fbpx
Wikipedia

Sporting Kansas City

January 26, 2023

Sporting Kansas City is an American men's professional soccer club that plays in Major League Soccer and is based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and the team clubhouse and practice facilities are located in Kansas City, Kansas, near Children's Mercy Park.[4] The club competes as a part of the league's Western Conference.

Sporting Kansas City
Full nameSporting Kansas City[1][2]
Nickname(s)Wizards
Short nameSporting KC, SKC
FoundedJune 6, 1995; 27 years ago (1995-06-06) (as Kansas City Wiz)
StadiumChildren's Mercy Park
Capacity18,467[3]
OwnerSporting Club
Head coachPeter Vermes
LeagueMajor League Soccer
2022Western Conference: 12th
Overall: 22nd
Playoffs: Did not qualify
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Sporting KC began play in 1996 as a charter team in the league, then known as the Kansas City Wiz. The team was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1995. Since moving across the state line, they have been the only major professional sports league franchise to play their home games in Kansas.

Starting in 1997, the franchise was known as the Kansas City Wizards. The team rebranded in November 2010, coinciding with its move to its new home stadium, Children's Mercy Park.[2][5] The franchise has won the MLS Cup twice (2000, 2013), the Supporters' Shield in 2000, and the U.S. Open Cup in 2004, 2012, 2015 and 2017.

The club also has a reserve team, Sporting Kansas City II, that began play in the second-tier USL Championship in 2016 and switched to MLS Next Pro in 2022.

History

The early years (1996–1999)

The Kansas City MLS franchise was founded by Lamar Hunt, who was also the founder of the American Football League, the Kansas City Chiefs, the United Soccer Association (which merged with the NPSL to form the North American Soccer League or NASL), and Major League Soccer. The Kansas City Wiz played their first game on April 13, 1996, defeating the Colorado Rapids at Arrowhead Stadium, 3–0.[6][7] The Wiz players included Preki, Mo Johnston and Digital Takawira, and were coached by Ron Newman. The team finished third in the Western Conference (fifth overall) in 1996 regular season with a 17–15 record, qualifying for the first ever MLS Playoffs. In the 1996 conference semi-finals, the Wiz beat the Dallas Burn in three games, winning the final game in a shootout, before losing the conference final to the LA Galaxy.

Following the 1996 season, the Wiz changed names, becoming the "Wizards", following legal action from electronics retailer The Wiz.[8] For the 1997 MLS season, their record was 21–11, sufficient for the Western Conference regular season championship. Preki was named 1997 MLS MVP.[9] In the first round of the playoffs, the Wizards lost to the last-seeded Colorado Rapids. The Wizards had losing records for the 1998 and 1999 seasons, finishing last in the Western Conference both years. The Wizards fired Ron Newman early during the 1999 season,[10] and replaced him with Bob Gansler. The Wizards finished the 1999 season with a record of 8–24, which put them in last place in the Western Conference once again.

Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup (2000)

In 2000, their first full season under Bob Gansler, the Wizards opened the season on a 12-game unbeaten streak. Goalkeeper Tony Meola recorded an MLS record shutout streak at 681 minutes and 16 shutouts, and won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and MLS MVP.[11] Peter Vermes was named 2000 MLS Defender of the Year. The Wizards finished the 2000 regular season 16–7–9, the best record in the league, winning the MLS Supporters' Shield.

In the 2000 playoffs, fell behind 4 to 1 to the LA Galaxy, but Miklos Molnar scored a penalty kick in game three to send the series into a tiebreaker, where he scored again to send the Wizards to their first MLS Cup. At RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., the Wizards, with the league's best defense, faced the team with the league's best offense, the Chicago Fire. The Wizards took the lead on an 11th-minute goal by Miklos Molnar. The Fire put ten shots on goal, but Tony Meola and the defense held, and the Wizards claimed their first MLS Cup Championship. Tony Meola was named 2000 MLS Cup MVP.[11]

Post-championship struggles (2001–2002)

After the loss of Preki to the Miami Fusion, the team struggled to defend their championship in 2001, making the playoffs as the 8th seed with a record of 11–13–3. In the first round, the Wizards reign as champion ended with a 6 points to 3 loss to Preki and the Miami Fusion. Despite getting back Preki, the Wizards sat in last place in the Western Conference in 2002. They made the playoffs with a record of 9–10–9. The last two teams in the East, the MetroStars and D.C. United missed the playoffs, which propelled the Wizards into the playoffs. In the first round, the team would fall, 6 points to 3 to eventual champions, Los Angeles Galaxy.

More success (2003–2004)

The Wizards returned to the top half of the West in 2003 with a record of 11–10–9. In the first round of the playoffs, the Wizards defeated the Colorado Rapids in the aggregate goal series, 3–1. That set up a one-game showdown with the San Jose Earthquakes the winner would advance to the 2003 MLS Cup. The Wizards took the lead, but the Earthquakes battled back and forced golden goal in overtime by Landon Donovan in the 117th minute, which sent his team to the 2003 MLS Cup and the Wizards home.

The Wizards started out 2004 mediocre, before turning around in the summer. The Wizards finished the season on a six-game unbeaten streak to finish 14–9–9 for the Western Conference regular season championship. Goalkeeper Tony Meola went down with injury and backup Bo Oshoniyi filled as a replacement.[12]

 
Jimmy Conrad played with Kansas City from 2003 to 2010

In the first round of the 2004 playoffs, the Wizards lost the first game to San Jose Earthquakes, 2–0. In the second game, however, the Wizards scored 2 goals before Jack Jewsbury scored in stoppage time to move KC onto the conference final. In the conference final, the Wizards held off the Los Angeles Galaxy to reach their second MLS Cup. In the 2004 MLS Cup final, the Wizards went up against D.C. United at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. The Wizards Jose Burciaga scored in the sixth minute, but D.C. United replied with three goals in the first half. KC was given a lifeline in the 58th minute as Josh Wolff scored the first penalty kick in MLS Cup history,[13] but KC lost the 2004 MLS Cup final 3–2.

Move to the East (2005–2010)

Following MLS expansion, the Wizards moved to the Eastern Conference in 2005. By the end of the 2005 season, despite the solid play of 2005 MLS Defender of the Year Jimmy Conrad, the Wizards found themselves outside the playoffs with a record of 11–9–12. After the season, the team's veteran leader, Preki announced his retirement.

In the 2006 season, the Wizards just missed out on a playoff berth with a loss to the New York Red Bulls on the final day of the regular season, finishing with a 10–14–8 record. Lamar Hunt sold the club in August 2006 to OnGoal, LLC, a six-man ownership group led by Cerner Corporation co-founders Neal Patterson and Cliff Illig, a local group committed to keeping the Wizards in Kansas City.

The club dedicated its 2007 season to Lamar Hunt, who had died in December 2006. A good start earned them four wins in the first seven weeks of the season. The club picked up goalkeeper Kevin Hartman from the LA Galaxy to help with that position. Despite winning just four games after the All-Star break, Kansas City managed to finish fifth in the East at 11–12–7 and qualify for the playoffs. The club shifted over to the West as a result of a playoff format change, the Wizards played against Chivas USA. With the Wizards Davy Arnaud's goal in the first game to win the series, the defense and Kevin Hartman did the rest and kept Chivas USA off the scoreboard. In the conference final, the Wizards came up short to the Houston Dynamo, 2–0.

In 2008, the Wizards played their home games at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas, and ended a four-year playoff drought by posting an 11–10–9 record, good enough for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Facing the Columbus Crew, the Wizards earned a 1–1 tie in Game 1 of the first round series, but with a 2–0 loss in Game 2 the Wizards lost the aggregate series 3–1.

In the 2009 season, the Wizards remained at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, but struggled to score. They went 426 minutes without scoring a goal,[14] the longest streak of the season. In August 2009, with the team holding a 5–7–6 record, KC fired Head Coach Curt Onalfo,[15] and named general manager Peter Vermes the head coach. The Wizards finished with the worst home record in the league,[16] and at 8–13–9 were third to last in the league standings. Top players were Claudio López (8 goals & 7 assists) and Josh Wolff (11 goals), who sparked the Wizards offense.

 
The Wizards hosting Manchester United F.C. in July 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium. This match was considered a turning point in the franchise's history,[17] as their attendance would rapidly grow once the Sporting KC rebrand was announced, and upon the opening of their own stadium the following Summer.

The Wizards hosted Manchester United F.C. in a friendly on July 25, 2010, and won the match by a score of 2–1. The announced attendance of 52,342 is a record for a professional soccer match in the Kansas City area[18][19] It would be the franchise's final overall game played at Arrowhead Stadium.[17][19] In the 2010 regular season, the Wizards finished third in the Eastern Conference and narrowly missed qualifying for the playoffs.

A 'Sporting' rebrand (2011–2012)

With the rebranding (of Wizards to Sporting) the team followed a recent trend in MLS of adopting European-style names, such as Toronto FC, D.C. United, and Real Salt Lake. The title "Sporting" has its origins in Iberia where it is used only by multi-sports clubs with a history of having multiple departments fielding teams across different sports, the most notable being Sporting Lisbon.[8] Kansas City's use of the term has been criticized for inaccuracy and cultural appropriation.[20] At the rebrand announcement, the Kansas City's president announced they had planned to add a rugby club and lacrosse club.[21] Since then, a partnership with the Kansas City Blues Rugby Club has been announced,[22] but the two sides are not part of one "Sporting Club" and no lacrosse team has been established. The rebranding was met with a mixture of both excitement and disdain by fans when originally announced.[23] With the opening of the new Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, Sporting became the first major-league team to have played in stadiums on both sides of the state line in Kansas City, while Kansas City became the only U.S. metropolitan area other than New York City to have major professional sports teams playing in different states.

Because Children's Mercy Park was not ready for the beginning of the 2011 season, Sporting Kansas City played its first ten games on the road, only winning one game. Once the road trip was over, the team found more success and ended the regular season with the most points of any Eastern Conference team. After defeating the Colorado Rapids on a 4–0 aggregate in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Sporting lost to the Houston Dynamo 2–0 in the Eastern Conference finals.

KC began the 2012 season with seven consecutive wins, in the process setting an MLS record for 335 minutes without allowing a shot on goal.[24] The team finished the regular season first in the East with an 18–7–9 record. KC was led by Graham Zusi, who delivered a league-leading 15 assists and was named finalist for 2012 MLS MVP,[25] Jimmy Nielsen, who notched a league leading 15 shutouts and was named 2012 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, and Matt Besler, who was named MLS Defender of the Year. KC lost to the Houston Dynamo in the conference semifinals. KC won the 2012 U.S. Open Cup, defeating Seattle Sounders FC in the finals, to qualify for the 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League.

MLS Cup champions (2013)

 
President Barack Obama honoring the team and their victory in MLS Cup 2013, in the East Room of the White House

In 2013, Kansas City took advantage of MLS's newly created retention funds to renew contracts with U.S. national team players Graham Zusi and Matt Besler.[26] Sporting had finished second in the Eastern Conference and overall with 17 wins, 10 losses, and tied 7 times in the regular season. In the 2013 MLS Playoffs, Sporting KC defeated NE Revolution in the conference semifinals and Houston Dynamo in the conference finals, advancing to MLS Cup 2013. SKC defeated Real Salt Lake on penalties (7–6) after the match was tied 1–1 in regulation and overtime. It was the coldest MLS Cup game on record.[27]

Return to the West (2014–present)

In the 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs, Sporting were eliminated in the East Knockout Round by the New York Red Bulls.[28]

On October 27, 2014, the league announced that Sporting, along with the Houston Dynamo, would move from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference when two teams from East Coast states, New York City FC and Orlando City SC, joined the league in 2015. Sporting finished sixth in the Western Conference that year, again qualifying for postseason play due to the expanded twelve-club field in the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs.[29] They were eliminated in the Western Knockout Round by the Portland Timbers, 6–7 in a Penalty Shootout.

Sporting's co-owner Neal Patterson died due to soft tissue cancer in July 2017.[30][31] Kansas City unveiled wordmarks that was worn on the team's jerseys and on Children's Mercy Park to commemorate their late owner.[32] Later that month, the club traded Dom Dwyer to Orlando City in exchange for $1.6 million (in general and targeted allocation money with additional incentives), setting the record for the most expensive internal trade in league history.[33][34][35][36]

The team won the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, defeating the New York Red Bulls 2–1 in the final.[37] The win gave Sporting their fourth Open Cup title, and their third in the last six years. The victory extended head coach Peter Vermes's record to 4–0 in cup finals and championship games with the club.[38] In Open Cup history, Kansas City became just the second franchise in the single elimination tournament to have won four Open Cup finals in the same number of appearances.[39]

Colors and badge

 
The Wizards' crest from 2006 to 2010
 
Aurélien Collin wearing Sporting's primary uniform (2011–2012)
 
Teal Bunbury wearing Sporting's secondary uniform (2011–2013)

Sporting Kansas City's official colors are "sporting blue" and "dark indigo"[40] with "lead" as a tertiary color.[41] The primary logo is composed of a teardrop-shaped shield containing a stylized representation of the Kansas-Missouri state line with "sporting blue" stripes on the "Kansas" side and an interlocking "SC" on the "Missouri" side. The shield's contour alludes to the team's former logo while under the "Kansas City Wizards" appellation. The stateline represents Sporting's fanbase in both of the Kansas and Missouri portions of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The eleven alternating horizontal stripes of "sporting blue" and "dark indigo" forming the state line are a nod to the number of players a team fields. The "SC" (for Sporting Club) is inspired by Asclepius' rod representing health and fitness, a Greek statue called the Winged Victory of Samothrace – alluding to strength and movement, and to the Spanish architecture of Kansas City's Country Club Plaza.[1] Beginning in 2013, Ivy Funds became the club's first uniform sponsor,[42] and a new home and away jersey design was unveiled, as well as an alternate argyle design.

Sponsorship

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Sleeve sponsor
1996–2012 Adidas —
2013–2019 Ivy Investments[43] —
2020 Compass Minerals[44]
2021 Victory Project Compass Minerals
Children's Mercy
2022–present Compass Minerals[45] —

Uniform evolution

Home: 1996–2010

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1996–1997
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1998–1999
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2000–2002
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2003–2004
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2005
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2006–2007
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2008–2009
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2010

Home: 2011–present

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2011–2012
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2013–2014
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2015–2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2017–2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2019–2020
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2021–

Third

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2013–2014
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2015–2016

Stadiums

Arrowhead Stadium

Main article: Arrowhead Stadium
 
Arrowhead Stadium (here in 2007) served as the Kansas City Wizards' home for over a decade.

From 1996 through 2007, the Wizards played home games in Arrowhead Stadium, the American football stadium mainly used by the Kansas City Chiefs. Wizards management kept the west end of Arrowhead tarped off for the first 10 years of play, limiting seating near the field. In 2006, fans could sit all the way around the field, but, in 2007, seating was [again] only available along the sidelines. After the 2007 final season at Arrowhead, the Wizards continued to use the stadium for select large events. In 2008, the club played a regular season home game against the Los Angeles Galaxy at the stadium to accommodate the large crowd expected for David Beckham's Galaxy debut. Again in 2010, the Wizards played a friendly here against English club Manchester United, winning 2–1.

CommunityAmerica Ballpark

Main article: CommunityAmerica Ballpark
 
CommunityAmerica Ballpark, was the home stadium of the Kansas City Wizards before moving to Children's Mercy Park.

The Wizards entered an agreement with the Kansas City T-Bones to use their home stadium, CommunityAmerica Ballpark, during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The deal was later extended to include 2010. The stadium, located across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas, built a new bleacher section financed by the Wizards to increase its capacity to 10,385. This move made the Wizards the third MLS team to share their home ground with a baseball team. D.C. United had been sharing RFK Stadium with Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals in Washington, D.C., before the latter's move into Nationals Park. The San Jose Earthquakes used Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, home of the Oakland A's (and Oakland Raiders), for certain games during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

The Wizards originally planned to return to Kansas City, Missouri, and build a new stadium there – tentatively called Trails Stadium – as part of a major mixed-use development. The team had received all required approvals and was awaiting site demolition; however, the 2008–09 financial crisis ultimately led to the scrapping of the Trails Stadium project.

Children's Mercy Park

Main article: Children's Mercy Park
 
Children's Mercy Park the home of Sporting KC since 2011.

The team sought a new site for its stadium, quickly settling on a development in Kansas City, Kansas, known as Village West, near CommunityAmerica Ballpark and the Kansas Speedway. In September 2009, the developer asked Wyandotte County (in Kansas) and Kansas state officials for permission to use revenues from existing tax increment financing in the Village West area to help finance the soccer complex.[46] On December 17, Wizards president Robb Heineman provided an update on the stadium situation, identifying the Kansas City, Kansas, location as near final, pending the signature of the final agreements.[47][48] On January 19, 2010, Wyandotte County approved the bonds to help finance the stadium,[49][50] and on January 20 the groundbreaking ceremony was made, with Wizards CEO Robb Heineman using heavy machinery to move dirt on the construction site.[51]

When the Kansas City Wizards first rebranded as Sporting Kansas City, they built Livestrong Sporting Park. Spending $200 million on the complex,[52] it was the first "European style" soccer complex in the United States.[citation needed] Name rights were held by the Livestrong Foundation until the downfall of Lance Armstrong from his doping scandal; Sporting Kansas City subsequently changed the name of their stadium to Sporting Park.[53][54][55]

On November 19, 2015, the stadium was renamed to Children's Mercy Park in a ten-year deal with Children's Mercy Hospital.[56]

Home venue(s):

Name Location Years in use
Arrowhead Stadium Kansas City, Missouri 1996–2007
CommunityAmerica Ballpark Kansas City, Kansas 2008–2010
Children's Mercy Park 2011–present

Other stadiums used:

Club culture

 
The primary supporters' section, "The Cauldron", at Children's Mercy Park.

Supporters

Sporting regularly sells out its matches, with over 100 straight sellouts as of August 2017.[57] Sporting has 14,000 season-ticket holders, with a wait list for season tickets of 3,000 people.[58] Sporting KC has a relatively young fan base, with season-ticket holders having an average age of 29.7 years.[59] Sporting KC works with Sporting Innovations, a consulting firm spun off from the team that focuses on fan engagement.[59] Administrators from several college football teams, such as the Florida Gators, have visited Sporting KC to learn from the team's success at fan engagement.[59]

The main supporters group of Sporting Kansas City cheers in the Members' Stand on the North side of Children's Mercy Park and is known as "The Cauldron".[60] The name is derived from the large metal pots used for boiling potions, due to the team's former name Wizards. Since the rebranding in 2010, Sporting have seen dramatic growth in their fan section, with several fan groups adding their voice to The Cauldron culture and atmosphere.[60]

Current groups in the north stands along with The Cauldron include: La Barra KC, Mass Street Mob, King City Yardbirds, Trenches, Omaha Boys, Northland Noise, Ladies of SKC, Fountain City Ultras, and K.C. Futbol Misfits.[60]

The South Stand SC cheers from the south end of Children's Mercy Park and is the umbrella group for The Wedge and Ad Astra SKC (a reference to the motto of the state of Kansas), while American Outlaws – Kansas City Chapter are also present in the stands.[60]

Mascot

 
Blue, the franchise's mascot

"Blue the Dog" is the franchise's official mascot.[61]

Rivalries

Houston Dynamo

The two teams had faced each other regularly over the years, while both having been members of the Eastern conference. During that time, Sporting KC had frequently faced Houston in the playoffs, beginning their rivalry. As of 2022, SKC is 18–18–16 (W–L–T) against the Dynamo.

Minnesota United FC

Kansas City also has a newer rivalry with Minnesota United FC known as the "Nicest Rivalry In Sports"[62] due to "their general regional proximity in a location known for niceness." Across all competitions, Kansas City leads with a 9–6–4 (W-L-T) record over Minnesota.[63][64]

Real Salt Lake

In their total meetings, Sporting KC is 16–19–10 (W–L–T), (as of October 2022). The two teams faced each other in MLS Cup 2013, in what was the coldest MLS Cup final to date; many agree that this match was when the rivalry had unfolded.[65]

St. Louis City SC

Sporting KC is expected to begin a rivalry with St. Louis City SC beginning with the 2023 season.[62]

Broadcasting

From 2023, every Sporting Kansas City match is available via MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.

Prior to 2017 matches were broadcast in high definition on KMCI-TV (except for nationally broadcast matches). The play-by-play announcer was WHB 810AM 'Border Patrol' host Nate Bukaty, who began broadcasting for the team in the 2015 season. Former Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum provided color commentary following his retirement after the 2014 season. Color commentary was covered by Jake Yadrich through the 2013 season, after which he transitioned to be the lead analyst on the sidelines during games. Morning reporter Kacie McDonnell of KSHB-TV, an NBC affiliate and KMCI-TV's sister station, served as the network host of the pregame and postgame shows.[66]

In addition, the Sporting Kansas City Television Network provided coverage across markets in six states:

Matches that are not broadcast nationally were broadcast on Fox Sports Kansas City (it was also carried on Fox Sports Midwest in the St. Louis market until 2023, where it will be removed due to the new St Louis City FC MLS team).[68] In 2017, Fox Sports Midwest only carried select matches, while in 2018, the club announced the St. Louis market would receive all matches while the Mid-Missouri and Iowa markets would receive most matches. Nate Bukaty continues to provide the play-by-play commentary, while Jacob Peterson joined as the color commentator ahead of the 2020 season with Carter Augustine returning as the sideline reporter.[69]

In 2022, prior to an upcoming leaguewide TV deal, KMCI returned as broadcast partner for those in the Kansas City market,[70] with other areas being able to stream all matches on the club's website.[71]

Regular local radio coverage in English is provided through an official partnership with Sports Radio 810 WHB and its affiliate ESPN Kansas City 99.3FM. Spanish broadcasting was previously found on KDTD 1340AM, but is on KCZZ (ESPN Deportes Kansas City 1480AM) for the 2018 season. The broadcasts are produced by Jorge Moreno and feature the voice of 13-year MLS veteran Diego Gutierrez along with Ale Cabero, Raul Villegas and Alonso Cadena.[72]

Players and staff

For details on former players, see All-time Sporting Kansas City roster.

Roster

As of January 20, 2023[73]
No. Pos. Player Nation
1 GK John Pulskamp (HG)   United States
2 DF Ben Sweat   United States
3 DF Andreu Fontàs   Spain
4 DF Robert Voloder   Germany
7 FW Johnny Russell (DP)   Scotland
8 DF Graham Zusi   United States
9 FW Alan Pulido (DP)   Mexico
10 MF Gadi Kinda (DP)   Israel
11 FW Khiry Shelton   United States
12 DF Kortne Ford   United States
15 MF Roger Espinoza   Honduras
17 MF Jake Davis (HG)   United States
18 DF Logan Ndenbe   Belgium
20 FW Dániel Sallói (HG)   Hungary
21 MF Felipe Hernández (HG)   United States
22 GK Kendall McIntosh   United States
23 FW William Agada   Nigeria
24 DF Kayden Pierre (HG)   United States
25 FW Ozzie Cisneros (HG)   United States
26 MF Erik Thommy   Germany
27 FW Marinos Tzionis   Cyprus
28 MF Cameron Duke (HG)   United States
29 GK Tim Melia   United States
54 MF Rémi Walter   France
— MF Danny Flores   United States
— DF Tim Leibold   Germany
— MF Nemanja Radoja   Serbia

Head coaches

 
Peter Vermes was the first person to win MLS Cup with the same club as player (2000) and later as head coach (2013)
Name Nat Tenure
Ron Newman   England October 11, 1995 – April 14, 1999
Ken Fogarty (interim)   England April 14, 1999 – April 28, 1999
Bob Gansler   United States April 28, 1999 – July 19, 2006
Brian Bliss (interim)   United States July 19, 2006 – December 31, 2006
Curt Onalfo   United States November 27, 2006 – August 3, 2009
Peter Vermes   United States August 4, 2009 – November 10, 2009 (interim)
November 10, 2009 –

General managers / presidents

Name Tenure
Tim Latta 1996
Doug Newman 1997–1999
Curt Johnson 1999–2006
Robb Heineman 2006–2016
Jake Reid[74] 2016–present

Honors

[75]

Competitions Titles Seasons
MLS Cup 2 2000, 2013
Supporters' Shield 1 2000
U.S. Open Cup 4 2004, 2012, 2015, 2017

Individual Club Trophies

Team record

Seasons

Main article: List of Sporting Kansas City seasons

This is a partial list of the most recent seasons completed by SKC. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Sporting Kansas City seasons.

Season League Position Playoffs USOC Continental / Other Average
attendance 		Top goalscorer(s)
Div League Pld W L D GF GA GD Pts PPG Conf. Overall Name(s) Goals
2016 1 MLS 34 13 13 8 42 41 +1 47 1.38 5th 8th R1 Ro16 CONCACAF Champions League GS 19,512   Dom Dwyer 16
2017 MLS 34 12 9 13 40 29 +11 49 1.44 5th 11th R1 W DNQ 19,565   Gerso Fernandes 8
2018 MLS 34 18 8 8 65 40 +25 62 1.82 1st 3rd SF QF 19,774   Dániel Sallói 14
2019 MLS 34 10 16 8 49 67 –18 38 1.12 11th 21st DNQ R4 CONCACAF Champions League SF 18,601   Felipe Gutiérrez 12
2020 MLS 21 12 6 3 38 25 +13 39 1.86 1st 5th QF NH MLS is Back Tournament QF 21,188   Alan Pulido 6
2021 MLS 34 17 7 10 58 40 +18 58 1.7 3rd 4th SF NH DNQ 18,757   Dániel Sallói 16
2022 MLS 34 11 16 7 42 54 -12 40 1.18 12th 23rd DNQ SF 18,365   Dániel Sallói 18

^ 1. Avg. Attendance include statistics from league matches only.
^ 2. Top Goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, MLS Cup Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, MLS is Back Tournament, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.

International tournaments

Group stage v.   Sporting Cristal: 1–2
Group stage v.   Santos Laguna: 2–4
Group stage v.   Barcelona: 3–2
Group stage v.   Sporting Cristal: 1–2
Group stage v.   Barcelona: 1–1
Group stage v.   Santos Laguna: 0–1
First Round v.   W Connection: 1–0, 2–0 (Wizards win 3–0 on aggregate)
Quarterfinal v.   Santos Laguna: 1–2, 2–0 (Wizards win 3–2 on aggregate)
Semifinals v.   Monarcas Morelia: 1–6, 1–1 (Morelia advance 7–2 on aggregate)
First Round v.   Deportivo Saprissa: 0–0, 1–2 (Saprissa advance 2–1 on aggregate after added extra time)
Group stage v.   Atlas: 0–0
Group stage v.   New England Revolution: 1–1
Group stage v.   Santos Laguna: 1–3
Group stage v.   Real Estelí: 2–0, 1–1
Group stage v.   Olimpia: 2–0, 0–0
Quarterfinals v.   Cruz Azul: 1–0, 1–5 (Cruz Azul advance 5–2 on aggregate)
Group stage v.   Real Estelí: 1–1, 3–0
Group stage v.   Deportivo Saprissa: 3–1, 0–2
Group stage v.   Central FC: 2–2, 3–1
Group stage v.   Vancouver Whitecaps FC: 3–0, 1–2
Round of 16 v.   Toluca: 3–0, 2–0 (Sporting KC advance 5–0 on aggregate)
Quarterfinals v.   Independiente: 1–2, 3–0 (Sporting KC advance 4–2 on aggregate)
Semifinals v.   Monterrey 0–5, 2–5 (Monterrey advance 10–2 on aggregate)

Player records

Top goalscorers

As of May 26, 2022[76]
# Name Career MLS Playoffs Open Cup CCL Total
1   Preki 1996–2000
2002–2005 		71 8 1 1 81
2   Dom Dwyer 2012–2017 57 1 6 2 66
3   Johnny Russell 2018–present 48 1 4 0 53
4   Davy Arnaud 2002–2011 43 4 5 0 52
5   Dániel Sallói 2016–present 38 3 7 0 48
6   Josh Wolff 2003–2006
2008–2010 		43 1 2 0 46
7   Chris Klein 1998–2005 39 3 1 0 43
8   Kei Kamara 2009–2013 38 0 3 0 41
9   Graham Zusi 2009–present 31 1 3 0 35
10   Mo Johnston 1996–2001 31 1 0 0 32
  Benny Feilhaber 2013–2017
2019 		29 0 2 1 32
12   Vitalis Takawira 1996–2000 28 2 1 0 31
13   Scott Sealy 2005–2008 28 0 2 0 30

The following records are for MLS regular season only:

Source: Updated: March 8, 2020[77]

Sporting Legends

 
Jimmy Nielsen, 2021 Sporting Legends inductee.

Sporting Legends is an initiative launched in 2013 that pays tribute to the individuals who played an instrumental role for Sporting Kansas City and in the growth of soccer in the region.[78]

The individuals named as Sporting Legends, their year of induction, and a brief description are listed below:

  1. Preki (2013) – 2005 MLS All-Time Best XI, 1997 and 2003 MLS League MVP, Club's all-time leader in goals and assists.
  2. Tony Meola (2013) – 2005 MLS All-Time Best XI, 2000 MLS MVP, 2000 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, 2000 MLS Cup MVP.
  3. Bob Gansler (2013) – 2000 MLS Coach of the Year, 2000 MLS Cup, 2000 MLS Supporters Shield.
  4. Peter Vermes (2014) – as player: 2000 MLS Defender of the Year, 2000 MLS Cup, 2000 MLS Supporters Shield; as manager: 2012, 2015 and 2017 U.S. Open Cups, 2013 MLS Cup.
  5. Jimmy Conrad – (2014) – 2004–06, 2008 MLS Best XI, 2004 U.S. Open Cup, 2005 MLS Defender of the Year.
  6. Lamar Hunt (2014) – A founder of Major League Soccer, owned the Kansas City Wizards 1996–2006.
  7. Chris Klein (2015) – 2000 MLS Cup, 2000 MLS Supporters Shield, 2004 U.S. Open Cup, 2002–2005 MLS All-Star.
  8. Kerry Zavagnin (2016) – 2000 MLS Cup, 2000 MLS Supporters Shield, 2004 U.S. Open Cup, 2004 MLS All-Star, 2004 MLS Best XI.
  9. Mo Johnston (2017) – 2000 MLS Cup, 2000 MLS Supporters Shield, 1996-1998 MLS All-Star.
  10. Josh Wolff (2019) – 2004 U.S. Open Cup, 2004 MLS Western Conference Championship.
  11. Jimmy Nielsen (2021) – 2012 U.S. Open Cup, 2013 MLS Cup, 2010, 2012, 2013 MLS Eastern Conference, 2012 MLS Best XI, 2012 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.
  12. Davy Arnaud (2022) — 2004 U.S. Open Cup, team captain 2010—2011

Hat tricks

^ + Dom Dwyer scored four goals in this game[79][80][81]

Home attendance

 
Aerial view of Children's Mercy Park, the club's home stadium since 2011.
Season Reg. Season[82] Playoffs
1996 12,878 7,754
1997 9,058 10,174
1998 8,073 DNQ@
1999 8,183 DNQ@
2000 9,112 8,243
2001 10,954 5,803
2002 12,255 9,484
2003 15,573 10,712
2004 14,816 11,077
2005 9,691 DNQ@
2006 11,083 DNQ@
2007 11,586 12,442
2008 10,686 10,385
2009 10,053 DNQ@
2010 10,287 DNQ@
2011 17,810# 19,702
2012 19,404 20,894
2013 19,709 20,777
2014 20,003 NHG@
2015 19,687 NHG@
2016 19,512 NHG@
2017 19,537 NHG@
2018 19,774 20,036
2019 18,601 DNQ@
2020 21,188 N/A
2021 18,757 20,734

^ @ DNQ = Did not qualify; NHG = No home game was played during the playoffs
^ # The 73% jump in attendance between 2010 and 2011 coincides with the team's move from CommunityAmerica Ballpark (capacity 10,400) to their new soccer-specific stadium Livestrong Sporting Park (now known as Children's Mercy Park) (capacity 18,500).

See also

References

  1. ^ a b . InsightKC.com. MLS Digital. November 17, 2010. Archived from the original on November 19, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Kansas City rebrands as Sporting KC". MLSSoccer.com. MLS Digital. November 17, 2010. from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  3. ^ "Children's Mercy Park Fact Sheet". SportingKC.com. Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  4. ^ "Contact Us / Sporting Kansas City". SportingKC.com. MLS Digital. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  5. ^ . Kmbc.com. November 17, 2010. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
  6. ^ "Matchcenter". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  7. ^ "Schedule". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  8. ^ a b West, Phil (August 9, 2017). "How Sporting Kansas City got their name". MLSSoccer.com. Soccer United Marketing, LLC. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  9. ^ . www.socceramerica.com. November 21, 2003. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  10. ^ Lewis, Michael (September 25, 2013). "So You Wanna Be An MLS Coach | US Soccer Players". Archived from the original on September 22, 2013.
  11. ^ a b Austin, Kurt (August 2, 2013). . Sporting Kansas City. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  12. ^ Carlisle, Jeff (September 26, 2013). . ESPN FC. Archived from the original on September 26, 2013.
  13. ^ . September 27, 2013. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013.
  14. ^ . Soccer America. September 27, 2013. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013.
  15. ^ "Onalfo out as Kansas City head coach". SBI Soccer. August 3, 2009. from the original on September 24, 2015.
  16. ^ Young, Mark. "SKC is more than A-OK". ESPN.com. from the original on September 26, 2013.
  17. ^ a b Kovzan, Sam (December 25, 2019). "Top 20 Moments of the Decade #7: Beating Manchester United at Arrowhead Stadium". SportingKC.com. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  18. ^ "Record crowd watches Man U in KC". ESPN.com. Associated Press. July 25, 2010. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  19. ^ a b Kovzan, Sam (July 25, 2020). "Ten years ago today: Kansas City topples Manchester United at Arrowhead Stadium". Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  20. ^ . Archived from the original on October 22, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  21. ^ . Central Iowa Lacrosse & Sports Ramblings. November 22, 2010. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  22. ^ . Sporting Kansas City. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  23. ^ . Trademarkology. Stites & Harbison, PLLC. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  24. ^ . MLS Soccer. October 6, 2013. Archived from the original on October 6, 2013.
  25. ^ Bell, Jack (October 27, 2012). "Graham Zusi Emerges as Rising U.S. Soccer Star". The New York Times. from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  26. ^ Davis, Steve (August 2, 2013). . ProSoccerTalk. Archived from the original on September 7, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  27. ^ . Archived from the original on January 14, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  28. ^ "MLS announces new strategy for Los Angeles market, 2015 conference alignment". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  29. ^ "MLS to expand playoff field to 12 in 2015, will add extra knockout games". Sports Illustrated. from the original on November 28, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  30. ^ Stafford, Diane. "Cerner co-founder Neal Patterson surprises crowd at health conference". Kansas City Star. from the original on November 20, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  31. ^ Cummings, Ian; Vockrodt, Steve; McDowell, Sam. "'A profound loss': Cerner CEO Neal Patterson dies from cancer at age 67". Kansas City Star. from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  32. ^ "Sporting KC to honor Neal Patterson tonight at Children's Mercy Park". Sporting Kansas City. July 11, 2017.
  33. ^ "Orlando City acquires Dom Dwyer in trade with Sporting Kansas City". ESPNFC.com. July 25, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  34. ^ Kovzan, Sam (July 25, 2017). . Sporting Kansas City. Archived from the original on July 25, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  35. ^ McDowell, Sam (July 25, 2017). "Sporting KC trades Dom Dwyer to Orlando City SC". Kansas City Star. from the original on July 25, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  36. ^ DelGallo, Alicia (July 25, 2017). "Orlando City reaches agreement to bring Dom Dwyer back". Orlando Sentinel. from the original on July 25, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  37. ^ "Sporting Kansas City vs. New York Red Bulls – MatchCenter Boxscore". MLSsoccer.com MatchCenter. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  38. ^ "Sporting KC vs. New York Red Bulls – 2017 US Open Cup Final Preview". September 18, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  39. ^ Brisendine, Steve (September 21, 2017). "Brisendine: Old ways die hard on wild Open Cup night for Sporting KC, RBNY". MLSsoccer.com.
  40. ^ . Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  41. ^ . Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  42. ^ . Mailings.ivyfunds.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  43. ^ "Sporting KC and Ivy Investments announce partnership transition ahead of 2020 season". Sporting KC. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  44. ^ "Sporting kits to feature Compass Minerals sleeve patch in new First Team partnership". Sporting KC. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  45. ^ City, Sporting Kansas. "Sporting KC announces Compass Minerals as new jersey front partner". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  46. ^ Kansas adjusts offer aimed at spurring Cerner, Wizards development near speedway, The Kansas City Star, December 8, 2009.
  47. ^ . January 26, 2010. Archived from the original on January 26, 2010. KC Wizards Official Website.
  48. ^ . December 20, 2009. Archived from the original on December 20, 2009.
  49. ^ Stadium Approval News[permanent dead link], KC Wizards Official Website.
  50. ^ Roberts, Rob. . Kansas City Business Journal. Archived from the original on December 30, 2009.
  51. ^ . January 23, 2010. Archived from the original on January 23, 2010.
  52. ^ Tucker, Doug (June 9, 2011). "KC Unveils $200 Million New Soccer Stadium". USA Today. from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  53. ^ Paylor, Terez. "Sporting KC's stadium name: Livestrong Sporting Park". The Kansas City Star. from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  54. ^ Rovell, Darren (January 16, 2013). "Livestrong Sporting Park deal set to end". ESPN.com. ESPN. from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  55. ^ Tryon, Barrett. "Livestrong Sporting Park Deal is Over Immediately; Renamed Sporting Park". WDAF-TV. from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  56. ^ Austin, Kurt (November 19, 2015). . SportingKC.com. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  57. ^ McDowell, Sam (August 18, 2017). "The evolution of a fan base: Sporting KC to reach 100 straight sellouts Saturday". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  58. ^ Wahl, Grant (March 21, 2014). . Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on March 21, 2014.
  59. ^ a b c Cohen, Ben (October 4, 2014). . Walt Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 4, 2014.
  60. ^ a b c d . Sporting Kansas City Official Website. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  61. ^ . kcstar.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015.
  62. ^ a b Cisneros, Juan (October 13, 2022). "Sporting KC, St. Louis City bring I-70 rivalry to MLS". Fox4kc.com. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  63. ^ "Sporting KC, Minnesota United gear up for "Nicest Rivalry in Sports"". Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  64. ^ Belzer, Jared. "By The Numbers: #SKCvMIN | Sept. 17, 2022". Sporting Kansas City.
  65. ^ "MLS Who is Your Biggest Rival Survey Results". Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  66. ^ . Sporting Kansas City. Archived from the original on February 26, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  67. ^ . Sporting Kansas City. Archived from the original on February 25, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  68. ^ Kovzan, Sam (December 20, 2016). . Sporting Kansas City. Archived from the original on December 29, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  69. ^ "BROADCAST INFORMATION". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  70. ^ Sperry, Daniel (February 14, 2022). "Sporting Kansas City has new TV broadcast home for 2022. Here's where you can watch". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  71. ^ City, Sporting Kansas. "Sporting KC announces fan-driven broadcast strategy featuring live streams and new over-the-air TV partner". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  72. ^ Austin, Kurt (February 23, 2018). . Sporting Kansas City. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  73. ^ "Players | Sporting Kansas City". sportingkc.com. Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  74. ^ Kovzan, Sam (January 25, 2016). . Sporting Kansas City. Archived from the original on February 29, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  75. ^ . Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  76. ^ . Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  77. ^ . Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  78. ^ . Sporting KC. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014.
  79. ^ Austin, Kurt. . SportingKC.com. Sporting Kansas City. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  80. ^ . CLIMBING THE LADDER. Archived from the original on May 27, 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  81. ^ Sferra, German (May 18, 2017). . MLSsoccer.com MatchCenter. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  82. ^ . Sporting Kansas City. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2016.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sporting Kansas City.
  • Official website  

January 26, 2023
sporting, kansas, city, american, professional, soccer, club, that, plays, major, league, soccer, based, kansas, city, metropolitan, area, administrative, offices, located, downtown, kansas, city, missouri, team, clubhouse, practice, facilities, located, kansa. Sporting Kansas City is an American men s professional soccer club that plays in Major League Soccer and is based in the Kansas City metropolitan area The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City Missouri and the team clubhouse and practice facilities are located in Kansas City Kansas near Children s Mercy Park 4 The club competes as a part of the league s Western Conference Sporting Kansas CityFull nameSporting Kansas City 1 2 Nickname s WizardsShort nameSporting KC SKCFoundedJune 6 1995 27 years ago 1995 06 06 as Kansas City Wiz StadiumChildren s Mercy ParkCapacity18 467 3 OwnerSporting ClubHead coachPeter VermesLeagueMajor League Soccer2022Western Conference 12thOverall 22ndPlayoffs Did not qualifyWebsiteClub websiteHome colorsAway colorsCurrent seasonSporting KC began play in 1996 as a charter team in the league then known as the Kansas City Wiz The team was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1995 Since moving across the state line they have been the only major professional sports league franchise to play their home games in Kansas Starting in 1997 the franchise was known as the Kansas City Wizards The team rebranded in November 2010 coinciding with its move to its new home stadium Children s Mercy Park 2 5 The franchise has won the MLS Cup twice 2000 2013 the Supporters Shield in 2000 and the U S Open Cup in 2004 2012 2015 and 2017 The club also has a reserve team Sporting Kansas City II that began play in the second tier USL Championship in 2016 and switched to MLS Next Pro in 2022 Contents 1 History 1 1 The early years 1996 1999 1 2 Supporters Shield and MLS Cup 2000 1 3 Post championship struggles 2001 2002 1 4 More success 2003 2004 1 5 Move to the East 2005 2010 1 6 A Sporting rebrand 2011 2012 1 7 MLS Cup champions 2013 1 8 Return to the West 2014 present 2 Colors and badge 2 1 Sponsorship 2 2 Uniform evolution 3 Stadiums 3 1 Arrowhead Stadium 3 2 CommunityAmerica Ballpark 3 3 Children s Mercy Park 4 Club culture 4 1 Supporters 4 2 Mascot 4 3 Rivalries 4 3 1 Houston Dynamo 4 3 2 Minnesota United FC 4 3 3 Real Salt Lake 4 3 4 St Louis City SC 5 Broadcasting 6 Players and staff 6 1 Roster 6 2 Head coaches 6 3 General managers presidents 7 Honors 7 1 Individual Club Trophies 8 Team record 8 1 Seasons 8 2 International tournaments 9 Player records 9 1 Top goalscorers 9 2 Sporting Legends 9 3 Hat tricks 10 Home attendance 11 See also 12 References 13 External linksHistory EditThe early years 1996 1999 Edit The Kansas City MLS franchise was founded by Lamar Hunt who was also the founder of the American Football League the Kansas City Chiefs the United Soccer Association which merged with the NPSL to form the North American Soccer League or NASL and Major League Soccer The Kansas City Wiz played their first game on April 13 1996 defeating the Colorado Rapids at Arrowhead Stadium 3 0 6 7 The Wiz players included Preki Mo Johnston and Digital Takawira and were coached by Ron Newman The team finished third in the Western Conference fifth overall in 1996 regular season with a 17 15 record qualifying for the first ever MLS Playoffs In the 1996 conference semi finals the Wiz beat the Dallas Burn in three games winning the final game in a shootout before losing the conference final to the LA Galaxy Following the 1996 season the Wiz changed names becoming the Wizards following legal action from electronics retailer The Wiz 8 For the 1997 MLS season their record was 21 11 sufficient for the Western Conference regular season championship Preki was named 1997 MLS MVP 9 In the first round of the playoffs the Wizards lost to the last seeded Colorado Rapids The Wizards had losing records for the 1998 and 1999 seasons finishing last in the Western Conference both years The Wizards fired Ron Newman early during the 1999 season 10 and replaced him with Bob Gansler The Wizards finished the 1999 season with a record of 8 24 which put them in last place in the Western Conference once again Supporters Shield and MLS Cup 2000 Edit In 2000 their first full season under Bob Gansler the Wizards opened the season on a 12 game unbeaten streak Goalkeeper Tony Meola recorded an MLS record shutout streak at 681 minutes and 16 shutouts and won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and MLS MVP 11 Peter Vermes was named 2000 MLS Defender of the Year The Wizards finished the 2000 regular season 16 7 9 the best record in the league winning the MLS Supporters Shield In the 2000 playoffs fell behind 4 to 1 to the LA Galaxy but Miklos Molnar scored a penalty kick in game three to send the series into a tiebreaker where he scored again to send the Wizards to their first MLS Cup At RFK Stadium in Washington D C the Wizards with the league s best defense faced the team with the league s best offense the Chicago Fire The Wizards took the lead on an 11th minute goal by Miklos Molnar The Fire put ten shots on goal but Tony Meola and the defense held and the Wizards claimed their first MLS Cup Championship Tony Meola was named 2000 MLS Cup MVP 11 Post championship struggles 2001 2002 Edit After the loss of Preki to the Miami Fusion the team struggled to defend their championship in 2001 making the playoffs as the 8th seed with a record of 11 13 3 In the first round the Wizards reign as champion ended with a 6 points to 3 loss to Preki and the Miami Fusion Despite getting back Preki the Wizards sat in last place in the Western Conference in 2002 They made the playoffs with a record of 9 10 9 The last two teams in the East the MetroStars and D C United missed the playoffs which propelled the Wizards into the playoffs In the first round the team would fall 6 points to 3 to eventual champions Los Angeles Galaxy More success 2003 2004 Edit The Wizards returned to the top half of the West in 2003 with a record of 11 10 9 In the first round of the playoffs the Wizards defeated the Colorado Rapids in the aggregate goal series 3 1 That set up a one game showdown with the San Jose Earthquakes the winner would advance to the 2003 MLS Cup The Wizards took the lead but the Earthquakes battled back and forced golden goal in overtime by Landon Donovan in the 117th minute which sent his team to the 2003 MLS Cup and the Wizards home The Wizards started out 2004 mediocre before turning around in the summer The Wizards finished the season on a six game unbeaten streak to finish 14 9 9 for the Western Conference regular season championship Goalkeeper Tony Meola went down with injury and backup Bo Oshoniyi filled as a replacement 12 Jimmy Conrad played with Kansas City from 2003 to 2010 In the first round of the 2004 playoffs the Wizards lost the first game to San Jose Earthquakes 2 0 In the second game however the Wizards scored 2 goals before Jack Jewsbury scored in stoppage time to move KC onto the conference final In the conference final the Wizards held off the Los Angeles Galaxy to reach their second MLS Cup In the 2004 MLS Cup final the Wizards went up against D C United at the Home Depot Center in Carson California The Wizards Jose Burciaga scored in the sixth minute but D C United replied with three goals in the first half KC was given a lifeline in the 58th minute as Josh Wolff scored the first penalty kick in MLS Cup history 13 but KC lost the 2004 MLS Cup final 3 2 Move to the East 2005 2010 Edit Following MLS expansion the Wizards moved to the Eastern Conference in 2005 By the end of the 2005 season despite the solid play of 2005 MLS Defender of the Year Jimmy Conrad the Wizards found themselves outside the playoffs with a record of 11 9 12 After the season the team s veteran leader Preki announced his retirement In the 2006 season the Wizards just missed out on a playoff berth with a loss to the New York Red Bulls on the final day of the regular season finishing with a 10 14 8 record Lamar Hunt sold the club in August 2006 to OnGoal LLC a six man ownership group led by Cerner Corporation co founders Neal Patterson and Cliff Illig a local group committed to keeping the Wizards in Kansas City The club dedicated its 2007 season to Lamar Hunt who had died in December 2006 A good start earned them four wins in the first seven weeks of the season The club picked up goalkeeper Kevin Hartman from the LA Galaxy to help with that position Despite winning just four games after the All Star break Kansas City managed to finish fifth in the East at 11 12 7 and qualify for the playoffs The club shifted over to the West as a result of a playoff format change the Wizards played against Chivas USA With the Wizards Davy Arnaud s goal in the first game to win the series the defense and Kevin Hartman did the rest and kept Chivas USA off the scoreboard In the conference final the Wizards came up short to the Houston Dynamo 2 0 In 2008 the Wizards played their home games at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas and ended a four year playoff drought by posting an 11 10 9 record good enough for fourth place in the Eastern Conference Facing the Columbus Crew the Wizards earned a 1 1 tie in Game 1 of the first round series but with a 2 0 loss in Game 2 the Wizards lost the aggregate series 3 1 In the 2009 season the Wizards remained at CommunityAmerica Ballpark but struggled to score They went 426 minutes without scoring a goal 14 the longest streak of the season In August 2009 with the team holding a 5 7 6 record KC fired Head Coach Curt Onalfo 15 and named general manager Peter Vermes the head coach The Wizards finished with the worst home record in the league 16 and at 8 13 9 were third to last in the league standings Top players were Claudio Lopez 8 goals amp 7 assists and Josh Wolff 11 goals who sparked the Wizards offense The Wizards hosting Manchester United F C in July 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium This match was considered a turning point in the franchise s history 17 as their attendance would rapidly grow once the Sporting KC rebrand was announced and upon the opening of their own stadium the following Summer The Wizards hosted Manchester United F C in a friendly on July 25 2010 and won the match by a score of 2 1 The announced attendance of 52 342 is a record for a professional soccer match in the Kansas City area 18 19 It would be the franchise s final overall game played at Arrowhead Stadium 17 19 In the 2010 regular season the Wizards finished third in the Eastern Conference and narrowly missed qualifying for the playoffs A Sporting rebrand 2011 2012 Edit With the rebranding of Wizards to Sporting the team followed a recent trend in MLS of adopting European style names such as Toronto FC D C United and Real Salt Lake The title Sporting has its origins in Iberia where it is used only by multi sports clubs with a history of having multiple departments fielding teams across different sports the most notable being Sporting Lisbon 8 Kansas City s use of the term has been criticized for inaccuracy and cultural appropriation 20 At the rebrand announcement the Kansas City s president announced they had planned to add a rugby club and lacrosse club 21 Since then a partnership with the Kansas City Blues Rugby Club has been announced 22 but the two sides are not part of one Sporting Club and no lacrosse team has been established The rebranding was met with a mixture of both excitement and disdain by fans when originally announced 23 With the opening of the new Children s Mercy Park in Kansas City Kansas Sporting became the first major league team to have played in stadiums on both sides of the state line in Kansas City while Kansas City became the only U S metropolitan area other than New York City to have major professional sports teams playing in different states Because Children s Mercy Park was not ready for the beginning of the 2011 season Sporting Kansas City played its first ten games on the road only winning one game Once the road trip was over the team found more success and ended the regular season with the most points of any Eastern Conference team After defeating the Colorado Rapids on a 4 0 aggregate in the Eastern Conference semifinals Sporting lost to the Houston Dynamo 2 0 in the Eastern Conference finals KC began the 2012 season with seven consecutive wins in the process setting an MLS record for 335 minutes without allowing a shot on goal 24 The team finished the regular season first in the East with an 18 7 9 record KC was led by Graham Zusi who delivered a league leading 15 assists and was named finalist for 2012 MLS MVP 25 Jimmy Nielsen who notched a league leading 15 shutouts and was named 2012 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and Matt Besler who was named MLS Defender of the Year KC lost to the Houston Dynamo in the conference semifinals KC won the 2012 U S Open Cup defeating Seattle Sounders FC in the finals to qualify for the 2013 14 CONCACAF Champions League MLS Cup champions 2013 Edit President Barack Obama honoring the team and their victory in MLS Cup 2013 in the East Room of the White House In 2013 Kansas City took advantage of MLS s newly created retention funds to renew contracts with U S national team players Graham Zusi and Matt Besler 26 Sporting had finished second in the Eastern Conference and overall with 17 wins 10 losses and tied 7 times in the regular season In the 2013 MLS Playoffs Sporting KC defeated NE Revolution in the conference semifinals and Houston Dynamo in the conference finals advancing to MLS Cup 2013 SKC defeated Real Salt Lake on penalties 7 6 after the match was tied 1 1 in regulation and overtime It was the coldest MLS Cup game on record 27 Return to the West 2014 present Edit Gianluca Busio Johnny Russell and Roger Espinoza in 2021 In the 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs Sporting were eliminated in the East Knockout Round by the New York Red Bulls 28 On October 27 2014 the league announced that Sporting along with the Houston Dynamo would move from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference when two teams from East Coast states New York City FC and Orlando City SC joined the league in 2015 Sporting finished sixth in the Western Conference that year again qualifying for postseason play due to the expanded twelve club field in the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs 29 They were eliminated in the Western Knockout Round by the Portland Timbers 6 7 in a Penalty Shootout Sporting s co owner Neal Patterson died due to soft tissue cancer in July 2017 30 31 Kansas City unveiled wordmarks that was worn on the team s jerseys and on Children s Mercy Park to commemorate their late owner 32 Later that month the club traded Dom Dwyer to Orlando City in exchange for 1 6 million in general and targeted allocation money with additional incentives setting the record for the most expensive internal trade in league history 33 34 35 36 The team won the 2017 Lamar Hunt U S Open Cup defeating the New York Red Bulls 2 1 in the final 37 The win gave Sporting their fourth Open Cup title and their third in the last six years The victory extended head coach Peter Vermes s record to 4 0 in cup finals and championship games with the club 38 In Open Cup history Kansas City became just the second franchise in the single elimination tournament to have won four Open Cup finals in the same number of appearances 39 Colors and badge Edit The Wizards crest from 2006 to 2010 Aurelien Collin wearing Sporting s primary uniform 2011 2012 Teal Bunbury wearing Sporting s secondary uniform 2011 2013 Sporting Kansas City s official colors are sporting blue and dark indigo 40 with lead as a tertiary color 41 The primary logo is composed of a teardrop shaped shield containing a stylized representation of the Kansas Missouri state line with sporting blue stripes on the Kansas side and an interlocking SC on the Missouri side The shield s contour alludes to the team s former logo while under the Kansas City Wizards appellation The stateline represents Sporting s fanbase in both of the Kansas and Missouri portions of the Kansas City metropolitan area The eleven alternating horizontal stripes of sporting blue and dark indigo forming the state line are a nod to the number of players a team fields The SC for Sporting Club is inspired by Asclepius rod representing health and fitness a Greek statue called the Winged Victory of Samothrace alluding to strength and movement and to the Spanish architecture of Kansas City s Country Club Plaza 1 Beginning in 2013 Ivy Funds became the club s first uniform sponsor 42 and a new home and away jersey design was unveiled as well as an alternate argyle design Sponsorship Edit Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Sleeve sponsor1996 2012 Adidas 2013 2019 Ivy Investments 43 2020 Compass Minerals 44 2021 Victory Project Compass MineralsChildren s Mercy2022 present Compass Minerals 45 Uniform evolution Edit Home 1996 2010 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010Home 2011 present 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Third 2013 2014 2015 2016Stadiums EditArrowhead Stadium Edit Main article Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium here in 2007 served as the Kansas City Wizards home for over a decade From 1996 through 2007 the Wizards played home games in Arrowhead Stadium the American football stadium mainly used by the Kansas City Chiefs Wizards management kept the west end of Arrowhead tarped off for the first 10 years of play limiting seating near the field In 2006 fans could sit all the way around the field but in 2007 seating was again only available along the sidelines After the 2007 final season at Arrowhead the Wizards continued to use the stadium for select large events In 2008 the club played a regular season home game against the Los Angeles Galaxy at the stadium to accommodate the large crowd expected for David Beckham s Galaxy debut Again in 2010 the Wizards played a friendly here against English club Manchester United winning 2 1 CommunityAmerica Ballpark Edit Main article CommunityAmerica Ballpark CommunityAmerica Ballpark was the home stadium of the Kansas City Wizards before moving to Children s Mercy Park The Wizards entered an agreement with the Kansas City T Bones to use their home stadium CommunityAmerica Ballpark during the 2008 and 2009 seasons The deal was later extended to include 2010 The stadium located across the state line in Kansas City Kansas built a new bleacher section financed by the Wizards to increase its capacity to 10 385 This move made the Wizards the third MLS team to share their home ground with a baseball team D C United had been sharing RFK Stadium with Major League Baseball s Washington Nationals in Washington D C before the latter s move into Nationals Park The San Jose Earthquakes used Oakland Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland home of the Oakland A s and Oakland Raiders for certain games during the 2008 and 2009 seasons The Wizards originally planned to return to Kansas City Missouri and build a new stadium there tentatively called Trails Stadium as part of a major mixed use development The team had received all required approvals and was awaiting site demolition however the 2008 09 financial crisis ultimately led to the scrapping of the Trails Stadium project Children s Mercy Park Edit Main article Children s Mercy Park Children s Mercy Park the home of Sporting KC since 2011 The team sought a new site for its stadium quickly settling on a development in Kansas City Kansas known as Village West near CommunityAmerica Ballpark and the Kansas Speedway In September 2009 the developer asked Wyandotte County in Kansas and Kansas state officials for permission to use revenues from existing tax increment financing in the Village West area to help finance the soccer complex 46 On December 17 Wizards president Robb Heineman provided an update on the stadium situation identifying the Kansas City Kansas location as near final pending the signature of the final agreements 47 48 On January 19 2010 Wyandotte County approved the bonds to help finance the stadium 49 50 and on January 20 the groundbreaking ceremony was made with Wizards CEO Robb Heineman using heavy machinery to move dirt on the construction site 51 When the Kansas City Wizards first rebranded as Sporting Kansas City they built Livestrong Sporting Park Spending 200 million on the complex 52 it was the first European style soccer complex in the United States citation needed Name rights were held by the Livestrong Foundation until the downfall of Lance Armstrong from his doping scandal Sporting Kansas City subsequently changed the name of their stadium to Sporting Park 53 54 55 On November 19 2015 the stadium was renamed to Children s Mercy Park in a ten year deal with Children s Mercy Hospital 56 Home venue s Name Location Years in useArrowhead Stadium Kansas City Missouri 1996 2007CommunityAmerica Ballpark Kansas City Kansas 2008 2010Children s Mercy Park 2011 presentOther stadiums used Blue Valley Sports Complex Overland Park Kansas 2001 2004 2006 2011 6 games in Lamar Hunt U S Open Cup Julian Field Parkville Missouri 2005 2 games in Lamar Hunt U S Open Cup Hermann Stadium St Louis Missouri 2009 1 game in North American SuperLiga Durwood Soccer Stadium Kansas City Missouri 2010 1 game in Lamar Hunt U S Open CupClub culture Edit The primary supporters section The Cauldron at Children s Mercy Park Supporters Edit Sporting regularly sells out its matches with over 100 straight sellouts as of August 2017 57 Sporting has 14 000 season ticket holders with a wait list for season tickets of 3 000 people 58 Sporting KC has a relatively young fan base with season ticket holders having an average age of 29 7 years 59 Sporting KC works with Sporting Innovations a consulting firm spun off from the team that focuses on fan engagement 59 Administrators from several college football teams such as the Florida Gators have visited Sporting KC to learn from the team s success at fan engagement 59 The main supporters group of Sporting Kansas City cheers in the Members Stand on the North side of Children s Mercy Park and is known as The Cauldron 60 The name is derived from the large metal pots used for boiling potions due to the team s former name Wizards Since the rebranding in 2010 Sporting have seen dramatic growth in their fan section with several fan groups adding their voice to The Cauldron culture and atmosphere 60 Current groups in the north stands along with The Cauldron include La Barra KC Mass Street Mob King City Yardbirds Trenches Omaha Boys Northland Noise Ladies of SKC Fountain City Ultras and K C Futbol Misfits 60 The South Stand SC cheers from the south end of Children s Mercy Park and is the umbrella group for The Wedge and Ad Astra SKC a reference to the motto of the state of Kansas while American Outlaws Kansas City Chapter are also present in the stands 60 Mascot Edit Blue the franchise s mascot Blue the Dog is the franchise s official mascot 61 Rivalries Edit Houston Dynamo Edit The two teams had faced each other regularly over the years while both having been members of the Eastern conference During that time Sporting KC had frequently faced Houston in the playoffs beginning their rivalry As of 2022 SKC is 18 18 16 W L T against the Dynamo Minnesota United FC Edit Kansas City also has a newer rivalry with Minnesota United FC known as the Nicest Rivalry In Sports 62 due to their general regional proximity in a location known for niceness Across all competitions Kansas City leads with a 9 6 4 W L T record over Minnesota 63 64 Real Salt Lake Edit In their total meetings Sporting KC is 16 19 10 W L T as of October 2022 The two teams faced each other in MLS Cup 2013 in what was the coldest MLS Cup final to date many agree that this match was when the rivalry had unfolded 65 St Louis City SC Edit Sporting KC is expected to begin a rivalry with St Louis City SC beginning with the 2023 season 62 Broadcasting EditFrom 2023 every Sporting Kansas City match is available via MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app Prior to 2017 matches were broadcast in high definition on KMCI TV except for nationally broadcast matches The play by play announcer was WHB 810AM Border Patrol host Nate Bukaty who began broadcasting for the team in the 2015 season Former Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum provided color commentary following his retirement after the 2014 season Color commentary was covered by Jake Yadrich through the 2013 season after which he transitioned to be the lead analyst on the sidelines during games Morning reporter Kacie McDonnell of KSHB TV an NBC affiliate and KMCI TV s sister station served as the network host of the pregame and postgame shows 66 In addition the Sporting Kansas City Television Network provided coverage across markets in six states Mediacom 22 throughout Kansas Missouri and Iowa KZOU in Columbia Missouri The Cox Channel in Northwest Arkansas Topeka Kansas Wichita Kansas Omaha Nebraska Oklahoma City and Tulsa Oklahoma LAKE TV Channel 32 in the Lake of the Ozarks 67 Matches that are not broadcast nationally were broadcast on Fox Sports Kansas City it was also carried on Fox Sports Midwest in the St Louis market until 2023 where it will be removed due to the new St Louis City FC MLS team 68 In 2017 Fox Sports Midwest only carried select matches while in 2018 the club announced the St Louis market would receive all matches while the Mid Missouri and Iowa markets would receive most matches Nate Bukaty continues to provide the play by play commentary while Jacob Peterson joined as the color commentator ahead of the 2020 season with Carter Augustine returning as the sideline reporter 69 In 2022 prior to an upcoming leaguewide TV deal KMCI returned as broadcast partner for those in the Kansas City market 70 with other areas being able to stream all matches on the club s website 71 Regular local radio coverage in English is provided through an official partnership with Sports Radio 810 WHB and its affiliate ESPN Kansas City 99 3FM Spanish broadcasting was previously found on KDTD 1340AM but is on KCZZ ESPN Deportes Kansas City 1480AM for the 2018 season The broadcasts are produced by Jorge Moreno and feature the voice of 13 year MLS veteran Diego Gutierrez along with Ale Cabero Raul Villegas and Alonso Cadena 72 Players and staff EditFor details on former players see All time Sporting Kansas City roster Roster Edit As of January 20 2023 73 No Pos Player Nation1 GK John Pulskamp HG United States2 DF Ben Sweat United States3 DF Andreu Fontas Spain4 DF Robert Voloder Germany7 FW Johnny Russell DP Scotland8 DF Graham Zusi United States9 FW Alan Pulido DP Mexico10 MF Gadi Kinda DP Israel11 FW Khiry Shelton United States12 DF Kortne Ford United States15 MF Roger Espinoza Honduras17 MF Jake Davis HG United States18 DF Logan Ndenbe Belgium20 FW Daniel Salloi HG Hungary21 MF Felipe Hernandez HG United States22 GK Kendall McIntosh United States23 FW William Agada Nigeria24 DF Kayden Pierre HG United States25 FW Ozzie Cisneros HG United States26 MF Erik Thommy Germany27 FW Marinos Tzionis Cyprus28 MF Cameron Duke HG United States29 GK Tim Melia United States54 MF Remi Walter France MF Danny Flores United States DF Tim Leibold Germany MF Nemanja Radoja SerbiaHead coaches Edit Peter Vermes was the first person to win MLS Cup with the same club as player 2000 and later as head coach 2013 Name Nat TenureRon Newman England October 11 1995 April 14 1999Ken Fogarty interim England April 14 1999 April 28 1999Bob Gansler United States April 28 1999 July 19 2006Brian Bliss interim United States July 19 2006 December 31 2006Curt Onalfo United States November 27 2006 August 3 2009Peter Vermes United States August 4 2009 November 10 2009 interim November 10 2009 General managers presidents Edit Name TenureTim Latta 1996Doug Newman 1997 1999Curt Johnson 1999 2006Robb Heineman 2006 2016Jake Reid 74 2016 presentHonors Edit 75 Competitions Titles SeasonsMLS Cup 2 2000 2013Supporters Shield 1 2000U S Open Cup 4 2004 2012 2015 2017Individual Club Trophies Edit MLS Fair Play Award 4 1998 2002 2005 2006 CONCACAF Champions League Fair Play Award 2019Team record EditSeasons Edit Main article List of Sporting Kansas City seasons This is a partial list of the most recent seasons completed by SKC For the full season by season history see List of Sporting Kansas City seasons Season League Position Playoffs USOC Continental Other Average attendance Top goalscorer s Div League Pld W L D GF GA GD Pts PPG Conf Overall Name s Goals2016 1 MLS 34 13 13 8 42 41 1 47 1 38 5th 8th R1 Ro16 CONCACAF Champions League GS 19 512 Dom Dwyer 162017 MLS 34 12 9 13 40 29 11 49 1 44 5th 11th R1 W DNQ 19 565 Gerso Fernandes 82018 MLS 34 18 8 8 65 40 25 62 1 82 1st 3rd SF QF 19 774 Daniel Salloi 142019 MLS 34 10 16 8 49 67 18 38 1 12 11th 21st DNQ R4 CONCACAF Champions League SF 18 601 Felipe Gutierrez 122020 MLS 21 12 6 3 38 25 13 39 1 86 1st 5th QF NH MLS is Back Tournament QF 21 188 Alan Pulido 62021 MLS 34 17 7 10 58 40 18 58 1 7 3rd 4th SF NH DNQ 18 757 Daniel Salloi 162022 MLS 34 11 16 7 42 54 12 40 1 18 12th 23rd DNQ SF 18 365 Daniel Salloi 18 1 Avg Attendance include statistics from league matches only 2 Top Goalscorer s includes all goals scored in League MLS Cup Playoffs U S Open Cup MLS is Back Tournament CONCACAF Champions League FIFA Club World Cup and other competitive continental matches International tournaments Edit 2001 Copa MerconorteGroup stage v Sporting Cristal 1 2 Group stage v Santos Laguna 2 4 Group stage v Barcelona 3 2 Group stage v Sporting Cristal 1 2 Group stage v Barcelona 1 1 Group stage v Santos Laguna 0 1 dd 2002 CONCACAF Champions CupFirst Round v W Connection 1 0 2 0 Wizards win 3 0 on aggregate Quarterfinal v Santos Laguna 1 2 2 0 Wizards win 3 2 on aggregate Semifinals v Monarcas Morelia 1 6 1 1 Morelia advance 7 2 on aggregate dd 2005 CONCACAF Champions CupFirst Round v Deportivo Saprissa 0 0 1 2 Saprissa advance 2 1 on aggregate after added extra time dd 2009 North American SuperLigaGroup stage v Atlas 0 0 Group stage v New England Revolution 1 1 Group stage v Santos Laguna 1 3 dd 2013 14 CONCACAF Champions LeagueGroup stage v Real Esteli 2 0 1 1 Group stage v Olimpia 2 0 0 0 Quarterfinals v Cruz Azul 1 0 1 5 Cruz Azul advance 5 2 on aggregate dd 2014 15 CONCACAF Champions LeagueGroup stage v Real Esteli 1 1 3 0 Group stage v Deportivo Saprissa 3 1 0 2 dd 2016 17 CONCACAF Champions LeagueGroup stage v Central FC 2 2 3 1 Group stage v Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3 0 1 2 dd 2019 CONCACAF Champions LeagueRound of 16 v Toluca 3 0 2 0 Sporting KC advance 5 0 on aggregate Quarterfinals v Independiente 1 2 3 0 Sporting KC advance 4 2 on aggregate Semifinals v Monterrey 0 5 2 5 Monterrey advance 10 2 on aggregate dd Player records EditTop goalscorers Edit As of May 26 2022 76 Name Career MLS Playoffs Open Cup CCL Total1 Preki 1996 20002002 2005 71 8 1 1 812 Dom Dwyer 2012 2017 57 1 6 2 663 Johnny Russell 2018 present 48 1 4 0 534 Davy Arnaud 2002 2011 43 4 5 0 525 Daniel Salloi 2016 present 38 3 7 0 486 Josh Wolff 2003 20062008 2010 43 1 2 0 467 Chris Klein 1998 2005 39 3 1 0 438 Kei Kamara 2009 2013 38 0 3 0 419 Graham Zusi 2009 present 31 1 3 0 3510 Mo Johnston 1996 2001 31 1 0 0 32 Benny Feilhaber 2013 20172019 29 0 2 1 3212 Vitalis Takawira 1996 2000 28 2 1 0 3113 Scott Sealy 2005 2008 28 0 2 0 30The following records are for MLS regular season only Games Graham Zusi 341 Goals Preki 71 Match Winning Goals Preki Daniel Salloi 13 Assists Preki 98 Wins Tim Melia 73 Shutouts Tim Melia 52 Saves Tim Melia 530 Ejections Roger Espinoza 11 Source Updated March 8 2020 77 Sporting Legends Edit Jimmy Nielsen 2021 Sporting Legends inductee Sporting Legends is an initiative launched in 2013 that pays tribute to the individuals who played an instrumental role for Sporting Kansas City and in the growth of soccer in the region 78 The individuals named as Sporting Legends their year of induction and a brief description are listed below Preki 2013 2005 MLS All Time Best XI 1997 and 2003 MLS League MVP Club s all time leader in goals and assists Tony Meola 2013 2005 MLS All Time Best XI 2000 MLS MVP 2000 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year 2000 MLS Cup MVP Bob Gansler 2013 2000 MLS Coach of the Year 2000 MLS Cup 2000 MLS Supporters Shield Peter Vermes 2014 as player 2000 MLS Defender of the Year 2000 MLS Cup 2000 MLS Supporters Shield as manager 2012 2015 and 2017 U S Open Cups 2013 MLS Cup Jimmy Conrad 2014 2004 06 2008 MLS Best XI 2004 U S Open Cup 2005 MLS Defender of the Year Lamar Hunt 2014 A founder of Major League Soccer owned the Kansas City Wizards 1996 2006 Chris Klein 2015 2000 MLS Cup 2000 MLS Supporters Shield 2004 U S Open Cup 2002 2005 MLS All Star Kerry Zavagnin 2016 2000 MLS Cup 2000 MLS Supporters Shield 2004 U S Open Cup 2004 MLS All Star 2004 MLS Best XI Mo Johnston 2017 2000 MLS Cup 2000 MLS Supporters Shield 1996 1998 MLS All Star Josh Wolff 2019 2004 U S Open Cup 2004 MLS Western Conference Championship Jimmy Nielsen 2021 2012 U S Open Cup 2013 MLS Cup 2010 2012 2013 MLS Eastern Conference 2012 MLS Best XI 2012 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Davy Arnaud 2022 2004 U S Open Cup team captain 2010 2011Hat tricks Edit Player Date Opponent Vitalis Takawira May 16 1998 New England Revolution Preki September 5 1998 San Jose Earthquakes Davy Arnaud July 3 2004 Dallas Burn Eddie Johnson May 26 2007 New England RevolutionJune 2 2007 New York Red Bulls Birahim Diop October 23 2010 San Jose Earthquakes Dom Dwyer July 1 2015 FC Dallas Gerso May 17 2017 Seattle Sounders FC Johnny Russell April 20 2018 Vancouver Whitecaps FC Krisztian Nemeth March 30 2019 Montreal Impact Johnny Russell May 26 2019 Seattle Sounders FC Dom Dwyer scored four goals in this game 79 80 81 Home attendance EditParts of this article those related to tag need to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information Last update December 2022 December 2022 Aerial view of Children s Mercy Park the club s home stadium since 2011 Season Reg Season 82 Playoffs1996 12 878 7 7541997 9 058 10 1741998 8 073 DNQ 1999 8 183 DNQ 2000 9 112 8 2432001 10 954 5 8032002 12 255 9 4842003 15 573 10 7122004 14 816 11 0772005 9 691 DNQ 2006 11 083 DNQ 2007 11 586 12 4422008 10 686 10 3852009 10 053 DNQ 2010 10 287 DNQ 2011 17 810 19 7022012 19 404 20 8942013 19 709 20 7772014 20 003 NHG 2015 19 687 NHG 2016 19 512 NHG 2017 19 537 NHG 2018 19 774 20 0362019 18 601 DNQ 2020 21 188 N A2021 18 757 20 734 DNQ Did not qualify NHG No home game was played during the playoffs The 73 jump in attendance between 2010 and 2011 coincides with the team s move from CommunityAmerica Ballpark capacity 10 400 to their new soccer specific stadium Livestrong Sporting Park now known as Children s Mercy Park capacity 18 500 See also EditList of Sporting Kansas City seasons Sports in Kansas CityReferences Edit a b Explore The New Brand at Sporting Kansas City Website InsightKC com MLS Digital November 17 2010 Archived from the original on November 19 2010 a b Kansas City rebrands as Sporting KC MLSSoccer com MLS Digital November 17 2010 Archived from the original on August 4 2015 Retrieved July 9 2015 Children s Mercy Park Fact Sheet SportingKC com Sporting Kansas City Retrieved November 8 2018 Contact Us Sporting Kansas City SportingKC com MLS Digital Retrieved November 8 2018 Kansas City Wizards Change Name To Sporting Kansas City Kmbc com November 17 2010 Archived from the original on March 7 2012 Retrieved December 3 2011 Matchcenter mlssoccer com Major League Soccer Archived from the original on October 1 2015 Retrieved October 1 2015 Schedule mlssoccer com Major League Soccer Archived from the original on October 1 2015 Retrieved October 1 2015 a b West Phil August 9 2017 How Sporting Kansas City got their name MLSSoccer com Soccer United Marketing LLC Retrieved December 11 2018 SoccerAmerica MLS Preki Named 2003 MVP www socceramerica com November 21 2003 Archived from the original on June 11 2016 Retrieved July 22 2017 Lewis Michael September 25 2013 So You Wanna Be An MLS Coach US Soccer Players Archived from the original on September 22 2013 a b Austin Kurt August 2 2013 Sporting Legends unveiled to honor club icons Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on October 11 2016 Retrieved July 22 2017 Carlisle Jeff September 26 2013 Major League Soccer ESPN FC ESPN FC Archived from the original on September 26 2013 MLS Cup 2004 MLSsoccer com September 27 2013 Archived from the original on September 27 2013 Kansas City finds the goal Soccer America September 27 2013 Archived from the original on September 27 2013 Onalfo out as Kansas City head coach SBI Soccer August 3 2009 Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Young Mark SKC is more than A OK ESPN com Archived from the original on September 26 2013 a b Kovzan Sam December 25 2019 Top 20 Moments of the Decade 7 Beating Manchester United at Arrowhead Stadium SportingKC com Retrieved February 9 2022 Record crowd watches Man U in KC ESPN com Associated Press July 25 2010 Retrieved February 9 2022 a b Kovzan Sam July 25 2020 Ten years ago today Kansas City topples Manchester United at Arrowhead Stadium Retrieved February 9 2022 The Absurdity of MLS Nomenclature Archived from the original on October 22 2014 Retrieved December 3 2018 Pro Lax in Kansas City Central Iowa Lacrosse amp Sports Ramblings November 22 2010 Archived from the original on October 2 2013 Retrieved September 22 2013 Affiliation Announced with KC Blues Rugby Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on October 6 2014 Retrieved October 3 2014 Rebranding in Professional Sports The Good Sporting Kansas City Trademarkology Stites amp Harbison PLLC Archived from the original on November 26 2018 Retrieved November 26 2018 Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs Sporting Kansas City 04 19 2012 Preview MLSsoccer com MLS Soccer October 6 2013 Archived from the original on October 6 2013 Bell Jack October 27 2012 Graham Zusi Emerges as Rising U S Soccer Star The New York Times Archived from the original on October 27 2012 Retrieved July 22 2017 Davis Steve August 2 2013 About those MLS retention funds They have already been put to significant use ProSoccerTalk Archived from the original on September 7 2013 Retrieved September 23 2013 MLS history the record is set for coldest kickoff temperatures any Major League Soccer match Archived from the original on January 14 2014 Retrieved January 3 2014 MLS announces new strategy for Los Angeles market 2015 conference alignment mlssoccer com Major League Soccer Archived from the original on October 28 2014 Retrieved October 27 2014 MLS to expand playoff field to 12 in 2015 will add extra knockout games Sports Illustrated Archived from the original on November 28 2015 Retrieved October 31 2015 Stafford Diane Cerner co founder Neal Patterson surprises crowd at health conference Kansas City Star Archived from the original on November 20 2016 Retrieved July 12 2017 Cummings Ian Vockrodt Steve McDowell Sam A profound loss Cerner CEO Neal Patterson dies from cancer at age 67 Kansas City Star Archived from the original on July 9 2017 Retrieved July 10 2017 Sporting KC to honor Neal Patterson tonight at Children s Mercy Park Sporting Kansas City July 11 2017 Orlando City acquires Dom Dwyer in trade with Sporting Kansas City ESPNFC com July 25 2017 Retrieved July 25 2017 Kovzan Sam July 25 2017 Sporting KC acquires up to 1 6 million in Allocation Money from Orlando City SC in exchange for forward Dom Dwyer Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on July 25 2017 Retrieved July 25 2017 McDowell Sam July 25 2017 Sporting KC trades Dom Dwyer to Orlando City SC Kansas City Star Archived from the original on July 25 2017 Retrieved July 25 2017 DelGallo Alicia July 25 2017 Orlando City reaches agreement to bring Dom Dwyer back Orlando Sentinel Archived from the original on July 25 2017 Retrieved July 25 2017 Sporting Kansas City vs New York Red Bulls MatchCenter Boxscore MLSsoccer com MatchCenter Retrieved September 21 2017 Sporting KC vs New York Red Bulls 2017 US Open Cup Final Preview September 18 2017 Retrieved September 21 2017 Brisendine Steve September 21 2017 Brisendine Old ways die hard on wild Open Cup night for Sporting KC RBNY MLSsoccer com Sporting KC unveils new secondary jersey Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on November 11 2020 Retrieved June 1 2021 About Swope Park Rangers Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on August 7 2020 Retrieved June 1 2021 Sporting KC introduces Ivy Funds as club s first ever jersey sponsor Mailings ivyfunds com Archived from the original on February 1 2013 Retrieved January 23 2013 Sporting KC and Ivy Investments announce partnership transition ahead of 2020 season Sporting KC Retrieved October 30 2019 Sporting kits to feature Compass Minerals sleeve patch in new First Team partnership Sporting KC Retrieved March 6 2020 City Sporting Kansas Sporting KC announces Compass Minerals as new jersey front partner Sporting Kansas City Retrieved February 15 2022 Kansas adjusts offer aimed at spurring Cerner Wizards development near speedway The Kansas City Star December 8 2009 Kansas City Wizards News Heineman provides stadium update January 26 2010 Archived from the original on January 26 2010 KC Wizards Official Website Hillcrest Road RH Stadium Update December 20 2009 Archived from the original on December 20 2009 Stadium Approval News permanent dead link KC Wizards Official Website Roberts Rob Work starts on Kansas City Wizards stadium Kansas City Business Journal Kansas City Business Journal Archived from the original on December 30 2009 Hillcrest Road Dirt Has Moved January 23 2010 Archived from the original on January 23 2010 Tucker Doug June 9 2011 KC Unveils 200 Million New Soccer Stadium USA Today Archived from the original on October 22 2015 Retrieved October 22 2015 Paylor Terez Sporting KC s stadium name Livestrong Sporting Park The Kansas City Star Archived from the original on November 20 2015 Retrieved November 20 2015 Rovell Darren January 16 2013 Livestrong Sporting Park deal set to end ESPN com ESPN Archived from the original on January 19 2013 Retrieved January 16 2013 Tryon Barrett Livestrong Sporting Park Deal is Over Immediately Renamed Sporting Park WDAF TV Archived from the original on January 18 2013 Retrieved January 16 2013 Austin Kurt November 19 2015 Children s Mercy and Sporting Kansas City announce youth health and pediatric sports medicine initiative SportingKC com Archived from the original on November 20 2015 Retrieved November 19 2015 McDowell Sam August 18 2017 The evolution of a fan base Sporting KC to reach 100 straight sellouts Saturday The Kansas City Star Retrieved April 25 2018 Wahl Grant March 21 2014 2014 MLS Ambition Rankings Toronto FC rises to No 1 Planet Futbol SI com Sports Illustrated Archived from the original on March 21 2014 a b c Cohen Ben October 4 2014 Why College Football Is Studying Major League Soccer WSJ Walt Street Journal Archived from the original on October 4 2014 a b c d Sporting Kansas City Supporters Sporting Kansas City Official Website Archived from the original on October 4 2018 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Sporting KC mascot helps school announce efforts to make student s wish come true kcstar com Archived from the original on September 23 2015 a b Cisneros Juan October 13 2022 Sporting KC St Louis City bring I 70 rivalry to MLS Fox4kc com Retrieved November 6 2022 Sporting KC Minnesota United gear up for Nicest Rivalry in Sports Retrieved August 22 2019 Belzer Jared By The Numbers SKCvMIN Sept 17 2022 Sporting Kansas City MLS Who is Your Biggest Rival Survey Results Retrieved September 9 2015 Broadcast Information Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on February 26 2016 Retrieved February 15 2016 Sporting Kansas City Television Network announces affiliates for 2015 season Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on February 25 2016 Retrieved February 15 2016 Kovzan Sam December 20 2016 FOX Sports Kansas City and Sporting KC announce multi year TV agreement beginning in 2017 Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on December 29 2016 Retrieved March 14 2017 BROADCAST INFORMATION Sporting Kansas City Retrieved June 13 2018 Sperry Daniel February 14 2022 Sporting Kansas City has new TV broadcast home for 2022 Here s where you can watch The Kansas City Star Retrieved September 26 2022 City Sporting Kansas Sporting KC announces fan driven broadcast strategy featuring live streams and new over the air TV partner Sporting Kansas City Retrieved February 15 2022 Austin Kurt February 23 2018 Sporting KC matches to air on ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on June 13 2018 Retrieved June 13 2018 Players Sporting Kansas City sportingkc com Sporting Kansas City Retrieved August 3 2021 Kovzan Sam January 25 2016 Jake Reid named Sporting Kansas City President Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on February 29 2016 Retrieved April 6 2016 Trophies by MLS club MLSsoccer com Archived from the original on March 8 2021 Retrieved June 1 2021 Club Archives 1996 2020 Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on January 19 2021 Retrieved June 1 2021 All Time Records Sporting Kansas City Major League Soccer Archived from the original on July 22 2012 Retrieved May 2 2012 Sporting Legends Sporting KC Archived from the original on July 2 2014 Austin Kurt Recap Dom Dwyer s four goal game leads Sporting KC to 6 2 victory over FC Dallas in U S Open Cup SportingKC com Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on July 14 2015 Retrieved July 22 2015 MLS Hat Tricks A Comprehensive Review CLIMBING THE LADDER Archived from the original on May 27 2014 Retrieved May 27 2014 Sferra German May 18 2017 Sporting Kansas City 3 Seattle Sounders 0 2017 MLS Match Recap MLSsoccer com MatchCenter Archived from the original on June 2 2017 Retrieved May 18 2017 All Time Attendance Sporting Kansas City Archived from the original on December 21 2016 Retrieved December 14 2016 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sporting Kansas City Kansas portalOfficial website Portals Association football United States Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sporting Kansas City amp oldid 1134777332, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.