MLS Sporting Kansas City

Melia, Opara and Salloi Sign New Contracts

Published on February 27, 2018 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Sporting Kansas City announced Tuesday that the club has signed goalkeeper Tim Melia, defender Ike Opara and forward Daniel Salloi to new contracts.

Melia has signed a three-year deal through 2020, Opara has signed a two-year deal through 2019 with an option for 2020, and Salloi has signed a two-year deal with options for 2020 and 2021.

All three players enjoyed successful campaigns in 2017 as Sporting KC lifted the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and advanced to the MLS Cup Playoffs for a club-record seventh straight year. Melia and Opara were named the best MLS players at their respective positions last November, while Salloi scored six goals in his first full season with the club.

Melia, 31, received 2017 Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and MLS Best XI honors after a brilliant third season at Sporting KC. Among goalkeepers with at least 15 regular season appearances, he led MLS with a 0.78 goals against average, 78.4 save percentage, 69.2-percent passing accuracy and three penalty kick saves. He also started all five matches en route to Sporting KC's U.S. Open Cup title, posting a 0.72 goals against average with 13 clean sheets across all competitions.

A native of Great River, New York, Melia has played 94 games for Sporting KC since joining the side in 2015. The nine-year MLS veteran ranks third in MLS history with a 1.12 career goals against average among goalkeepers with at least 5,000 minutes played, while his 72.2 save percentage is sixth-best in MLS history among keepers with at least 200 saves.

Opara, 29, earned 2017 MLS Defender of the Year accolades in his fifth season with Sporting KC. The center back spearheaded a dominant defense that conceded just 29 goals throughout the regular season, eight fewer than any other team, and set MLS career-highs in starts (30) and minutes played (2,700) while scoring four goals in all competitions. In addition to being named the League's best defender, Opara landed MLS Best XI honors for the first time in his nine-year professional career.

Since joining Sporting KC ahead of the 2013 campaign, Opara has started 84 of 100 appearances in all competitions, tallying 12 goals and three assists. The Durham, North Carolina native debuted for the U.S. Men's National Team last month, playing 90 minutes as the Americans shut out Bosnia and Herzegovina in a friendly on Jan. 28.

Salloi, 21, finished last season with six goals in 27 matches. The forward scored three times in the MLS regular season and added three more goals in Sporting KC's run to the U.S. Open Cup title, including the game-winning strike in the final against the New York Red Bulls. On the international stage, Salloi featured twice for the Hungary U-21 Men's National Team in UEFA European U-21 Championship Qualifying last November, providing a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over Cyprus.

Raised in Budapest, Hungary, Salloi signed for Sporting KC as a Homegrown Player in January 2016 after two standout seasons with the Sporting KC Academy. He spent the 2016 campaign on loan with the Swope Park Rangers - where he tallied four goals and three assists - as well as Hungarian club Gyirmot SE.

Sporting Kansas City kicks off the 2018 MLS regular season on Sunday, hosting New York City FC in a nationally televised clash on FS1. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at Children's Mercy Park, and tickets are available via SeatGeek.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.

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