Tag: Sporting Kansas City

Sporting KC aims to extend seven-game home winning streak against San Jose

Sporting Kansas City plays host to the San Jose Earthquakes at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kan.

Sporting KC and the San Jose Earthquakes are coming off midweek matches in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. Both teams were eliminated from the tournament following their results in Mexico on Wednesday.

Sporting Kansas City boasts a seven-game home winning streak against San Jose that dates back to 2004 and stands as the club’s longest home-winning streak against one opponent in team history. The Earthquakes are in the midst of a 12-game unbeaten run in all competition dating back to last season.

In the two teams last meeting at Sporting Park, Sporting KC earned a 2-1 victory over the Earthquakes in 2012. Last season, San Jose defeated Sporting KC 1-0 at Buck Shaw Stadium as Chris Wondolowski provided the game-winning goal with a second-half header.

San Jose tallied a 95th-minute equalizer against Real Salt Lake in their MLS home opener last Saturday. Earthquakes centerback Victor Bernardez struck twice and Wondolowski added another in the 3-3 draw. The two goals by Bernardez last weekend place him behind only Houston Dynamo forward Will Bruin on the MLS goal scoring chart heading into week three.

Among the club’s 16 departures in the offseason, San Jose traded both of its starting outside backs by sending Justin Morrow to Toronto FC and Steven Beitashour to the Vancouver Whitecaps. In their place, third-year professional Cordell Cato and offseason signee Shaun Francis started last weekend.

Sporting KC also split the points in its last MLS outing, a 1-1 draw against FC Dallas at Sporting Park. Aurelien Collin headed home a Benny Feilhaber corner kick in the 81st minute before Matt Hedges re-directed Michel’s free kick past Eric Kronberg in the 90th minute.

Saturday’s match will be shown live on Channel 38 with coverage beginning at 7 p.m., and the cross-conference clash will also be available to watch on the Sporting Kansas City Television Network across the Midwest and via MLSsoccer.com’s Stream of the Week.

For more information, see www.sportingkc.com.

Sporting KC and Arts KC join for design challenge and gallery exhibit

Sporting KC and the ArtsKC – Regional Arts Council have announced a joint collaboration to co-host a design challenge for local artists to create artwork which showcases the beautiful game and celebrates soccer in Kansas City.

Up to 20 selected artists will have their pieces on display during a First Friday gallery exhibition at the Three Points Club on May 2 and also at Sporting Park during “Art in the Park” in conjunction with Sporting Kansas City’s home match on May 14.

The gallery exhibition will feature a live DJ and appearances by Sporting Kansas City players with drinks and appetizers available for ticket holders.

All pieces will be available to purchase by the general public and a portion of all ticket and art sale proceeds will benefit the Victory Project and the ArtsKC fund.

Sporting KC takes on Cruz Azul tonight in Mexico City

Sporting Kansas City holds a 1-0 lead on aggregate as it travels to Mexico City to face Cruz Azul in the second leg of the 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals at 9 p.m. on Wednesday.

Sporting KC qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League by defeating the Seattle Sounders FC in a penalty kick shootout in the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Sporting KC was then drawn into Group 2 along with Real Esteli FC and CD Olimpia.

With two wins and two draws in the group stage, Sporting KC advanced to the quarterfinals.

Cruz Azul — currently in first place in the Liga MX Clausura — finished as runners-up in the 2013 Clausura Liguilla to qualify for the 2013-14 edition of CCL.

La Maquina held a perfect 4-0-0 record in Group 3, beating Herediano and Valencia two times each to earn the No. 2 overall seed for the Championship Stage.

Sporting Kansas City defeated Cruz Azul 1-0 in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals last Wednesday at Sporting Park.

Sporting KC homegrown defender Kevin Ellis scored the game’s lone goal, his first as a professional in a competitive match, and Eric Kronberg recorded his fourth shutout of the tournament.

Three players will be suspended for the second leg due to caution accumulation: Sporting Kansas City defender Seth Sinovic, Cruz Azul defender Rogelio Chavez and Cruz Azul midfielder Alejandro Castro. Aurelien Collin will be available for Sporting Kansas City after serving his one-game suspension during the first leg.

Sporting KC will advance to the semifinals with a win or draw in Mexico City.

If Sporting Kansas City lose on Wednesday , the club can advance if they score a road goal and limit the loss to a one-goal margin.

A 1-0 defeat would force overtime and potentially penalty kicks if still deadlocked, while a defeat by two or more goals would see Sporting KC eliminated from the tournament.

Wednesday’s winner will advance to face either the LA Galaxy (USA) or Tijuana (MEX), who meet in Mexico tonight at 9 p.m.  on FOX Sports 2 (English) and Galavision (Spanish), in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals.

The two-game series will be played April 1-3 and April 8-10 with Sporting Kansas City or Cruz Azul holding home field advantage.

The match tonight will be nationally televised on FOX Sports 2 (English) and Galavision (Spanish) beginning at 9 p.m.

Johnny’s Tavern in the KC Power and Light District (1310 Grand Boulevard) will hold the club’s official Watch Party on Wednesday.