Here's some news for you today regarding Sporting KC.
Sporting Pull Out of Swope Park Project
This actually happened last week, but with all the news regarding player announcements I keep forgetting to post about it. The project that the city of Kansas City supports to turn the area around Sporting's training facility into a soccer complex that could rival the Overland Park Complex.
The city of Kansas City has a plan to expand the soccer complex in Swope Park that includes the Sporting KC training facility, but that plan has run into some trouble because of the funding. The city is behind a proposed $23.1 million plan that would add fields and amenities to the area at 63rd St and Lewis Road in Kansas City, Missouri.
A cool story on the Sporting KC website about a recent training experience that Nixa SC took
part in.
Sporting KC welcomed Nixa Soccer Club to Kansas City earlier this month for a fun-filled,
two-day trip.
On the first day of their stay, the players and their families visited the Sporting Club
Training Center in Swope Park to participate in a clinic conducted by fitness coach Dave McKay and
Sporting KC midfielder Graham Zusi.
Last night at Livestrong Sporting Park, Kansas City played their second friendly of the season
against Stoke City of the English Premier League. With a team made up mainly of the Swope Park
Rangers, Sport held their own against the Premier League side drawing 1-1 in what would probably be
considered a fair result.
The speedy ones, A-Rod and Alex, are back in action with the WNT
The U.S. WNT has gotten a fantastic reception in Kansas City where the folks couldn't be nicer and
more excited to see the team, which everyone sincerley appreciates. The squad trained on Monday and
Tuesday at the Sporting KC Training Facility at Swope Park and the media, fan and kid turnouts have
been excellent.
The temperatures hit 100 degrees F yesterday, when Alan Pardew ran two training sessions in Kansas
City. Alan Pardew - in new Newcastle training gear The players were training at Sporting Kansas
City's Swope Park training ground yesterday, in preparation for their game tomorrow night, and
let's hope the lads were drinking plenty of water.
The Swope Park Rangers got back to their reserve league season yesterday against the Houston Dynamo
down in Houston. Cam Weaver of the Dynamo scored both of the goals in the game. The first in the
17th minute on a header from a Colin Clarke cross. In the second half, goalkeeper Eric Kronberg
earned himself a red card as he took down Weaver in the box.
Today, US Soccer announced the potential 4th round match ups and hosts for the US Open Cup. Should
Kansas City make their way past Orlando next Tuesday at Livestrong Sporting Park, KC will get the
chance to stay at home. KC will stay at Livestrong Sporting Park for the potential 4th round match
up on June 5th.
Of the two games this weekend, KC couldn't win the bigger of the two, but at least the traveling
fans didn't go home without seeing one win. The Swope Park Rangers took on the Chicago Fire this
morning in Chicago, and came away with a 3-1 win over the Fire. Three first half goals were enough
to see the Rangers to victory.
The Swope Park Rangers have made it to the half way point of their 10 game reserve league season
tonight when they took on FC Dallas under the lights at the team's Swope Park training complex. The
roster saw only 2 players that had played minutes in league play so far this season, in Luke
Sassano who started, and Teal Bunbury who was a late sub.
It's not a great day news wise for Sporting KC today, with two bits of bad news coming out today.
First, Sporting KC's reserves, the Swope Park Rangers, took the field against the Colorado Rapids
in reserve league play. From the beginning, KC was the stronger side, controlling the game and
attacking consistently, but were unable to grab the lead.
Sporting KC got an early goal from Soony Saad off an assist from Luke Sassano, and that was all the
Swope Park Rangers needed to get the 1-0 win. Things got testy towards the end, as two Chicago Fire
players, Daniel Paladini and Kwame Watson-Sirboe both picked up red cards in the 87th minute as the
Fire finished with 9 men.
The Swope Park Rangers suffered their first loss of the season today at Swope Park, as the reserves
gave up 3 second half goals, falling to the Houston Dynamo 3-0. The first half was interrupted by
lightning. In the second half, in a 21 minute stretch, Cam Weaver, Alex Dixon, and Colin Rolfe all
scored for Houston to give them the win over the Rangers.
In the first game of the season at Livestrong Sporting Park, the Swope Park Rangers defeated
Rockhurst University 2-0 on goals by Luke Sassano and Dom Dwyer. KC started the game with a lineup
that featured only two players that defeated DC on Saturday 1-0. Jacob Peterson and goal scorer, CJ
Sapong both started for the Rangers against Rockhurst.
Sporting KC announced today that the team had added one more preseason friendly to their schedule
down in Orlando before returning home. The team has scheduled a friendly for tomorrow against the
US U17 team at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the morning. With the majority of the first
team getting the run out tonight, expect it to be a team filled mainly with reserves and trialists
that takes on the young national team tomorrow morning.
Today, MLS released this year's reserve schedule for all teams. Once again Sporting is in the
Central Conference, where they will play each of the other 5 teams home and away to give them a
total of 10 games. Sporting though, has already announced one other reserve game, on their schedule
on their team site.
In the final game of the year for Sporting KC, the Swope Park Rangers finished out the reserve
league season today at Swope Park against FC Dallas. The Rangers fell 5-3 to Dallas as Ruben Luna
scored 4 goals to help Dallas to the win. Luna opened the scoring in the 28th minute. Jeferson
equalized for the reserves in the 37th from the penalty spot after Soony Saad was fouled in the
box.
The Swope Park Rangers fell in their reserve league game today against the Houston Dynamo 2-0 at
Swope Park today. The reserves dominated the run of play but were unable to find a goal, while the
Dynamo scored on their two shots during the game.
The Sporting KC reserves, the Swope Park Rangers, fell to FC Dallas in reserve team action today
2-1 down in Dallas. From reports KC had a good run of play today controlling large portions of the
game, but couldn't capitalize on the chances. Dallas grabbed two goals in the first 16 minutes
through Ruben Luna and Bobby Warshaw.
It may not make up for the loss last night between the first teams, but the Swope Park Rangers earn
a bit of revenge today defeating the Salt Lake reserves 1-0 thanks to an 88th minute penalty by
Davy Arnaud. Both teams created some chances in the first half, the best was probably CJ Sapong
hitting the post.
If you were trying to figure out a way to make it from LIVESTRONG Sporting Park to Swope Park for
the reserve game against the Houston Dynamo, you can stop your planning. Today the team announced
that the Swope Park Rangers game against the Dynamo has been moved totally from this Saturday. The
game will now be played on Tuesday October 18th.
This coming Saturday was supposed to see a double header at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park between
Sporting KC and the Houston Dynamo with the reserves set to follow the first team. That plan has
now changed, likely due to the deteriorating conditions of the playing field at LIVESTRONG Sporting
Park. The reserve game will now be taking place at the club's training facility at Swope Park.
The Swope Park Rangers, Sporting KC's reserve side, moved their record in the reserve league this
year to 2-2-2 with a 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids today at the Swope Park training complex. An
early goal by Soony Saad was the lone tally in the game. Both teams had some good chances, in a
game that was delayed for a period of time due to lightning.
The Swope Park Rangers fell in a reserve league game today out at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park to the
Chicago Fire. With Sporting KC set to take on Newcastle tomorrow, and a game against Toronto this
weekend, KC's lineup saw them field only six players that are actually on KC's roster. The other 5
starters, and all 5 substitutions were either trialists or Juniors players.
Less than 24 hours after the first team pulled out a 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids, the Swope
Park Rangers picked up a 1-1 draw themselves. Like the first team game, Sporting KC was able to
control the possession and pace of the game from the start. Milos Stojcev had an early effort that
went off the bar and then set up an effort by CJ Sapong that Steward Ceus came up with a big kick
save.
Sporting KC's reserves, the Swope Park Rangers, moved to 1-1-1 on the reserve league season after
drawing 1-1 in Chicago today against the Fire reserves. One time rumored KC signing Christian
Nazarit, got the opener for the Fire in the 11th minute. KC had some chances to equalized and
finally did in the 40th minute.
The Swope Park Rangers picked up their first win of the reserve league season today, defeating Real
Salt Lake 2-0 at Swope Park. Chance Myers had a first half brace and Eric Kronberg picked up the
shutout for KC in the victory. Check out the highlights and reaction below.
In a battle of the reserves of the MLS Eastern Division's top two teams, the winner came up all
Orange today. The Dynamo Reserves beat the Plastic Sporks in KC 3-0 at the Sporting Club Training
Center in Swope Park, and the hero of the day was none other than that guy to the left right there,
Alex Dixon.
Sporting Kansas City will hold open tryouts for prospective players on Saturday, June 9 and
Sunday, June 10 at the team's Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park, the club announced
Tuesday. The tryouts are open to players who are 18 years of age and older, and are among
the first 300 registrants.
Sporting Kansas City will again offer a series of youth soccer camps in 2012 for boys and girls
of all ages. Camps will be offered to the experienced player ready to take it to the next level as
well as the player who is newly developing their skills. Campers who attend sessions at our
training center in Swope Park will have the opportunity to observe the Pros at practice.
The announcement that was long rumored and long thought would happen has finally happened. Sporting
Club has joined in with an affiliation with KC Blues Rugby, making them the second sport to be
under the Sporting Club banner. The speculation on the Blues joining up with Sporting KC started
back when the announcement of the name change was made.
Some news that Sporting KC released earlier today regarding the Juniors and upcoming Open
Tryouts.
Last week I posted about the Sporting KC Juniors that I'd been able to find that had signed for
colleges. Today Sporting KC came out with a full list of those Juniors players that have signed to
play at the collegiate level.
Among the highlights of the Dynamo Reserves' 2-0 win yesterday morning over the Kansas City
Wizards Sporks are a couple of very nice finishes from Alex Dixon and Colin Clark. When thinking
beyond this season, it's getting pretty clear that Dixon is a serious asset. Check out the moves he
makes to create space in a dangerous area before cooly finishing the chance.
