Match Notes: Sporting KC at Colorado Rapids | March 4, 2023

SPORTING KANSAS CITY at COLORADO RAPIDS

Saturday, March 4, 2023

Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. CT

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (Commerce City, CO)

MLS Regular Season Game 2

Apple TV: MLS Season Pass

English Radio: Sports Radio 810 WHB

Spanish Radio: La Grande 1340 AM

Referee: Allen Chapman

Assistant ref: Logan Brown

0-1-0, 0 points (0-0-0 home; 0-1-0 away)

T-6th in MLS Western Conference

Assistant ref: Kali Smith

4th official: Malik Badawi

VAR: Greg Dopka

SPORTING KANSAS CITY PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

2023 REGULAR SEASON TEAM STATS

SPORTING

RECORD

POINTS PER GAME

GAMES PLAYED CONFERENCE

2023 REGULAR SEASON INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

2023 MLS REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS

QUESTIONABLE

PLAYER AVAILABILITY REPORT

As of Thursday, March 2

• FWD - Alan Pulido (Knee Injury)

• FWD - Khiry Shelton (Adductor Injury)

OUT

• DEF - Kortne Ford (Achilles Surgery)

• DEF - Logan Ndenbe (Hamstring Injury)

• MID - Gadi Kinda (Knee Injury)

• FWD - Johnny Russell (Hamstring Injury)

SPORTING KANSAS CITY 2023 NUMERICAL ROSTER

SPORTING KANSAS CITY 2023 ALPHABETICAL ROSTER

#COLvSKC: HEAD-TO-HEAD

Sporting Kansas City (0-1-0, 0 pts.) travels to take on the Colorado Rapids (0-1-0, 0 pts.) this Saturday night with both teams looking to bounce back from season-opening losses in the frigid Pacific Northwest. Sporting fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat in Portland while the Rapids were throttled by Seattle, falling 4-0 on Sunday.

The two sides last meeting at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park was on March 12, 2022, with the Rapids claiming a 2-0 victory. Former SKC forward Diego Rubio fired the hosts in front in the first half before Mark-Anthony Kaye added a second shortly after halftime.

Sporting claimed victory in the return fixture at Children’s Mercy Park on May 18, 2022, earning a 2-1 victory. Daniel Salloi scored both goals for Sporting either side of a Gyasi Zardes equalizer, but the game was marred a hectic period of second-half stoppage time that saw Colorado’s Auston Trusty sent off for a second yellow card in the 91st minute before a melee ensued in the 96th minute that saw Sporting’s Salloi and Andreu Fontas sent off, along with the Rapids’ Lucas Esteves.

SKC leads the all-time series 29-25-18, but has a dismal 5-19-12 mark on the road. Sporting has not won at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park since March 29, 2014, and has gone 0-5-4 in the nine matches in Commerce City since.

#COLvSKC: Recent Meetings (SKC leads 29-25-18 in regular season)

Date Score Result Details

05/18/2022 KC 2 vs COL 1 W Salloi scores a brace either side of Zardes equalizer

03/12/2022 KC 0 at COL 2 L Sporting succumbs to Rubio & Kaye goals in either half

08/28/2021 KC 1 vs COL 1 T Russell free kick cancels out Lewis opener

08/07/2021 KC 0 at COL 0 T Heavily-rotated Sporting team earns shutout on the road

06/23/2021 KC 3 vs COL 1 W Salloi scores brace before Hernandez adds first MLS goal

#COLvSKC: PLAYER HISTORY

• Sporting KC defender Graham Zusi has scored four goals and added two assists against the Colorado Rapids, including a one goal and two assist performance in a 3-2 victory on the road on March 29, 2014. His other goals came at home on July 6, 2011 and Aug. 31, 2013, and in the MLS is Back Tournament on July 17, 2020.

• Forward Daniel Salloi has five goals and one assist against Colorado. He notched the game-winner in the 1-0 home win on May 5, 2018 before adding a brace and recording an assist in the 3-1 home win on June 23, 2021. He scored another pair of goals in the 2-1 home win on May 18, 2022.

• Forward Alan Pulido has scored twice versus Colorado, scoring a penalty kick in the 3-2 win at the MLS is Back Tournament on July 17, 2020 before netting the game-winner in the 4-0 home win on Oct. 24, 2020.

• Forward Khiry Shelton has one goal and one assist against the Rapids, with his goal coming in the 3-2 victory at the MLS is Back Tournament on July 17, 2020, while his assist set up Diego Rubio’s late equalizer in the 2-2 road draw on March 24, 2018.

• Midfielder Gadi Kinda has a goal and an assist against Colorado, setting up a goal in the 3-2 win at the MLS is Back Tournament on July 17, 2020 before adding a goal in the 4-0 home win on Oct. 24, 2020.

• Winger Johnny Russell has two goals and one assist against the Rapid. Both his goals came from direct free kicks, the first late on in a 1-1 road draw on March 17, 2019 and the other in a 1-1 home draw on Aug. 28, 2021. His assist came in the 3-1 home win on June 23, 2021.

• Defender Andreu Fontas scored his first MLS goal for Sporting KC in the 4-0 home win over the Rapids on Oct. 24, 2020. He added an assist in the 3-1 home win on June 23, 2021.

• Midfielder Felipe Hernandez scored his first MLS goal and also added an assist in the 3-1 home win over Colorado on June 23, 2021.

• Midfielder Roger Espinoza has two assists against the Colorado Rapids, coming game-winners on April 9, 2017 and Oct. 24, 2020.

• Goalkeeper Tim Melia is 6-9-5 all-time against Colorado, posting a 1.20 goals against average with four shutouts. His shutouts came in a 2-0 home victory on June 27, 2015, a 1-0 home win on May 5, 2018, a 4-0 home win on Oct. 24, 2020 and a 0-0 road draw on Aug. 7, 2021.

#COLvSKC: PLAYER/COACH CONNECTIONS

• Colorado striker Diego Rubio played for Sporting KC from 2016-2018, tallying 20 goals and 10 assists in 65 appearances across all competitions.

• Sporting defender Kortne Ford was born in Olathe, Kansas - a suburb of Kansas City - but moved to Greeley, Colorado as a 12 year old and began his professional career with the Rapids from 2017-2021.

• Sporting KC Manager and Sporting Director Peter Vermes played for the Colorado Rapids from 1997-1999 before heading to Kansas City.

• Manager Peter Vermes was teammates with Rapids head coach Robin Fraser on the U.S. National Team from 1988-1997.

• Forward Johnny Russell has played with Colorado defender Danny Wilson on the Scotland Under-21 National Team from 2011-2012.

• Forward Khiry Shelton and defender Ben Sweat were teammates with Colorado’s Jonathan Lewis at New York City FC from 2017-2019.

• Sporting midfielder Nemanja Radoja and Colorado goalkeeper Marko Ilic are both born in Novi Sad, Serbia and began their careers with FK Vojvodina and also both went on loan to Cement Beocin.

• Sporting KC’s Roger Espinoza grew up in Aurora, Colorado. Espinoza also played alongside Colorado’s Bryan Acosta on the Honduras National Team from 2014-2019.

#COLvSKC: BY THE NUMBERS

Sporting KC Team Notes

• Sporting conceded seven shot attempts in their season-opening 1-0 loss at the Portland Timbers on Monday, the second fewest of any MLS team in Week 1.

• Sporting had 27 crosses from open play in their season opener, second most in MLS during Week 1, but only three were completed successfully.

• Sporting had 164 passes in the attacking third on Monday, second most in MLS during Week 1.

• Sporting outshot Portland 12-7 in Monday’s match, had 57.3% possession and had an edge in expected goals, per Opta (1.31-0.95).

• Since the start of 2022, Sporting are 10-3-2 when scoring first and 1-14-2 when conceding first in MLS regular season play. Similarly, Sporting are 7-2-1 when leading at halftime and 0-10-3 when trailing at halftime.

• Sporting haven’t won a regular season road match since July 9, 2022, when they defeated CF Montreal by a 2-1 scoreline. The club has gone 0-4-3 in its last seven MLS away matches since July 13, 2022.

• Sporting finished the 2022 regular season with a 6-2-2 record, the best mark in the Western Conference from the start of August to the end of the year.

• Sporting ended the 2022 MLS campaign with six straight regular season home wins, equaling their longest home win streak during the Children’s Mercy Park era and one shy of the club record set in 1998 and 2000. Sporting’s 2023 home opener is set for March 11 vs. LA Galaxy.

Sporting KC Player Notes

• Midfielder Erik Thommy led Sporting in shots (four) and shots on goal (two) in the Week 1 loss at Portland.

• Defender Graham Zusi led MLS in Week 1 with eight crosses from open play. He also ranked second with 21 successful passes in the attacking third.

• Midfielder Remi Walter and forward Khiry Shelton had 12 recoveries each on Monday, tied for the sixth most in MLS in Week 1.

• Forward Khiry Shelton was tied for second in MLS during Week 1 with five successful dribbles.

• At 21 years old, John Pulskamp was the youngest goalkeeper to start an MLS match in Week 1. He has an 8-7-4 record as a starter in the regular season.

• Defender Tim Leibold made his Sporting and MLS debut on Monday in Portland, playing 17 minutes as a second-half substitute.

Colorado Rapids Team Notes

• Colorado has not lost at home since July 4, 2022. The Rapids are 5-0-3 in their last eight matches at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, including a run of three straight wins from September to October last year.

• Colorado finished with a 10-2-5 home record during the 2022 regular season.

• Over the last three seasons combined, the Rapids are 22-4-15 in regular season matches at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

• Colorado suffered a 4-0 loss at Seattle Sounders FC in their season opener on Feb. 26, the heaviest loss of any MLS team in Week 1 and the heaviest seasonopening loss in club history.

• According to Opta, Seattle’s 4.11 expected goals against Colorado last Sunday were the most by an MLS team in Week 1.

• Colorado conceded 57 goals last season, tied for the fourth most in MLS.

Colorado Rapids Player Notes

• Former Sporting striker Diego Rubio led Colorado in goals (16) and chances created (47) last year but is expected to miss the first month of this season with a knee injury.

• Midfielder Michael Barrios led Colorado with eight assists last year and appeared in all 34 regular season matches of 2022.

NOTEWORTHY MILESTONES

• Manager Peter Vermes has been involved in a league-record 671 MLS matches as a player or head coach. He has coached 517 matches for Sporting in all competitions, the most by an MLS coach with one club.

SPORTING KC SOCIAL PROPERTIES

Web Twitter Other Social Media

SportingKC.com @SportingKC Facebook.com/SportingKC

SportingKC.com/News @SKCMatchday Instagram.com/SportingKC

SportingKC.com/Videos @SportingKCII Facebook.com/SportingKCII

SportingKC.com/Media @CMPark Instagram.com/SportingKCII

SportingKCAcademy.com @SKCAcademy Instagram.com/SKCAcademy

SportingKCYouth.com @SportingKCYouth Facebook.com/SportingKCYouth

VictoryKC.org @VictoryKC Facebook.com/VictoryProjectKC

SportingStyle.com @SportingStyle Instagram.com/SportingStyle

SportingAthletics.com @SportingGaming TikTok: @SportingKC NoOtherPubKC.com @NoOtherPub Facebook.com/NoOtherPub

SportingClubEventsKC.com @SportingKCSTM Facebook.com/SKCSeasonTicketMembers CompassMineralsNPC.com @SoySporting YouTube.com/SportingKansasCity

BUILDING ON POSITIVE PERFORMANCE

SPORTING KANSAS CITY NEWS AND NOTES

Sporting Kansas City opened the club’s 28th Major League Soccer season on Monday with a 1-0 defeat to the Portland Timbers at Providence Park. Despite the loss, there were many positives for Sporting to take from the game, with the team out-shooting Portland 12-7, having 27 touches in the opposition box compared to Portland’s 10 and recording 1.31 expected goals to Portland’s 0.95.

Sporting will hope to use the momentum built after a rocky start to the match when the team heads to take on the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park this Saturday night, who are coming off a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of the Seattle Sounders on Sunday.

Sporting will hope reinforcements are on the way soon, with high-profile attackers Gadi Kinda (knee surgery), Alan Pulido (knee surgery) and Johnny Russell (hamstring) still working their way back to fitness and new center back signing Dany Rosero currently going through the immigration process.

Sporting holds a 29-25-18 lead in the regular-season series against the Colorado Rapids, with a 5-19-12 mark on the road and winless (0-5-4) in their last nine visits to Commerce City.

SEARCHING FOR RARE WIN IN THE ROCKIES

Sporting Kansas City heads West this weekend when the team travels to take on the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday night. Both teams are looking to bounce back from disappointing openers in the Pacific Northwest, as Sporting fell to a narrow 1-0 loss in Portland while the Rapids got crushed 4-0 in Seattle.

Sporting has not enjoyed much success in Colorado over the previous decade, with the club’s most recent victory at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park coming on March 29, 2014. Since then, Sporting has gone 0-5-4 in their nine visits to Commerce City.

Sporting’s last visit to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park ended in defeat on March 12, 2022. Facing Colorado with a banged up squad, Sporting fell to a 2-0 defeat following goals from Diego Rubio and Mark-Anthony Kaye.

The return fixture at Children’s Mercy Park on May 18, 2022 saw Sporting take their revenge, as Daniel Salloi scored either side of halftime to guide SKC to a 2-1 victory. Late on, Colorado’s Auston Trusty was sent off after receiving his second yellow card before a brawl erupted and Sporting’s Salloi and Andreu Fontas were sent off, along with Colorado’s Lucas Esteves.

SKC leads the all-time series 29-25-18, but holds a dismal 5-19-12 mark in Commerce City, Colorado.

PULSKAMP PRODUCES ENCOURAGING SHOWING

Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper John Pulskamp showed encouraging signs during Monday’s 1-0 defeat in the season opener against the Portland Timbers at Providence Park, recording three excellent saves on the night.

Pulskamp, who at 21 years of age was the youngest starting goalkeeper across the league in Matchday 1, was tested early when Jaroslaw Niezgoda pounced on a short backpass and attempted to round the Sporting ‘keeper. Pulskamp dove to his right to tip the ball away from his foot and was also able to repel Marvin Loria’s follow-up effort.

The Bakersfield, California native produced another pair of impressive saves in the second half, first denying Loria from close range in the 72nd minute before stoning Nathan Fogaca who was through one-on-one with the goalkeeper in second-half stoppage time.

TIM LEIBOLD MAKES SPORTING DEBUT

Newly signed Sporting Kansas City left back Tim Leibold made his debut for the club in Monday night’s 1-0 defeat to the Portland Timbers at Providence Park in Oregon. The German defender replaced starter Ben Sweat in the 73rd minute of the contest and played the final 17 minutes as Sporting were pushing for an equalizer

Leibold had four final third entries and completed seven of his 11 passes during his time on the field with Sporting looking to force the ball into the Timbers area.

Leibold joined Sporting as a free agent in January after leaving Hamburger SV in the 2. Bundesliga in Germany. Leibold spent the last eight seasons across Germany’s top two divisions. He starred at Nurnberg from 2015-2019 - helping the club gain promotion to the top-flight Bundesliga in 2018 - and competed since then for Hamburg, including a one-year stint as club captain during the 2020-21 campaign.

Leibold enjoyed his most fruitful season with Hamburg in 2019-20, leading the 2. Bundesliga with 16 assists in 34 matches.

SPORTING KC ACQUIRES CENTER BACK DANY ROSERO

Sporting Kansas City announced on Thursday that the club has acquired 29-year-old center back Dany Rosero in a transfer from Colombian side Atletico Junior. Rosero has signed a three-year MLS contract through 2025 with an option for 2026 and will occupy an international slot on Sporting’s roster.

Rosero has eclipsed 300 professional appearances across Argentina and his native Colombia, scoring 20 goals and competing in the esteemed Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. Beginning his career at Argentine club Arsenal de Sarandi as a teenager, the defender has spent the last seven seasons in the Colombian top-flight Categoria Primera A with Patriotas Boyacá, Deportivo Cali and Junior.

Rosero joins a central defensive group that also contains veteran Andreu Fontas, U22 initiative signing Robert Voloder, USL Championship standout Robert Castellanos and 2023 MLS SuperDraft selection Chris Rindov.

BOUNCING BACK FROM 2022

Sporting Kansas City endured a tough start to the 2022 campaign, with multiple key contributors sidelined through injury to start the season and a pair of Designated Players – Alan Pulido and Gadi Kinda – ruled out for the entire season following knee surgery.

Sporting began the year in a tough 5-11-5 (W-L-T) hole after the first 21 matches, with the team unable to find the back of the net on a consistent basis and struggling for consistency along the backline. On July 23, 2022, summer signings Willy Agada and Erik Thommy made their debuts for the club and the team’s league form took a positive turn.

From August 6 onwards, Sporting had the third best record in all of MLS to end the year, going 6-2-2 to close out the season – scoring goals for fun and playing playoff spoiler to teams across the league. In just 10 starts, Agada had eight goals and two assists to end the year, while Thommy tallied three goals and two assists.

Sporting’s main chance of silverware came in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup but their run ended in heartbreak at the Semifinal stage, falling in a penalty shootout on the road to Sacramento Republic FC in late July.

PULIDO & KINDA POISED TO RETURN IN 2023

Sporting KC fought through the 2022 season without star attackers Alan Pulido and Gadi Kinda, with both missing the entire campaign after undergoing knee surgery. Now, the duo is poised to return in 2023 after a long and grueling rehab process.

Two of Sporting’s three Designated Players, Pulido and Kinda have shone when on the field since joining the club ahead of the 2020 campaign. Pulido and Kinda have each tallied 23 goal contributions since the start of 2020, tied for the third most in that time behind Johnny Russell (47) and Daniel Salloi (40).

While the signings of Willy Agada and Erik Thommy helped solve some of Sporting’s offensive problems in 2022, adding Pulido and Kinda back into the mix for 2023 should only bode well for Sporting’s prospects of rebounding into the MLS Cup Playoffs.

POSTGAME: #PORvSKC

Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes

General thoughts on the match…

“Obviously we were all over [Portland] in the second half. We created some good chances in the first half, as well as the second half. We couldn’t find it, but the effort, the desire, the passion, everything was there in the game. Other than the mistake on the first goal, I thought we had it. Outside of that, the team played well. The subs came on and were energetic and had an impact for sure.”

On creating chances against Portland’s defense…

“[Portland] is always a good team defensively, for sure. They matched up pretty tough against our guys up front. Like I said, we created some really good chances. We did a good job. Again, the goal that they scored, outside of that, John [Pulskamp] had I’m not counting the last play of the game there that they had. The ball should have been called back. They had two guys standing three yards away from the ball when [Graham Zusi] hit the ball. They should have both got yellow cards, but neither here nor there. Outside of that, there wasn’t a ton of chances on their part. We were all over their goal, all over them. Just unfortunate we couldn’t put one in.”

On the substitutions made in the second half…

“Yes, and also there’s other guys that can come in and bring an impact on the game. So, we moved the team around the way we did. As I said to you, I thought all the guys played well and I think the guys that came on had a real impact, especially going forward. My only criticism might have been, there’s a few times we probably could have served the ball into the box a little bit more. [Kansas City players] were trying. They were trying. They were doing everything they could to try to do it and get back in the game. Great desire by the group.”

ALL-TIME REGULAR SEASON RESULTS

SPORTING KANSAS CITY TRANSACTION TRACKER

Players In Players Out

MID - Nemanja Radoja (Signed as Free Agent - Oct. 26, 2022)

DEF - Tim Leibold (Signed as Free Agent - Jan. 12, 2023)

MID - Danny Flores (Signed off Waivers - Jan. 13, 2023)

DEF - Chris Rindov (MLS SuperDraft Selection - Feb. 10, 2023)

DEF - Robert Castellanos (Signed as Free Agent - Feb. 17, 2023)

DEF - Dany Rosero (Acquired from Atletico Junior - March 2, 2023)

DEF - Nicolas Isimat-Mirin (Option Declined - Nov. 15, 2022)

DEF - Kaveh Rad (Option Declined - Nov. 15, 2022)

MID - Uri Rosell (Waived - Jan. 20, 2023)

DATE IN/OUT DETAILS

Oct. 26: IN

Nov. 15: OUT

Dec. 2: IN

Jan. 12: IN

SPORTING KANSAS CITY TRANSACTION TIMELINE

Sporting KC signs free agent midfielder Nemanja Radoja, most recently with Levante (Spain).

Sporting KC declines options on defenders Nicolas Isimat-Mirin, Kaveh Rad and Graham Zusi. In addition, defender Andreu Fontas and midfielder Roger Espinoza are out of contract.

Sporting KC re-signs defenders Andreu Fontas and Graham Zusi along with midfielder Roger Espinoza

Sporting KC signs free agent defender Tim Leibold, most recently with Hamburger SV (Germany).

Jan. 13: IN Sporting KC signs midfielder Danny Flores off MLS waivers, having recently departed Virginia Tech.

Jan. 20: OUT

Sporting KC waives midfielder Uri Rosell

Feb. 10: IN Sporting KC signs defender Chris Rindov, the club’s second round pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft out of Maryland.

Feb. 17: IN Sporting KC signs free agent defender Robert Castellanos, most recently with KuPS (Finland).

March 2: IN Sporting KC acquires defender Dany Rosero in a transfer from Atletico Junior (Colombia).

CONSTRUCTING SPORTING KANSAS CITY

2020 Khiry Shelton (12/9/19)

Alan Pulido (12/10/19)

Gadi Kinda (1/23/20)

2021 Remi Walter (12/22/20)

2022 Logan Ndenbe (1/14/22)

Robert Voloder (1/19/22)

Marinos Tzionis (1/24/22)

Willy Agada (6/23/22)

Erik Thommy (6/23/22)

2023 Chris Rindov (2nd Round - #37) Nemanja Radoja (10/26/22)

Tim Leibold (1/12/23)

Robert Castellanos (2/17/23)

Dany Rosero (3/2/23)

Ben Sweat (12/20/21) Kortne Ford (1/14/22)

Danny Flores (1/13/23)

Felipe Hernandez (8/30/19)

John Pulskamp (2/24/20)

Ozzie Cisneros (1/20/21)

Kayden Pierre (5/4/21)

Jake Davis (8/19/21)

Kendall McIntosh (12/17/20)

SPORTING KANSAS CITY 2023 SCHEDULE AND

RESULTS

VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREE LOG (MLS REGULAR SEASON)

SPORTING KC MISCELLANEOUS STATS

2023 Regular-Season Record When...

SPORTING KC IN 2023 (MLS REGULAR SEASON)

REGULAR SEASON TEAM STATS

SPORTING KC ALL-TIME WIN/LOSS RECORDS IN COMPETITIVE MATCHES

SPORTING KC 2023

Feb. 27, 2023: Portland Timbers 1-0 Sporting KC

MLS Regular Season | Providence Park | Portland, OR

Attendance: 22,925

Weather: 39 degrees and rainy 1

Sporting KC (0-1-0, 0 points)

Portland Timbers (1-0-0, 3 points)

Sporting KC Portland Timbers

GK Pulskamp GK Bingham

D Zusi D Mosquera

D Voloder D Zuparic

D Fontas D McGraw

D Sweat (Leibold 73’) D Rasmussen

M Walter M D. Chara (C)

M Espinoza (Hernandez 70’) M Williamson (Paredes 80’)

M Thommy (C) (Tzionis 71’) M Evander

F Shelton F Y. Chara (Moreno 33’)

F Agada F Niezgoda (Fogaca 62’)

F Salloi F Loria (Gutierrez 80’)

Subs not used: Subs not used:

McIntosh (GK) Ivacic (GK)

Castellanos Bonilla

Pierre Bravo

Rindov Mabiala

Davis Miller

Duke

Scoring Summary:

POR - Juan Mosquera 1 (Yimmi Chara 1) 6’

Misconduct Summary:

SKC - Erik Thommy (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 16’

POR - Dario Zuparic (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 26’

POR - Eryk Williamson (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 73’

POR - Evander (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 89’

MLS REGULAR SEASON BOX SCORES

SPORTING KC STARTERS BY POSITION (2023 REGULAR SEASON)

Formation: 4-3-3 (1 game)

NOTE: Charts do not account for players interchanging and/ or switching positions over the course of a match. Substitute players are not listed.

Nationally recognized for delivering high-quality, compassionate pediatric care, Children’s Mercy Kansas City began a 10-year partnership with Sporting KC in 2016 to promote health and fitness among area children and provide specialized sports medicine to a youth athlete market that has experienced a substantial increase in sports-related injuries.

The comprehensive partnership between Sporting KC and Children’s Mercy Kansas City – which includes naming rights to Sporting KC’s world-class stadium, Children’s Mercy Park, as well as the Sporting KC II and Sporting KC Academy complex at Swope Soccer Village – is also at the forefront of Sporting’s state-of-the-art training ground at Compass Minerals National Performance Center. In a first-of-its-kind collaboration between a professional sports team, a national sports federation and a sports medicine provider, the facility opened in 2018 and features the Children’s Mercy Sports Medicine Center alongside Sporting Kansas City and U.S. Soccer.

Children’s Mercy Kansas City is also the official healthcare and sports medicine provider for the Sporting Kansas City Academy and Compass Minerals National Performance Center as part of a multi-faceted partnership that focuses on the following three components to impact the local community:

1. Improving access to pediatric-trained sports medicine

• The Children’s Mercy Sports Medicine Center at Village West is located inside Compass Minerals National Performance Center and offers a full range of sports medicine services, resources and programming for youth athletes. More than two million high-school athletes and 3.5 million children under age 14 are injured each year in the U.S. playing sports. Only a small percentage are treated by pediatric-trained sports medicine specialists who truly understand the youth’s growing body, developing brain and unique psychosocial stressors.

2. Strengthening community

• The partnership directly supports The Victory Project, Sporting’s foundation to help children - including those with cancer and disabilities – through all of life’s challenges.

• Sporting KC players and staff engage with, encourage and inspire Children’s Mercy patients throughout the year during hospital visits and special events.

• REX, an innovative remote experience robot operated on an iPad, regularly attends Sporting KC home matches to provide an all-access interactive experience for patients at Children’s Mercy. Manufactured by Double Robotics, REX allows users to enjoy two-way live audio and video captured from a 150-degree wide-angle lens while navigating the robot to control their own VIP behind-the-scenes journey.

• Launched in 2018, the RED CARD campaign addresses one of the most significant social issues impacting children nationwide by empowering youth and adults to prevent and intervene in bullying. Through school assemblies and community-wide messaging, the RED CARD initiative aims to reach children, parents, teachers and coaches who have daily opportunities to create supportive environments and stop bullying in its tracks.

3. Protecting youth athletes and educating parents and coaches

• The partnership provides soccer-specific curriculum (nutrition, injury prevention, rehabilitation, advanced cardiovascular training, etc.) for the Sporting Club Network, which includes approximately 200,000 players, parents, coaches and administrators across the Midwest.

• The partnership provides sports training, rehabilitation and conditioning programs for the Sporting KC Academy’s six teams at Swope Soccer Village, which hosts Sporting KC II home matches as well as year-round athletic leagues, tournaments and other marquee events.

Center forward Willy Agada 1

Defensive midfielder Remi Walter 1

Left back Ben Sweat 1

Right back Graham Zusi 1

Left center back Andreu Fontas 1

Goalkeeper John Pulskamp 1

Right center back Robert Voloder 1

Left-center midfielder Erik Thommy 1

Right-center midfielder Roger Espinoza 1

Right forward Khiry Shelton 1

Left forward Daniel Salloi 1

March 4 at Colorado Rapids

March 11 vs. LA Galaxy

March 18 at FC Dallas

March 25 vs. Seattle Sounders FC

April 1 at Philadelphia Union

April 8 vs. Colorado Rapids

April 15 at San Jose Earthquakes

April 22 at New England Revolution

April 29 vs. CF Montreal

May 7 at Seattle Sounders FC

May 13 vs. Minnesota United FC

May 17 at Los Angeles FC

May 20 at St. Louis City SC

May 28 vs. Portland Timbers

May 31 vs. FC Dallas

June 3 at Vancouver Whitecaps FC

June 10 vs. Austin FC

June 17 vs. Los Angeles FC

June 21 at LA Galaxy

June 24 vs. Chicago Fire FC

July 1 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

July 8 at Houston Dynamo FC

July 12 vs. Real Salt Lake

July 15 at Austin FC

August 26 vs. San Jose Earthquakes

September 2 vs. St. Louis City SC

September 9 at Inter Miami CF

September 16 at Minnesota United FC

September 20 vs. Nashville SC

September 23 vs. Houston Dynamo FC

September 30 at St. Louis City SC

October 7 at Real Salt Lake

October 21 vs. Minnesota United FC

GAME-WINNING GOALS: None

GAME-WINNING ASSISTS: None

PENALTY KICK GOALS/ATTEMPTS: None

SPORTING KANSAS CITY INDIVIDUAL GOALKEEPING

AGADA CF-90

CASTELLANOS DNP

CISNEROS UNAV

DAVIS DNP

DUKE DNP

ESPINOZA CM-70

FLORES UNAV

FONTAS CB-90

FORD INJ

HERNANDEZ SUB-20

KINDA INJ

LEIBOLD SUB-17

MCINTOSH DNP

MELIA UNAV

NDENBE INJ

PIERRE DNP

PULSKAMP GK-90 RADOJA UNAV

RINDOV DNP

ROSERO

SALLOI LW-90

SHELTON RW-90

SWEAT LB-73

THOMMY CM-71

TZIONIS SUB-19

VOLODER CB-90

DM-90

MANAGER & SPORTING DIRECTOR | PETER VERMES

Peter Vermes is entering his 15th season as Sporting Kansas City Manager in 2023 with a new five-year extension and is the longest-tenured active head coach in MLS.. He is the team’s longest-serving manager and his 222 coaching victories in all competitions are the most club history. During his tenure, he has won four major trophies – the 2012, 2015 and 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups and the 2013 MLS Cup championship – and finished atop the Eastern Conference regular-season standings in 2011 and 2012, as well as the Western Conference in 2018 and 2020. His three U.S. Open Cup championships are the third most in Open Cup history. He is the first coach in club history to lead Sporting KC to eight straight postseason appearances, as well as the only person to ever win the MLS Cup as both a player and a coach with the same team. His 183 regularseason wins top the club’s all-time chart and rank fourth most in MLS history. He passed his former coach Bob Gansler as the winningest manager in team history with a 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake on Aug. 12, 2015, his 109th victory in all competitions.

On August 4, 2018, Vermes coached his 302nd MLS regular-season game with Sporting KC, becoming the league’s all-time leader in games coached for one club. He was named the first-ever MLS Sporting Executive of the Year by his peers in 2018. Vermes has coached 517 total games during his Kansas City coaching career, most in club history.

With over 15 years of service at Sporting KC, Vermes is one of the longest serving managers in world soccer. Among all 18 leagues with an average attendance of 10,000+, Vermes ranks second, only behind 2. Bundesliga side FC Heidenheim’s Frank Schmidt (Sept. 17, 2007 – present). Among the top 126 leagues in the world as denoted by the CIES Football Observatory, Vermes’ tenure at Sporting KC ranks as the sixth longest active run.

Vermes oversees all soccer operations for Sporting KC, including the active roster, Sporting Kansas City II (MLS NEXT Pro) and the Sporting KC Academy. Vermes entered MLS ahead of its inaugural season in 1996 and retired from the league in 2002, closing out his playing career in Kansas City after stints with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars and Colorado Rapids.

Following a standout high school career in which he was named New Jersey Player of the Year, Vermes was a star forward and All-American at Rutgers University. After college, Vermes represented the United States in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, and was named 1988 Chevrolet U.S. Male Soccer Athlete of the Year for his efforts.

Vermes was an integral part of a young U.S. team at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where he nearly scored against the host Azzurri. It was the first time the U.S. had qualified for the World Cup in 40 years and set the stage for the progress of the U.S. National Team. In 1989 and 1990, Vermes became the first American to play in the Hungarian and Dutch First Divisions, playing for Raba ETO and FC Volendam, respectively. He later spent five years with Figueres of the Spanish Second Division.

For MLS’s inaugural season in 1996, Vermes served as captain of the New York/New Jersey MetroStars. In 1997, he was traded to the Colorado Rapids for current Sporting KC Assistant Coach Kerry Zavagnin and played in Denver through the 1999 season, leading the Rapids to the 1997 MLS Cup Final.

Vermes joined Kansas City in 2000 for what would be the most successful season of his MLS career. During his first year in Kansas City, he anchored one of the best defenses in league history and won MLS Defender of the Year honors in helping lead the Wizards to the 2000 MLS Cup Championship. He retired in 2002 after appearing in 209 MLS matches (including playoffs) and playing more than 18,000 minutes. In 2013, Vermes was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

PETER VERMES HEAD COACHING RECORD AT SPORTING KC

ASSISTANT COACH | KERRY ZAVAGNIN

In 2023, Kerry Zavagnin breaks the MLS record as he enters his 24th season with one club as a player or coach. Zavagnin first joined Kansas City in 2000 as a holding midfielder and was an integral part of the club’s midfield for the next nine seasons, during which time he helped lead the Wizards to MLS Cup (2000) and U.S. Open Cup (2004) Championships. He was named to the MLS All-Star team and the Best XI in 2004. Zavagnin’s primary duties as an assistant include scouting, developing Sporting Kansas City’s younger players, breaking down film and assisting with training sessions. He started his professional career with the MetroStars, where he played in 39 games over two seasons. After spending one season with the Lehigh Valley Steam (USL-1), Zavagnin came to KC in 2000. He played 237 games and logged 20,516 minutes for Kansas City, setting team records in both categories before being overtaken by Matt Besler early in 2018. He scored eight goals and added 22 assists in his nine seasons in KC. Zavagnin was named Team Defender of the Year in 2001. On top of his club success in Kansas City, Zavagnin also appeared 21 times for the U.S. Men’s National Team. He recorded one assist for the U.S., who went 15-2-4 when Zavagnin featured.

ASSISTANT COACH | ZORAN SAVIC

Zoran Savic joined Sporting Kansas City late in the 2009 season after a 30-year career at all levels of the game in the United States. A native of Gornji Milanovac, Yugoslavia, Savic began his journey through American soccer with the Buffalo Stallions of the Major Indoor Soccer League in 1980. Savic would go on to star for several MISL teams, with his most prosperous period coming with the Kansas City Comets, with whom he scored 70 goals in just over 100 appearances from 1982-1984. After retiring as a player in 1991, Savic turned his attention to coaching in the indoor game. Savic led the Kansas City Attack from 1992-1996, winning Coach of the Year honors for the 1994-1995 season while also serving as the team’s General Manager. Savic later coached the Kansas City Comets from 2000-2005. In 2007 Savic switched to the outdoor game, joining Chivas USA as an assistant to then-head coach Preki before moving into the commentary booth for Kansas City matches in 2008 and 2009. Savic’s career as a commentator was cut short, however, when newly installed Manager Peter Vermes tabbed Savic to be part of his coaching staff late in the 2009 season.

ASSISTANT COACH | ASH WALLACE

Ash Wallace has served on Sporting Kansas City’s technical staff since 2012, aiding the first team coaching staff in a variety of roles. Wallace, originally from England, helps scout and develop game plans for upcoming opponents, assists in planning and executing training sessions and provides valuable analysis for coaches and players regarding strategy. Wallace holds a U.S. Soccer A License. Wallace’s first involvement with the club came in August 2012 when he was contracted to produce a detailed scouting report on Seattle Sounders FC ahead of the U.S. Open Cup Final, helping Sporting claim their first of four major titles during a trophy-laden decade. Prior to joining Sporting KC, Wallace was a member of the Preston North End coaching staff and also served as an opposition scout for Fleetwood Town in his native England. Earlier in his career, he worked with Preston North End’s women’s academy teams and Penwortham Boys academy teams while earning a Degree in Sports Coaching from the University of Central Lancashire.

GOALKEEPER COACH | ALEC DUFTY

Alec Dufty is in his eighth season with Sporting Kansas City having been introduced to the organization as the Sporting KC II goalkeeper coach in the side’s inaugural season in 2016. In his first season working with the Sporting KC first team, starting goalkeeper Tim Melia enjoyed a recordbreaking season where he was named the 2017 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. A former MLS player, Dufty began his playing career with the New York Red Bulls in 2009, making one appearance before joining the MLS reserve goalkeeper pool. In 2010, Dufty joined USSF D2 Pro League side AC St. Louis, making 30 appearances before returning to MLS with the Chicago Fire in late 2010. He announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 2011 season. Dufty then took to coaching, first working with Florida Gulf Coast University and then the University of Illinois at Chicago. In 2015, Dufty served as goalkeeper coach for Toronto FC II in their inaugural USL Championship season.

DIRECTOR, SPORTS PERFORMANCE & SCIENCE | JOEY HARTY

Joey Harty was named Sporting Kansas City’s Director of Sports Performance and Science ahead of the 2020 season, stepping up from his role as assistant fitness coach which he held from 2018-2019. Harty manages all aspects of the club’s performance department from the academy to the senior team. He oversees day-to-day training plans on and off the field, including work in the weight room, soccer session planning, onfield movement training, data analysis and more, aiming to optimize player health and performance. Harty joined Sporting’s organization in January 2016, serving as a fitness coach for the Sporting Kansas City Academy before spending the 2017 season as head fitness coach for Sporting KC II. The Colorado native then transitioned to assistant fitness coach for Sporting’s first team in January 2018 before landing his current role with the club. Prior to arriving in Kansas City, Harty worked for Phoenix Rising FC and Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. Harty attended Grand Canyon from 2010-2014, played for the men’s soccer team from 2010-2012 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science. In addition to holding several professional licenses and certifications in athletic performance, Harty is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

#23 | F | WILLY AGADA

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 2, 3 times, last: Sept. 17, 2022, KC vs. MIN

Assists 1, 2 times, last: Sept. 4, 2022, KC at LA

Shots on Goal 5, Oct. 2, 2022, KC vs. SEA

Shots 7, Oct. 2, 2022, KC vs. SEA

Fouls Committed 5, Aug. 6, 2022, KC vs. LA

Fouls Suffered 3, 2 times, last: Aug. 27, 2022, KC vs. SJ

Last Regular Season...

Appearance Feb. 27, 2023, KC at POR

Goal Oct. 2, 2022, KC vs. SEA

Assist Sept. 4, 2022, KC at LA

2023 Record when: he starts 0-1-0 he scores 0-0-0

Height: 5-9 Weight: 180 Birthday: 9/17/1999

Hometown: Bauchi, Nigeria

Last Club: Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel)

Acquired: Acquired in transfer on 6/23/2022

Willy Agada joined Sporting KC in a transfer from Israeli side Hapoel Jerusalem in June 2022. A native of Nigeria, Agada scored 37 goals across four seasons in Israel before heading to the United States. Agada enjoyed an incredible start to his Sporting KC career, tallying eight goals and two assists in just 12 appearances to close out 2022 - placing him among the best goalscorers by a per-game basis in the league.

Agada turned professional as an 18-year-old and bagged eight goals during his first season with Hapoel Jerusalem in 2018-2019. He doubled his goal haul the following year, scoring a team-best 15 times across 36 appearances in the Israeli second division.

Agada’s excellent 2019-2020 campaign paved the way for a loan to Hapoel Haifa in the Israeli Premier League where he finished second on the team with six goals in 20202021. The 2021-2022 season saw Agada return to Hapoel Jerusalem, which had gained promotion to the Premier League and led the team with eight goals.

Height: 6-1 Weight: 190

Hometown: Palmdale, California

Last Club: KuPS (Finland)

#19 | D | ROBERT CASTELLANOS | @rc4official

Birthday: 5/11/1998

Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on 2/17/2023

Center back Robert Castellanos signed with Sporting Kansas City ahead of the 2023 campaign following a brief stint playing abroad with KuPS in Finland. Castellanos has made 70 club appearances since turning professional in 2017, including stints in the USL Championship, MLS and Finland.

Castellanos developed at the youth level with Nomads SC in San Diego before joining Liga MX club Atlas’ academy in 2016. He launched his professional career in early 2017, signing for LA Galaxy II and started 15 of 16 appearances in his debut USL Championship season. Castellanos spent the next three years at RGVFC, where he played 37 matches

and scored two goals. Castellanos jumped to MLS by signing for Nashville in February 2021. In his lone appearance for the club, Castellanos scored an equalizing goal in a 1-1 draw at Toronto FC. Nashville loaned Castellanos to the Tampa Bay Rowdies for the 2022 season where he played 13 matches, including starts in all three playoff games as the Rowdies reached the Conference Final. Castellanos then ventured abroad by joining KuPS, where he started three matches before leaving the club.

Castellanos is a former U.S. youth international, having made two appearances for the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team in 2016.

Height: 5-5

Weight: 145 Birthday: 3/13/2004

Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska

Last Club: Sporting KC Academy

Acquired: Signed as Homegrown Player on 1/20/2021

Midfielder Ozzie Cisneros, who has competed for the Sporting KC Academy at the U-13 through U-19 levels, became the fourth-youngest signing in club history when he inked an MLS contract at age 16 in early 2021. He scored his first professional goal for Sporting KC II against Louisville City FC on July 28, 2021 before making his debut for Sporting KC in a Leagues Cup match against Club Leon on Aug. 10, 2021.

A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Cisneros joined the Sporting KC Academy as a 12-year-old in 2016. That summer, he led Sporting to a fourth-place finish at the Concacaf U-13 Champions League in Mexico City. Cisneros went on to play almost 70 matches for Sporting in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, scoring 15 goals and climbing to the

U-19 ranks by the time he was 15. He helped the U-17s reach the 2019 Development Academy Playoffs and split time between the U-17s and U-19s during the first half of the 2019-20 campaign. Cisneros and the SKC Academy returned to action in September 2020 in MLS Next play, with Cisneros striking twice during the abbreviated fall season - once for the U-17s and once for the U-19s.

On the international stage, Cisneros notably starred at the 2019 Concacaf U-15 Championship in Bradenton, Florida, scoring both goals in a 2-0 quarterfinal win over Costa Rica, and also found the back of the net at the 2019 Torneo delle Nazioni in Italy.

Height: 5-9 Weight: 160 Birthday: 1/3/2002

Hometown: Rochester, Michigan

Last Club: Sporting KC II (USL Championship)

8/19/2021

Sporting Kansas City signed midfielder Jake Davis as a Homegrown Player in August 2021 as the 19th Homegrown Player to emerge from the Sporting Kansas City Academy. He made his first-team debut in the 4-0 victory over Minnesota United on Sept. 15, 2021.

A hard-nosed midfielder who can also play at right back, Davis has spent significant time developing with Sporting KC II under former Sporting greats Paulo Nagamura and Benny Feilhaber from 2019-2022. Davis moved to Kansas City in 2017 at age 15 to join the Sporting KC Academy and represented Sporting at the U-17 and U-19 levels.

A native of Rochester, Michigan, Davis moved to Kansas City in 2017 at age 15 to join the Sporting KC Academy. He represented Sporting at the U-17 and U-19 levels, amassing eight goals across 54 appearances in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

Davis earned international recognition in November 2019 when he was selected to the United States U-17 National Team for the 19th annual Nike International Friendlies.

#28 | M | CAM DUKE | @camduke20

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 1, 2 times, last: Sept. 15, 2021, KC vs. MIN

Assists 1, 3 times, last: May 22, 2022, KC at SJ

Shots on Goal 1, 7 times, last: July 13, 2022, KC at MIN

Shots 2, 4 times, last: July 13, 2022, KC at MIN

Fouls Committed 5, June 19, 2022, KC at NSH

Fouls Suffered 8, July 21, 2021, KC vs. SJ

Last Regular Season... Appearance Sept. 13, 2022, KC vs. DC

Goal Sept. 15, 2021, KC vs. MIN

Assist May 22, 2022, KC at SJ

2023 Record when: he starts 0-0-0 he scores 0-0-0

Height: 5-6

Weight: 130 Birthday: 2/13/2001

Hometown: Overland Park, Kansas

Last Club: Sporting KC Academy

Acquired: Signed as Homegrown Player on 7/18/2019

Sporting Kansas City announced the signing of midfielder Cam Duke as a Homegrown Player midway through the 2019 season. The Overland Park, Kansas native was in the club’s Academy from 2012-2019, advancing from the Under-12 side to the Under-19s. He made his professional debut in the MLS is Back Quarterfinals against the Philadelphia Union on July 30, 2020 and scored his first goal in a 3-1 road win over Seattle on July 25, 2021 before scoring again in a Leagues Cup match vs. Club Leon on Aug. 10, 2021.

Duke capped an impressive Academy career by helping the SKC Academy U-19s reach the quarterfinals of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs in June 2019. After the U-19s secured the No. 4 overall seed with a 16-4-3 regular-season record, Duke

spearheaded a first-place finish in the group stage with a goal and an assist. Duke was the No. 1 prospect in the Heartland Region and the 20th-ranked player nationally at TopDrawerSoccer.com. Duke is the younger brother of former Sporting midfielder and SKC II captain Christian Duke, while his father, Chris Duke, played for the Kansas City Comets and Kansas City Attack in the early 1990s.

Duke represented the United States at the U-14 and U-15 level before guiding the U.S. U-16s to a third-place finish at the Val-de-Marne Tournament in France in 2016. Duke earned his first of several calls to the U.S. U-18s in November 2017 before returning to the team in 2018.

| M | ROGER ESPINOZA

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 1, 12 times, last: July 9, 2022, KC at MTL Assists 2, 3 times, last: March 30, 2019, KC vs. MTL Shots on Goal

Last Regular Season...

Appearance Feb. 27, 2023, KC at POR

Goal July 9, 2022, KC at MTL Assist Sept. 17, 2022, KC vs. MIN 2023 Record when: he starts 0-1-0 he scores 0-0-0

Height: 5-10 Weight: 190 Birthday: 10/25/1986

Hometown: Denver, Colorado College: Ohio State

Last Club: Wigan Athletic (England)

Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on 1/6/2015

Roger Espinoza has enjoyed two spells with Sporting Kansas City, first from 2008-12 and again from 2015-present. After a two-year stint in the English Premier League and English Championship with Wigan Athletic, Espinoza returned to Sporting KC in 2015. In his two years at Wigan Athletic, he logged 57 appearances and started in the club’s 2013 FA Cup Final victory over Manchester City.

Espinoza was an MLS All-Star in 2012 and helped lead the club to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title that season. While he missed Sporting’s MLS Cup in 2013 while with Wigan in England, Espinoza helped guide the club to further Open Cup triumphs in both

2015 and 2017. Espinoza has made 369 appearances for the club in all competitions across the last 13 seasons, tallying 14 goals and 47 assists. “Red Card Roger”, as he’s affectionately known, is both the club’s all-time leader and the all-time MLS leader with 13 red cards.

Espinoza earned 51 caps for the Honduras Men’s National Team after debuting in 2009. He has competed in the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups as well as the 2012 Summer Olympics before retiring from international play in 2019.

#15

Height: 5-9

Weight: 145 Birthday: 4/6/2002

Hometown: Half Moon Bay, CA

College: Virginia Tech

Last Club: Oakland Roots (USL Championship)

Acquired: Signed off Waivers on 1/13/2023

Sporting Kansas City added Danny Flores off MLS waivers in January 2023. Flores is set to begin his MLS career after a two-year college stint at Virginia Tech. Prior to his collegiate experience, Flores also boasts three seasons of play in the USL Championship, representing Philadelphia Union II from 2019-2020 and Oakland Roots SC in 2021.

Flores recorded two goals and two assists in 32 USL Championship matches across three seasons. He made his league debut in September 2019 for Union II and was an ever-present fixture for the club the following year by playing in all 16 matches. Flores returned to California in 2021 as he moved cross-country to join Oakland Roots SC for the club’s inaugural USL Championship campaign, starting 10 of 12 matches. Following his

FLORES

Height: 6-2 Weight: 200 Birthday: 11/14/1989

Hometown: Banyoles, Spain

Last Club: Celta Vigo (Spain)

Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on 8/8/2018

Andreu Fontas, a 10-year professional with more than 200 appearances in his native Spain, joined Sporting KC midway through the 2018 season. Fontas underwent Achilles surgery in late 2019, keeping him out for the majority of the 2020 season before returning as an MLS Defender of the Year contender in 2021.

Fontas spent five seasons from 2013-2018 with Celta Vigo in Spain’s top-flight La Liga, where he played alongside current Sporting midfielder Nemanja Radoja and started 100 of 105 league appearances, helping the club to the semifinals of the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League. The defender developed in FC Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth

successful spell in Oakland, Flores began his collegiate career in Virginia Tech’s midfield. He started all 19 matches during his first season and was named the No. 3 freshman in the country by Top Drawer Soccer and earned ACC All-Freshman Team accolades. Flores continued to lead the Hokies in 2022, scoring a team-best four goals and adding two assists. He ended his time at Virginia Tech with five goals, five assists and starts in 31 of 33 career appearances.

Flores represented the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team, where he competed alongside SKC Academy products Gianluca Busio and Tyler Freeman. Flores starred for two clubs at the Academy level, first with Shattuck St. Mary’s and later with the Philadelphia Union.

academy, playing nearly 100 matches combined for FC Barcelona B and FC Barcelona from 2008-2012. Fontas advanced from Barcelona’s B team to the first team in 2009 and played in 16 games for the Spanish giants, including a sub appearance in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup Final. Fontas spent the 2012-13 season on loan at Mallorca before signing with Celta Vigo in June 2013.

Internationally, Fontas has represented Spain at the Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 levels and has also played for the Catalonia National Team.

2022, KC vs. SEA Goal May 27, 2017, COL vs. SKC (w/ COL)

Height: 6-2

Weight: 180 Birthday: 1/26/1996

Hometown: Olathe, Kansas

College: University of Denver

Last Club: Colorado Rapids (MLS)

Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on 1/14/2022

Kortne Ford returned to his hometown and signed with Sporting KC as a free agent ahead of the 2022 season. Ford began his professional career in 2017 with the Colorado Rapids, where he started 33 of 35 MLS appearances as a Homegrown Player. Following a five-year stint in Colorado, Ford spent the last three months of 2021 on loan with San Antonio FC in the USL Championship. Having dealt with a host of injury issues in Colorado, Ford made his first MLS appearance since 2018 in Sporting’s match at the Colorado Rapids on March 12, 2022.

Ford enjoyed a strong rookie campaign with the Rapids in 2017, starting 19 of 20 MLS appearances. He earned his MLS debut in a road loss to Sporting KC on April 9 at

Children’s Mercy Park and opened his professional scoring account against SKC in a 1-0 home win on May 27. Born in Olathe, Kansas, Ford played youth soccer in the Kansas City area before moving with his family to Colorado at age 12. He joined the Colorado Rapids Academy in 2012 and represented the club at the U-16 and U-18 levels. In three standout seasons at the University of Denver, Ford was a two-time All-Summit League First Team selection and a Top Drawer Soccer Second Team All-America honoree in 2016. He started in all 62 college appearances, notching five goals and three assists, and led the Pioneers to their first NCAA Men’s College Cup appearance as a junior in 2016.

FELIPE HERNANDEZ | @Fe1ipe98

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 1, 3 times, last: Sept. 4, 2022, KC at LA

Assists 2, May 14, 2022, KC at POR

Shots on Goal 1, 10 times, last: Oct. 9, 2022, KC at DAL

Shots 4, 4 times, last: Sept. 10, 2022, KC at HOU

Fouls Committed 3, 4 times, last: July 23, 2022, KC vs. LAFC

Fouls Suffered 4, July 4, 2021, KC at LA

Last Regular Season...

Appearance Feb. 27, 2023, KC at POR

Goal Sept. 4, 2022, KC at LA

Assist May 14, 2022, KC at POR

2023 Record when: he starts 0-0-0 he scores 0-0-0

Height: 5-7

Weight: 140 Birthday: 6/8/1998

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Last Club: Sporting Kansas City II (USL Championship)

Acquired: Signed as Homegrown Player on 8/30/2019

Felipe Hernandez signed with Sporting KC as a Homegrown Player in August 2019. Hernandez is the first Sporting player to progress from an Academy Affiliate club to the SKC Academy to Sporting KC II before signing with the senior team. He signed with the first team following a breakout 2019 with SKC II in the USL Championship, where he started 24 of 26 appearances, scored a team-best eight goals and recorded four assists.

Hernandez scored his first MLS goal for the club in a June 23, 2021 victory over the Colorado Rapids and also tallied the opener against his hometown club Nashville SC in a 2-1 Sporting KC victory on June 19, 2022.

Hernandez played for Sporting Nashville Heroes, a former Academy Affiliate, and moved to Kansas City in the summer of 2014 to join the Academy. At age 16, Hernandez earned a preseason training stint with Sporting KC in January 2015, before signing an Academy contract with Sporting KC II in August 2016, two months prior to earning Bob Gansler Academy Player of the Year honors that then led to a professional SKC II contract in early 2017.

On the international stage, Hernandez played for the U.S. U-19 and U-20 National Teams in 2016 and 2017.

Height: 5-7

Weight: 155 Birthday: 3/23/1994

Hometown: Ashdod, Israel

Last Club: Beitar Jerusalem (Israel)

Acquired: Acquired in loan/transfer on 1/23/2020

Gadi Kinda joined Sporting KC ahead of the 2020 season from Israeli Premier League side Beitar Jerusalem. Kinda earned Sporting KC Newcomer of the Year honors in his first MLS season and has contributed 11 goals and 12 assists in 51 appearances across all competitions for Sporting. Kinda is set to return in 2023 after missing the entire 2022 campaign after undergoing knee surgery.

Born in Ethiopia and raised in Israel, Kinda joined Beitar Jerusalem in February 2019 and started 30 of 31 appearances in all competitions. Kinda spent the first seven and a half years of his professional career at FC Ashdod. He developed as a youth in his hometown club’s academy prior to landing a top-flight debut in September 2011 as a 17-year-old.

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 1, 11 times, last: Oct. 3, 2021, KC vs. HOU

Assists 2, Oct. 27, 2021, KC vs. LA

Shots on Goal 3, 2 times, last: Oct. 3, 2021, KC vs. HOU

Shots 5, July 31, 2021, KC vs. DAL

Fouls Committed 4, Feb. 29, 2020, KC at VAN

Fouls Suffered 5, Oct. 17, 2021, KC at VAN

Last Regular Season...

Appearance Nov. 3, 2021, KC at ATX

Goal Oct. 3, 2021, KC vs. HOU

Assist Nov. 3, 2021, KC at ATX

2023 Record when: he starts 0-0-0 he scores 0-0-0

Ashdod spent the 2015-16 season in Israel’s second division, but a strong bounce-back culminated with a Liga Leumit title as Kinda earned 27 appearances and helped his team finish atop the standings. Ashdod’s promotion saw Kinda tally seven goals and seven assists over the next two and a half seasons before his transfer to Beitar Jerusalem.

Kinda has five caps for the senior Israeli National Team, making his debut on June 5, 2021 when he scored the final goal in a 3-1 friendly win over Montenegro. He previously represented Israel at the U-18, U-19 and U-21 levels.

Height: 5-9 Weight: 165 Birthday: 11/30/1993

Hometown: Friolzheim, Germany

Last Club: Hamburger SV (Germany) Acquired:

Tim Leibold joined Sporting Kansas City in January 2023 having amassed more than 20 goals and 40 assists in nearly 300 professional appearances in his native Germany. Leibold becomes the third German newcomer at Sporting since the start of 2022, following center back Robert Voloder and midfielder Erik Thommy.

Leibold spent the last eight seasons across Germany’s top two divisions. He starred at Nurnberg from 2015-2019 and has competed since then for Hamburg, including a one-year stint as club captain during the 2020-21 campaign. Leibold developed in youth academies at VfB Stuttgart, TSF Ditzingen and SGV Freiberg before turning professional with Freiberg at age 18 in 2012. Leibold enjoyed a breakthrough in 2015 by joining 2.

Bundesliga side Nurnburg and solidifying his place as a regular starter. The 2018-19 campaign saw Leibold lead Nurnburg with 32 Bundesliga starts while also assisting three goals. Competing in one of the world’s best leagues, he led the team in key passes, tackles, recoveries and touches while placing second in minutes played.

Leibold then returned to the 2. Bundesliga with a move to Hamburg, where he had his best professional season to date in 2019-20. He played every minute of all 34 league matches and led the 2. Bundesliga with 16 assists.

At the international level, Leibold played five matches for the Germany U-20s in 2013.

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals Allowed 2, Oct. 9, 2022, KC at DAL Saves 6, Oct. 9, 2022, KC at DAL

Last Regular Season...

Appearance Oct. 9, 2022, KC at DAL

Shutout Sept. 13, 2022, KC vs. DC 2023 Record when: he starts 0-0-0

Height: 5-11

Weight: 180 Birthday: 1/24/1994

Hometown: Santa Rosa, California

College: Santa Clara

Last Club: New York Red Bulls (MLS)

Acquired: Acquired in Re-Entry Draft on 12/17/2020

Sporting KC acquired goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh in Stage 1 of the MLS Re-Entry Process in late 2020. McIntosh spent the previous MLS campaign with the New York Red Bulls following a four-year stint in the Portland Timbers organization from 2016-2019. After seven years in MLS, McIntosh made his MLS debut in Sporting KC’s 3-0 home win over D.C. United on Sept. 13, 2022.

As a rookie in 2016, McIntosh competed for Timbers 2 of the USL Championship prior to signing his first MLS contract with Portland in January 2017. He played most of the next three years on loan with Timbers 2. In his lone appearance for Portland’s first team,

McIntosh secured a 2-0 shutout victory over San Jose in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 in 2018.

Born in Oakland and raised in Santa Rosa, California, McIntosh was a member of the San Jose Earthquakes Academy as a youth before embarking on a four-year collegiate career at Santa Clara University. He was named the 2015 West Coast Conference Goalkeeper of the Year as a senior, leading Santa Clara to the WCC Championship.

On the international stage, McIntosh featured for the U.S. U-14, U-15, U-17 and U-20 National Teams, including a stint in residency with the U-17s in Bradenton, Florida.

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals Allowed 7, 2 times, last: May 14, 2022, KC at POR Saves 10, April 8, 2018, KC at LA

Last Regular Season... Appearance July 23, 2022, KC vs. LAFC Shutout May 7, 2022, KC at NYC 2023 Record when: he starts 0-0-0

Height: 6-1 Weight: 210 Birthday: 5/15/1986

Hometown: Great River, New York College: Lynn University

Last Club: Chivas USA (MLS)

Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on 12/23/2014

Tim Melia leads Sporting KC in regular-season wins (92), shutouts (63) and saves (624), and has also played the most games (216) of any goalkeeper in club history. Melia claimed the 2017 Goalkeeper of the Year crown with career-highs in wins (12), shutouts (10), saves (91), starts (31) and minutes (2,759) before surpassing each of those stats in 2018.

Melia has an unbelievable knack for saving penalty kicks, having only conceded 17 of the 30 he has faced for Sporting while also guiding the team to penalty shootout victories in the 2015 U.S. Open Cup Final, the 2017 U.S. Open Cup Semifinal, the 2020 MLS is Back Round of 16 and the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs Quarterfinal.

Among goalkeepers with at least 15 regular-season appearances in 2017, he led MLS with a 0.78 goals against average, 78.4 save percentage and 69.2-percent passing accuracy. He also ranked second in shutouts. On April 8, 2018, Melia set a new club record and career-high with 10 saves in a 2-0 win over the LA Galaxy. During his breakout campaign in 2015, he was named MLS Comeback Player of the Year.

After a four-year college career with NCAA DIII program Lynn University, Melia began his professional career in 2008 with the Rochester Rhinos of the USL First Division. After stints with Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA, he spent the latter half of 2014 as a League Pool Goalkeeper, earning call-ups from Sporting KC, FC Dallas and D.C. United.

Height: 5-8

Weight: 180 Birthday: 2/9/2000

Hometown: La Louviere, Belgium

Last Club: EA Guingamp (France)

Acquired: Acquired in transfer on 1/14/2022

Logan Ndenbe joined Sporting in a transfer from French team EA Guingamp in January 2022. Ndenbe arrived in Kansas City after spending his first five professional seasons in Europe with Belgian top-flight side KV Oostende and Guingamp. Ndenbe made 25 appearances in all competitions for Sporting KC in his first season with the club, tallying one assist in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Ndenbe developed in the Royal Excel Mouscron academy before joining KV Oostende as a 17-year-old in 2017. Ndenbe left Belgium in July 2020, signing for Guingamp to mark the start of a successful stint in the French Ligue 2.

Aug. 27, 2022, KC vs. SJ Shots 3, April 30, 2022, KC vs. DAL Fouls

3, May 18, 2022, KC vs. COL Fouls

4, 2 times, last: July 3, 2022, KC vs. NY

Sept. 4, 2022, KC at LA

On the youth international stage, Ndenbe rose through the Belgian U-17 and U-18 teams before earning his Belgium U-21 debut in June 2021 for his first of six matches in 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying. He started in four games during qualifying, helping the team go 3-0-1.

Height: 5-9 Weight: 150 Birthday: 2/16/2003

Hometown: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Last Club: Sporting KC Academy

Acquired: Signed as Homegrown Player on 5/4/2021

Kayden Pierre signed with Sporting as a Homegrown player early in the 2021 season after impressing at preseason camp in Arizona with the Sporting KC first team. He made his debut for the club against Club Leon in the Leagues Cup on Aug. 10, 2021 before making his MLS debut at Colorado on March 12, 2022. He enjoyed a breakout spell over the summer of 2022 with senior right back Graham Zusi sidelined through injury, as Pierre made 12 of his 19 appearances on the season between June 25-Sept. 17.

Pierre joined the Sporting KC Academy in 2018 from Vardar SC in his native Michigan. He represented Sporting at the U-15, U-17 and U-19 levels and helped guide the U-17s to

the Academy Playoffs in 2019. Capable of playing at left back and right back, Pierre gained his first professional experience in 2020 when he signed an amateur academy contract with SKC II. Pierre enjoyed a breakout season for Sporting in 2022, making 22 appearances in all competitions.

On the international stage, Pierre has competed for the U.S. U-14, U-16 and U-20 national teams.

#9 | F | ALAN PULIDO | @alanpulido

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 2, 2 times, last: May 16, 2021, KC vs. VAN

Assists 2, July 22, 2020, KC at RSL

Shots on Goal 6, Oct. 24, 2020, KC vs. COL

Shots 8, May 22, 2021, KC at SJ

Fouls Committed 3, June 19, 2021, KC at POR

Fouls Suffered 5, 2 times, last: Aug. 4, 2021, KC at LAFC

Last Regular Season...

Appearance Oct. 3, 2021, KC vs. HOU

Goal Aug. 14, 2021, KC at DAL

Assist Aug. 18, 2021, KC vs. POR

2023 Record when: he starts 0-0-0 he scores 0-0-0

Height: 5-10

Weight: 180 Birthday: 3/8/1991

Hometown: Ciudad Victoria, Mexico

Last Club: C.D. Guadalajara (Mexico)

Acquired: Acquired in transfer on 12/10/2019

Mexican star Alan Pulido signed with Sporting KC as a Designated Player in a club-record transfer from Chivas Guadalajara in December 2019. Pulido has scored over 100 combined goals for club and country during a decorated career highlighted by five domestic championships and the 2018 Concacaf Champions League title. In his first two seasons with the club, Pulido tallied 15 goals and eight assists in 36 appearances and was named Sporting’s Offensive Player of the Year. Pulido is set to return in 2023 after missing the entire 2022 campaign after undergoing knee surgery. Pulido developed in the Tigres UANL youth academy before breaking into the first team in 2009 as an 18-year-old. He helped Tigres to the 2009 SuperLiga title and two years later, Pulido scored in the second leg of the 2011 Liga MX Apertura Final as Tigres won its first league championship since 1982. Pulido enjoyed a breakout 2013-14 campaign with 25

goals in all competitions during his final season at Tigres, scoring in the 2014 Copa MX Clausura Final to finish as the tournament’s top scorer. Pulido then signed for Greek outfit Levadiakos and scored on his debut before heading to Greek powerhouse Olympiacos. Pulido returned to Liga MX in August 2016, joining Chivas on a club-record transfer fee. His first full season with Chivas yielded 14 goals, helping his side to a double-winning campaign that ended with his first Liga MX Best XI selection. In 2018, he led Chivas to the Concacaf Champions League title and the club’s first continental championship in 56 years.

At the international level, Pulido has bagged five goals in 20 caps for Mexico’s senior team and was part of the El Tri squad at the 2011 Copa America and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals Allowed 4, Aug. 13, 2022, KC at ATX

Saves 7, July 17, 2022, KC at RSL

Last Regular Season...

Appearance Feb. 27, 2023, KC at POR Shutout Oct. 2, 2022, KC vs. SEA 2023 Record when: he starts 0-1-0

Height: 6-4 Weight: 205 Birthday: 4/19/2001

Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Last Club: Sporting Kansas City II (USL Championship)

Acquired: Signed as a Homegrown Player on 2/24/2020

John Pulskamp joined Sporting KC as a Homegrown Player ahead of the 2020 season after acquiring his Homegrown rights from the LA Galaxy where he spent two seasons in the club’s Academy. He made his MLS debut in the 2021 season opener, helping the side to a 2-1 victory at the New York Red Bulls.

Pulskamp became the youngest goalkeeper in Sporting KC history to record a shutout following a 2-0 win over the LA Galaxy on Oct. 27, 2021 at the age of 20 years and 191 days. He enjoyed a breakout year in 2022 when he deputized for an injured Tim Melia to make 15 starts in all competitions, posting an 8-3-4 record.

Pulskamp joined the MLS ranks on the heels of a breakout 2019 USL Championship season with SKC II. Pulskamp arrived in Kansas City in April 2019 after a two-year stint in the LA Galaxy Academy. He also spent time on trial with English Premier League outfit AFC Bournemouth in the summer of 2018. Prior to joining the Galaxy, he represented youth sides Real So Cal and Central California Aztecs.

Pulskamp was called in to a U.S. Men’s National Team training camp in December 2021. At the youth international level, Pulskamp has represented the U.S. at the U-18 and U-20 levels.

Height: 6-0

Weight: 175 Birthday: 2/6/1993

Hometown: Novi Sad, Serbia

Last Club: Levante (Spain)

Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on 10/26/2022

Nemanja Radoja signed with Sporting KC ahead of the 2023 campaign, having spent most of the last decade in the Spanish La Liga with Celta Vigo and Levante. Radoja has played nearly 300 matches across the top divisions of Serbia and Spain and also boasts experience in the UEFA Europa League with Vojvodina and Celta Vigo.

Radoja began his professional career with Serbian club Vojvodina before embarking on an eight-year journey in La Liga. He logged 181 La Liga appearances from 2014-2022, playing alongside Sporting defender Andreu Fontas at Celta Vigo from 2014-2018 and spending each of the last three seasons with Levante. Radoja developed in Vojvodina’s youth academy and joined the club’s senior team in 2011 prior to brief loan spells in Serbia. Celta Vigo acquired Radoja via transfer in August 2014 and he took little time settling in as a key figure for Celta, regularly competing in tandem with Fontas for a team

that finished eighth in 2014-15. Radoja and Celta improved upon their fortunes in 2015-16 leading to a sixth-place league finish. Celta Vigo’s 2016-17 campaign was highlighted by runs to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey and UEFA Europa League, where they fell to eventual champions Manchester United. Radoja moved to Levante ahead of the 2019-20 campaign. His first year at the club was highlighted by scoring in a 3-1 upset win over European powerhouse FC Barcelona.

On the international stage, Radoja has two caps for the Serbia Men’s National Team. He earned his senior debut in a friendly match at Ukraine in November 2016 and made one appearance in Serbia’s successful qualifying campaign ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. As a youth, Radoja represented Serbia at the U-18 through U-21 levels.

Height: 6-2 Weight: 185 Birthday: 10/8/2001

Hometown: Rockville, Maryland College: Maryland

Sporting Kansas City singed center back Chris Rindov ahead of the 2023 season after selecting the defender in the Second Round (37th overall) of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft out of Maryland. Rindov becomes Sporting’s first MLS SuperDraft selection to sign for the first team since 2018 and the second defender on Sporting’s active roster to join as a second-round draft pick out of Maryland, alongside World Cup veteran and seven-time MLS All-Star Graham Zusi.

Rindov was a defensive mainstay for perennial powerhouse Maryland, starting in each of the program’s 38 matches over his final two seasons and finishing his college career with four goals and five assists in 58 appearances. Rising from freshman walk-on to team

captain as a senior, he had a banner year in 2022 as an All-Big Ten First Team honoree and an MLS College Showcase participant. Rindov played every minute in all 20 matches for the Terrapins in 2022, pushing Maryland to the Big Ten regular season title with an unbeaten 4-0-4 conference record. A two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, Rindov guided the Terps to their 22nd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in the fall of 2022.

Rindov won four consecutive state championships at Rockville High School. He also played for youth club OBGC, where he competed at two national championships and won an Eastern Regional title in 2018.

Height: 6-2

Weight: 190 Birthday: 10/6/1993

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia

Last Club: Atletico Junior (Colombia)

Acquired: Acquired in transfer on 3/2/2023

Sporting Kansas City acquired center back Dany Rosero in a transfer from Colombian side Atletico Junior in March 2023. Rosero has eclipsed 300 professional appearances across Argentina and his native Colombia, scoring 20 goals and competing in the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. Beginning his career at Argentine club Arsenal de Sarandi as a teenager, the defender has spent the last seven seasons in the Colombian top-flight Categoria Primera A with Patriotas Boyacá, Deportivo Cali and Junior.

Born in Colombia, Rosero moved to Argentina to join Arsenal’s youth academy and began his professional career with the club in 2012. He enjoyed a pair of early breakthroughs by helping Arsenal win the 2013 Copa Argentina and by appearing in the 2014 Copa Libertadores. Rosero returned to his home country in 2016 and made an immediate impact, scoring four goals and starting 35 of 37 league appearances with Patriotas

Boyacá. Strong performances with Patriotas paved the way for Rosero to join Colombian powerhouse Deportivo Cali in 2017. Rosero delivered his most dominant season to date in 2019, scoring seven goals and starting 55 games in all competitions, with Deportivo Cali finishing as Copa Colombia runners-up.

In 2020, Rosero signed for Colombian heavyweights Junior and played in both the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana, making 11 starts across the two tournaments. The following season, Rosero made seven appearances in the Copa Libertadores and one in the Copa Sudamericana while scoring three goals in 33 Primera A matches as Junior finished fifth in the aggregate league table. Rosero remained one of the Colombian first division’s best center backs in 2022, starting 36 league games and propelling Junior to the Copa Colombia finals.

#7 | F | JOHNNY RUSSELL

Height: 5-9 Weight: 170 Birthday: 4/8/1990

Hometown: Glasgow, Scotland

Last Club: Derby County FC (England)

Acquired: Acquired in transfer on 1/31/2018

Scottish winger Johnny Russell joined Sporting KC in a transfer from English club Derby County FC in January 2018. A cult-hero at the club, Russell has tallied 53 goals and 39 assists in 165 appearances for Sporting KC since the start of 2018. He was named club captain ahead of the 2021 season.

In 2021, Russell scored in eight consecutive games as part of a run where he tallied 15 goals in 19 matches over the second half of the campaign. Russell was named the club’s MVP in 2020 and 2022 as well as Offensive Player of the Year in 2018, 2019 and 2021.

Russell previously scored 93 goals during a 12-year professional career in England and his native Scotland. Russell developed in the Dundee United Academy in Scotland before

July 23, 2022, KC vs. LAFC

Last Regular Season... Appearance Oct. 9, 2022, KC at DAL Goal Sept. 4, 2022, KC at LA Assist Sept. 17, 2022, KC vs. MIN

2023 Record when: he starts 0-0-0 he scores 0-0-0

making his professional debut for the top-flight Scottish Premiership club in May 2007 at age 17. He spent most of the following three seasons out on loan and marked his first Dundee United start with a goal in the 2009 Scottish FA Cup. After scoring 23 goals from 2010-2012, Russell’s final season at Dundee saw him produce a team-best 20 goals. Russell joined Derby County in the summer of 2013 and marked his debut for the Rams with his first of nine goals in the 2013-14 English Championship as Derby fell just short of promotion to the EPL. He totaled 18 goals over the next two seasons.

Russell has 13 career caps for Scotland and scored his first international goal during a European Championship Qualifier in San Marino on March 24, 2019. He has also represented Scotland at the U-19 and U-21 levels.

SALLOI | @danielsalloi

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 2, 4 times, last: May 18, 2022, KC vs. COL

Assists 2, 3 times, last: Aug. 6, 2022, KC vs. LA

Shots on Goal 4, 3 times, last: July 13, 2019, KC at VAN

Shots 8, May 5, 2018, KC vs. COL

Fouls Committed 4, June 7, 2019, KC at TOR

Fouls Suffered 5, July 31, 2021, KC vs. DAL

Last Regular Season... Appearance Feb. 27, 2023, KC at POR

Goal Sept. 13, 2022, KC vs. DC

Assist Oct. 2, 2022, KC vs. SEA

2023 Record when: he starts 0-1-0 he scores 0-0-0

Height: 6-1

Weight: 165 Birthday: 7/19/1996

Hometown: Budapest, Hungary

Last Club: Gyirmot SE (Hungary) - Loan

Acquired: Signed as Homegrown Player on 1/13/2016

Daniel Salloi signed with Sporting KC as a Homegrown Player in early 2016 and made his Sporting KC debut on April 9, 2017. After enjoying a breakout campaign in 2018 where he tallied 16 goals and seven assists in all competitions, Salloi rebounded from a few lean years to be named an MLS MVP finalist in 2021 after recording 16 goals and 10 assists in all competitions, tying the club record for most non-penalty goals in a single MLS regular season. Salloi’s 13 game-winning goals is tied for most in club history. Salloi, who signed a new four-year contract in late 2022, has recorded 48 goals and 25 assists in 173 appearances across all competitions.

Salloi scored on his first start for the club - a 4-0 win over Minnesota United in the U.S. Open Cup on June 14, 2017 - and added his first MLS goal vs. Portland on July 1, 2017.

Salloi reached even greater heights by scoring the winning goal in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup Final against the New York Red Bulls. Salloi moved to the U.S. in 2014 as an AFS exchange student and attended Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas, joining the SKC Academy U-18s for the 2014-15 season.

Salloi returned to his former Hungarian Academy side Ujpest FC in July 2015. He made his pro debut in the OTP Bank Liga on July 18, 2015 the day before his 19th birthday.

Salloi has four caps for the senior Hungary National Team, having made his debut in a World Cup Qualifier against England on Sept. 2, 2021. He previously played for the Hungary Under-21 National Team.

Regular Season Game Highs: Goals 1, 17 times, last: Sept. 13, 2022, KC vs. DC Assists 3, Sept. 23, 2016, NYC vs. CHI (w/ NYC) Shots on Goal 4, July 17, 2020, KC vs. COL Shots 6, May 5, 2018, KC vs. COL

Fouls Committed 4, 2 times, last: Oct. 21, 2018, KC at FCD Fouls Suffered 4, April 11, 2015, NYC at PHI (w/ NYC)

Last Regular Season... Appearance Feb. 27, 2023, KC at POR

Goal Sept. 13, 2022, KC vs. DC

Assist July 9, 2022, KC at MTL

2023 Record when: he starts 0-1-0 he scores 0-0-0

Height: 6-3 Weight: 180 Birthday: 6/26/1993

Hometown: Austin, Texas

College: Oregon State

Last Club: SC Paderborn 07 (Germany)

Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on 12/9/2019

Khiry Shelton is in the midst of his second stint with Sporting Kansas City, having initially helped the club to a first place in the Western Conference and a record-breaking scoring season in 2018, before departing to play in Germany with SC Paderborn 07 for one season in 2019. He returned to the club ahead of the 2020 season and has tallied 14 goals and 16 assists across 109 appearances for the club.

Shelton was selected second overall in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft by expansion side New York City FC and spent three seasons with the club before initially arriving in KC via trade ahead of the 2018 season.

He was NYCFC’s first-ever SuperDraft pick and played a total of 54 regular-season games for the club, notching six goals and 10 assists across just 23 starts.

In college, Shelton attended Oregon State University where he was an NSCAA All-America Second Team selection; Pac-12 Player of the Year; All-Far West Region First Team as he helped lead the Beavers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003 during his senior year. Shelton was a member of the U.S. U-18 National Team as a youth player.

#2 | D | BEN SWEAT

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 1, June 24, 2017, NYC at NY (w/ NYC)

Assists 1, 14 times, last: Sept. 17, 2022, KC vs. MIN

Shots on Goal 2, Sept. 16, 2017, NYC at COL (w/ NYC)

Shots 2, 11 times, last: Aug. 21, 2022, KC vs. POR

Fouls Committed 3, 7 times, last: Aug. 27, 2022, KC vs. SJ

Fouls Suffered 2, 8 times, last: April 2, 2022, KC at VAN

Last Regular Season...

Appearance Feb. 27, 2023, KC at POR

Goal June 24, 2017, NYC at NY (w/ NYC)

Assist Sept. 17, 2022, KC vs. MIN

2023 Record when: he starts 0-1-0 he scores 0-0-0

Height: 6-1

Weight: 175 Birthday: 9/4/1991

Hometown: Palm Harbor, Florida

College: University of South Florida

Last Club: Austin FC (MLS)

Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on 12/20/2021

Ben Sweat signed with Sporting KC as a free agent ahead of the 2022 campaign. Prior to arriving at Sporting, Sweat eclipsed 150 total appearances during a professional career that began in 2014 and includes previous MLS stints with the Columbus Crew, New York City FC, Inter Miami CF and Austin FC. Sweat made his return from a year out through injury in 2022, making 24 appearances and tallying three assists for Sporting KC.

Sweat began his professional journey as a 2014 MLS SuperDraft first-round selection, joining the Columbus Crew and spending most of his rookie campaign on loan with the Dayton Dutch Lions. He would spend each of the next two seasons in the NASL with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Sweat made his jump back to MLS with New York City FC in 2017,

helping the team qualify for the postseason each of his three years. Sweat was selected by Inter Miami CF with the first pick in the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft and appeared in 22 matches during Miami’s maiden MLS campaign in 2020. In December 2020, Sweat was traded to another MLS newcomer, Austin FC. He started the first two matches in club history last April before missing the remainder of 2021 following a torn ACL.

On the international stage, Sweat represented the U.S. at the U-20 level in 2010 and earned his first call-up to the USMNT in October 2018. He made his senior debut as a late substitute in a friendly loss to Chile on Oct. 11 and five days later went the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 friendly draw against Peru.

#26 | M | ERIK THOMMY | @erikthommy

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 1, 3 times, last: Sept. 17, 2022, KC vs. MIN

Assists 1, 2 times, last: Oct. 9, 2022, KC at DAL

Shots on Goal 3, Oct. 9, 2022, KC at DAL

Shots 6, 2 times, last: Oct. 9, 2022, KC at DAL

Fouls Committed 2, 3 times, last: Oct. 9, 2022, KC at DAL

Fouls Suffered 4, Aug. 21, 2022, KC vs. POR

Last Regular Season...

Appearance Feb. 27, 2023, KC at POR

Goal Sept. 17, 2022, KC vs. MIN

Assist Oct. 9, 2022, KC at DAL 2023 Record when: he starts 0-1-0 he scores 0-0-0

Height: 5-8 Weight: 160 Birthday: 8/20/1994

Hometown: Wettenhausen, Germany

Last Club: VfB Stuttgart (Germany)

Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on 6/23/2022

Erik Thommy, a German Bundesliga veteran, signed with Sporting KC in June 2022. Thommy previously recorded 42 goals and 33 assists across nine seasons in his native Germany - including nine goals, 14 assists and 96 appearances in the Bundesliga, one of the top leagues in the world. He scored his first goal for Sporting in the 4-2 victory over the LA Galaxy on Aug. 6, 2022 and finished the season with an impressive three goals and two assists in 13 appearances.

Capable of playing in an advanced midfield role or on the wing, Thommy launched his professional career with FC Augsburg in 2014 before going on loan to FC Kaiserslautern

(2014-2016) and Jahn Regensburg (2016-2017). Thommy joined VfB Stuttgart in 2017, starred for Fortuna Dusseldorf during a successful loan spell in 2019-2020, and ended his time at Stuttgart in the Spring of 2022 by appearing in each of the club’s last six matches of the 2021-2022 campaign.

Thommy developed in academies at SV Kleinbeuren (2000-2002), SSV Ulm (2002-2009) and TSG Thannhausen (2009-2010) before moving to FC Augsburg. He signed for FC Augsburg II in 2013 and made his Bundesliga debut with Augsburg’s senior team as a 19-year-old in February 2014.

#77 | F | MARINOS TZIONIS

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 1, May 14, 2022, KC at POR

Assists 0

Shots on Goal 2, 2 times, last: Sept. 10, 2022, KC at HOU

Shots 3, Sept. 10, 2022, KC at HOU

Fouls Committed 2, 2 times, last: July 17, 2022, KC at RSL

Fouls Suffered 5, April 17, 2022, KC at LAFC

Last Regular Season...

Appearance Feb. 27, 2023, KC at POR

Goal May 14, 2022, KC at POR

Assist N/A

2023 Record when: he starts 0-0-0 he scores 0-0-0

Height: 5-7

Weight: 150 Birthday: 7/16/2001

Hometown: Nicosia, Cyprus

Last Club: Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus)

Acquired: Acquired in transfer on 1/24/2022

Marinos Tzionis signed with Sporting KC in a transfer from Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus in late January 2022. Tzionis scored 15 goals in 88 appearances for hometown club Omonia Nicosia since turning professional as a 15-year-old in 2017. In his debut season with Sporting KC, Tzionis tallied two goals in 29 appearances across all competitions.

Tzionis scored his first goal for the club with a last-gasp equalizer in the 98th minute of the club’s U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 clash with FC Dallas on May 10, 2022 and scored his first MLS goal four days later in a loss at Portland.

Tzionis developed in Omonia Nicosia’s academy, signed for the first team in 2017 and made his senior debut for the club in May 2018. In a breakout 2020-21 campaign, Tzionis guided Omonia to the club’s first league title in 11 years by tallying seven goals in 43 games. He landed his UEFA Champions League debut in the qualifying rounds and started all six of Omonia’s games in the UEFA Europa League group stage.

Tzionis represented Cyprus at the U-17 and U-19 youth levels, before breaking into the senior national team in September 2020. To date, Tzionis has two goals in 20 caps for the Cyprus National Team, scoring his first goal in a 2-0 win over Estonia on March 29, 2022.

#4 | D | ROBERT VOLODER

Regular

Height: 6-0 Weight: 175 Birthday: 5/9/2001

Hometown: Frankfurt, Germany

Last Club: NK Maribor (Slovenia)

Acquired: Acquired in transfer on 1/19/2022

Robert Voloder arrived in Kansas City in a transfer from NK Maribor in the Slovenian first division ahead of the 2022 MLS season. Voloder had played every minute for Slovenian powerhouse Maribor during the 2021-22 season, before making 14 appearances for Sporting KC during the 2022 campaign and tallying his first MLS goal against D.C. United on Sept. 13, 2022.

Prior to joining Maribor, Voloder began his professional career at heralded German side FC Cologne. He developed in the club’s academy from 2016-2020 before being selected to Cologne’s first team squad for three German Bundesliga matches at the end of the

Last Regular Season...

2019-20 campaign. Voloder featured regularly for FC Cologne II in 2020-21, starting all 26 appearances.

On the youth international stage, Voloder represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at the U-17 through U-19 levels from 2017-2019 before switching his national team allegiance to Germany in September 2019, debuting for the country’s U-19s in a friendly against England. He played his first of five matches for the German U-20s in the fall of 2020 and recently captained the team in an Under 20 Elite League matchup against Norway on Sept. 6, 2021.

Sporting KC Game Notes | March 4, 2023 at Colorado Rapids | SportingKC.com/Game-Notes

#54 | M | REMI WALTER | @remi_walter

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 1, 4 times, last: July 9, 2022, KC at MTL

Assists 1, 4 times, last: Oct. 2, 2022, KC vs. SEA

Shots on Goal 1, 13 times, last: Oct. 2, 2022, KC vs. SEA

Shots 3, 2 times, last: Nov. 3, 2021, KC at ATX

Fouls Committed 3, March 5, 2022, KC vs. HOU

Fouls Suffered 3, Nov. 7, 2021, KC vs. RSL

Last Regular Season...

Appearance Feb. 27, 2023, KC at POR

Goal July 9, 2022, KC at MTL

Assist Oct. 2, 2022, KC vs. SEA

2023 Record when: he starts 0-1-0 he scores 0-0-0

Height: 5-8

Weight: 160 Birthday: 4/26/1995

Hometown: Essey-les-Nancy, France

Last Club: Yeni Malatyaspor (Turkey)

Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on 12/22/2020

Remi Walter signed with Sporting KC in December 2020, having amassed nearly 200 professional appearances since 2012 while playing in his native France and one season in Turkey. Walter has been an integral part of the Sporting KC squad since 2021, tallying four goals and five assists in 69 appearances, and was the only Sporting player to start all 34 regular-season matches in 2022.

Walter developed in Nancy’s youth academy before joining the first team as an 18-year-old in 2013. He became a regular starter in the early stages of the 2013-14 season and spent the next two and a half years as an integral midfield contributor for the side before being transferred to French title contender Nice in early 2016. Walter helped

the club to a fourth-place finish as well as qualification to the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League. The following season, Walter and Nice took another step forward by placing third in Ligue 1 and booking a spot in the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. Walter split the 2017-18 campaign between Nice and Troyes on loan, before returning to Nice in the summer of 2018. Walter transferred to Turkish first division outfit Yeni Malatyaspor in January of 2020 before departing later that summer.

On the international stage, Walter was a French youth international who participated in a number of high-profile tournaments, namely the 2012 UEFA U-17 Championship in Slovenia and qualifying for the 2017 UEFA U-21 Championship in Poland.

#8 | D | GRAHAM ZUSI

Last Regular Season... Appearance Feb. 27, 2023, KC at POR Goal Oct. 9, 2022, KC at DAL Assist Aug. 21, 2022, KC vs. POR 2023 Record when: he starts 0-1-0 he scores 0-0-0

Height: 5-10 Weight: 160 Birthday: 8/18/1986

Hometown: Orlando, Florida College: Maryland

Acquired: 2009 MLS SuperDraft 2nd Round (#23)

Sporting’s all-time appearance and minutes leader, Graham Zusi has garnered MLS All-Star (2012-15, 2017-19), MLS Best XI (2012-13) & MLS Breakout Player of the Year (2011) accolades in addition to receiving a 2012 MLS MVP nomination. He earned Sporting KC MVP honors from 2012-14 and is the only player to appear in every All-Star Game from 2011-2014.

Zusi has recorded 35 goals and 89 assists in 396 appearances for Sporting KC across all competitions since being drafted in 2009 out of Maryland, where he won two national championships. He is second in club history with 87 total assists, while his 410 chances created from 2011-2015 (including postseason) ranked third in MLS. With his assist

against RSL on April 29, 2017, Zusi reached 50 regular-season assists and later moved into first in club history with 24 game-winning assists on Aug. 19, 2017 versus FC Dallas. Zusi earned 55 caps for the U.S. Men’s National Team after debuting in January 2012, recording five goals and seven assists. He played four matches at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, tallying two assists as the U.S. advanced out of the group stage. He played in his first CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2015, starting two matches, and scored in a World Cup qualifier against Guatemala on March 29, 2016. He played five games for the U.S. at the 2016 Copa America Centenario, scoring on June 7 in a 4-0 win over Costa Rica. He made four appearances as the U.S. won the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

SINGLE SEASON RECORDS (FIELD PLAYERS)

Sapong (2011), Ilie Sanchez (2018), Graham Zusi (2018), Luis Martins (2021), Felipe

(2022), Remi Walter (2022)

ALL-TIME RECORDS (FIELD PLAYERS)

SINGLE SEASON RECORDS (GOALKEEPERS)

ALL-TIME

SINGLE GAME RECORDS (FIELD PLAYERS)

Takawira (1998), Preki (1998), Davy Arnaud (2004), Eddie Johnson (twice in 2007), Birahim Diop (2010), Gerso Fernandes (2017), Johnny Russell (2018), Krisztian Nemeth (2019), Johnny Russell (2019)

SINGLE GAME RECORDS (GOALKEEPERS)

SPORTING KANSAS CITY INDIVIDUAL ALL-TIME CHARTS (MLS REGULAR SEASON)

ASSISTS

GOALKEEPER

BOLD * - denotes player on current roster

SPORTING KANSAS CITY INDIVIDUAL SINGLE-SEASON CHARTS (MLS REGULAR SEASON)

SPORTING KANSAS CITY INDIVIDUAL HIGHS (MLS REGULAR SEASON)

GOALS

Career: 71 Preki

Season: 22 Dom Dwyer (2014)

Game: 3 10 times

Half: 3 Vitalis Takawira (05/16/1998 at NE, 2nd)

Half: 3 Eddie Johnson (06/02/2007 vs. NY, 2nd)

Half: 3 Gerso Fernandes (05/17/2017 vs. SEA, 2nd)

ASSISTS

Career: 98 Preki

Season: 17 Preki (1997)

Season: 17 Preki (2003)

Game: 4 Chris Henderson (06/20/1999 vs. MET)

Half: 3 Chris Henderson (06/20/1999 vs. MET, 1st)

Half: 3 Preki (06/21/2003 vs. CHI, 1st)

SHOTS

Career: 693 Preki

Season: 140 Preki (1996)

Game: 12 Preki (04/12/1997 at TB)

Half: 8 Preki (04/12/1997 at TB, 2nd)

Half: 8 Onandi Lowe (08/12/2001 at COL, 2nd)

Half: 8 Preki (07/06/2002 vs. DAL, 2nd)

GOALS

Game:

ASSISTS

Season: 69 in 2018

Game: 10 06/20/1999 vs. MET

2-Tms: 12 07/04/2001 vs. CHI

Half: 8 06/20/1999 vs. MET (1st)

2-Tms: 44 4 times

vs. LA

Half: 23 04/20/2018 vs. VAN (2nd)

SHOTS ON GOAL

Career: 283 Preki

Season: 61 Preki (1996)

Game: 6 Preki (05/19/1996 at LA)

Game: 6 Eddie Johnson (06/02/2007 vs. NY)

Game: 6 Alan Pulido (10/24/2020 vs. COL)

Half: 4 10 times

FOULS COMMITTED

Career: 502 Roger Espinoza

Season: 79 Chris Henderson (2000)

Game: 8 Davy Arnaud (05/29/2010 at RSL)

Game: 8 Oriol Rosell (07/27/2013 at MTL)

Half: 7 Scott Uderitz (05/11/1996 vs. DAL, 1st)

FOULS SUFFERED

Career: 528 Davy Arnaud

Season: 111 Davy Arnaud (2004)

Game: 10 Davy Arnaud (10/14/2006 at NY)

Half: 6 8 times

CORNER KICKS

Career: 800 Graham Zusi

Season: 150 Graham Zusi (2012)

Game: 12 Alex Zotinca (07/22/2006 at NY)

Half: 8 Chris Henderson (04/10/1999 vs. SJ, 2nd)

Half: 8 Chris Henderson (05/20/2000 vs. SJ, 1st)

Half: 8 Johnny Russell (08/14/2019 at ORL, 2nd)

GOALS ALLOWED

Career: 270 Tim Melia

Season: 60 Tim Melia (2019)

Game: 7 Bo Oshoniyi (07/04/2001 vs. CHI)

Game: 7 Tim Melia (09/15/2019 at LA)

Game: 7 Tim Melia (05/14/2022 at POR)

Half: 6 Tim Melia (09/15/2019 at LA, 2nd)

Half: 6 Tim Melia (05/14/2022 at POR, 2nd)

SAVES

Career: 624 Tim Melia

Season: 129 Tony Meola (2000)

Game: 10 Tim Melia (04/08/2018 at LA)

Half: 7 4 times

SPORTING KANSAS CITY TEAM HIGHS (MLS REGULAR SEASON)

SHOTS ON GOAL

Season: 250 in 1996

Game: 14 08/23/1998 vs. MIA

Game: 14 06/21/2003 vs. CHI

Game: 14 04/20/2018 vs. VAN 2-Tms: 22 05/02/1996 vs. CLB 2-Tms: 22 04/18/1997 vs. DAL

Half: 11 08/23/1998 vs. MIA (1st)

FOULS COMMITTED

Season: 511 in 2013

Game: 27 07/04/1997 at CLB

2-Tms: 52 05/17/2000 vs. DC

Half: 16 04/05/1997 vs. LA (1st)

Half: 16 07/04/1997 at CLB (2nd)

Half: 16 03/08/2014 at SEA (1st)

FOULS SUFFERED

Season: 541 in 2000

Game: 30 08/16/2003 at DAL

2-Tms: 51 05/17/2000 vs. DC

Half: 20 07/27/1996 vs. NE (2nd)

CORNER KICKS

Season: 207 in 2021

Game: 15 04/10/1999 vs. SJ

2-Tms: 22 08/14/1999 at MET

Half: 10 04/10/1999 vs. SJ (2nd)

GOALS ALLOWED

Season: 67 in 2019

Game: 7 07/04/2001 vs. CHI

Game: 7 09/15/2019 at LA

Game: 7 05/14/2022 at POR

2-Tms: 10 05/02/1996 vs. CLB

Half: 6 09/15/2019 at LA (2nd)

Half: 6 05/14/2022 at POR (2nd)

SAVES

Season: 133 in 1999

Game: 10 04/08/2018 at LA

2-Tms: 18 04/18/1997 vs. DAL

2-Tms: 18 09/02/2000 vs. TB

Half: 7 4 times