MLS Sporting Kansas City

Sporting KC Opens 2014 MLS Campaign at Seattle

March 7, 2014 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Sporting Kansas City and the Seattle Sounders FC meet at CenturyLink Field on Saturday in Major League Soccer's first match of the 2014 regular season. The NBC Sports Network will broadcast the game nationally beginning at 2 p.m. CT to kick off the 19th season of MLS. Fans can listen to the match in Spanish on La Gran D 1340 AM.

Johnny's Tavern in the Power and Light District (1310 Grand Boulevard, Kansas City, MO) will host the club's official Watch Party on Saturday, after the two locally based companies formalized a partnership for the 2014 season early last week. The watch party will feature an appearance by a Sporting KC player, as well as food and drink specials including select Boulevard drafts as well as the "Blue Believer" signature cocktail (Dragon Berry, Lemon-Lime Red Bull and Blue Curacao).

The teams last met 10 months ago when Seattle narrowly escaped Sporting Park with a 1-0 victory courtesy of a 94th-minute goal from Djimi Traore. Stoppage time goals have been the trend for Seattle against Sporting KC, scoring six goals after the 86-minute mark in the last seven meetings between the clubs. Of those seven contests, Sporting KC defeated the Seattle Sounders in a penalty kick shootout in the one match where a trophy was on the line to hoist the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The reigning MLS Champions return 10 of eleven starters from MLS Cup, adding three players to their senior roster in winger Sal Zizzo, goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum and MLS SuperDraft selection Alex Martinez. Sporting KC's 2013 team captain Jimmy Nielsen retired two days after leading Sporting KC to the MLS Cup title and forward Teal Bunbury was traded to the New England Revolution in February.

The Seattle Sounders FC have been extremely active in recent months, highlighted by the acquisitions of Kenny Cooper, Chad Marshall and Marco Pappa. All three players bring experience to an already veteran heavy roster with Pappa joining the likes of Brad Evans and Clint Dempsey in Seattle's midfield. Dempsey returns from international duty in Cyprus with the United States Men's National Team after suffering a 2-0 loss to Ukraine on Wednesday, and is expected to be available for Saturday's match.

Sporting KC and the Seattle Sounders are both coming off successful preseasons. Sporting KC concluded the season's preparation with a 8-1-1 record and finished as runners-up in the Disney Pro Soccer Classic. Seattle wrapped up the preseason undefeated with a 6-0-3 record, earning a 2-2 draw against D.C. United in their last outing.

Both team's recently named a new captain in advance of the 2014 season. Evans will leader the Sounders in 2014, while U.S. MNT teammate Matt Besler was announced as Sporting KC's captain on Tuesday.

Sporting Kansas City boasts an MLS-best 12-4-2 all-time record in season openers and has suffered just one loss to start the season in the last 12 years. The Sounders are 3-2-0 all-time in season openers since joining the League in 2009.

Sporting Kansas City supporters can follow the match online via @SKCGameday on Twitter and SportingKC.com/GameOn or on mobile devices with the Sporting Club Uphoria app.

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Major League Soccer Stories from March 7, 2014


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