Sporting Kansas City

[chaglang]

Capacity crowd for the MLS Cup celebration at Union Station tonight.

And, sadly, the White Puma announced his retirement:
http://www.kansascity.com/2013/12/09/46 ... elsen.html

Good way to go out.

[KCMax]

So Nielsen is gone, and I'm hearing rumors Zusi could be headed to Europe (despite just signing a 4 year deal this summer). Dwyer and Collin may be gone too. I'd like to see an upgrade at wing over Sapong. Do we have any free agents? Should we expect this team to get picked apart? Will they return intact?

[KCMax]

SKC acquired Portland midfielder Sal Zizzo.

http://www.stumptownfooty.com/portland- ... tion-money

Despite occupying a regular spot on the Timbers' bench, Zizzo has been on the outside of the Timbers first team since Caleb Porter began reshaping the club in his image. A speedy winger with a penchant for dribbling to the end line, Zizzo's playing style never quite fit in with the club's new possession-first mentality.

Sounds like some upside there.

[AllThingsKC]

Sporting KC has announced that the club will partner with two USL PRO teams for the 2014 season, adding a one-year agreement with Oklahoma City Energy to join Orlando City Soccer Club as official USL PRO affiliates of Sporting KC.

In addition, former Sporting KC captain Jimmy Nielsen will serve as head coach of Energy FC in their inaugural season.

[bobbyhawks]

Sporting KC has announced that the club will partner with two USL PRO teams for the 2014 season, adding a one-year agreement with Oklahoma City Energy to join Orlando City Soccer Club as official USL PRO affiliates of Sporting KC.

In addition, former Sporting KC captain Jimmy Nielsen will serve as head coach of Energy FC in their inaugural season.

That is a great opportunity for Jimmy Nielsen. Definitely happy for him.

[KCMax]

Sporting Park will host Champions League game

Sporting Kansas City will host a quarterfinal game with Mexico's Cruz Azul in the 2013-2014 CONCACAF Champions League.

The game will be held at 7 p.m. on March 12.

[AllThingsKC]

Sporting KC will also play @ Cruz Azul one week later.

[aknowledgeableperson]

The idea of playing international games is a great one, whether or not Sporting KC is playing in it.

[KCMax]

SKC offered midfielder Michael Bradley $40 mill to leave AS Roma. He ended up signing with FC Toronto. Nice to see ownership not resting on their laurels after winning the title though.

[bobbyhawks]

SKC offered midfielder Michael Bradley $40 mill to leave AS Roma. He ended up signing with FC Toronto. Nice to see ownership not resting on their laurels after winning the title though.

Wow. That is great to see an American player, in his prime, brought back to the league with some real money. It has to make things easier from a World Cup prep/jetlag standpoint as well. West Coast USA camps are a 9 hour difference from Rome, and East/West coast shifts are down to 4.

It will also be fascinating to see our game vs. South Korea considering our current 26 man roster has only one player that is outside of the MLS. KC could have some pretty difficult stretches this summer with key people missing.

[KCMax]

MLS to expand to Miami with David Beckham as owner if they can work out a stadium deal. Ownership willing to fund the stadium if they can get the land. CFB's Hurricanes may also play in the stadium.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/05/3 ... bring.html#

[KCMax]

SKC deals Teal Bunbury to New England for a first round pick. Teal was maddeningly inconsistent, and we save cap space and get a draft pick out of it. Win-win to me.

[bobbyhawks]

SKC deals Teal Bunbury to New England for a first round pick. Teal was maddeningly inconsistent, and we save cap space and get a draft pick out of it. Win-win to me.

That sounds like a great move. Sporting has done a pretty great job in the draft.

[kboish]

I think its a good move. Teal would have never gotten playing time on this roster. We just have too many forwards and he is probably last on the depth chart. Good for him to go to a team where he can start...good for us to get new draft picks

I think Vermes has an amazing ability to craft a team that excels at his style of play. You can tell he really, really enjoys the talent scouting and development aspect of his job...He also happens to be a hell of a coach. Those two things together in one person is very rare. People want to play for him.

I like his quote after the preseason game yesterday regarding the team and future roster moves.

There's a good possibility that there's going to be a few more players that will join the team. We're still working on those. The roster is like a living, breathing entity. It never is fixed. It's never done. You're constantly looking to improve and things change within the group. I always say, players don't stay the same. You're either getting better or you're getting left behind. What I am very pleased with and what I have found out in the preseason thus far is a lot of our young guys have made a big step forward this year. I'm very happy with the progression of a few guys and what they're starting to add to the team. I can see them getting minutes in some of the competitions that we are going to play in this year and hopefully they're going to be able to contribute in a very meaningful way.

[bobbyhawks]

If this were the Royals, we would have accumulated a ton of mediocre players, thinking that a large number of mediocre players at the same position is equivalent to a single excellent player. We would never trade a guy until it became clear we were going to lose him anyway or his performance was terrible. We could have never extended Zusi. It will be interesting to see how the team keeps up with the league as player salaries escalate.

[KCMax]

If this were the Royals, we would have accumulated a ton of mediocre players, thinking that a large number of mediocre players at the same position is equivalent to a single excellent player. We would never trade a guy until it became clear we were going to lose him anyway or his performance was terrible. We could have never extended Zusi. It will be interesting to see how the team keeps up with the league as player salaries escalate.

And overpaid to re-acquire Davy Arnaud. "But he's such a fan-favorite! And he's a gritty gamer who can provide veteran presence!"

[KCMax]

MLS has purchased Chivas USA. It seems inevitable they'll be relocated.

[chaglang]

If this were the Royals, we would have accumulated a ton of mediocre players, thinking that a large number of mediocre players at the same position is equivalent to a single excellent player. We would never trade a guy until it became clear we were going to lose him anyway or his performance was terrible. We could have never extended Zusi. It will be interesting to see how the team keeps up with the league as player salaries escalate.

And overpaid to re-acquire Davy Arnaud. "But he's such a fan-favorite! And he's a gritty gamer who can provide veteran presence!"

I'd never thought of Davy Arnaud as the Joe Randa of SKC, but obviously there's a comparison to be made.

[Unknown JimmyD]

MLS has purchased Chivas USA. It seems inevitable they'll be relocated.

the commish specifically said that they would not be moving it to another city. on the other hand, a week earlier he also specifically said that the league was not going to buy cusa... so there's that. i think they'll look to relocate out of the stubhub center into their own stadium asap, though. the league really wants to have an intra-city rival in los angeles, so i just don't see them moving to another city. i'll bet they'll have sold to new ownership by the end of the summer, as well, and rebrand for next year. great move by the league. cusa was an ongoing disaster on the field as well as off.

I think Vermes has an amazing ability to craft a team that excels at his style of play. You can tell he really, really enjoys the talent scouting and development aspect of his job...He also happens to be a hell of a coach.

i've come around over the last couple of years from my initial assessment of vermes of wanting him fired. my opinion for that was always about his coaching and his image. i thought he was, and is, a good technical director and has done a very good job of finding talent and developing it. my complaints were that his gameday management was average at best (still is), and his demeanor and antics on the sideline were sometimes embarrassing (still are). he has results and a cup to back him up now though, so he largely gets a passing grade from me now.

[KCMax]

Besler named captain. Team unveiled new secondary kits.

http://www.kansascity.com/2014/03/04/48 ... ptain.html