Sporting Kansas City

[TheUrbanRoo]

this was my social media all night:

They’re always gonna have a constantly internal rage against KC because we got the World Cup, they didn’t, and we have the NFL and they lost it, we have the downtown that’s popular, and they don’t. So it piles up so much that insignificant things like an MLS game mean a ton to them just to get anything on KC. They’re down bad, in other words.

[swid]

I was at the game last night. St. Louis did a very nice job with the stadium; having a second level and a more substantial roof helps a lot with keeping in the crowd noise and making it feel bigger than it actually is.

The trolling also extended to the gameday emails I received - lots of “St. Louis City vs. kansas”, “the original soccer capital of America”, etc.

[rxlexi]

The trolling also extended to the gameday emails I received - lots of “St. Louis City vs. kansas”, “the original soccer capital of America”, etc.

This is lovely and makes me happy Let's get this rivalry heated up!

Folks in STL are definitely in love with the new team, there are CITY flags flying all over the place and the team has been the talk of the town (at least in my circles). Great for MLS.

Maybe SKC can put together a competitive team again soon...

[Chris Stritzel]

this was my social media all night:

They’re always gonna have a constantly internal rage against KC because we got the World Cup, they didn’t, and we have the NFL and they lost it, we have the downtown that’s popular, and they don’t. So it piles up so much that insignificant things like an MLS game mean a ton to them just to get anything on KC. They’re down bad, in other words.

I just see it as some fun rivalry between the two instead of some other underlying issues. Like the Cardinals and Cubs, let CitySC and Sporting have their fun and making snarky comments/posters about each other. Underlying issues might make things overdramatic, but I don't see that in this case. Soccer fans tend to be much rowdier than any other sport.

[TheUrbanRoo]

this was my social media all night:

They’re always gonna have a constantly internal rage against KC because we got the World Cup, they didn’t, and we have the NFL and they lost it, we have the downtown that’s popular, and they don’t. So it piles up so much that insignificant things like an MLS game mean a ton to them just to get anything on KC. They’re down bad, in other words.

I just see it as some fun rivalry between the two instead of some other underlying issues. Like the Cardinals and Cubs, let CitySC and Sporting have their fun and making snarky comments/posters about each other. Underlying issues might make things overdramatic, but I don't see that in this case. Soccer fans tend to be much rowdier than any other sport.

I don't care much about MLS but from what I've seen online there's one side taking it alot more personally and it seems underlying to take a little league like MLS that seriously. Just my take.

[GRID]

I mean they have a point. Sporting plays in the middle of nowhere in the parking lot of a furniture store. StL plays in the heart of the city. Sporting is near the agricultural hall of fame and a giant hunting store and racetrack. StL is near union station and downtown. Sporting is surrounded by huge highways and streets that all have gigantic right of ways so there is massive amounts of grass everywhere. StL City is near a light rail station.

Everything about the sporting stadium screams bush league. The stadium itself is okay, but the drive to it and the area surrounding the stadium ruins it (for me at least). I have not gone to many games (been to one game), but since they probably draw more from the JoCo crowd than any other local team, half the fans are probably dressed up in college sports gear. I mean it's Kansas lol.

Just imagine that StL stadium in Washington Sq Park. I would take the team more seriously, that's for sure. Saint Louis probably would too.

[AllThingsKC]

I think Sporting KC really missed the mark by not moving downtown.

[warwickland]

They’re always gonna have a constantly internal rage against KC because we got the World Cup, they didn’t, and we have the NFL and they lost it, we have the downtown that’s popular, and they don’t. So it piles up so much that insignificant things like an MLS game mean a ton to them just to get anything on KC. They’re down bad, in other words.

I just see it as some fun rivalry between the two instead of some other underlying issues. Like the Cardinals and Cubs, let CitySC and Sporting have their fun and making snarky comments/posters about each other. Underlying issues might make things overdramatic, but I don't see that in this case. Soccer fans tend to be much rowdier than any other sport.

I don't care much about MLS but from what I've seen online there's one side taking it alot more personally and it seems underlying to take a little league like MLS that seriously. Just my take.

I'd say that it's integral to have a good rival in sport, and I'd also say that Kansas City proclaiming to be "The Soccer Capital of America" really pisses off St. Louisans more than anything, so if theres any "extra" in there that's probably it. I highly doubt that the NFL has anything to do with it - not sure its really the same fanbase (see: St. Louis Battlehawks, lol). It's The (Soccer) Empire Strikes Back.

[Jblanco]

Poor St Louis, they haven't had a win in decades. That city has become a side-show of how to F-UP a city. They've been raging mad at KC since the Royals beat them in the 1985 "Show Me" World Series.

Sporting KC and Legends is an easy target, the team is down and the legends area is just pathetic.
The dorothy jokes are hilarious! Let STL have some fun, who cares? I don't know anyone that lives in the city that gives a rat's @$$ about Sporting or attends the games. They might as well be in lawunce.

Hopefully Sporting gets it together and starts thinking it's future in KCMO and building a better team.

[Jblanco]

I mean they have a point. Sporting plays in the middle of nowhere in the parking lot of a furniture store. ......
Everything about the sporting stadium screams bush league. The stadium itself is okay, but the drive to it and the area surrounding the stadium ruins it (for me at least). .... since they probably draw more from the JoCo crowd than any other local team, half the fans are probably dressed up in college sports gear. I mean it's Kansas lol.

Just imagine that StL stadium in Washington Sq Park. I would take the team more seriously, that's for sure. Saint Louis probably would too.

great post!
Washington Sq Park area blows the immediate area around their stadium away.

[Imarealperson]

My home in Leawood is only 24 miles from the Legends and I can literally get out there is 20 minutes.

Nobody who lives in Leawood ever goes to the Legends.

Source: someone who grew up in Leawood my whole life. And recently.

Sporting KC being way out in the Legends is a big reason we never went to games actually. If it were actually in JoCo I may have grown up a fan. But instead, SKC cost themselves fandom from everyone in Missouri, and most of JoCo because they chose to go where hardly anyone lives except some northern JoCo people.

Bulletproof analysis.

[chingon]

mlssoccer.com

Shit club. No history.

[Cratedigger]

mlssoccer.com

Ha! This is great. Love to see a heated rivalry get started.

[kboish]

Also, whenever StL refers to Sporting on any kind of social media they always write Kansas. Like when they listed their 2023 Wins for the year they said the city name of all teams except Kansas.

Brutal. But you gotta love it.

[chrizow]

quite the "burn" coming from "Missouri," possibly one of the few states that is a bigger dumpster fire than Kansas.

[kboish]

That was my thoughts exactly.

As a city, they have a real fear of being inferior to their little neighbor to the west.

[Anthony_Hugo98]

That was my thoughts exactly.

As a city, they have a real fear of being inferior to their little neighbor to the west.

I mean, they’re already kind of getting there, so I can understand the concern

[daGOAT]

STL's team is badass. The rivalry could flourish and become historic one day, who knows. As far as the little localized bickering, both cities have people who talk down on their respective sister city and is personally not very tasteful imo. KC is Missouri's premier city rn and is pretty hot atm, which it deserves. STL is the more storied of the two but sadly her star may always be a little less dim than it was in 1904. Both are amazing places and tremendous assets to the state so fukc it apples x oranges.

[GRID]

So it looks like KC now has one of the smallest stadiums in MLS and for that reason KC's attendance has fallen down to 19th?

https://soccerstadiumdigest.com/2023-mls-attendance/

I'm sure on many weekends KC could draw 25-30k. Besides the terrible location, isn't this another reason to build a new stadium in a better location?

[swid]

Children's Mercy Park is now the third-smallest MLS stadium (only Colorado and San Jose play in smaller venues); the median capacity for MLS stadiums is 22K.

In any case, while somehow winning the MLS Cup this year is still wildly unrealistic, knocking St. Louis out in the first round would be more than enough of a consolation prize.