Sporting Kansas City Weekly Update
Published on February 24, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
SPORTING KANSAS CITY SIGNS KEVIN ELLIS AS HOME GROWN PLAYER:
Sporting Kansas City signed 19-year-old defender Kevin Ellis as the second Home Grown Player in club history last week. Ellis was brought through the Sporting Kansas City Juniors academy for the last four years, highlighted by his participation with the Under-17 team in the inaugural SUM Cup in 2007 and most recently in the Kansas State Cup and Region II Regionals with the Under-19 team last year.
The Kansas City, Missouri native also starred at Oak Park High School before he attended Barton County Community College, where he led the school to back-to-back Region VI championships and NJCAA National Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2010. In two years, he recorded 34 goals and 80 points, an all-time school record for points by a single player.
Ellis was invited to Sporting Kansas City's invitation-only combine in January at the Kansas City Chiefs Indoor Practice Facility, along with fellow Juniors product Konner Knoll. Ellis' strong performance at the three-day combine earned him a spot on the team's pre-season roster in Phoenix, Arizona, where he trained with the first team prior to being offered a professional contract.
Ellis joins Sporting goalkeeper Jon Kempin as the second Home Grown Player on Kansas City's 2011 roster.
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 last week . 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 will continue through March 11th.
MIDFIELDER JACK JEWSBURY INDUCTED INTO SLU BILLIKENS HALL OF FAME:
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Jack Jewsbury was inducted into the Saint Louis University Billikens Hall of Fame last Friday at the Busch Student Center on SLU's campus. One of 11 new members, Jewsbury was inducted as a Billiken Great for his accomplishments during his four-year college career from 1999-2002.
Prior to being drafted 43rd overall in the 2003 SuperDraft by Kansas City, Jewsbury was a two-time All-American and the 2000 Conference USA Player of the Year. He compiled 38 goals and 25 assists at SLU as he helped the Billikens reach the NCAA Tournament in each of his four years. Jewsbury was previously named to the Billikens Men's Soccer All-Half Century Team in 2009, joining a distinguished list of MLS and U.S. National Team veterans.
TEAM RETURNS TO ARIZONA FOR SECOND LEG OF PRE-SEASON:
After five days home in Kansas City, Sporting returned to Arizona on Monday for the second leg of the team's pre-season preparations in Phoenix at the Reach 11 Sports Complex. The team is training at Reach 11 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.
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 Grande 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 .
The team will return from Arizona into Kansas City on Thursday, March 10th ahead of their season opener on Saturday, March 19th at Chivas USA in Carson, California.
See below for the 2011 pre-season schedule, subject to change, and the current list of players in camp:
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)
Wednesday, March 9th TBA TBA Phoenix, AZ (Reach 11)
Thursday, March 10th TBA TBA Phoenix, AZ (Reach 11)
Current pre-season roster of players in camp: Korede Aiyegbusi, Davy Arnaud, Stephane Auvray, Matt Besler, Travis Bowen, Omar Bravo, Julio Cesar, Omar Colley, Daneil Cyrus, Birahim Diop, Adda Djeziri, Kevin Ellis, Roger Espinoza, Michael Harrington, Jack Jewsbury, Mike Jones, Kei Kamara, Jon Kempin, Eric Kronberg, Scott Lorenz, Michal Mravec, Chance Myers, Jimmy Nielsen, Craig Rocastle, C.J. Sapong, Luke Sassano, Milos Stojcev, Shavar Thomas, Graham Zusi
*Teal Bunbury, Ryan Smith and Konrad Warzycha are injured and not currently with the team in Arizona
SPORTING KANSAS CITY PRE-SEASON INJURY UPDATE: Three Sporting Kansas City players are not with the team in Phoenix, Arizona due to pre-season injuries. Midfielder Konrad Warzycha, forward Teal Bunbury and forward Ryan Smith are all out of action, as of Thursday.
Warzycha, taken in the third round of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, was diagnosed with a femoral condyle defect in his right knee last week and will be out 6-8 months. He underwent surgery in Columbus on Thursday and will be placed on injured reserve. Warzycha starred at Ohio State University and led the Buckeyes with eight goals during his senior season in 2010. Warzycha, 22, is the son of Columbus Crew Manager Robert Warzycha.
Bunbury, who suffered a dislocated elbow in Kansas City's pre-season match against the Houston Dynamo last week, remained in Kansas City to continue rehabilitation. Though initial tests revealed no broken bones and no nerve damage was sustained, Bunbury's latest evaluation set the timetable at four to six weeks for his return. Sporting Kansas City trainer Chet North indicated he could join the team in Arizona at a later point.
Kansas City is also without creative playmaker Ryan Smith as he recovers from a knee injury ahead of the 2011 season. Smith, who appeared in 26 matches last year and led Kansas City with seven assists, is listed as day-to-day while rehabbing at Providence Medical Center and the team's Swope Park Training Center until cleared by the team's physician and medical staff.
2011 MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED:
Sporting Kansas City announced their 34-game regular season schedule earlier this month 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 11 Sporting Kansas City regular season MLS games to be broadcast nationally in 2011. Eight of the 11 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 four Sporting games on the ESPN and FOX Soccer networks, all other 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 prior to 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 . Further, Sporting Kansas Recently launched two sources for Spanish-language content: ElSportingKC on Twitter and El Sporting KC on Facebook .
Video Coverage of Sporting Kansas City 2011 Pre-Season
* 10 Quick Questions with Jack Jewsbury
* 10 Quick Questions with Korede Aiyegbusi
* Sporting KC Signs Kevin Ellis
* Sporting KC Photo Shoot
* 10 Quick Questions with Teal Bunbury
* 10 Quick Questions with Luke Sassano
* Fitness Testing at Athletes Performance
* Soccer Tennis Tournament
* Sporting KC Draws with Columbus
* Sporting KC vs. Columbus Highlights
* Update from Arizona
* Pre-Season Camp Begins in Phoenix
* Sporting KC Arrives in Arizona
* Bravo Platica Sobre su Primera Semana
* First Week Reaction
* Shaping Up for Arizona
* Beep Test 2011
* Kicking Off 2011
* Looking Ahead to 2011
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(tm) on June 14, 2011. Kansas City was one of 11 U.S. cities chosen to host games during the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup(tm) 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(tm) 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.
U16 JUNIORS WIN U.S. NATIONAL FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIP:
The Sporting Kansas City U16 Juniors won the High School Boys division of the Super F Champions Cup, a national futsal tournament held in Overland Park this past weekend. The U16 Juniors were split into two teams for the tournament and both squads met in the semifinals, as the U16 USA team advanced to the finals and defeated Cleveland's Central Falls Warriors 7-1.
The U13 and U15 Juniors also participated in the tournament, which had over 90 teams from across the country competing. Both U13s teams also faced each other in the semifinals of the U14 division, with U13 Italy moving on to the final, where they lost on penalty kicks to FC Black Nights from Boston. The U15s also played up one year in the U16 age division and neither team qualified for the playoffs.
For more on the Juniors and their performance at the tournament, visit The Junior Way, the official blog of the Sporting Kansas City Juniors.
U16 AND U18 JUNIORS TRAVEL TO DALLAS FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTION: The Sporting Kansas City U16 and U18 Juniors will be in Dallas, Texas this weekend for a series of friendlies hosted by the FC Dallas Academy. The U16s will face two youth teams from Mexico, going up against Tigres at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday on Field 6 at Pizza Hut Park. One day later, Head Coach Jon Parry's team will play Santos at 10 a.m. CT on Sunday on Field 7 at Pizza Hut Park.
The U18 Juniors, led by Head Coach Paul Rideout, will also play a Mexican youth team as they take on Monterrey at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday on Field 6 at Pizza Hut Park. The U18s will then play the tournament's final game on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT against the Houston Dynamo academy team on Field 7 at Pizza Hut Park.
The FC Dallas and Colorado Rapids academy teams will also compete in the tournament.
U13 AND U15 JUNIORS TO PLAY FRIENDLIES IN CHICAGO:
The Sporting Kansas City U13 and U15 Juniors will also be in action this weekend as both teams travel to Chicago to play against the Chicago Magic Pre-Academy clubs. Both teams will play three games apiece over the two-day tournament against one of the top clubs in the Midwest. The Magic U13 squad is currently ranked the No. 1 team in Illinois while the Magic U15s won the 2010 Super Y-League North American Finals last November.
On Saturday, the U15 Juniors will play Magic 14 PA I at 12:30 p.m. CT, while the U13 Juniors will play Magic 13 PA I at 1:40 p.m. CT. Both games will be played Ralph Korte Stadium on the campus of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Later on Saturday, the U15 Juniors will play Magic 15 PA at 5:00 p.m. CT and the U13 Juniors will take on Magic 13 PA II at 6:10 p.m. CT. Both of those games will be played O'Fallon Township High School.
On Sunday, both teams will conclude the weekend with games at Ralph Korte Stadium. The U13 Juniors will play Magic 14 PA II at 8:00 a.m. CT and the U15 Juniors will play St. Louis Scott Gallagher 15 PA II at 9:10 a.m. CT.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY TO HOLD FOUR YOUTH CAMPS IN 2011:
Sporting Kansas City and the Sporting Kansas City Juniors will hold four youth camps in 2011 for boys and girls of all ages. Interested players and parents are encouraged to visit SportingKC.com/camps for additional information and to sign-up using the online registration forms.
The first camp of the 2011 calendar year will be the Juniors' 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.
Other camps available in 2011, include:
* Invitation-Only Training Program
* Pre-Tryout Camp
* 2011 Fantasy Camp
For more information on all youth camps and Juniors programs, please contact Betsy Pollard at 913-387-3883.
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.
Please note: Sporting Kansas City is the new identity of Kansas City's Major League Soccer club, transforming the former Kansas City Wizards brand to reflect the long-term goals and innovative vision of the local Sporting Club ownership for providing premier professional sports experiences for its members in the Midwest. Sporting Kansas City is accepting initial payments for season tickets for the 2011 season, highlighted by the debut of former Chivas Guadalajara star and Mexico international Omar Bravo, the second season of U.S. Men's National Team forward Teal Bunbury and the opening of Kansas City's state-of-the-art soccer stadium on June 9th. Visit www.SportingKC.com or call 888-4KC-GOAL to make an initial payment to reserve seats.
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