Month: April 2018

Melia named MLS Player of Week

Tim Melia

Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia has been voted Alcatel MLS Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters for Week 6, Major League Soccer announced.

Melia set a career-high and regular season club record with 10 saves in Sporting KC’s 2-0 victory over the LA Galaxy on Sunday at StubHub Center.

The 31-year-old goalkeeper made seven of his 10 stops in the second half as Sporting KC (4-1-1, 13 points) pushed their unbeaten run to five matches and moved into a tie for first place in the Supporters’ Shield standings.

The defending Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year was in vintage form Sunday, collecting his second straight clean sheet and moving up to third on the League charts with 20 saves this season.

Melia’s best moment came in the 43rd minute when he dove at full extension to push Ashley Cole’s swerving shot onto the post and keep the hosts at bay. He was especially busy during the final half-hour, thwarting Romain Alessandrini in the 66th minute beforedenying second-half substitute Zlatan Ibrahimovic on three occasions in the late stages.

Sunday’s win – highlighted by second-half goals from Daniel Salloi and Johnny Russell -extended Sporting KC’s unbeaten run against the Galaxy to seven matches dating back to October 2015. Manager Peter Vermes’ men have collected four victories and three draws versus LA during that stretch.

This week was the first time a Sporting KC player has won MLS Player of the Week since Week 31 of the 2015 season, when Melia earned the honor for the first time in his career following a six-save performance in a 1-0 triumph against the Portland Timbers on Oct. 3, 2015.

The Alcatel MLS Player of the Week is chosen each week of the regular season by members of the North American Soccer Reporters. The organization includes print, television, radio and online journalists who cover domestic men’s soccer in the United States and Canada.

First-place Sporting KC will return home Sunday to play host to two-time defending Western Conference champion Seattle Sounders FC at Children’s Mercy Park. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. on ESPN, Sports Radio 810 WHB and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM. Tickets for the marquee matchup are available on SeatGeek.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL to purchase the Coca-Cola Sunday Family Four Pack (four tickets, four Coca-Cola products, four chips and four hot dogs).

– Story from Sporting KC

Severe storms possible today

Severe weather threat levels (National Weather Service graphic)
Expected timing of severe storms today (National Weather Service graphic)

Severe storms are possible today, according to the National Weather Service.

Storms were moving through part of Wyandotte County around 8:45 a.m. Friday.

Severe storms also are possible late this afternoon and evening ahead of a cold front, the weather service said. Severe storms will develop over far east Kansas and western Missouri between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., with activity quickly shifting east through the evening hours. Much of the activity will be east after 11 p.m.

Any storms that develop will have the potential to be severe with large hail and damaging winds being the most likely threats; however, a few isolated tornados will also be possible, according to the weather service.

Light snow is possible Saturday night into Sunday morning with very minor accumulations possible north of Kansas City. Below freezing temperatures are expected Sunday and Monday morning.

Today’s high will be near 79 with a south wind of 18 to 23 mph, gusting as high as 36 mph, the weather service said.

Tonight, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11 p.m., then a slight chance of showers after 4 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 42, with a south wind of 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 8 to 13 mph after midnight. Winds may gust as high as 31 mph. Between a tenth and quarter-inch of rain is possible.

Saturday, there is a 30 percent chance of showers, mainly between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., then a chance of rain after 4 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 48 with a south southwest wind of 10 to 13 mph, gusting as high as 20 mph.

Saturday night, there is a 40 percent chance of rain before midnight, then a chance of rain and snow between midnight and 4 a.m., then a slight chance of snow and freezing rain after 4 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 31 with a northwest wind of 13 to 16 mph, gusting to 28 mph.

Sunday, there is a 10 percent chance of freezing rain before 7 a.m., with a high near 41, the weather service said. A north northwest wind of 15 to 17 mph may gust as high as 28 mph.

Sunday night, the low will be around 27, according to the weather service.

Monday, it will be sunny with a high near 54, the weather service said.

Monday night, the low will be around 40, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, it will be mostly sunny with a high near 69, the weather service said.

For more weather information, see www.weather.gov.

Comedy show planned to raise funds for homeless program in KCK schools

Leadership 2000 will present a Night of Comedy to raise funds for the homeless program at the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools.

The comedy show will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 26, at the Improv Comedy Theatre, Zona Rosa, 7250 N.W. 87th St., Kansas City, Missouri.

Local comedians B-RICH, Conrad Courtney, Rod Reyes and Andrea Caspari will perform in this benefit event. In addition, there will be a silent auction for sports memorabilia from the Kansas City Chiefs, the Kansas City Royals, University of Kansas and other groups.

The cost of admission is $20 and additional donations are accepted. All of the proceeds from ticket sales, donations and a portion of food and drink purchases will directly benefit the students and families of the McKinney-Vento program.

The program provides school supplies, uniforms, books, transportation to and from school, hygiene items, cap and gown fees, and connections to community resources and agencies for other basic needs to ensure students and families have what is needed to be successful. For more information about the services of this program, visit kckps.org to learn more about the services provided by this program.

The host of the comedy event is Class 32 of Leadership 2000, an organization that identifies, motivates and develops emerging leaders to affect change in the quality of life in Wyandotte County.

Tickets may be purchased in advance at Eventbrite.com. Those attending must be 21 years of age or older.