Wow, Portland.

This is when you know your team is in good hands....

http://www.soccerway.com/news/2012/M...ansas-success/

Zach - Thanks for the link. I've already visited the website. My plan is to go to the first game and scope them out. It looks like there are 3 groups to choose from. I'm not sure which one will be the best fit, but once I find one, the bad guys better watch out. ;)

I went to the scrimmage and the event for season ticket holders last night. That was fantastic. I toured all the suites, chatted up everyone that would talk to me, and I even got to talk to Jimmy Nielsen for a little bit. He just came out of nowhere and said "Hi, how are you?" My inner 10 year old was in over drive.

This organization is just such a stark contrast to the other teams in town. The reserve team could beat several teams in the league, and the management really seems committed to winning.

I am trying to enjoy it like an underground band before the guys from the shark bar find out.

I really hope that I am not that guy Demonpenz.

I am new to the sport of soccer in general, but I have fallen head over heels.

I generally watch many world cup games, just because of the spectacle. But I never watched club matches. It wasn't until last year that I watched MLS or school/club matches at any level. I went to 7 or 8 Sporting games last year. Sat in the members section for several, and probably only because of the free ticket program the team had. But I loved it. I watched my brother-in-law play Right Back for his high school team at all of his home games. And I became hopelessly addicted to FIFA 11/12.

Something clicked. All of the sudden the player movements made sense and tactics became discernible.

But most of all, I think I was just so damn impressed by the Sporting organization that I needed to find an excuse to like soccer (ended up loving it) just so I could root for a team where I didn't want to murder every member of management.

I'm still young and naive in my soccer appreciation, so maybe I haven't developed the cynicism yet that I have for the chiefs and royals. I also am finding a distinct lack of quality information about players and other teams, so maybe I just don't know what I don't know. But for right now, I'm very impressed.

Sounds like you are enjoying the ride verbaljitsu. I am as well. It is far more fun to think about and talk Sporting KC than the chiefs or royals.

I like sporting because can drive on nice roads to get there and it is closer than the K.

Welcome to soccer fanination, verbal!

Yeah, I know that feeling. If I had my druthers, MLS would grow a little bit more and then stay on that level in perpetuity. It's such a fun, accessible, incredibly entertaining league to follow right now, without a lot of the baggage that comes with the NFL or MLB or what have you. It's also leagues ahead of where it was ten years ago (around the time I actually started counting myself as a fan), which is pretty cool considering all the naysaying back then about how soccer would never "make it" or whatever.

Shit sounds so outdated now.

basically what i'm saying is i'm a hipster

SKC is full of bearded men who didn't fit in in HS come on in! Screw the quakes!

Awesome man. I am pretty involved in the Cauldron and by association South Stand folks. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

I understand going out to the park and finding your place in the grand scheme of things that was me last year.

Hoping to see you out there!

Gigantor news.

C.J. Sapong signs new contract with Sporting Kansas City

http://www.sportingkc.com/sites/kans...ation%20DL.jpg

Sporting Kansas City announced Thursday that forward C.J. Sapong has signed a new contract with the club. Per club policy, terms of the agreement will not be disclosed.

“I’m definitely very excited to sign an extension with Sporting Kansas City,” said Sapong. “It’s an amazing feeling, because I feel like I progressed so much this past year and I feel like I can progress even more. We have an amazing situation in Kansas City from the ownership to staff to players to fans. It’s truly amazing to be a part of it all.”

“C.J. Sapong was yet another one of our current nucleus of players that we prioritized offering a new contract to this off-season,” Manager Peter Vermes said. “His work ethic and willingness to learn is unsurpassed as is his commitment to this organization and city. We look forward to C.J.’s progression with Sporting Kansas City.”

Sapong, 23, earned MLS Rookie of the Year honors in 2011 after recording six goals and five assists in MLS competition. Taken in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft with the 10th overall pick, the James Madison University product was the only Sporting KC player to appear in all 34 regular season matches last year.

In December, Sapong received his first invite to a U.S. Men’s National Team training camp and earned his first two international appearances in victories against Venezuela and Panama earlier this year.

The Manassas, Virginia native opened the 2012 season last Saturday with a game-winning goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time to propel Sporting KC past D.C. United 1-0 at RFK Stadium in front of his friends and family. It marked the second straight season that Sapong has scored the first goal of the season for Sporting KC, who are 7-0-0 in games that Sapong scores, and he also scored the first-ever goal at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.

Sapong becomes the fifth Sporting Kansas City player to secure a new contract with the club since the end of the 2011 season, along with goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen, defender Seth Sinovic and midfielders Graham Zusi and Luke Sassano.

Revs wary of Sapong, Sporting KC's high-tempo attack

http://www.mlssoccer.com/sites/leagu.../sapong-ne.jpg

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Sporting Kansas City striker C.J. Sapong popped onto New England's radar well before he signed a new contract on Thursday morning.

The reigning Rookie of the Year represents one of the most notable options in an arsenal of weapons Sporting plans to wield against the Revolution at Livestrong Sporting Park on Saturday night (8:30 pm ET, MLS Live).

Sapong scored the winning goal as a second-half substitute for Peter Vermes' side in its 1-0 victory at D.C. United last weekend. His display caught the eye of Revolution defender A.J. Soares as he and his teammates went through their preparations for the match this week.

“They've got C.J. up top,” Soares told MLSsoccer.com. “He's scored already. He showed why he's Rookie of the Year. He's really come on, he earned his national team cap. That's a guy you have to look at. In addition to him, you've got a bunch of guys that are just as good as he is. It's definitely a tough team to play. They showed why they finished so high in the league last year.”

Those performances revealed an aggressive unit willing to chase the game with or without the ball. Sporting's preference to play at a high tempo clashes with New England's more deliberate, possession-oriented approach.

After struggling with another stylistic conflict in San Jose last weekend, the Revs need to learn from that setback and locate times during the match to exert their own influence on the affair, according to Revolution coach Jay Heaps.

“They're going to run with numbers and they're going to press, so, yeah, we have to find those times in the game to absorb what they're going to give us,” Heaps said. “Any good team you're going to play against, there's going to be a time where you don't have the ball and they're dictating the flow. We have to be in good positions and react to that, but also be proactive as well.”

The continued selection concerns at the back – Darrius Barnes (left calf strain) and John Lozano (right hip flexor strain) will miss the match, but Chris Tierney returns from suspension – won't impact the Revs' desire to push forward at certain points during the game.

Soares believes he and his teammates will present a difficult challenge for the Eastern Conference favorites when they have the chance to show their own qualities in the attacking third.

“We have some really good players,” Soares said. “They're going to be worried about Benny [Feilhaber], just like we're going to be worried about some of their guys. They're going to be worried about Kelyn [Rowe]. They have the same problem we do: They have to watch out for the good players.”

GAMEDAY!!

FINALLY! SKC is back! Looking for more magic this season.

Cauldron representing at the parade.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...88955963_n.jpg

It's neat seeing Olympic Stadium full of people.

ALSO

MLS Live seems every bit as awesome as it was last year, and now there's iPad/iPhone/Roku integration if any of that matters to you at all. I thought it was a great value for $60 last year and someone on another forum posted a season ticketholder code (2012TICKET15) that brings it down to $50 (it still works as of yesterday).

Every single game is archived, even the ESPN/NBCSports/Telefutura matches (they're blacked out for a couple of days after the live airing). It's awesome awesome awesome as a Quakes fan who lives on the opposite coast, and apparently less great if you're in your team's market area.

Though honestly, the best part of Matchday Live last year was being exposed to so much more MLS than ever before, at my own pace. I didn't have to poke around for shitty streams or plan things out on a DVR. Twas great.

anyways that's the end of my ad for an awesome thing so give all your money to evil rich conservative phil anschutz i guess

Was anyone here watching the Bolton game when Fabrice Muamba collapsed? God, that is heartbreaking. Hoping he makes it.

I came home and got on to look at some scores and saw it. Thank god I wasn't watching it live. They say he's in stable condition now, which is incredible news. But something had to have happened, and plenty of thoughts and prayers still needed. Such a scary thing to think about, and it brings back too many memories of recent players.

This was in response to the turkish league banning flares in the stands.......

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KinmQNdOULc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Anyone watching the game right now?

Up 1-0!!!!!!

Skc going good

Wow.

great win tonight. red seemed a little harsh and really tilted the match in skc's favor...but i'll take it! bring on fc dallas!

prayers to muamba and his family. that was heartbreaking to watch this morning.

I don't have a problem with the Red. The Jersey grabbing thing bothers me since you know the players have a ton of skill but they get clutched and grabbed all the time. I want to see artistic football damnit. Livestrong was very loud and the members section was rocking. Sweet flyover, the bathroom lines were manageable and it was a great night weather wise.

What a great home opener. The red was not what cost NE the game. Their defense was AWFUL. Their goalie actually played a rather stellar game. Espinoza alone could have had five goals and ended up with none. CJ proved he could have missed later in the game. Again, great play by the goalie.

The energy was AMASIN! The weather was perfect. Everything feels like it has picked up where last season left off. So very exciting.

the park was definitely rockin'! even with the revs feed on direct kick you could feel the crowd's passion.

memyself, agree the red didn't decide it and that the revs were fortunate not to lose by a much greater margin. that said, both players were arm checking, the ball was playing to the corner vs. towards the goal and it seemed a yellow was warranted in that situation...though i'm not complaining!

Header updated. I thought this was kinda cool from a high vantage point as well.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CJtP_Bes76k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

As far as the red goes...I wasn't very far from it and I remember when I saw it in person it seemed very fair...on video...not *quite* as much but I still think its a legit call.

I really think the refs have been quite good for the first two games of the year.

From the videoboard last night.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/S_e4gHdmEGQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kNCfvw463rM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

one of the most fun games i've ever been to from any sport. Last year we only had 2 tickets for the season.. we got 4 this year so I took my brother-in-Law and my two oldest children... Had a ball, the atmosphere was amazing. The kids are now fighting over who gets to go to games :clap:

god I love this team...

Sporting KC, Livestrong nominated for Sports Business Awards
 

Clearly not news to ANYONE who has been to a game or even remotely paid attention to the trajectory of this team. Still, it's nice to be noticed for something GOOD sports related in this town. It happens so rarely.


http://www.kansascity.com/2012/03/19...nominated.html

Sporting KC, Livestrong nominated for Sports Business Awards

Kansas City is getting a bit of national notoriety right now. On Monday, Sporting Kansas City and Livestrong Sporting Park were nominated for 2012 Sports Business Awards.

Sporting are nominated as the 2012 Sports Team of the Year while Livestrong is nominated as 2012 Sports Facility of the Year.

Sporting KC are the only MLS team nominated in both categories.

Sporting Kansas City are up against the Boston Bruins (NHL), Dayton Dragons (Class A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds), Stewart-Haas Racing (NASCAR) and the Texas Rangers (MLB).

Livestrong is nominated against Amway Center in Orlando, the Mercdes Benz Superdome in New Orleans and Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The awards are presented by Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily.

The Sports Business Awards recognize excellence and outstanding achievement in the business of sports for the period from March 1, 2011 through February 29, 2012. Sports teams in the major and minor leagues and U.S. national teams, in leagues whose central offices are located in North America, were eligible. Sports facilities (new, renovated or established) in North America whose primary function is hosting and staging sports events were eligible.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony that will be held Wednesday, May 23, at the New York Marriott Marquis at Times Square.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/03/19...#storylink=cpy

It's genuinely amazing how far SKC has come in two (!) years.

Couldn't have asked for a better home opener. Great time tailgating, and an awesome game.

I love that celebration after the Kamara goal, also think it's great that Zusi came over and was like "Alright, that's enough, they'll card you." LMAO

This shot is one of my favs.

HOW MANY GOD DAMN PEOPLE DOES IT TAKE TO NOT STOP CJ SAPONG!?!?!

http://image.yogile.com.s3.amazonaws...fhev-large.jpg

Didn't see this posted here.

http://media-cache7.pinterest.com/up...w22KlBkU_f.jpg

Sophomore slump? Not for Sporting KC's Sapong

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...ing-kcs-sapong

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – It’s still early days for the 2012 season, but C.J. Sapong has already all but wiped out any thoughts of a sophomore slump.

Sporting Kansas City’s second-year center forward has continued the form that earned him 2011 Rookie of the Year honors, with two goals in Sporting’s first two matches – and he doesn’t see that pace slowing any time soon.

“I’ve been fortunate to get a lot of opportunities and find myself in the right position, so I’m pretty happy about that,” Sapong said after Sporting’s 3-0 rout of New England in Week 2. “I’m pretty confident that I can continue the streak. “

The learning curve is still on the upslope, too, as Sapong continues to figure out his strengths and limitations.

After scoring early in the second half against the Revs, he had a chance for a breakaway second goal late in the game. He wasn’t able to finesse the ball around goalkeeper Matt Reis, though, and pushed his shot wide.

Manager Peter Vermes was in no rush to criticize the young striker – but it was a coachable moment.

“He’s not in that position a lot of times,” Vermes told MLSsoccer.com earlier this week. “You probably think he has been, but getting clear on a breakaway like he did is not common. He knows that he should have gone with the power and pace that he could have, either pushed it around and gotten by him or finishing on the first-time ball.”

That aside, Vermes likes what he sees in Sapong’s development.

“Obviously, a striker has to be able to score goals,” Vermes said. “That’s first and foremost. Then there are all the other things you have to look at: Is he a target forward? Is he able to lay it off? Is he a guy you can build through? Can he play in the combinations? Does he have breakaway speed to get away from guys? Is he good in the air? All those little things.

“He’s getting better at all of them, and then there’s the defensive responsibility as well,” Vermes went on. “That’s an area he’s been working on, and that continues to help us. The better he gets at being that first line of defense for us, the stronger we’re going to be defensively.”

And the more defensive attention Sapong draws from other clubs, the wider the door opens for his teammates to score.

“I would say there’s no doubt a certain focus will be placed on him,” Vermes said, “which then will give opportunities for some other guys at times.”

Against New England, for example, the Revs’ penalty area turned into Sporting’s private shooting gallery after he drew a red-card foul on defender Stephen McCarthy just 14 minutes in. Graham Zusi and Kei Kamara capitalized with first-half goals before Sapong added a capper shortly after the break.

“Everybody’s hungry. Everybody can score,” Sapong said. “We all approach it that way. Doesn’t matter what position you’re in, we know we have those capabilities.”

Steve Brisendine covers Sporting Kansas City for MLSsoccer.com. Write to him at steve@artkc365.com.

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Goddamn, Nebraska Furniture Mart is BIG.

Ha! Yea that was my first thought as well. I mean. I know its huge but its soooo big compared to LSP. I was struck by how LSP was smaller than you would think up against other structures like the speed way once when I flew over the area on a flight home to KCI.

Check your rep. Thinking it might be helpful as a fan.

Immensely, sincerely helpful. Thank you so much.

I figured. Not a lot of coverage there in south. Ha. And you won't get blacked out unless its a national game. They did some kick ass stuff with MLS Live this year.

Ready for Dallas on Sunday night. I get to go as a fan and not a photo taking worker bee. Can't wait.

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/38961384?byline=0&amp;color=ff9933" width="700" height="394" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/38961384">Portland Timbers Season Opener</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/uncagethesoul">Uncage the Soul Productions</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

From Portland.

I don't think I'll soon forget my first MLS game in Portland. Hell, it was less than 2 weeks ago so if it did slip from memory I'd better seek help.

Now I've certainly seen big, boisterous MLS crowds on many occasions but after a decade of wallowing in the general sense of malaise and indifference that surrounds my local MLS club, bearing witness to the pandemonium of the communal love-fest that is a Portland Timbers home game was something bordering on straight-up unbelievable.

I won't regale you with tales of the fans sleeping outside of the stadium in the rain just to get 'their spot' in the stands even though they already had tickets. And I'll spare you the details of how you know it's gameday in downtown Portland the moment you step outside your hotel, even if that happens to be a full 12 hours before kickoff. I'll just say that if you are an old school MLS fan a visit to this particular corner of the Pacific Northwest is like seeing your most unfathomable BigSoccer daydreams realized.

The clip above is a wordless recap of that day, time-lapsed and tilt-shifted to wow-inducing perfection. This is JELD-WEN Field. This is Soccertown USA. This is awesome.

http://theoffsiderules.com/An-awesom...rs-home-opener

Sporting out to silence doubters against West opposition

http://www.mlssoccer.com/sites/leagu.../05/Vermes.jpg

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Sporting Kansas City might be the least-respected unbeaten team of the young MLS season, to hear them tell it.

Never mind that they're No. 2 in the MLSsoccer.com Power Rankings, or are generally considered among the Supporters' Shield favorites.

The fact is, Sporting are 2-0-0 so far, but both their wins have come against Eastern Conference clubs that failed to make the playoffs in 2011 – D.C. United and the New England Revolution. Their next six games, however, come against Western Conference opponents, the first one on Sunday against FC Dallas at Livestrong Sporting Park (7 pm ET; Galavision).

With the West widely expected to be better than the East this season, it may be a chance to silence the queries of “who have they played?”

“I think it’s more of a media thing with the West vs. the East, to be honest,” defender Matt Besler said after Friday’s training session. “Everyone says the West is better, but for us, we’re looking forward to the challenge. A couple of the games are going to be on the road, on the West Coast, and we’ll see what we can do.”

After Sunday, Sporting travel to play Chivas USA on April 1, return home for matches against the LA Galaxy on April 7 and Real Salt Lake on April 14, then go back on the road to face Vancouver on April 18 and Portland on April 21.

“You play those guys once, so you want to pick up the points as much as possible,” midfielder Graham Zusi said. “If you take a look at the standings, the West seems to be doing better right now. As the season goes on, you’ll see that even up a bit, but yeah, it’s a good test.”

Few in Kansas City, though, are buying into the “West is Best” conventional wisdom.

“I beg to differ with what most people think,” manager Peter Vermes told MLSsoccer.com. “I think there’s so much parity in the league -- West, East, it doesn’t matter. They’re all MLS teams, and every game going in is always a difficult proposition. Anybody can put anybody out on the field and have a good game that day. That’s why you’ve got to be prepared to play everyone. I don’t measure it any more than I would if we were playing an east coast team. “

Then again, the West does have the reigning MLS Cup and Supporters Shield holder in the Galaxy, the three-time defending US Open Cup champion in Seattle, and one of MLS’ entries into the 2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League in Real Salt Lake.

“It’s still early in the season to determine what side is the stronger side, but the West has been strong for the last couple of years and everyone puts them in that position,” Sporting forward Kei Kamara said. “But we’re positioning ourselves as one of the dominant sides in the East, and all we can do is compete with the best. So having all these games against Western Conference teams, it’s just like any other team.

“If we keep playing like we’re playing, it doesn’t matter who we’re going against,” Kamara continued. “Whatever people are going to say, that’s fine with us. When the whistle blows, we’re there to play. We’re there to prove that we’re one of the best teams in this league.”

Steve Brisendine covers Sporting Kansas City for MLSsoccer.com.

KU's playing about two hours before Sporting. I'll be watching in the Member's Club before the match starts.

Sporting Kansas City is the greatest Football Club On Earth.

I can't remember the last time the Quakes and Revs won on the same day but it's probably been a long time. TFC is a disaster, I almost feel sorry for them (but **** RYAN JOHNSON).

Also god, that U-23 match was a downer.

Just some really surprising scores all around the league today.

Revolution over the Timbers.
Quakes over TFC. Not a shocker but the domination was eyebrow raising.

And the big one...Chivas beats RSL in their own house. Wowza.

Two good matches tomorrow with NY and COL facing off in addition to KC v DAL.

I think Sporting is really going to have something on their hands when they are playing Colorado and Chicago this year.

Sporting KC’s defense is stepping it up
Club will try and get its third straight shutout to start the season today against FC Dallas.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/03/25...-stepping.html

The last piece to the puzzle for Sporting Kansas City’s defense cracked the starting lineup for good June 12 in Dallas last summer.

That’s when Seth Sinovic stepped in at left back and went the distance in a 4-1 win Pizza Hut Park, joining right back Chance Myers and centerbacks Matt Besler and Aurelien Collin, who had established themselves as starters during the preceding three months.

That quartet lined up in front of goalkeeper Jimmy Nieslen and behind defensive midfielder Julio Cesar — the other key cogs to the club’s defense — for most of the remaining 24 games as Sporting KC made a run from last place to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

Far from breeding contempt, that familiarity is paying huge dividends now for Sporting KC, which has opened the season with back-to-back shutouts.

“The experience these guys gained together, especially last year, has been extremely beneficial,” coach Peter Vermes said. “They have become a unit and they’re not just defending in ones and twos now. They are defending as a line of four with a defensive midfielder in front of them. Tactically, we’re a much smarter team.”

Sporting KC, 2-0-0, has a well-earned reputation as a dangerous attacking team, one of three MLS squads to crack the 50-goal plateau last season (the Seattle Sounders and New York Red Bulls were the others).

But Sporting KC knows that to reach its ultimate goal — winning the MLS Cup — defense will be equally critical, if not more important.

“It’s important to be known as a good defensive team, too,” said Nielsen, who posted seven shutouts and a 1.14 goals-against average last season. “Normally, teams that win their championship are top three on both sides. They have a top-three defense and a top-three offense, so everything is important.”

That’s why Vermes’ top priority entering the season was cutting down the team’s goals-against average. Sporting KC conceded 40 goals last season.

Only one other team in the East, the Philadelphia Union, allowed fewer goals, but the top four teams in the Western Conference, including tonight’s opponent at Livestrong Sporting Park, FC Dallas, were more airtight on defense.

“To be successful, you have to be in a situation where are very stingy when it comes to goals,” Vermes said. “It’s something we put a huge emphasis on in the preseason.”

Of course, the preseason results were spotty as Sporting KC posted only one shutout in seven matches, including an abysmal three-goal performance against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the Disney Pro Soccer Classic.

“Everything was very nonchalant about that (Vancouver) game: movement off the ball and finding our spots defensively,” Sinovic said. “It was probably a little bit of a wake-up call for us going into the season, and obviously we have responded pretty well.”

Vermes emphasizes a whole-team philosophy on offense and defense, with the backs getting fairly involved in the attack and strikers expected to track back in an effort to disrupt an opponent’s buildup.

Still, the primary responsibility for keeping clean sheets falls on the back line, which is why time together in games is so critical.

“We didn’t have to find our team and find our style,” Besler said. “We already have that, because we already knew the way each player played and we have our style. We hit the ground running and we have a whole season under our belts, which makes us a lot more comfortable.”

Collin described it as being on autopilot, knowing where his defensive teammates will be most of the time without having to think about it.

Sinovic and Besler provide a calm presence in the back. Neither gets rattled easily and both are strong on the ball and in one-on-one situations.

Collin is a hyper-aggressive player at times, which resulted in more than a few cautions last season, but he is adapting to the MLS style and settling down as his comfort in Vermes’ system and with his teammates grows.

Meanwhile, Myers, a former No. 1 overall pick, has matured immensely as a player the last few seasons and is one of the league’s top attacking right backs.

“It takes time to be an outstanding team, but this group has been together for a while now and we know each other,” Nielsen said.

| Tod Palmer, tpalmer@kcstar.com

FC Dallas at Sporting KC

• WHEN/WHERE: 6 tonight at Livestrong Sporting Park

• TV: KSMO (Ch. 62)

• ABOUT SPORTING KC (2-0-0, 6 points): Forward C.J. Sapong has a goal in each of the first two games, while Kei Kamara and Graham Zusi appear to have picked up where they left off last season. New addition Bobby Convey has yet to record an assist, but his presence on the left side and in possession undeniably has made an impact early in the season. From a conditioning and form standpoint, Sporting KC has outclassed its first two opponents and will look to do the same in the first of six straight games against Western Conference foes.

• ABOUT FC DALLAS (1-0-1, 4 points): Just as Sporting KC is without forward Teal Bunbury, FC Dallas must make do without Brek Shea for the moment. Both players were named to the Olympic team roster with the U.S. under-23 men’s national team (though the absence probably affects FC Dallas more). Still, facing forward Blas Perez, who already has a goal and two assists this season, and company means Sporting KC can afford to relax. Look for a familiar face, former Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, in net for FC Dallas.

• BOTTOM LINE: Sporting KC is playing better than FC Dallas at the moment. Coach Peter Vermes’ squad is healthier, and FC Dallas is also without its most dynamic creative force (Shea). In other words, the matchup sets up well for the home side, which seeks a club-record third consecutive shutout to open the season.

• PREDICTION: Sporting KC 1-0

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/03/25...#storylink=cpy

Sporting Kansas City might be the least-respected unbeaten team of the young MLS season, to hear them tell it.

Never mind that they're No. 2 in the MLSsoccer.com Power Rankings, or are generally considered among the Supporters' Shield favorites.

The fact is, Sporting are 2-0-0 so far, but both their wins have come against Eastern Conference clubs that failed to make the playoffs in 2011 – D.C. United and the New England Revolution. Their next six games, however, come against Western Conference opponents, the first one on Sunday against FC Dallas at Livestrong Sporting Park (7 pm ET; Galavision).

With the West widely expected to be better than the East this season, it may be a chance to silence the queries of “who have they played?”

“I think it’s more of a media thing with the West vs. the East, to be honest,” defender Matt Besler said after Friday’s training session. “Everyone says the West is better, but for us, we’re looking forward to the challenge. A couple of the games are going to be on the road, on the West Coast, and we’ll see what we can do.”

After Sunday, Sporting travel to play Chivas USA on April 1, return home for matches against the LA Galaxy on April 7 and Real Salt Lake on April 14, then go back on the road to face Vancouver on April 18 and Portland on April 21.

“You play those guys once, so you want to pick up the points as much as possible,” midfielder Graham Zusi said. “If you take a look at the standings, the West seems to be doing better right now. As the season goes on, you’ll see that even up a bit, but yeah, it’s a good test.”

Few in Kansas City, though, are buying into the “West is Best” conventional wisdom.

“I beg to differ with what most people think,” manager Peter Vermes told MLSsoccer.com. “I think there’s so much parity in the league -- West, East, it doesn’t matter. They’re all MLS teams, and every game going in is always a difficult proposition. Anybody can put anybody out on the field and have a good game that day. That’s why you’ve got to be prepared to play everyone. I don’t measure it any more than I would if we were playing an east coast team. “

Then again, the West does have the reigning MLS Cup and Supporters Shield holder in the Galaxy, the three-time defending US Open Cup champion in Seattle, and one of MLS’ entries into the 2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League in Real Salt Lake.

“It’s still early in the season to determine what side is the stronger side, but the West has been strong for the last couple of years and everyone puts them in that position,” Sporting forward Kei Kamara said. “But we’re positioning ourselves as one of the dominant sides in the East, and all we can do is compete with the best. So having all these games against Western Conference teams, it’s just like any other team.

“If we keep playing like we’re playing, it doesn’t matter who we’re going against,” Kamara continued. “Whatever people are going to say, that’s fine with us. When the whistle blows, we’re there to play. We’re there to prove that we’re one of the best teams in this league.”

Attendance will be a bit light due to overlap of KU game. But it won't look real bad.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/sites/leagu...skc-dal-dl.jpg

Let's go FC Dallas. :)

lol watching on Galavision

w00t

Forgot about the game with the basketball on. Need to catch up now.

Basketball? Season ended last week, I thought.

GGGOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLl

another 3 points!

Epic.

Look at this ****ing buildup. Kei getting possession...the pass by Zusi...the *great* hustle by Chance to get it into the box and then Kei redeems himself.

**** yes.

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Colorado sort of made me look like an asshole after I was talking so nice about them. They really got their shit kicked in by New York. Those guys had 2 goals in the first 6 mins. You just knew NYRB wasn't gonna stay down for long.

Amazing game. Frustrating through most of it, considering Sporting had, what? 14 shots to FC Dallas' two or something? Still, fantastic match. Fun watching KU in the Members Club before kickoff. That timed out pretty well.

Also, I met Graham Zusi (I was even wearing his jersey) while I was eating breakfast in Westport. It's been a big day.

I wish I wasn't wearing that ****ing hat.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...2/IMG_1284.jpg

Awesome game. Kei was maybe trying to aim low because he was shanking his kicks earlier in the game. dang dude. These boys are gangstas. Espinoza continues to play well.

Zusi is a good guy. cool shot.

Roger is everywhere man. Chance had a real nice game. Convey had a rough go of it.

Is Convoy's hair set up for the Mad Men premier?

Awesome time today! Had a blast! Cant wait til the LA game (hopefully I can score a tic in the Blue hell!)

Nice finally getting a chance to meet Zach Amazing after beig on this for 9 years I finally meet my first planeteer at all things a soccer game! LOL

That first half was nearly unwatchable between the ref slogging down the pace of things and FC Dallas' offensive strategy of falling down.

Good to see Sporting rise above that (and rise above missing on like 18 chances).

FC Dallas coach said, "They are much further ahead than any other team in the league and they have a lot of weapons. They play a style of soccer that is very disruptive, both going forward and defending. I don’t think there is another team in the league playing at the level they are playing at."

FC Dallas can eat a whole bag of dicks. I probably had the best view in the entire stadium of the "foul" on Blas Perez. It was a straight up dive. Atrocious. The referee was a moron all game, but in the second half, didn't have much influence on the game because Sporting had the ball the whole time lol.

Great to see them battle back. Great to see them beat a solid western conference team.

This is a really good read on the build up of play from this blog.

http://thebootroomblog.com/2012/03/2...-swiss-cheese/

All game long, it seemed like Sporting Kansas City would break through. The team’s perfect record was on the line, and FC Dallas’ opening goal was against the run of play at Livestrong Sporting Park. And even after he missed a penalty kick and a couple of other chances, Kei Kamara was always a likely candidate to provide the winner.

In the 88th minute, he capped a stunning team effort that included five one-touch passes in quick succession, taking the ball from Kansas City’s defensive third into Dallas’ goal in about 10 seconds. Check it out here.

The biggest key to Sporting’s build-up play is finding the open spaces that FC Dallas gives it. Let’s pick it up when Kamara receives the ball in his own half of the field. Dallas plays a 4-4-2 with two defensive midfielders and outside midfielders that like to press high to support the forwards. That leaves pockets of space on the outside of the field where overlapping outside backs in a 4-3-2-1 (such as Kansas City’s) can find the ball. Myers made this run all game long, and he was dangerous from this position a couple of times. Kamara sees the space and plays the ball to him.

http://thebootroomblogdotcom1.files....pg?w=700&h=348

Dallas left back Hernan Pertuz has to shift to pressure Myers, and that opens up a space more toward the middle of the field for attacking midfielder Graham Zusi to find the ball. Look at Dallas’ shape in this picture. The defenders are spread out by Kansas City’s passing, so when Zusi gets the ball, there will be one place they are vulnerable…

http://thebootroomblogdotcom1.files....pg?w=700&h=349

…and that’s in behind. Because Ugo Ihemelu steps to Zusi, that flattens out the Dallas defense. A back four that’s caught flat 40 yards from goal is always prime for a through ball. Myers sees the space open up, so he lays the ball off for Zusi and runs into it. More importantly, Kamara also sees the play develop and knows the space will be there for him to attack also. Check out his first move from a couple of screenshots ago; he doesn’t stop after he passes the ball — he keeps his run going, seeing the play develop.

http://thebootroomblogdotcom1.files....pg?w=700&h=348

So Kansas City has attacked the open spaces Dallas offered up to this point. Myers, Zusi and Kamara have shown great vision and field awareness that allows them to string together a good one-touch combination. Now comes a second factor in this goal: Hard work. Myers and Kamara don’t just jog into the open spaces; they attack them with sprinting runs, piercing Dallas’ defense, which is on its heels (look at Ihemelu’s body position in the above screenshot).

http://thebootroomblogdotcom1.files....pg?w=700&h=349

Kamara blows past Ihemelu, Myers gets a step on Pertuz and now, Dallas is in trouble. One last factor to watch in this play: Kevin Hartman’s positioning. As the ball goes through and Myers looks like he might get to it, Hartman has to take up the proper position to cut out the cutback cross, which is Myers’ only option with the speed at which he’s moving, the direction every player is facing (toward the goal) and where the ball is going to end up (endline). Hartman’s positioning here isn’t ideal. He may have been trying to split the difference between Kamara and C.J. Sapong, but a ball to Sapong is nowhere near as likely as a ball to Kamara in this situation, especially since Kamara has the inside track on his marker. Hartman should be closer to his near post; look at all the space he’s giving up on that side of the goal.

http://thebootroomblogdotcom1.files....pg?w=700&h=347

It’s still not too late to remedy the situation. If Hartman takes one giant step (or two small steps) toward the near post, he gives Kamara a smaller angle at the near post. Instead, Hartman takes a big step forward, which doesn’t help him out at all. Look at the difference here: If Hartman steps to the side (purple), his angle is much better than the one he gives himself by stepping forward (yellow).

http://thebootroomblogdotcom1.files....pg?w=700&h=348

That little bit of space makes a huge difference because Ihemelu is recovering to pressure Kamara, who feels the pressure on his back. He doesn’t have much time or space to get his shot off; it’s going to have to be one touch, and because of the direction from which Ihemelu is approaching, it’s going to have to go to the near post. Kamara did blow past Ihemelu initially, but because the ball takes some time to travel from Myers to Kamara, Ihemelu has time to recover and frame the shot properly for his goalkeeper. Even though Kamara is right on top of the six-yard box, if Hartman is covering the near post better, it’s a much tougher finish.

http://thebootroomblogdotcom1.files....pg?w=700&h=348

Look at where the ball crosses the line, and compare it to Hartman’s position (at the top of the triangle) if he takes a step sideways instead of forward a couple of frames ago. This shot doesn’t exactly squeak in at the near post. Hartman may have been able to stop Kamara again, and the Sporting forward may have ended up dreaming about Dallas’ goalkeeper and being robbed, if Hartman’s positioning is different.

http://thebootroomblogdotcom1.files....pg?w=700&h=348

I like this goal because of the myriad of lessons that can be taken away from it:

- How to find and exploit open spaces with good passing.

- The need for players to have their heads up to see these spaces.

- Working hard to win 1 v 1 battles in those spaces.

- One step being the difference between preventing a goal and losing in the last five minutes of a game that you once led.

In the end, this is a gem of a goal from Sporting Kansas City. The awareness, vision and work ethic the players display in making it happen puts it up as my early candidate for Team Goal of the Year. Further, it caps off a great performance that deserved a win. Finally, this goal shows what Kansas City brings to Major League Soccer this year — entertainment value.

Sporting is a young team with a lot of energy, passion and talent. It should win the Eastern Conference (although the Houston Dynamo will have something to say about that) and challenge for MLS Cup this year if it can keep this early form going.