MLS Sporting Kansas City

Sporting KC Opens 20th MLS Season at Home on Sunday against NYRB

March 6, 2015 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Sporting Kansas City opens their 20th season in Major League Soccer at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday at Sporting Park against the New York Red Bulls. The rematch of the 2014 Eastern Conference Knockout Round will be nationally televised on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes with radio coverage available locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Gran D 1340 AM.

A limited number of tickets are available and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or at the Sporting Park box offices on gameday. Free parking is available for all Sporting KC home matches and shuttles will transport fans from the general parking lots at Kansas Speedway and the Season Ticket Member lots at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

The New York Red Bulls eliminated Sporting Kansas City from playoff contention in 2014, defeating Peter Vermes' side 2-1 at Red Bull Arena. Sporting KC's Dom Dwyer scored 22 goals for Sporting KC during the MLS regular season, including Sporting KC's lone postseason goal against New York. Twenty-two goals ranked Dwyer second in MLS for goals scored last season behind only New York's Bradley Wright-Phillips. The Englishman finished the regular season with 27 goals and scored both of New York's goals in their postseason victory against Sporting Kansas City.

Sporting KC added 13 players during the offseason, highlighted by the return of midfielder Roger Espinoza. The Honduran international is a two-time World Cup veteran and was an MLS All-Star in 2012 when he played a key role in Sporting KC's U.S. Open Cup triumph before moving to Wigan Athletic (England) for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Sunday will mark the first match for Jesse Marsch at the helm of the New York Red Bulls after replacing Mike Petke -- the most successful coach in Red Bulls history -- earlier this year. Sunday's match will also feature Sacha Kljestan's return to MLS. The 29-year-old U.S. international began his professional career with Chivas USA, where he was teammates with Marsch, before spending four years with Anderlecht of the Belgian Pro League.

Sporting Kansas City, which will debut the team's new primary kits on Sunday, is 12-5-2 in regular season openers and 12-2-5 in home openers. The 12 season opening wins are most in MLS. Sporting KC is undefeated in four home openers all-time at Sporting Park, conceding just one goal in those games.

The first 10,000 fans to arrive at the gates on Sunday will receive a Sporting KC schedule magnet, courtesy of Dairy Farmers of America. Parking lots open at 3 p.m. CT and the gates will be open at 4 p.m. CT, with activities in the Sprint Plaza highlighted by an autograph signing featuring players from FC Kansas City and photo opportunities with the NWSL championship trophy (5-5:45 p.m. CT).

In-game updates will be available at SportingKC.com/GameOn and by following @SKCGameday on Twitter.

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Major League Soccer Stories from March 6, 2015


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