Gadi Kinda to Join Israel National Team
August 27, 2021 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Gadi Kinda has been named to the Israel Men's National Team for three upcoming matches in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying.
Kinda and Israel are scheduled to visit Faroe Islands on Sept. 1, host Austria on Sept. 4 and travel to Denmark on Sept. 7 in UEFA Group F of World Cup qualifying. The 27-year-old midfielder will depart for Europe following Sporting Kansas City's home match against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday at Children's Mercy Park (tickets).
Israel MNT World Cup Qualifying Schedule
Wednesday, Sept. 1 at Faroe Islands | 1:45 p.m. CT | Torshavn, Faroe Islands
Saturday, Sept. 4 vs. Austria | 1:45 p.m. CT | Haifa, Israel
Tuesday, Sept. 7 at Denmark | 1:45 p.m. CT | Copenhagen, Denmark
Kinda will return to the Israel squad after making his senior national team debut on June 5, coming off the bench to score a stunning long-range goal in a 3-1 friendly win at Montenegro. He earned his first Israel start four days later in a 4-0 friendly loss at European powerhouse Portugal. He previously represented his country at the U-18, U-19 and U-21 youth levels from 2011-2016.
Led by head coach Willibald Ruttensteiner, Israel currently occupies third place in Group F behind leaders Denmark and second-place Scotland. Seven group stage matches remain between now and mid-November, with the first-place finisher qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the second-place team advancing to a World Cup playoff contested by other second-place finishers in UEFA in March 2022. Israel are seeking their second-ever World Cup appearance after competing in the tournament for the first time in 1970.
Kinda has recorded 10 goals and seven assists in 37 appearances for Sporting since joining the club ahead of the 2020 campaign. He has started 14 of 16 MLS matches this season, tallying four goals and three assists for a Sporting Kansas City side that sits in second place in the Western Conference with an 11-4-6 record. Sporting are a perfect 7-0-0 when Kinda scores or assists this year.
Kinda had six goals and four assists during his debut MLS campaign in 2020, landing club Newcomer of the Year honors. He placed sixth among MLS newcomers last year with 10 combined goals and assists while also creating 26 scoring chances, second-most on the team.
Born in Ethiopia and raised in Israel, Kinda spent the first nine seasons of his professional career competing in Israel's top two divisions, including an eight-year spell at hometown club Ashdod. He joined Sporting in January 2020 from Israeli Premier League side Beitar Jerusalem.
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