Category: Sports

Sporting KC acquires 19-year-old Brazilian Igor Julião

Sporting Kansas City has acquired 19-year-old Brazilian defender Igor Julião on loan from Fluminense FC, the club announced on Friday.

A member of Brazil’s Under-20 Men’s National Team, Julião has been added to Sporting Kansas City’s roster and will occupy an international roster spot.

“Igor is a player that once we saw him at the Disney Pro Soccer Classic, we really liked him. We scouted him for about six days and watched four of his games,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said. “We feel that he is a great, young talent and someone that will fit into our team with the way we like to play, particularly with how important the outside back position is to our team. We feel he will be a good addition to our group and at the same time, forge a relationship with Fluminense FC.”

“This is a new challenge for me,” Julião said. “I hope to learn a lot from this club and do everything I can to help them win another championship.”

Julião first joined Fluminense FC’s academy at age 8 in February 2003 and capped off his youth career by leading the club’s Under-20 side to back-to-back state championships in 2012 and 2013. He traveled to the United States for the 2013 Dallas Cup as Fluminense FC U19’s won Group C and reached the Super Group semifinals before falling to eventual champions Fulham FC in penalty kicks at the Cotton Bowl one year ago.

Most recently, Julião started all four games for the Fluminense FC U23’s at the 2014 Disney Pro Soccer Classic in Florida earlier this year, highlighted by a strong showing on the tournament’s final day with a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over Toronto FC.

After nine years of development in their youth system, Julião made his debut in Campeonato Brasileiro Série A as a 17-year-old in August 2012. He made three appearances in Brazil’s top division during his first professional season as Fluminense FC won their fourth league title in the club’s 111-year history.

In August 2013, Julião broke into the starting lineup for Fluminense FC en route to 20 appearances for the senior squad last season. He started 14 league matches and made appearances in each of the team’s final 10 games of the Brasileirão. In his Fluminense FC youth and professional career, Julião played in a total of 379 games with 76 goals.

Julião was selected to Brazil’s Under-20 Men’s National Team for the 2013 South American Youth Championship in Argentina and made three appearances at the competition.

Julião is the third Brazilian native on Sporting Kansas City’s roster, along with midfielders Benny Feilhaber and Paulo Nagamura. Sporting Kansas City’s loan agreement with Fluminense FC for Julião extends through the end of 2014.

– Story from Sporting KC

KCKCC streak ends at 14; Blue Devils play host to Independence Saturday

by Alan Hoskins  

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s winning streak finally came to an end Thursday but not before the Blue Devils had extended it to 14 in a row with an opening 6-5 10-inning win at Independence.

The Pirates, however, rebounded for a 9-2 win in the 7-inning nightcap to set up a pivotal doubleheader at KCKCC Saturday at 2 p.m.

The Blue Devils (11-11) trail Independence (13-9) by two games in the race for fifth in the Jayhawk Conference.

“It would be fun to win 15 in a row but you have to play well to do it,” said KCKCC coach Steve Burleson. “Fortunately, our first game mistakes didn’t extend into extra innings but we played poorly in the second game. If you don’t defend, don’t make pitches and don’t swing the bats in key situations, it’s tough to win and we didn’t.”

Sam Baxter’s third hit of the game, a two-out single in the top of the 10th, lifted the Blue Devils to the 6-5 opening win.

Daniel LaMunyon’s double following a leadoff hit batsman set up the winning run.

The Blue Devils took a 3-0 lead in the second inning and extended it to 5-1 in the fifth. A double by Christian Arnold, single by Eric Hinostroza and Tyler Raymond’s sacrifice fly scored one run and Tanner Foerschler doubled in two more in the second.

A single by Baxter, double by Garrett McKinzie, Arnold’s sacrifice fly and Hinostroza’s second hit added the two runs in the fifth.

A faulty KCKCC defense let Indy tie the game in the fifth. With the bases loaded, two throwing errors enabled Indy to score all four runs.

Indy’s first run also came after a leadoff error, Geoff Birkemeier worked the first 6.1 innings, allowing six innings and no earned runs before Hunter Phillips got the win, allowing three hits and striking out five in 3.1 innings.

The Blue Devils couldn’t overcome a rash of errors in the nightcap as the Pirates took advantage of three miscues to score four of their nine runs in the third and fourth innings.

Ethan Beckett swung the big bat for Indy, rapping out three extra base hits including a two-run home run in a 4-run third and a two-run triple in a 5-run fifth.

Christian Arnold’s belted his team-leading sixth home run of the season in the sixth while Mitch Glessner drove in the other run in the second with one of his three singles.

LaMunyon also had two hits and Luke Norton a double against Indy’s Corey Bayles, who struck out five in an 8-hit effort.

Royals medical team prepared for 2014 season

The Kansas City Royals play their 2014 home opener at Kauffman Stadium on Friday, April 4, and team physician, Dr. Vincent Key of the Center for Sports Medicine at The University of Kansas Hospital, said the team is ready to go.

This is the fourth year Key and the other sports medicine physicians at The University of Kansas Hospital have partnered with the Royals training staff to keep players on the field and productive.

Dr. Key, an orthopedic surgeon, takes the hospital’s role as the official health provider for the Royals very seriously.

Dr. Key said the Royals came into spring training in the best physical condition he has seen in his four years with the club, and are physically ready for the season.

There are health concerns with playing cold rainy games early in the season, he added.

He said the emergency plan kicked in immediately in spring training when Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman was hit in the head with a hard line drive when playing against the Royals.

To see a video of the discussion about the Royals and the medical team, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGD68W88Zeo.

– Story from KU Hospital