Month: September 2017

Sporting KC takes on New York in Open Cup final Wednesday in KCK

Sporting Kansas City will compete in Wednesday’s showdown U.S. Open Cup final at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

Sporting KC takes on the New York Red Bulls for the title match at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

In regular season action, Sporting KC won 3-1 over the New England Revolution on Sunday to move within a point of first place in the Western Conference.

Sporting KC has won three previous Open Cup titles in 2004, 2012 and 2015.

The Lamar Hunt Open Cup match on Wednesday will air live on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish). The Sporting KC Uphoria app will provide additional live updates, and The Final Whistle postgame show will air immediately after the match on 810 WHB.

The winner of Wednesday’s Open Cup Final will receive $250,000 in prize money and a berth in the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League.

Sporting KC is seeking the club’s fourth Open Cup title, which would tie the record for most Open Cup championships among MLS teams.

The Red Bulls are still seeking their first championship in a knockout competition. The team came closest in 2003 and 2008, suffering defeat in the Open Cup Final and MLS Cup.

Both sides enter Wednesday with multiple names on the injury report. Sporting KC’s Soni Mustivar is out with a pulled hamstring, while forward Daniel Salloi – who has scored twice in this year’s Open Cup run – is questionable with a hip ailment.

The biggest question mark for New York is midfielder Daniel Royer, who has missed seven straight games in all competitions with a knee injury. July’s MLS Player of the Month has trained in full this week, and Marsch will likely make a decision today on whether to select the Austrian to his 18-man squad. Former Sporting KC defender Aurelien Collin, meanwhile, is doubtful to feature as he continues to recover from plantar fasciitis.

After facing New York, Sporting KC will continue its MLS regular season campaign Sunday against the LA Galaxy (7-15-6, 27 points) at Children’s Mercy Park. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. on FOX Sports Kansas City Plus, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, ESPN 99.3 FM (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish).

– Information from Sporting KC

Business West to focus on Turner Diagonal

The new Amazon warehouse has changed the landscape along the Turner Diagonal Corridor. A panel of experts will discuss how this came about and the related development potential at the annual meeting of Business West starting at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, at the Mary Ann Flunder Lodge (formerly the Conference Center) at Kansas City Kansas Community College, 7250 State Ave.

The panelists will be Brent Miles, Northpoint Development; Jon Stephens, Unified Government; and Conrad Miller, a development lawyer. Jane Winkler Philbrook, the president of Business West, will be the panel moderator.

The cost for the meeting will be $20, which will include lunch. For reservations, telephone 913-766-4300 or 913-406-6266 (cell) or email [email protected].

Commerce Department directs efforts toward existing, new businesses

by Murrel Bland

The Kansas Department of Commerce focuses on business retention, attracting new business and improving workforce development.

That was the message that David Soffer brought to a meeting of the Congressional Forum Friday, Sept. 15, at Children’s Mercy Park in Village West. Soffer is the director of marketing and research for the Commerce Department. He lives in Overland Park.

Soffer was substituting for his boss, Nick Jordan, who is Kansas secretary of commerce. Jordan was originally scheduled to speak at the forum; However, Gov. Sam Brownback requested Jordan to accompany him on a trip to Dallas, Texas.

He said that the state needs to do a better job of telling the advantages of doing business in Kansas. These advantages include more reasonable operating costs. Labor and taxes tend to be lower in Kansas than such places as New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Soffer said he can attest to more reasonable living costs as he moved to Overland Park from the Brooklyn Heights community of New York City.

Recruiting a qualified workforce is an important part of the Commerce Department’s functions. He said one of the sources of qualified workers is retired military. He said the Department of Commerce wants to take advantage of retiring military personnel at places such as Ft. Riley near Junction City, Kan.

The Commerce Department also works with educators, particularly those in grades K-12 and in post-secondary levels, to assure that there are adequate workers for Kansas businesses, Soffer said.

He also said the Commerce Department works closely with local units of government and their economic development efforts including those in Wyandotte County. He cited the new Amazon warehouse just off the Turner Diagonal which will provide some 2,500 jobs.

Soffer said he expected the Commerce Department to submit a proposal for Amazon’s second headquarters. Economic development officials throughout the country are vying for a $5 billion complex that would employee an estimated 50,0000 persons in very well-paying jobs. But various publications, including The New York Times, sees little chance that Kansas (or Kansas City, Mo.) would attract the Amazon prize. One economic development observer said Kansas City simply doesn’t have the necessary workers.

One person at the forum suggested that the Sprint campus in Overland Park might be a good location for the second Amazon headquarters. However, those familiar with Amazon’s requirements said the Sprint campus wouldn’t be large enough.

Soffer was asked about the Tyson Chicken processing plant that has been proposed for rural Leavenworth County just south of Tonganoxie. Several Leavenworth County residents have attended public meetings protesting Tyson. They cite environmental concerns and the potential of overcrowding schools. Soffer said the $320 million plant would provide 1,600 jobs, but was careful not to say much more.

Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.