Sporting Kansas City Weekly Update
Published on August 9, 2012 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
SPORTING KC CROWNED U.S. OPEN CUP CHAMPIONS
Sporting Kansas City are champions of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for the second time in club history, prevailing 3-2 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in regulation against the Seattle Sounders in the 2012 tournament final on Wednesday in front of a sold-out crowd at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
After a scoreless first half, Sporting Kansas City forward Kei Kamara scored the game's opening goal in the 84th minute from the penalty spot after a Zach Scott handball inside the penalty area. Seattle responded two minutes later with a header from Scott off a Mauro Rosales free kick. Both 15-minute extra time periods ended scoreless, leaving kicks from the spot to decide the 99th annual edition of the U.S. Open Cup.
Sporting Kansas City will have the team's named engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy, the oldest trophy in United States team sports, and earn a berth in the 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League for the opportunity to compete against the best club teams in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
FIRST PLACE SPORTING KC HOSTS D.C. UNITED ON SATURDAY
Sporting Kansas City will host Eastern Conference foe D.C. United at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Tickets for the match are available at Ticketmaster.com or at the LSP Box Offices. The first 5,000 fans will receive a complimentary Pepsi Cooler courtesy of Saturday's match sponsor, Pepsi.
Sporting Kansas City are currently in first place in the Eastern Conference, tied atop the table with the Houston Dynamo and four points ahead of D.C. United. The two teams previously played in the 2012 regular season opener, with Sporting KC earning a 1-0 victory at RFK Stadium on C.J. Sapong's goal in second-half stoppage time.
Saturday's game will air live on KSMO-TV, with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. CT with co-hosts Jake Yadrich and Callum Williams. La Gran D 1340 AM will also broadcast the match live for Spanish listeners.
ROGER ESPINOZA RETURNS FROM LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza has returned from the London 2012 Olympic Games where he was one of three over-age players on the Honduras under-23 Olympic team. Honduras first tied Morocco 2-2 on July 26 in the Group D opener. Espinoza started and played the full 90 minutes in the first Olympic appearance of his career.
Three days later, Honduras upset Spain 1-0, with Espinoza serving in the game-winning assist to lift Honduras to the 1-0 victory. On Saturday, Honduras fell 3-2 to tournament favorites Brazil in the quarterfinals. Espinoza had one assist and a goal, and received a standing ovation from the crowd. Espinoza has received international acclaim and praise for his performance in the match.
Espinoza, named a 2012 MLS All-Star, has represented Honduras at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and is one of four MLS players at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
SPORTING KC LAUNCHES 2013 SEASON TICKET RENEWAL CAMPAIGN
Sporting Kansas City has begun the club's 2013 season ticket renewal campaign for current Sporting Kansas City Season Ticket Members to secure their seats at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park next season.
The "Love and Sporting" themed renewal campaign gives current Sporting Kansas City Season Ticket Members the first chance to secure 2013 season tickets by contacting their Client Service Representative. Additionally, Sporting Kansas City is offering renewal incentives for Season Ticket Members who pay in full and/or renew during the First Chance Campaign.
Beginning with the 2013 season, all Season Ticket Members will receive a 5% discount on team merchandise by presenting their Season Ticket Membership Card at any Sporting Style store during a Sporting KC home match. Additionally, the 2013 Sporting Kansas City Referral Program will reward Season Ticket Members whose friends and family members purchase new 2013 full season ticket seats.
SPORTING KC NOW ACCEPTING DEPOSITS FOR 2013 RESERVED SEATING
Beginning today, Sporting Kansas City supporters can place 2013 Season Ticket Deposits for all Reserved Seating at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park by calling 888-4KC-GOAL or visiting www.SportingKC.com.
SPORTING KC SIGNS MF ORIOL ROSELL FROM FC BARCELONA
Sporting Kansas City announced last week that the club signed midfielder Oriol Rosell to a multi-year agreement. The 20-year-old Spaniard joins the team as a discovery signing after spending six years at FC Barcelona, rising through the club's famed La Masia academy and most recently playing professionally for Barcelona B in Spain's second division.
Rosell will fulfill an international roster spot and has been added to the team's roster. Per club policy, additional terms of the agreement will not be disclosed.
He has regularly trained with the FC Barcelona first team at Camp Nou and traveled with the senior squad during their 2011 pre-season, coming off a UEFA Champions League triumph over Manchester United and 21st La Liga title. He featured in Barcelona's friendly against Croatian club Hajduk Split and was included on the 27-player roster for their United States tour alongside the likes of David Villa, Xavi and Andres Iniesta. He also appeared for the full team at the 2011 Audi Cup en route to Barcelona being crowned tournament champions with a victory over Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena.
Rosell would become one of eight players selected from within the academy to join Barcelona B in the Liga Adelante, Spain's second division. He made his professional debut in January, the first of six appearances under Manager Eusebio Sacristán, as he accrued 246 minutes played throughout the second half of the team's 2011-12 season.
TAKE PART IN BLUE MOON ARTFULLY CRAFTED ART CONTEST
Sporting Kansas City supporters may submit their best Sporting Kansas City-themed artistic rendering to the Blue Moon Artfully Crafted Art Contest for the chance to win two (2) Members' Stand season tickets for the 2013 season at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. This one-of-a-kind contest runs through August 20th -- download the entry form here and mail it in to enter.
*No purchase necessary. Open only to legal U.S. residents of KS and MO who are 21 or older. Contest begins on or about 12:00:00 PM CT on 07/23/12 and ends at 11:59:59 PM CT on 08/20/12. Entries must be postmarked by 08/20/12 and received by 5:00 PM CT on 08/25/12 to be eligible.
TICKETS FOR USMNT WORLD CUP QUALIFIER AT LSP ON SALE
Tickets for the U.S. Men's National Team World Cup qualifier at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park are now on sale to the general public through ussoccer.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000, at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout the Kansas City area (including Hen House Markets) and the LIVESTRONG Sporting Park ticket office (open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.).
The MNT concludes the Semifinal Round of FIFA World Cup qualifying by facing Guatemala on October 16 at 6 p.m. CT. Media members wishing to cover the match may apply for credentials online at ussoccer.com . All applications must be submitted before Wednesday, October 3.
PRORATED 2012 SEASON TICKET PLANS AVAILABLE
Sporting Kansas City prorated season ticket plans are available for the remainder of the 2012 Major League Soccer season. The benefits include discounted rates, priority for purchasing playoff tickets, preferred parking and access to special events.
For ticket information, visit www.sportingkc.com or call 888-4KC-GOAL.
FOLLOW SPORTING KC ONLINE
Sporting Kansas City fans looking to keep up with the club on the worldwide web now have a place to go. The new social media page on SportingKC.com features Twitter account information for the club, its players as well as many staff members. Additionally, fans may take advantage of the Media Recap page for all the latest independent news coverage available online.
Major League Soccer Stories from August 9, 2012
- MLS Reschedules Columbus-Toronto Match to August 22 - Toronto FC
- Crew vs. Toronto Match Rescheduled for August 22 - Columbus Crew SC
- MLS Reschedules Columbus-Toronto Match to August 22 - MLS
- MLS Disciplinary Committee Suspends and Fines Montreal Impact Defender Nelson Rivas - MLS
- Dynamo Face New York Red Bulls on Friday Seeking Sixth Consecutive Win - Houston Dynamo FC
- Rapids Name Dave Dir New Assistant/Goalkeeper Coach - Colorado Rapids
- Three Red Bulls Called for International Duty - Red Bull New York
- Sporting Kansas City Weekly Update - Sporting Kansas City
- D.C. United Acquires Mike Chabala from the Portland Timbers - D.C. United
- Earthquakes D Victor Bernardez and M Marvin Chavez Named to Honduras National Team Roster - San Jose Earthquakes
- Four Dynamo Players Called up for International Friendlies - Houston Dynamo FC
- Timbers Acquire New Zealand International Ian Hogg, Trade Defender Mike Chabala to D.C. United - Portland Timbers
- Sounders FC Falls to Sporting KC in U.S. Open Cup Final - Seattle Sounders FC
- Sporting KC Crowned Champions of U.S. Open Cup - Sporting Kansas City
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.
