers to their first NCAA Men's College Cup appearance as a junior in 2016.

Ford signed for the Rapids in 2017 and delivered a strong rookie campaign, starting 19 of 20 MLS appearances. He earned his MLS debut in a road loss to Sporting Kansas City on April 9 at Children's Mercy Park. Later that summer, Ford was named MVP of the 2017 MLS Homegrown Game by heading home a late equalizer in a 2-2 draw against the Chivas de Guadalajara U-20s at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois.

Ford played every minute in Colorado's 2018 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League campaign and started in 14 of the team's final 18 games during the 2018 MLS regular season. After missing the next two seasons through injury, Ford returned to the field in 2021 and enjoyed an excellent loan spell at San Antonio FC, where he scored four goals in 13 USL Championship regular season appearances.

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