**2012 Sporting Kansas City\Soccer Thread**

[|Zach|]

Sporting Kansas City was eliminated from MLS Cup contention after losing to Houston 2-1 aggreagate over the span of two games. They finished the year as US Open Cup Champions and a Kansas City team record of 63 points.

MLS Cup Final | LA Galaxy vs Houston Dynamo | December 1st, 3:30 CT









Final Regular Season Eastern Conference Standings
Full MLS standings here.



2012 US Open Cup Champions.

[JoeyChuckles]

Another win, I'll take it. And a nationally televised game on Saturday.

[CHENZ A!]

So we've given up a total of 1 goal through 4 games .. I'll take that.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

the combination of Besler\Collin\Cesar is very very good... basically playing with an extra centerback.

[|Zach|]

[SPATCH]

Originally Posted by Zeke

the combination of Besler\Collin\Cesar is very very good... basically playing with an extra centerback.

Was about to say the same thing. I think Cesar is the key factor. He makes our defense disruptive as hell.

[|Zach|]

Cesar is dependable.

You can always count him cleaning up a mess and efficiently defusing a dangerous situation.

[Demonpenz]

Cesar cruised forward for a #fail moment when he tried to boot one. I think even he was laughing at his attempt

[|Zach|]

Charles Gooch
The Kansas City Star
In 17 years of existence, Kansas City have never started a season with four-straight wins. Until now, of course.

With its 1-0 win over Chivas USA on Sunday night, Sporting Kansas City stay on top of the Major League Soccer table with 12 points heading into Round 5 of matches.

Compared to last year, Sporting didn't earn its fourth victory until June 25 or its 12th point until June 17th.

Kansas City are 10-2-3 its last 15 games (playoffs and regular season) dating back to last September. In that same span, its record is 3-1-1 with only two goals allowed on the road.

Here are some more leftover stats, notes and quotes from the victory.

• Sporting Kansas City are the only team in MLS with four wins and are the only squad without a loss or draw this season.

• Still on pace for a 102-point season with a mere 30 games remaining.

• The most points ever earned in a single MLS season: 68 by the Los Angeles Galaxy in 1998. There were 32 matches that season.

• The most points earned in a 34-match season: 67 by the Galaxy last year.

• KC have a league best +6 goal differential.

• Jimmy Nielsen leads MLS 'keepers with 4 wins and 3 shutouts. (He's tied with Vancouver's Joe Cannon and San Jose's Jon Busch for the league lead in shutouts.)

• Speaking of shutouts, Nielsen earned his 20th in his three-year MLS career. His goals allowed average this season is 0.25.

• The only goal against KC thus far came off a free kick from the foot of Dallas' Ricardo Villar.

• Only Vancouver (0) have allowed fewer goals scored this season.

• The win last night was KC's second on the road in 2012. In 2011, KC's second road win came on June 12 against Dallas -- the 11th road game of the season.

• C.J. Sapong picked up his third goal of the 2012 season, tied for fifth-most in the league.

• KC are 8-0-0 when Sapong scores a goal.

Sapong: "It feels amazing, we probably haven't played to our fullest potential yet, but we're still grinding out those wins and that's a good sign so hopefully we'll just keep riding that and then by the middle of the season be playing our best soccer."

• Graham Zusi picked up his fifth assist on the season, which leads all of MLS. The assist was the seventh game-winning helper of his career and third of the '12 season. He's the only player in MLS with multiple game-winning assists this year.

• Chivas defender Ante Jazic didn't mince his words when asked about the goal: "A weak goal that we shouldn't give up, we were caught in a bad turnover in the middle of the park. We were caught sleeping as a backline when the ball hits the crossbar, just amateur basically."

• Quote of the night from Chivas midfielder Laurent Courtois: "You can't get a goal against us starting from a throw in, that's not possible and this we did again."

• The KC shot parade continued with 19 for KC (10 were on target). Chivas only had 6 (though none on target). It's the fourth-straight game KC has out-shot its opponents by a double-digit margin this season.

• Kansas City have 81 shots on goal this season. The next closest team in MLS is Montreal with 58.

• Kei Kamara -- who leads the league with 28 shots this season -- only had 4 last night.

• On the other side of that ledger, KC's defense didn't allow a single shot on goal. It is the fourth-time in club history that a KC 'keeper faced no shots.

• On the season, Sporting have allowed only 32 shots on goal.

• Former KC midfielder Ryan Smith suffered five fouls last night -- tied for most by a player in an MLS match in 2012. Hmmmmmm.

[|Zach|]

Strong Sporting, struggling Galaxy mark memorable March

http://www.socceramerica.com/article...memorable.html

Sporting Kansas City is living up to predictions that it will win the Eastern Conference and challenge for the league title, but the defending MLS Cup champion Galaxy has sunk to the bottom of the Western Conference. There’s a lot to ponder as the first calendar month of MLS play concludes, and here are some of the more compelling storylines:

NEW KINGS IN KANSAS CITY? The popular choice to top the Eastern Conference is in that very spot with the league’s best record at 4-0-0.

C.J. Sapong, the 2011 Rookie of the Year, is so far resisting any sophomore jinx. He got the only goal SKC needed to down Chivas USA, 1-0, at Home Depot Center Sunday night. SKC overran Chivas USA for much of the game and amassed a 20-6 edge in shots, though a Nick LaBrocca shot rang off the post in the 54th minute, seven minutes after Sapong scored his third goal of 2012.

Sapong tallied after Graham Zusi hustled after his own shot off the crossbar and bumped through Chivas USA defender Heath Pearce to head it to Sapong, who nodded it into the net. SKC has conceded only one goal in four games, a stat reminiscent of how the 2011 champion rolled to its title.

GALAXY IN CHASE MODE. The defending champion, expected to lead the Supporters’ Shield race as it did last year, is instead way back in the pack and riddled by defensive miscues.

Apparently, that season-opening 3-1 thumping by Real Salt Lake at Home Depot Center wasn’t an aberration. The Revs came west to post the same scoreline Saturday, blasting out to a 2-0 lead with goals in the 10th and 13th minutes to drop the Galaxy into a hole it scratched futilely to escape.

There are still seven months of season to be played, but the Galaxy’s attempts to replace Defender of the Year Omar Gonzalez and regain last year’s defensive resilience -- not to mention near-invincibility at home -- are faltering. Another night of bad breaks impacted the result and had either one of David Beckham’s first-half free kicks that struck the woodwork gone into the net, LA might have reversed the momentum. Instead, by the time Robbie Keane scored in the 78th minute, the game was long gone.

Keane’s goal, his third of the season, contrasted sharply with Edson Buddle’s finishing. He shanked two shots from good spots. Deprived of Landon Donovan, who was bothered by tightness in his quads, the attack sputtered and though better in the second half seldom tested Revs keeper Matt Reis.

Also missing were those Donovan slaloms up the wings the Galaxy often uses to relieve pressure by knocking balls into his path. As a result, opponents are piling heavier pressure on the Galaxy, which can’t rely on Gonzalez bailing out dire situations with powerful tackles or howitzer headers.

The loss dropped LA (1-2-0) to the bottom of the Western Conference, which is led by Real Salt Lake, San Jose, and Colorado at 3-1-0.

‘CAPS CLOSING IT DOWN. As bad as the Whitecaps’ performed defensively last season during their MLS debut campaign, they are nearing a record for stinginess in year two. They are also right behind the Western leaders at 2-0-2.

A 0-0 tie at Philadelphia Saturday extended Vancouver's goalless streak to 360 minutes, as in every minute it’s played since the season started. It passed Seattle, which posted 350 shutout minutes to start its own MLS existence in 2009. The all-time record, strangely enough, is held by the 2007 Red Bulls, which opened with 421 scoreless minutes en route to a 12-11-7 finish and 45 goals conceded.

The Whitecaps are getting it done through solid showings in all defensive departments. Keeper Joe Cannon has twice won the MLS Save of the Week honor, and backup Brad Knighton stepped in capably when a quadriceps injury forced Cannon out of the lineup during a 1-0 defeat of Chivas USA at Home Depot Center March 18.

Defender Jay DeMerit won that game with his first goal since signing with MLS prior to the 2011 season, which turned out to be a rough one for both the ‘Caps and their captain. As the ‘Caps labored to match the aggression and intensity of MLS, DeMerit struggled through injuries and sharp lapses in form as he too adjusted to a new environment.

Paired this season with Argentine newcomer Martin Bonjour, DeMerit is stabilizing the back line with his experience and leadership. So far, South Korean international Young-Pyo Lee has been a speedy, skilled upgrade at right back. There have been a few breaks, too; in the tie at PPL Park, a Carlos Valdes shot came back off the upright, and Cannon easily snagged a scuffed Brian Carroll attempt from point-blank range.

Tested by a tougher shot from Keon Daniel, Cannon turned it away to keep the ‘Caps on course for a league record. Their chance to set that mark comes Saturday at San Jose, which left Cannon exposed in the Expansion Draft 17 months ago.

NEW WAY IN SAN JOSE. The Quakes are also among the early-season surprises; they upended the Sounders, 1-0, Saturday with a Chris Wondolowski penalty kick and are 2-0 on the road (at Seattle and Toronto) after winning just three of 17 away from home in 2011.

As he did last year, keeper Jon Busch is stoning the opposition with big saves, yet he’s being called upon less often. Newcomer Victor Bernardez is emerging as a tough, reliable centerback, and Sam Cronin is tearing into tackles and spraying smart passes as the hub of a slicker, quicker midfield feeding on the energy of Rafael Baca, Marvin Chavez and Shea Salinas.

The always-moving, ever-dangerous Wondo and bruising battler Steven Lenhart are really starting to annoy opposing defenses. Lenhart tumbled rather easily to draw the penalty kick Wondolowski converted and later took a caution in the 64th minute for time-wasting.

THREES WILD FOR RSL AND RED BULLS. Thierry Henry hit a hat trick and RSL coach Jason Kreis used a trio of substitutes as the Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake, respectively, logged impressive wins.

Henry’s second three-goal game in his MLS career swept away Montreal, 5-2, at Red Bull Arena. He also earned an assist by nicking a centering pass from Jan Gunnar Solli that Mehdi Ballouchy poked into the net as New York reacted assertively to the absence of Luke Rodgers, whose failure to secure a renewed work visa will keep him overseas for a few months at least.

RSL struck twice in the final minutes to stun Portland, 3-2. Trailing the Timbers, 2-1, on a pair of spectacular goals by Darlington Nagbe that triggered a thunderous atmosphere at Jeld-Wen Field, Kreis brought on Fabian Espindola and Jonny Steele. Along with earlier substitution Will Johnson, they overturned the scoreline with two very late goals.

Steele, an offseason signing making his third MLS appearance, equalized from a Johnson pass in the 89th minute. Three minutes into stoppage time, as Kyle Beckerman called for the ball, Espindola flicked a lob from the left side of the penalty area, and the RSL captain darted forward to steer a first-time shot inside the post.

[|Zach|]

Hey Landon why u mad tho

[|Zach|]

Sporting Kansas City announces Sports Radio 810 WHB as radio partner for the 2012 season




Sports Radio 810 WHB will be the new official radio home of Sporting Kansas City, as announced Thursday by Kevin Kietzman on Between the Lines.

As part of the partnership, 810 WHB will broadcast six Sporting Kansas City matches at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, starting with this weekend’s sold out match against the LA Galaxy. Sporting Kansas City play-by-play announcer Callum Williams and color analyst Jake Yadrich will feature on each broadcast.

“We are thrilled to announce that Sports Radio 810 WHB will be the official radio home of Sporting Kansas City this season,”*Sporting Club CEO Robb Heineman said. “We look forward to working with Sports Radio 810 and its award-winning staff to broadcast Sporting Kansas City content throughout the region.”

Following each home match for the remainder of the 2012 season, 810 WHB will also air a new postgame show, The Final Whistle: Sporting KC Postgame, that will allow fans to share their views immediately after every match by calling in at 913-3-810-810. The Final Whistle will be hosted by the commentary team of Josh Whisenhunt and Andy Edwards.

"We are very excited to be partnered with a great local organization like Sporting Kansas City,” Union Broadcasting president Chad Boeger said. “In a very short period of time, they have redefined the sport of soccer in our community.*They do a tremendous job on and off the field."

The show will run in addition to the weekly soccer show on 810 WHB, which will make its 2012 debut on Tuesday, April 10 at 7:00 p.m. CT and feature live fan discussion as well as interviews with Sporting Kansas City players, coaches and executives.

Since its formation in 1999, Sports Radio 810 has grown to become one of the largest and most listened to sports radio stations in the country. The station has a daytime signal strength of 50,000 watts, with a listening area that includes the states of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma.

[Demonpenz]

That is cool. Hopefully they keep snide comments about the sport to themselves for the most part.

[SPATCH]

GAMEDAY

[Los Pollos Hermanos]

I never get to watch the Royals here in Dallas. Today, they're on at the same time as SKC. I'm watching SKC.

[Ultra Peanut]

Kei Kamara is maybe the most lovable player in MLS.

They topped the Irish Jig with that celebration.