REEEEEACH

Does Dwyer's selection officially eliminate the chances of Sporting getting an international DP (since Dwyer takes up an international spot)? Or do DPs get an exception?

Not necessarily. Both Nielsen and Collin are attempting to get their green cards (or so go the rumors)

Ok, I am exhausted. Really fun day.

I'm jealous.

We are currently in what Peter Vermes described as "hot" talks with 3 DPs. #notapornpost

It was pretty much what I expected but we had better numbers than I thought we would. Lots of Sporting blue in the crowd. Seems like we were heard.

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I saw a soccer sim post earlier; if you aren't playing Football Manager 2012, you're doing it wrong. It. is. incredible. It's comprehensive, difficult, addicting, and absolutely realistic.

Our new draft pick had to tell our supporters to shut the **** up. LMAO

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...06473048_n.jpg

Yea, my hardcore soccer friends are obsessed with this.

I forgot! Zach, any luck snagging an extra hat? I imagine it would've been tough since we had such a good turnout, but doesn't hurt to ask.

I didn't even get one for myself! Bummed because they were cool. Went fast. Only 100 of them and there had to be at least 350 of us if not more.

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No worries man, I kinda figured as much. I'm glad our fan base represented like they did.

I'm going to lose my goddamned mind if I can't order a customized short-sleeve SKC home jersey soon. My need for one is very physical at this point. I am sweating.

They're probably waiting on a jersey sponsor. What are you going to get on it?

It would be a surprising development if that happened before the start of the season. However there are talks with a few different ones that are encouraging.

My last name and the number 16. Nothing splashy.

I will check in with some people next week to get a read on the jersey situation so we can get you set up dude. At the very least give you an idea of when those will be rolling off the presses again.

Is your last name Bravo by any chance? Because I'll sell you an authentic #99 for 1/2 price. It's only had beer spilled on it a few dozen times, and there are no stains or tears.

Seriously though, the jerseys run big, and the sleeves are pretty long. I'm 6'3" 190ish and I have a Large that fits perfect.

That would not fit my frame in the slightest bit, heh.

If I was getting a named jersey right now I would prob opt for Zusi...maybe Kamara.

You want to know what is weird? Through all my years of fanship of different pro and college teams I have never in my life bought a jersey.

I would be tempted if a Zusi jersey were thrust in front of me with a pricetag on it.

Yea, good mix for a jersey purchase. Likable player...good player...about to be locked in as an SKC life'er (as much as a player can be)

Zusi would be a cool one, and I would get a Kei jersey probably over anyone else right now. I also, kind of want a goalie jersey with WHITE PUMA and #1 on the back. I think our home jerseys are great to wear to the games in the summertime. They look nice and have a collar, light color + Dri-fit so you stay cool.

I actually don't regret the Bravo jersey purchase at all. He was pretty much the face of the team for the opening of the stadium, and it'll be cool to break out ten yrs from now. :)

Just trying to give you an idea. The sleeves on the Large come down to my elbow, and I have pretty long arms. The mid-section on it is probably a little bit tighter than some people would like

Methinks Peterson is at risk for being dropped.

Yea, I have really liked what I have seen from Peterson when he has played. There is just a whole lot of talent on this team.

Dom Dwyer – 16th Overall (1st Round)
Position: FWD
Number: 14
Born: 07/30/1990
Height: 5-9
Weight: 180
College: University of South Florida
Hometown: London, England
Birthplace: Cuckfield, England
Citizenship: United Kingdom
Twitter: @ddwyer14
SuperDraft Video

Cyprian Hedrick (Sip-REE-an HE-drick) – 30th Overall (2nd Round)
Position: DEF
Number: 24
Born: 10/06/1989
Height: 6-0
Weight: 185
College: Coastal Carolina University
Hometown: Friendswood, Texas
Birthplace: Duala, Cameroon
Citizenship: USA
Twitter: @Cyp_on_it
Highlight Video

QUOTES

Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes

On the selection of Cyprian Hedrick…
We're excited about the pick. He has qualities where physically he can step into the League right away, that won't be the issue. Just the repetition of situations and the way that we like to build out of the back, and the expectations we have for our centerbacks, that remains to be seen. Outside of that, it's going to be exciting. Bringing him in, we're looking at him as a depth guy, and it's really going to be 'how fast does he accelerate through the process?'

On Hedrick figuring into Sporting Kansas City's draft strategy…
It's what we think is going to work for our team going forward, and that's how we make our decisions. It's like C.J. Sapong, nobody expected him last year. Everybody thought he played at a small school without a lot of competition. We're looking at what they're going to be down the road. If there's one thing I have confidence in, I have confidence in our staff and the way that we like to spend time and try to develop players. If this guy has the hunger to do it, and I think he does, coupled with the qualities that he does have, I think he's someone we can develop.

On the selection of Dom Dwyer…
I think he's an easy one. He's a goalscorer, he's proven that, number one. Number two is he's extremely courageous around the box, he'd stick his head on the end of a guy's foot to score a goal. Generation adidas helps tremendously, it doesn't put a lot of pressure on him to have an impact right away, and it keeps him off-budget for us. And the final piece is with all of our forwards, where you have Kei Kamara, Teal Bunbury and C.J. Sapong in the mix with their national teams, we needed to add another forward into the mix along with Soony Saad just so that in case those guys are away or someone gets injured, we have some backup. It’s a big, big pick for us.

First Round SuperDraft Selection Dom Dwyer

On the emotions of being drafted in the first round…
I wasn’t quite as prepared as I wanted to be. A week ago I was getting ready to go back to school and now I’m a Sporting Kansas City player, its unbelievable!

On his time at South Florida…
I had a great six months there, scored a few goals. We went to the elite eight, we just lost out to Creighton, but it was good and now that program is building and it was time for me to move on. I got the Generation adidas offer the day before the combine.

On his qualities as a player…
I think I’m fast and strong. Hopefully I’ll bring goals to the team, that’s what I want to do. First of all, I just want to win the game and if I can help that by scoring goals, I’ll do that.

On LIVESTRONG Sporting Park….
I’m very excited, I haven’t even seen it yet. I think I’m actually getting a tour later on and I have heard great things so I’m already excited.

Giving thanks to the supporters of Sporting Kansas City…
Thank you for the great introduction, I am really enjoying it and obviously I am really excited to get playing and show you guys what I can do and hopefully win a championship.

Second Round SuperDraft Selection Cyprian Hedrick

On being drafted by Sporting Kansas City…
I'm very happy that I'm getting this opportunity. I've heard great things about the team, about the organization, and I'm just really excited to get out there."

On the prospect of playing at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park…
It looks really cool. It looks really, really nice.

On his style of play and his main qualities….
I'm a natural-born defender, whether that's in a holding position or centerback. I'm a very simple player. I break down the attack and distribute the ball. I'm not the kind of guy who's going to get on the ball and do all this fancy stuff. I'm very hard-nosed. I win a tackle, play the ball one and two-touch, I just keep my life simple. I'm a very simple player, I work hard and I get the job done.

On his anticipation of the SuperDraft…
I just kind of heard that there was some interest, and there was some interest from other places as well. I was like, 'Well that's amazing', since I didn't go to the Combine. I was just hoping, just waiting for an opportunity, and luckily I got a very good one, so I'm very excited about it.

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Sporting players seem to be doing well for themselves in national team duty.

US senior squad cruises past U-23s 4-0 in scrimmage
USMNT do all the damage in 1st half, hold off youngsters for win

CARSON, Calif. – The United States men's national team laid the beat down on their little brothers on Friday, handing the US Under-23 side 4-0 defeat in a scrimmage held at the Mooch Myernick Field at the Home Depot Center complex.

Chris Wondolowski opened the scoring for Jurgen Klinsmann’s side and was joined on the score sheet by the Sporting Kansas City pair of forward Teal Bunbury – who holds age availability for the U-23s – and midfielder Graham Zusi, as well as midfielder Benny Feilhaber.

“These scrimmages are good for us and the Under-23s, that’s why we do it purposely, because it's a big year for US Soccer,” Klinsmann told reporters after the match. “We want to get these kids up to speed and Caleb [Porter, U-23 coach] gets to know his group, so every opportunity for a scrimmage is good and it helps everybody.”

Although the Klinsmann’s men controlled the scoreline, it was the U-23s that were the aggressors at the outset of the match. Fueled by the stellar midfield distribution of Philadelphia Union tandem Freddy Adu and Amobi Okugo, the U-23s controlled the first 25 minutes, but were failed by their final touch.

In the 23rd minute, Brek Shea, another age-eligible player serving for the senior squad, made the Olympic hopefuls pay as he sliced through center backs Andrew Wenger and Zarek Valentin to feed Wondolowski for his first goal of the game. Minutes later, another prospect for Porter, Juan Agudelo capitalized off a poor pass from U-23 'keeper Zac MacMath and found Feilhaber for the second goal of the game.

As the half wore on, Shea grew in influence and began to terrorize the U-23s, with his size and speed often proving too much for right back Josh Gatt. Klinsmann’s men added a third goal near the end of the first half, when Bunbury stripped Estoril Paria forward Tony Taylor before firing a shot past MacMath. Just moments later, Zusi closed the scoring with a strong finish off another cross from Shea.

Both teams underwent widespread changes at the half, but the U-23s were by far the dominant side in the second half, controlling the possession due to the composed play of Michael Stephens and Sebastian Lletget. Still, the U-23s failed to find the back of the net.

Although the score line was unkind for his charges, Porter was pleased with his squad’s performance, in particular the several age eligible players playing with the senior squad.

“The nice thing is that a couple of the goals were generated by guys who are going to be with us," Porter said after the match. "That gets me excited because I know that through the experiences that they’ll have with the senior [team this] year, they’ll bring those experiences back to us and enhance our group.”

The two sides will meet again on Tuesday, Jan. 17, in the final warm-up for both sides. After that scrimmage, the senior national side will face a pair of matches against Venezuela in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 21 and Panama in Panama City four days later.

The U-23s, meanwhile, will head to Costa Rica for matches against the Deportivo Saprissa reserves and Alajuelense.

LINEUPS

US senior national team:

1st Half: Nick Rimando; Zach Loyd, Michael Parkhurst, Geoff Cameron, Heath Pearce; Jeff Larentowicz; Graham Zusi, Benny Feilhaber, Brek Shea; Chris Wondolowski, Juan Agudelo (Teal Bunbury, 26)

2nd Half: Bill Hamid; Michael Parkhurst, A.J. DeLaGarza, Jeff Parke, Zach Loyd (Heath Pearce, 72); Graham Zusi (Benny Feilhaber, 72), Ricardo Clark, Brad Evans, Brek Shea (Jeff Larentowicz, 72); C.J. Sapong, Teal Bunbury

US Under-23 national team:

1st Half: Zac MacMath; Joshua Gatt, Andrew Wenger, Zarek Valentin, Kofi Sarkodie; Amobi Okugo, Jared Jeffrey, Mix Diskerud; Freddy Adu, Jack McInerney, Dilly Duka

2nd Half: Sean Johnson; Sheanon Williams, Royal-Dominique Fennell, Sebastian Ibeagha, Jorge Villafaña; Michael Stephens, Sebastian Lletget, Isaac Acuña; Kelyn Rowe, Tony Taylor, Jack McInerney (Joshua Gatt, 66)

Zusi and Bunbury both score goals in their scrimmage against the US U-23s.

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http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/16...-sporting.html

Hard to believe, but the feels-shorter-than-it-really-is offseason is just about over. It actually comes to an end for Sporting Kansas City on Thursday when the team holds its entrance physicals. The pre-preseason training camp starts on Friday.

The only thing left is the Supplemental Draft -- four rounds done via teleconference -- held tomorrow.

What can you expect and what should you know about the week ahead?

1. Sporting KC haven't finished making transactions yet.
Peter Vermes has been active this year on the domestic market -- I expect that trend continues tomorrow. Sporting has four picks in the Supplemental Draft (#16, #35, #43, #54 and #73) and I wouldn't be surprised if they were looking to deal one.

2. KC is looking for depth, still.
After drafting a striker (Dom Dwyer) and a central defender (Cyprian Hedrick) last week, KC will probably look for depth at outside back and midfield or, perhaps, just pick the best player available tomorrow. It's not like you're going into this draft looking to find a starter.

Peter Vermes would like to have more players and more competition.

3. Sporting KC will continue to add players this off-season.
There are 27 players currently on the roster -- only 30 players can be on the roster at the beginning of the season. This doesn't mean KC will stand pat with the guys they have.

There will be trialists* (international and domestic), at least two signings (if you follow Robb Heineman's tweets), probably a Sporting KC junior or two**, and the supplemental picks fighting for the precious roster spots the next month and a half.

*I'm not sure how many trialists we'll reach this year, but I think we hit double digits in 2011.
**Something I'll be watching closely is whether we'll have another Kevin Ellis this year. Ellis was a former Sporting KC Junior who trialed during a preseason camp and impressed enough to earn a Homegrown contract.

4. It's too early (way too early) to count KC's international slots.
Sure, it appears on the surface that KC has filled all seven spots with Jimmy Nielsen, Aurelien Collin, Korede Aiyegbusi, Julio Cesar, Daneil Cyrus, Peterson Joseph and rookie Dom Dwyer. But, that's absolutely not a cause for any concern what-so-ever.

Why? Well, I'll give you three reasons. 1) Nielsen, Collin and/or Aiyegbusi could/should sort out their green cards -- in the case of Aiyegbusi, I have no idea how he doesn't have one since he went to school in North Carolina; 2) There is no certainty that Aiyegbusi, Joseph and/or Cyrus will make the team; and 3) If Vermes needs another slot, he can just trade for one -- and has the right trade bait with someone like Michael Harrington.

There is plenty of time to sort the roster out.

5. At some point in the next two weeks, a blogger (perhaps me) will fall in love with a trialist who doesn't make the team.
Last year, it was Adda Djeziri. Tall, left-footed, solid winger, excellent on the ball. Where is he now? I have no idea. Denmark or something.

6. Training camp -- wherever it may be -- is not open to the public.
Sporting hasn't announced where the training camp will be. The last few years, the camp has been held at Arrowhead's indoor training facility. Doesn't matter, it's media only. (If it is at Arrowhead, I'm just hoping they let me in after this Star story from Kent Babb -- it's a must read if you've missed it.)

7. The most interesting position battle is yet to be fought.
While it will be interesting to see if Michael Harrington can fight himself back into the starting lineup, if Bobby Convey can replace Omar Bravo's contribution on the field or if Paulo Nagamura can unseat Juilo Cesar in the middle, I'm looking forward to watching Teal Bunbury and C.J. Sapong duke it out for the starting central striker job.

Of course, that has to be put off until both men return from waging, essentially, the same battle at the U.S. national team camp.

http://www.sportingkc.com/news/2012/...lemental-draft

Sporting Kansas City made four selections in the 2012 Supplemental Draft on Tuesday, adding defenders Shawn Singh, Stefan Antonijevic and Kyle Miller, along with midfielder Pablo Punyed to the team’s preseason roster.

“They all have some interesting qualities that we think could translate into the MLS game,” Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes said. “In the end, there's going to be a lot of competition for very few spots, so those guys are going to have to work very hard. I feel confident that there's some good talent coming in here and it will be interesting to see how they pan out.”

Sporting Kansas City selected Singh in the first round, drafting the UCLA defender with the 16th overall pick. The 22-year-old appeared in 61 matches for the Bruins, recording three goals and 10 assists in a three-year career. A two-time All-Pac-12 selection, Singh attended the 2012 Player Combine in Fort Lauderdale last week, where he was teammates with Sporting Kansas City 2012 SuperDraft selection Dom Dwyer.

“It's definitely exciting,” Singh said. “I get to join a great organization in Sporting Kansas City and I'm just looking forward to getting this new experience underway.”

Punyed was chosen with the 32nd overall pick in the second round of the Supplemental Draft following a career as a four-year contributor at St. John's University. Punyed was named co-BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year in 2011 after scoring four goals and contributing three assists for the Red Storm this fall. Punyed tallied 10 goals and six assists in 84 games played at St. John’s and also represented the United States Under-20 men's national team at the 2008 Copa Chivas.

“I'm very pleased, very excited and very honored to be chosen by an established club like Sporting Kansas City,” said Punyed. “I'm ready for the opportunity I've been given, and I'm ready to come in and provide a spark to the team.”

Sporting Kansas City’s 43rd overall pick produced Antonijevic, a Valparaiso University defender who was named the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year in 2011. Despite playing primarily as a central defender, Antonijevic recorded eight goals and three assists in 59 appearances over three seasons for the Crusaders. After earning Second Team All-Horizon League honors his sophomore and junior seasons, Antonijevic was a First Team All-League honoree and NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region First Team selection in 2011.

"I've heard great things about the stadium, great things about the supporters and great things about the team,” Antonijevic said. “Coming from a smaller school, I consider this a great privilege and a blessing. I look forward to coming in and adding some depth to the backline."

Miller, a former member of the Sporting Kansas City Juniors youth academy and a product of Blue Valley Soccer Club, was taken in the third round with the 48th overall selection out of Rockhurst University. The Overland Park, Kan. native and St. Thomas Aquinas graduate anchored a Hawks' defense which allowed only seven goals during the 2011 season, fewest in the nation, and helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.

Miller appeared in 80 matches in his collegiate career, recording three goals and seven assists, and enjoyed a standout senior season in 2011 that saw him receive recognition including All-Conference, All-Midwest and All-America honors.

“It's a dream come true for me,” Miller said. “I went to all the games growing up. Playing for Sporting's Under-19 team was an amazing experience and made me realize that I could take the next step. I can't wait to get started and show what I can do.”

Shawn Singh -- 16th Overall (1st Round)
Position: DEF
Born: 5/5/1989
Height: 5-9
Weight: 145
College: UCLA
Hometown: Bakersfield, Calif.
Citizenship: USA

Pablo Punyed (Poon-yed) -- 32nd Overall (2nd Round)
Position: MF
Born: 4/18/1990
Height: 5-9
Weight: 165
College: St. John's
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Citizenship: USA

Stefan Antonijevic (an-tahn-yev-ITCH) -- 43rd Overall (3rd Round)
Position: DEF
Born: 1/24/1989
Height: 6-6
Weight: 185
College: Valparaiso
Hometown: Buffalo Grove, Ill.
Citizenship: USA
Twitter: @Stef2Def0007

Kyle Miller -- 48th Overall (3rd Round)
Position: DEF
Born: 5/12/1989
Height: 5-9
Weight: 160
College: Rockhurst
Hometown: Overland Park, Kan.
Citizenship: USA
Twitter: @KyMiller89

According to Robb there are going to be some announcements tomorrow.

http://www.sportingkc.com/news/2012/...ng-kansas-city

Sporting Kansas City announced Wednesday that defender Seth Sinovic has signed a new contract with the club. Per club policy, terms of the agreement will not be disclosed.

“I am really excited about my future with this club,” said Sinovic. “I’m happy that Sporting Kansas City has committed to keeping me around for years to come and I’m eager to start the upcoming season.”

Sinovic, 24, joined Sporting Kansas City in May 2011 en route to making 23 appearances in Sporting Kansas City’s run to the Eastern Conference Championship match. He was then selected by the Montreal Impact in the 2011 Expansion Draft last November but was re-acquired by Sporting Kansas City five days later in a trade between the two clubs.

A Leawood, Kan. native, Sinovic compiled 42 goals and 35 assists at Rockhurst High School from 2001-2005 and appeared in two state championships with the Hawklets. He was a First-Team All-State selection and Western Missouri Offensive Player of the Year during his senior season, when he scored 25 goals and added 15 assists.

Sinovic then walked on at Creighton University, recording eight goals and 15 assists in 77 appearances while leading the Bluejays defense to 37 shutouts in his four seasons. A team captain in 2008 and 2009, Sinovic was a two-time First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference and NSCAA All-Midwest Region honoree.

Taken in the second round of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by New England, he appeared in 20 regular season matches, making 18 starts, for the Revolution as a rookie, and also earned four appearances in the 2010 SuperLiga.

Sporting Kansas City opens the 2012 preseason on Monday, Jan. 23. Visit SportingKC.com for schedule details and additional information.

http://www.sportingkc.com/news/2012/...michael-thomas

Sporting Kansas City announced Wednesday that the club has signed midfielder Michael Thomas. The 23-year-old Olathe, Kansas native joins Sporting Kansas City after spending the last two seasons with Ljungskile SK of the Swedish Superettan.

Per club policy, terms of the agreement will not be disclosed.

“I'm extremely happy to be joining Sporting Kansas City,” Thomas said. “It sounds cliché but it truly is a dream come true to be playing for your hometown club. I can't wait to get started.”

"We've been aware of Michael for a long time and followed his progress closely at Notre Dame,” Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes said. “When we found out about his possible desire to return to MLS, we thought it would be a great opportunity for us to add another local product to our team."

Thomas attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School where he helped lead the Saints to three state titles while being named to the 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys High-School All-America team.

Following the conclusion of his high-school career, where he spent time in the same club soccer setup as current Sporting Kansas City defenders Seth Sinovic and Matt Besler, Thomas went on to join Besler at the University of Notre Dame. Thomas started 81 matches for the Fighting Irish, scoring 19 goals and contributing 13 assists while earning first-team all-BIG EAST honors in his senior season.

Thomas was drafted by the Earthquakes with the 19th overall selection in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft before opting to sign with Halmstads BK of the Allsvenskan, Sweden’s top division.

TRANSACTION – Sporting Kansas City (MLS) signs midfielder Michael Thomas



VITALS
Michael Thomas
Midfielder
Number: 88
Height: 5-10
Weight: 170
Born: March 8, 1988
Birthplace: Olathe, Kan.
Hometown: Olathe, Kan.

Citizenship: USA

Last Club: Ljungskile (Sweden)

Glad to have him. I am surprised they don't make him re-enter the draft though.

Should be another announcement tomorrow which couldn't get out today for whatever reason.

Another announcement today? Wonder what it could be..

1 more person is getting signed to an extension, not sure on anything else.

10 minutes ESPN

WOW, nobody else watched it?!!?! AWESOME ENDING BROS!

header in the last minute.... 1-0 USA

Was at Johnny's watching it. Sweet justice.

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This is a really cool and at times funny inside look at KC's thought process live during the draft. Great video.

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I wasn't able to watch the game. How did our SKC guys look?

Good for the most part. Teal and Zusi both had chances to do something special being in positions to score goals that would not have been easy but could have been put in and didnt quite make it happen. There was a chance for Teal late that he simply should have had.

Zusi had some really nice free kicks that created danger and were on target.

CJ came on really late and flew around a lot but didn't really get a chance to make an impact.

Overall it was good but not great.

Hmm I wonder if CJ will get more time in the next game. I'd love to see even one of our guys stick with the Nats.

"HE'S A ****ING BEAST!"-Peter Vermes

CJ came real close with 2 headers i saw. TBH Teal played to far outside as a CF and for some reason when recieving the ball inside would elect to be pushed outside on the long runs. That shot right outside the box that about curved in was a couple inches from being amazing though. I think our defense was very impressive especially at CB. De LaGarza was horrible when he pushed up though on the wing. Zusi had some amazing free kicks but turned the ball over too much. Jones and Parkhurst seemed to impress me the most though.

Yea, and Robb talking about how big he is was funny.

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Teal wasn't all that great but had little help, really, and I thought Zusi looked pretty decent. Sapong is interesting, too, as a non-SKC aligned US fan. Really glad they got a goal and a deserved win, no matter how long it took.

My one spot of Quakes fan glee was seeing Wondo and Moreno (who I loved on that amazing 2005 team*) argue with each other during the second half. 'Twas adorable.

*That 05 Supporters Shield team is also why I still root for Rico Clark and was really happy for him last night, despite his disastrous contribution in 2010.

My brother bought me a Zusi jersey for Christmas. And I just moved to Kansas City three weeks ago with my season tickets on the way. Life is good.

Apparently like everyone came to camp "fit". haha

Have you gotten a chance to see CJ play much? He really is VERY physical, and controls the ball really well. He's a very hard worker, and by all accounts, a good kid too. I'm not a soccer expert by any means, but I think his ceiling is pretty high.

Welcome man! Where are your seats?

CJ is the reason Fifa 13 is going to come with the "truck stick" on offense

There are only a few dozen members stand seats available for people who want season tickets. That rocks.

The Cauldron holds around 2k. They are close to selling 1.5k season tickets in the section with the remaining 500 to be distributed in single game ticket form by the Cauldron.

Anyone jumping on the set of tickets granted from the membership site this coming year will get seats in the South Stands.

Speaking of supporters groups there have been some great organizations popping up. Some newer than others.

South Stands SC
There has been a ton of work done by a group trying to organize the South Stands. It seems the South Stands are trying to be the family friendly brother of the Cauldron.

They have a whole website http://www.southstandsc.org/ and membership opportunities. I like being in the rowdy north end but respect all the hard work these guys are putting in....hope this all works out for them.

http://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/...77607815_n.jpg

The Ladies of SKC.
This is exactly what it sounds like. There are alot of women in the Cauldron and a lot of talk of fostering a female friendly and centric sub section of the Cauldron. The two gals who are trying to get this thing off the ground are awesome people.

http://twitter.com/ladiesofskc


Here are some regional groups...

- Mass St. Mob is the Lawrence\KU chapter of the Cauldron. Really fun guys any Jayhawkers should check them out.

http://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/...10594946_n.jpg

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mass-...78898105504650

- The Columbia\MU chapter is KC Cauldron Como.

The Columbia guys bring a great energy they are good to have around. They even represented at the most recent draft. They have watch parties and seem to be based out of a bar called McNally's

http://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/..._6245811_n.jpg

https://twitter.com/#!/KCCauldronCoMo

- Missouri Western has just recently started getting a group organized and it seems as though they could use some help. I am looking at you Demonpenz. They are called the James Gang.

http://twitter.com/#!/JamesGangSKC

Very cool. Don't be a stranger to this thread!

Hey Zach, have you you heard anything about parking this year? They said that it might be changed up a little. I hope they still let us park where we did last year but wouldn't be surprised if they made that a premium lot. The location and tailgate atmosphere were great.

I have heard that same talk but am not sure where they are coming down on that. I will ask around.

I have no idea what the James Gang needs but I will tweet them.

Sex.

my family might frown on that, but anything for the team.

Defender from Blue Valley West directed offseason workouts.
By TEREZ A. PAYLOR
The Kansas City Star
With the offseason departures of veterans Omar Bravo and Davy Arnaud, Sporting Kansas City enters the 2012 season in search of a captain.

But if early returns are any indication — the team opened its preseason training camp Monday at the Chiefs’ practice facility — fourth-year defender Matt Besler will find himself in that leadership mix.

“All the guys look up to him,” said coach Peter Vermes.

And Besler, a 24-year-old who attended Blue Valley West High School, has proved his worth not only with words but with action. Players and coaches say he helped organize a group of players who stayed in Kansas City during the offseason to work out and train together for this upcoming season.

Fullback Chance Myers was one of those players, along with Seth Sinovic, Roger Espinoza, Graham Zusi and Michael Thomas. Sinovic, who went to Rockhurst High School, and Thomas, who went to St. Thomas Aquinas, were no-brainers because of their local ties, but Myers and Zusi were harder sells.

“I basically had to convince them that Kansas City isn’t that bad in the winter,” Besler said. “Chance is a California boy and Zuse is from Florida, so they were little scared of the weather. But I think they saw how I came in last season, and I think they wanted to make sure they put in the work this offseason.”

Besler turned in a breakout campaign last season, thanks in large part to an intense workout program that had trainer Mateus Manoel’s fingerprints all over it. Besler led his teammates though the same program this winter for two to three hours a day, five days a week in December and January.

“It’s a lot of cardio and strengthening of the leg muscles,” Besler said. “We usually used the Stairmaster, and we put it on full blast so we were basically sprinting on stairs, going on intervals.”

Myers, who typically spends his offseason in his native California, said the way last season ended (a home loss in the Eastern Conference final) made the decision to stay and train an easy one.

“A lot of guys were kinda peeved at the way the season ended,” Myers said.

“We didn’t want it to end the way it did, so we wanted to get back to work as soon as possible.”

And by all accounts, their hard work has paid off. Besler and Thomas were deemed the fittest guys on the team by Vermes, who is notorious for having a lack of patience for players who don’t come into camp in shape.

Vermes also credited the other four for being part of a young nucleus that reported to camp in tip-top condition.

“Overall, this is the fittest the team’s ever been coming back to the first day of preseason,” Vermes said. “And they’re all part of that core group that is in top shape.”

“Those guys,” Vermes added, “are absolute animals right now.”

It was, to be sure, a solid start for a young Sporting team that needs leadership, but appears to be in good hands. Vermes said he will wait on appointing a captain — goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen and Espinoza are also potential candidates — but Besler figures to be right in the mix.

“He’s a voice in the locker room, definitely captain material,” Myers said. “We look to him, on and off the field, to push all of us.”

Zuuuuusi!!!!

2nd appearance for Nats. 1st goal!

Golden Grahams

first half over. 1-0 US.

dudes.... bunbury has been GHASTLY

AWW **** MAN I MISSED THE GAME-srry caps

Nice to see Zusi put one in the net. He really is a likable guy and great player. Teal has looked really questionable out there...horrible touch.

that's all class

Check out this video, the guy makes some really great points about soccer broadcasting compared to the other big 3 sports.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TX5hkcMcK2o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The Cauldron will be selling them...just released the design more info to come soon I am sure.