Category Archives: Sporting_Kansas_City
Donnelly: Sapong Stunner Earns Sporting 3 Points in Season Debut
In a moment reminiscent of Sporting KC’s first game of 2011, sturdy striker CJ Sapong again notched a crucial goal.
If you recall, in Sapong’s MLS debut last year he buried a goal just two minutes into the game, helping KC to a 3-2 win at Chivas USA.
This time, Sapong took a little more time to capitalize after he came on as a sub for the last fifteen minutes. But the result was the same – a road win to open the season at DC United. And this time, Sapong waited until the 93rd minute to do so…
Donnelly: Can Sporting Repeat Last Season’s Success with Essentially the Same Roster?
If you’re not gaining ground, you’re losing it, right?
Though expectations are sky-high for Sporting KC heading into the 2012 season, they’re basically the exact same squad as last year, maybe even a tad weaker.
Most MLS pundits rank Sporting as one of the favorites in the league heading into their first game March 10th at DC United. And it kinda makes sense on paper considering they won the East last year and return every starter from the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Houston Dynamo.
Plus the club has added a few veteran players – like Bobby Convey to replace Omar Bravo – and Paulo Nagamura to fill the middle where Davy Arnaud once roamed.
But is that enough?
Donnelly: Homegrown Sporting Star Matt Besler Speaks Out
Matt Besler never dreamed the ride he’d take aback the world’s most popular game without even leaving KC…
The Sporting Kansas City defender grew up here and played high school soccer at Blue Valley West where he still holds the record for goals and assists. For college, Matt attended Notre Dame, and was named an All-American and Academic All-American his senior season before being drafted in the first round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by what was then the Kansas City Wizards.
Besler’s first few MLS seasons were rollercoaster affairs.
Donnelly: A Quick Chat With Graham Zusi, Sporting KC’s Rising Star
Don’t know Graham Zusi yet?
Well, you will soon.
Sporting KC’s firestarter will soon be featured on a billboard in downtown KC, flowing locks and all. So maybe you’ll recognize the growing star next time you catch him out at the Crossroads taking in a show, or hiking around a local park.
What else?
Well, after barely playing his first two seasons in the league, he was named the MLS Breakout Player of the Year in 2011, leading Sporting Kansas City to the Eastern Conference finals with his heady midfield play.
Donnelly: Is Sporting KC (& The Cauldron) Becoming the Hottest Ticket in Town?
Do you ever wish that things could be the way they used to be?
I do, but I also know that can’t happen. Yes, I realize it’s just my own selfishness that makes me long for simpler times. But I was there, man!
I was there before there were crowds of 18,000 plus at Wizards and SKC games. Before the huge video boards. Before the snappy new colors and cutting edge stadium.
Those were simpler times.
You could sit anywhere for five to 10 bucks. The stands were so sparsely littered with fans you could heckle players with elaborate chants they were sure to hear.
Those days are gone, people.
With the home opener less than two months away, Sporting Kansas City is the hottest ticket in town…
Donnelly: A Quick Chat With Sporting KC Second Round Pick, Cyprian Hedrick
With the home opener less than two months away, Sporting KC is gearing up for the 2012 season…
Friday, the team endured the legendary "beep test," which is a running exercise used to measure the team’s overall fitness levels at the beginning of preseason.
It’s dreaded by SKC players, but is a necessary evil for coach Peter Vermes’ preferred style of play, which involves a lot of running and pressure all over the field. Word is that overall, the team showed up in even better shape than at this point last year, so that’s a good sign players are really buying into the system.
Prior to the "beep test" I had the chance to catch up with one of Sporting KC’s newest additions, defender Cyprian Hedrick (Sip-REE-an HE-drick), who was taken in the second round of the MLS SuperDraft out of Coastal Carolina. He was the 2011 Big South Defensive Player of the Year, and a decent sized, athletic player with the physical tools to play in the league right away if needed.
Most likely, though, he’ll come off the bench, at least at first, and provide some defensive depth on the squad.
Donnelly: Sporting KC’s First Round Pick Talks About Barbecue, Some Other Stuff
All eyes were on KC Thursday morning…
Major League Soccer held its annual draft at the KC Convention Center, which was broadcast live on ESPN2.
And as I predicted, Sporting KC chose a striker with their first pick in the draft, 16th overall. They snagged Dom Dwyer, a quick, tenacious Englishman who spent last season at the University of South Florida, and the previous two years in Texas playing at Tyler Junior College.
Will this pick live up to Peter Vermes’ growing reputation as a draft day wizard? Certainly no one is expecting Dom to replicate CJ Sapong‘s rookie 2011 season in which the James Madison product separated himself from everyone else in his class and ripped the Rookie of the Year award by a mile.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on Dom as the season nears and reporting his progress here at KCC, but I expect him to come in and contribute on the field, probably as a backup, pretty much immediately.
Donnelly: MLS SuperDraft Comes to KC Convention Center, Can Vermes Score Again?
Sporting Kansas City head coach and general manager Peter Vermes is gaining a reputation as a skilled talent evaluator after only a couple years on the job.
Last year in the MLS SuperDraft, he tapped a relatively unknown forward out of James Madison with the 10th overall pick. The selection was universally panned as a reach, with most observers noting that KC really needed a center defender more than another attacker.
Fast forward nine months and that unknown forward, CJ Sapong, was accepting the MLS Rookie of the Year trophy.
And look at some of his other recent high draft picks…
Donnelly: Sporting KC Firestarter Graham Zusi Gets Recognition He Deserves
So now it’s official. Officially official…
It’s a drum I started beating early last season after watching a few Sporting Kansas City games. It was so obvious. And I kept pounding that thing all season.
Graham Zusi is the best player on the team.
Not only is he the best player, he also happens to occupy the center midfielder position, a spot that can dictate the entire flow of a game and determine the personality of a squad.
As the 2011 MLS regular season neared its end, I cast my media ballot in Zusi’s favor for team MVP, though he ended up losing to Jimmy Nielsen, who had a solid year as well between the pipes.
But now it’s not just us die hard SKC fans that know about Zusi.
Donnelly: LIVESTRONG to Host 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tourney, Turf Won’t Be an Issue Ever Again
Sporting Kansas City’s St. Patty’s Day home opener is a mere 90-ish days away, folks...
Recently, SKC announced several other events that will be coming to LIVESTRONG in 2012. Most notably is the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which will be in KC for the semifinals on March 31st, and the final on April 2nd.
Not a bad little grab for KC.
Donnelly: Vermes Pulls Jedi Mind Trick on Montreal
Last week I wrote about the MLS Expansion Draft, how the whole thing works, and who Sporting KC protected from being snatched
away by the expansion Montreal Impact.
I noted that I thought it was odd to protect Davy Arnaud, an aging midfielder who played little in 2011 after undergoing sports hernia surgery. Though Davy certainly had a great relationship with Peter Vermes – indeed, he was named captain the past two seasons – his production was minimal. The team seemed to play better in his absence which also allowed Graham Zusi to emerge and become, in my opinion, SKC’s best player.
Also, Davy had a hefty salary of over $250,000 per year. That’s a ton when you consider the fact that multiple Sporting starters made under $50,000 last season and contributed far more to the team’s success.
So why would Sporting use one of their coveted 11 spots to protect Arnaud from being selected? Maybe because a behind-the-scenes deal was in the works…
Donnelly: Sporting Releases List of Protected Players Which Includes a Few Surprises
For the second year in a row, Major League Soccer is adding a new team for the upcoming season…
Last year, two expansion teams entered the league, the Portland Timbers, and Vancouver Whitecaps. For 2012 the Montreal Impact will join MLS and populate their new squad with players from existing teams through an expansion draft. However they can take a maximum of one player off any given team. Current MLS teams can protect 11 players. So Sporting Kansas City had some tough decisions to make, and there were a few surprises to say the least.
Here is who Sporting KC decided to protect, along with a justification from Sporting’s PR department:
Donnelly: JMU Head Soccer Coach Talks About What Makes MLS ROY CJ Sapong So Special
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Last week it was announced that Sporting KC’s CJ Sapong was named the MLS Rookie of the Year...
The recognition wasn’t all that much of a surprise given the season that CJ put together for KC. But remember when Sporting drafted the youngster with the 10th overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft last winter? Almost universally, the pick was criticized by soccer people as a severe reach.
Most other teams didn’t even have Sapong on their boards, let alone in the top ten.
Donnelly: Moment Too Big For Sporting, Houston Advances to Final With 2-0 Win
Sporting Kansas City wanted so badly to summon their best against the visiting Houston Dynamo…
But in the end, it might have been the anticipation, the yearning, the added bit of pressure, that undid Sporting and ended their season in front of a standing room LIVESTRONG crowd.
The atmosphere was second to none as both teams warmed up, with the electricity of playoffs and the possibility of the MLS Cup buzzing around all corners of the stadium. The late-fall sun cracked its way onto the playing surface, and the cool fall air filled with song, including choruses from the healthy dose of Houston fans that made the trip.
But once the whistle blew, Sporting seemed out of sync in a way I haven’t seen for months. Prior to Sunday’s game, the boys in blue have had purpose in their attack, cohesion in their defense, and an aggressive mentality.
Donnelly: Sporting Slaps Colorado Around (Again), Kansas City Celebrates
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Hey Kansas City, your team just advanced to the conference finals. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think KC has had a winner like this in, what, 10-plus years?
Bask in it. It’s been a while since we’ve had a true contender.
But last night, in the miserable cold and rain, KC soccer fans showed why they’re among the best in the MLS.
They braved the elements and filled sold-out LIVESTRONG Sporting Park with the song and energy to help propel Sporting Kansas City‘s boys in blue into the Eastern Conference finals. The design of the stadium – in which every seat is covered – provided some shelter from the storm, and the gutty performance of the team did the rest.
Donnelly: Bunbury Too Physical & Fast For Colorado, KC Beats Defending Champs 2-0
Was it pretty? No.
In fact, at times last night’s Sporting Kansas City playoff game against the Colorado Rapids was downright u-g-l-y. But that was all part of the plan for Sporting Sunday when they took on the defending MLS Cup champs.
“The first half was very tentative on both parts,” said KC coach Peter Vermes after the game. “I don’t think we gave much away and neither did they. In the second half, we talked about getting after it a little bit more because we thought they would push the game, being at home.”
Donnelly: KC Boy Matt Besler Delivers, Sporting Win East
What a perfect ending to Matt Besler’s third MLS regular season.
After becoming "harder" in the offseason – something head coach Peter Vermes puts a helluva lot of stock in – Besler was chosen as an All-Star for the first time in his young career.
As consistent of a performer as KC has had all season long, Besler locked down the center defense, which has plagued the squad the last few years and seen a cast of thousands swing through to try their hand before inevitably being cut.
Pablo Escobar anyone? Man, that seems like a million years ago, doesn’t it?
Saturday night in DC, Besler put the cherry on top of it all, scoring a nice left footed goal that won the game against DC United 1-0, and won the Eastern Conference outright for Sporting.
Can I type that again just for my own enjoyment?
SPORTING KC WON THE EASTERN CONFERENCE AND LOCKED UP HOME FIELD FOR THE MLS PLAYOFFS!!
Donnelly: Sporting KC Clinch Playoff Berth, Regain 1st in East With Win Over NY
The atmosphere at LIVESTRONG was electric…
Hours before the start of the mid-afternoon fixture against the visiting New York Red Bulls the weather was perfect, grills sizzled, and beer flowed. The anticipation for Sporting’s final regular season home game was palpable – from the parking lots to the locker rooms to the Cauldron – the stadium was filled with legions of singing fans.
Noit surprisingly, everyone seemed on edge prior to kick off for a game that might make or break KC’s season.
Win and they’re in. Lose and, well, Sporting could still make the playoffs, but they’d need some help.
Donnelly: Vermes’ Job Hangs In Balance As Sporting Battle For Their Playoff Lives
Sporting Kansas City has two regular season games remaining, the first at LIVESTRONG Saturday against the New York Red Bulls...
And yes, without a doubt it’s the biggest game of the season. Here’s why:
Depending on how the boys in blue fare, SKC could finish as No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Or they could miss the playoffs altogether. Pressure, anyone?
Donnelly: Sporting Earn Point at San Jose As Playoff Race Gets Insane
Sporting Kansas City narrowly averted disaster Saturday with a late-game goal to salvage a draw against one of the worst teams in the league, the San Jose Earthquakes…
To put it bluntly, the game was horrible. In part, beause of to the postage stamp San Jose calls home, which gave me flashbacks to Community America Ballpark Side rant: How in the hell did we ever play there? And how much did opposing teams have to just dread going in and playing on that tiny field that radically alters the strategy and flow of games?
Praise be to LIVESTRONG!
