Sporting Kansas City Weekly Update
Published on November 3, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
SPORTING KC ADVANCES TO EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Sporting Kansas City will host the Eastern Conference Championship on Sunday at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park after advancing past the Colorado Rapids with a 2-0 victory last night in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The win elevated Sporting Kansas City to a 4-0 advantage in the two-game, aggregate goal series after topping the Rapids by the same scoreline on the road lastweekend.
Sporting Kansas City will continue their 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs run on Sunday at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park against the series winner between the Houston Dynamo and Philadelphia Union. The match time will be either 4:30 p.m. CT or 8:00 p.m. CT, pending the outcome of the tonight's semifinal matches.
Tickets for Sunday's conference championship, the first to be hosted by Sporting Kansas City since 2004, are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling 888-4KC-GOAL, visiting the LIVESTRONG Sporting Park Box Offices or online at Ticketmaster.
The match will be nationally televised and will also be broadcast locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Gran D 1340AM.
WHAT TO WATCH TONIGHT
Results from the two MLS Cup Playoff matches tonight will dictate Sporting Kansas City's opponent for the game this Sunday at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
Houston Dynamo vs. Philadelphia Union 7:30 p.m. CT ESPN2/ESPN Deportes: With the Dynamo leading by one goal in the two-leg aggregate series and home field advantage, the Union has their work cut out for them. Whichever team prevails will face Sporting Kansas City at home this Sunday.
LA Galaxy vs. New York Red Bulls 10 p.m. CT ESPN2/Deportes/ESPN3.com: Like Houston, the Galaxy lead by one goal in the two-leg aggregate series and will enjoy home field advantage tonight. LA and New York will both be playing without key players tonight following a post match altercation last Sunday between Juninho and Rafael Marquez. Both players were issued red cards.
HOME GROWN GOALKEEPER JON KEMPIN INVITED TO U.S. U-23 CAMP
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jon Kempin was named to the United States Under-23 National Team roster for the team's training camp in Duisburg, Germany from November 7-16, U.S. Soccer announced on Wednesday.
Kempin, 18, is one of two Major League Soccer Home Grown players on the United States roster and will be in his first training camp at the Under-23 level.
The Leawood, Kansas native most recently participated with the United States Under-18 Men's National Team in the Northern Ireland Milk Cup in July, earning a 2-1 win over Georgia for the team's third place finish, and at the Lisbon International Tournament held in Portugal in May. Prior to those two international tournaments, Kempin was invited to the Under-18 National Team training campheld in Portland in April.
The United States Under-23 Men's National Team will prepare for the qualification phase of the 2012 Olympic Games, with the top two teams from CONCACAF advancing to the tournament.
SPORTING KC TEAMS UP WITH DISNEY FOR PRESEASON
Sporting Kansas City will escape the cold of Kansas City from Feb. 24-March 3 to participate in the 2012 Disney Pro Soccer Classic at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort.
Sporting will face other MLS teams, including Toronto FC, and Orlando City, the reigning United Soccer League champion. The Disney Pro Soccer Classic field has beenexpanded from five teams a year ago to eight teams in 2012. The remaining teams will be announced in the coming weeks.
Mickey Mouse paid a visit to Kansas City, his birthplace, this week. Mickey made the rounds to local TV stations and trained with Sporting on Tuesday.
2012 MLS SUPERDRAFT TO BE HELD IN KANSAS CITY ON JANUARY 12
For the eighth consecutive year, the MLS SuperDraft will be held in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention, and willtake place on Thursday, January 12, at theKansas City Convention Center, in Kansas City, Mo. The first round of the SuperDraft will be broadcast live on ESPN2 beginning at 11:00 AM CT/12:00 noon ET.
This year, the MLS SuperDraft will include two rounds and 38 overall selections, with the Montreal Impact selecting first overall. The next eight selections are currently held by clubs that did not qualify for the 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs, in reverse order of regular season finish. The remaining 10 positions currently belong to clubs that were eliminated in the same round of the 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs, in reverse order of regular season finish.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY PLAYERS VISIT CHILDREN'S MERCY HOSPITAL
Sporting Kansas City players Graham Zusi, Matt Besler and Kei Kamara made a special trip to Children's Mercy Hospital last week to visit with kids throughout the hospital as part of the club's partnership with Toshiba.
Each of the players took time to sign autographs, hand out posters and have their photos taken with more than 25 youths currently being treated at the local hospital.
Kamara, the team's 2011 MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year,attended along with Besler, a 2011 MLS All-Star, and Zusi, the team's leader in assists. Together, the three have been heavily involved in volunteer efforts at Children's Mercy. Besler supported Just Like You Films in a event that donated DVDs and backpacks at the hospital and Zusi was one of four players to takepart in the head-shaving ceremony to benefit Bald is Beautiful last year (videos below).
BUNBURY, KAMARA AND ZUSI NOMINATED FOR GOAL OF THE YEAR, NIELSEN FOR SAVE OF THE YEAR
Sensational strikes from Teal Bunbury, Kei Kamara and Graham Zusi are all nominated for the 2011 AT&T Goal of the Year. Nielsen's sliding save that shut down Landon Donovan is nominated for the AT&T Save of the Year in Group A, while he also is nominated in Group C and Group D. Voting is now closed but the awards will be determined on Nov. 14 by a combination of online and text voting.
KANSAS CITY CAULDRON PLAYOFF RALLY HELD AT POWER AND LIGHT
The Kansas City Cauldron, Sporting Kansas City's largest supporters group, hosted a Sporting Kansas City Playoff Rally on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at the Power & Light courtyard in downtown Kansas City, Mo. Sports Radio 810 host Nate Bukaty hosted the rally while KCTV5 sports director Michael Coleman broadcasted his evening sportscast from the courtyard. Sporting Kansas City mingled with fans and later took the stage to pump up the crowd with speeches and chants. Check out pictures from the rally here.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY REPRESENTED IN POSTSEASON AWARDS RACE
With the regular season over and the playoffs underway, buzz is building around forward C.J. Sapong as the 2011 Rookie of the Year in MLS. Having scored a total of eight goals and provided five assists in League and U.S. Open Cup play in 2011, Sapong leads all rookies in points and is the only player on Sporting Kansas City's roster to feature in every regular season match this this year. Sapong scored his most recent goal and sixth of the season against the Colorado Rapids.
Chance Myers' performance this season has led some to mention the fourth-year defender as a bonafide candidate for Comeback Player of the Year. Myers, who struggled with injuries for much of his first three seasons in Kansas City, has shattered career bests in starts, appearances and minutes played in 2011.
Manager Peter Vermes is also receiving recognition in the race for 2011 Coach of the Year after successfully navigating Sporting Kansas City through a record-long road trip to start the season before leading the club to the Eastern Conference Final. Bob Gansler is the only other Kansas City manager to win the award, taking the honors in the 2000 title-winning season.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY LAUNCHES 2012 SEASON TICKET SALES
Sporting Kansas City is now accepting initial payments for new Season Ticket Members for the 2012season at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
Fans may reserve their seats to see all the exciting Major League Soccer action and other soccer events at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park next season by making an initial payment of $100 per seat. Those making an initial payment for season tickets in 2012 will also receive priority access for tickets to anyhome playoff matches at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in2011. Fans ages 21 and older now have the option to purchase season tickets in the Budweiser Corner at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, an all-inclusive terrace area which provides stadium-style food options and draft beer choices.
Another new seating package for 2012 is the Sporting Family Plan. Offered exclusively in the Providence Sporting Zone, the Sporting Family Plan gives fans the option to purchase two season tickets and receive two more for children ages 12 and under for free. Season tickets in the Providence Sporting Zone start at $380 for the entire 2012 season.
Seating priority for the 2012 season will be available to all current Sporting Kansas City season ticket members who renew their 2011 season tickets before the renewal deadline.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY MATCH GUIDE
When Sporting Kansas City takes the pitch, there are a number of ways to follow the action across a series of different mediums. Excluding nationally televised matches, every Sporting Kansas City match home and away is broadcast live by KSMO.
For those that can't be near a television at kickoff, Sporting Kansas City provides play-by-play coverage on Twitter and a link to the MLS MatchCenter is available on SportingKC.com.
To keep up-to-date on all independent coverage of Sporting Kansas City, visit www.sportingkc.com/media-recap.
Major League Soccer Stories from November 3, 2011
- Dynamo Eliminate Union with 1-0 Win - Houston Dynamo FC
- MLS Disciplinary Committee Suspends and Fines Marquez, Fines Cristman and Tainio - MLS
- Chivas USA Defender Zarek Valentin Receives Call Up - Club Deportivo Chivas USA
- Sporting Kansas City Weekly Update - Sporting Kansas City
- Three Timbers Players Called up for National Team Duty - Portland Timbers
- Dynamo Host Philadelphia Union Tonight with Spot in Conference Final on the Line - Houston Dynamo FC
- Chivas USA Forward Alejandro Moreno Called up by Venezuela - Club Deportivo Chivas USA
- Chicago Fire Soccer Club Names Frank Klopas Head Coach - Chicago Fire FC
- FC Dallas Midfielder Brek Shea Joins U.S. National Team for Upcoming European Friendlies - FC Dallas
- Bill Hamid Called-Up to U.S. Men's National Team - D.C. United
- Three Members of Toronto FC Called to Canadian National Team - Toronto FC
- Paul Ritchie Named Whitecaps FC Assistant Coach - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Dwayne De Rosario Called-Up to Canadian National Team - D.C. United
- Chris Wondolowski Crowned Castrol MLS Index Player of the Year - MLS
- D.C. United to Feature in 2012 Carolina Challenge - D.C. United
- Real Salt Lake Holds off Sounders Late to Advance - Real Salt Lake
- Late Rally Not Enough to Advance Sounders - Seattle Sounders FC
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.
