SPORTING KANSAS CITY at SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
Saturday, April 15, 2023
MLS
points (3-0-1 home; 0-2-1 away)
T-4th in MLS Western Conference
Apple TV: Free on MLS Season Pass
English Radio: Sports Radio 810 WHB
Spanish Radio: La Grande 1340 AM
Referee: Tim Ford
Assistant ref: Cameron Blanchard
Assistant ref: Felisha Mariscal
4th official: Victor Rivas
VAR: Luis Guardia
SPORTING KANSAS CITY PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
2023 REGULAR SEASON TEAM STATS
SPORTING
RECORD
POINTS PER GAME
GAMES PLAYED CONFERENCE POSITION
2023 REGULAR SEASON INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
2023 MLS REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS
QUESTIONABLE
PLAYER AVAILABILITY REPORT
As of Wednesday, April
• DEF - Logan Ndenbe (Hamstring Injury)
• MID - Gadi Kinda (Knee Injury)
OUT
• DEF - Kortne Ford (Achilles Surgery)
• DEF - Tim Leibold (Hamstring Injury)
• DEF - Kayden Pierre (Hamstring Injury)
• MID - Nemanja Radoja (Hamstring Injury)
SPORTING KANSAS CITY 2023 NUMERICAL ROSTER
SPORTING KANSAS CITY 2023 ALPHABETICAL ROSTER
#SJvSKC: HEAD-TO-HEAD
Sporting Kansas City (0-4-3, 3 pts.) hits the road this weekend as the team heads west to take on the San Jose Earthquakes (3-2-2, 11 pts.) at PayPal Park on Saturday night. Sporting are still looking for their first victory of the season and are one of just two teams without a win in 2023, joining the LA Galaxy.
Since late 2016, Sporting has gone 8-1-3 against San Jose with a 3-1-2 mark on the road over the last eight years. All-time, Sporting is 29-25-10 against the Earthquakes, including a 7-17-8 mark on the road.
Sporting claimed the season series against the ‘Quakes in 2022, going 1-0-1 across two meetings last year. The first meeting was Sporting’s last visit to PayPal Park on May 22, 2022, with the team picking up a point following a hard-fought 1-1 draw. Johnny Russell, playing in an unfamiliar center forward position, gave the visitors the lead late in the first half before Jackson Yeuill equalized just seconds into the second half.
Sporting KC then hosted the Earthquakes at Children’s Mercy Park on August 27, 2022 and claimed a narrow 1-0 victory. Daniel Salloi scored an opportunistic early goal and Sporting saw out the remainder of the game to claim all three points.
#SJvSKC: Recent Meetings (SKC leads 29-25-10 in regular season)
Date Score Result Details
08/27/2022 KC 1 vs SJ 0 W Salloi scores early as Sporting holds on for narrow victory
05/22/2022 KC 1 at SJ 1 T Russell opener cancelled out by Yueill equalizer
07/21/2021 KC 1 vs SJ 1 T Salloi equalizes in stoppage time after Nathan opener
05/22/2021 KC 3 at SJ 1 W Lindsey, Pulido and Salloi tally in impressive comeback
08/17/2019 KC 2 vs SJ 1 W Feilhaber and Smith score in second half of comeback win
#SJvSKC: PLAYER HISTORY
• Forward Daniel Salloi has three goals and two assists against the Earthquakes, scoring and setting up the game-winner in the 3-1 road victory on May 22, 2021 before helping set up Felipe Gutierrez’s game-winner in the 3-2 home win on March 17, 2018. He also scored a late equalizer in the 1-1 home draw on July 21, 2021 and the game-winner in the 1-0 home win on Aug. 27, 2022.
• Defender Graham Zusi has two goals and three assists against San Jose. He scored the second goal in a 2-0 victory at Children’s Mercy Park on Oct. 23, 2016 which clinched a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs for Sporting KC, before adding another goal in the 3-2 home win on March 17, 2018. He provided the game-winning assist in a 1-0 home win on June 17, 2011 and recorded another in a 2-1 win at Children’s Mercy Park on May 27, 2012. His most recent assist came in the 2-1 home win on March 18, 2017.
• Forward Johnny Russell has a goal and two assists against San Jose. He had two assists coming on the game-winner in the 3-2 home win on March 17, 2018 and the equalizer in the 2-1 home win on Aug. 17, 2019, before scoring in the 1-1 road draw on May 22, 2022.
• Forward Alan Pulido has one goal and one assist against San Jose, both coming in the 2-1 road win on May 22, 2021.
• Midfielder Roger Espinoza has tallied two assists against the Earthquakes, setting up Graham Zusi’s strike in the 3-2 home win on March 17, 2018 and Johnny Russell’s goal in the 1-1 road draw on May 22, 2022.
• Midfielder Cam Duke has one assist against San Jose, coming in the 1-1 road draw on May 22, 2022.
• Goalkeeper Tim Melia is 7-4-3 all-time against the San Jose Earthquakes in the regular season, posting a 1.42 goals against average and two shutouts.
• Goalkeeper John Pulskamp is 1-0-0 all-time against San Jose, posting a shutout in the 1-0 home win on Aug. 27, 2022.
#SJvSKC: BY THE NUMBERS
Sporting KC Team Notes
• Sporting rank second in MLS in both shots (107) and shots on target (38).
• Sporting rank second in MLS in key passes (77), second in corner kicks (50) and third in shooting accuracy (55.9%).
• Sporting have had 39 shots blocked this season, the second most in MLS.
• Sporting lead MLS in progressive carries (155) and rank fourth in progressive passes (319).
• Sporting rank third in MLS with 126 crosses from open play.
• Sporting lead MLS with a dribble success rate of 60.9%, completing 78 of 128 attempted dribbles.
• Sporting have opened the season winless in seven matches for the second time in club history (1999).
• Sporting’s two goals are tied for the fewest through seven matches of a regular season in MLS history. Both of their goals have come in the first 11 minutes of matches.
• According to Opta, Sporting has underperformed its expected goals by 4.74, the fourth most in MLS (two goals scored, 6.74 expected goals).
• A total of 24 different players have taken the field for Sporting this season, tied for the most in MLS.
Sporting KC Player Notes
• Midfielder Erik Thommy leads MLS in both shots (29) and shots on target (12). His 14 blocked shot attempts are also the most in MLS.
• Forward Daniel Salloi ranks fifth in MLS in shots (22), second in shots on target (nine), fourth in chances created (17) and second in successful crosses from open play (eight). He also leads MLS in progressive carries (31).
• Midfielder Remi Walter is tied for sixth in MLS with 15 interceptions. He has started 49 consecutive regular season matches for Sporting since Sept. 29, 2021, the third-longest active streak among MLS field players behind Jakob Glesnes (80) and Darlington Nagbe (74) and tied for the eighth-longest streak in club history.
• Defender Graham Zusi ranks seventh in MLS with 54 progressive passes.
San Jose Earthquakes Team Notes
• San Jose’s 3-2-2 start (11 points) is its best seven-game start to a regular season since 2016 when the club began with the same record.
• San Jose are 3-0-1 at home this season with five goals scored, two goals conceded and two shutouts.
• Two of San Jose’s seven goals have come from the penalty spot. Their two penalty kick goals are tied for second most in MLS.
• San Jose have scored three goals after the 75th minute, tied for the second most in MLS. Five of their seven goals have come after the 60th minute, with the other two coming before the 15th minute.
• San Jose have conceded three goals after the 75th minute, one shy of the most in MLS.
• San Jose are tied for second in MLS with three wins by one goal. All of their victories have come by a one-goal margin this season.
San Jose Earthquakes Player Notes
• Forward Cristian Espinoza ranks second in MLS in shots on target (nine), chances created (22) and progressive carries (29) while leading the league in progressive passes received (73), crosses from open play (45) and successful crosses from open play (13).
• Forward Cristian Espinoza leads San Jose in goals (four) and assists (two).
• Defender Jonathan Mensah and midfielder Jackson Yueill have played all 630 minutes this season.
• Defender Rodrigues ranks second in MLS in interceptions (18) and seventh in duels won (53).
• Defender Paul Marie ranks fifth with 15 tackles won.
NOTEWORTHY MILESTONES
•
#SJvSKC: PLAYER/COACH CONNECTIONS
• Goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh was in the San Jose Earthquakes Academy as a youth player. McIntosh also played with San Jose striker Jeremy Ebobisse at the Portland Timbers from 2017-2019.
• Goalkeeper coach Alec Dufty played alongside and was coached by San Jose assistant coach Steve Ralston at former USSF D2 club AC St. Louis in 2010.
•
SPORTING KC SOCIAL PROPERTIES
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CompassMineralsNPC.com @SoySporting YouTube.com/SportingKansasCity
SPORTING KANSAS CITY NEWS AND NOTES TARGETING FIRST VICTORY
Sporting Kansas City remain in search of the club’s first victory of the 2023 season as the team heads west to take on the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park on Saturday night. Sporting are 0-2-2 on the road this season, while the Earthquakes are an unbeaten 3-0-1 at home, taking 10 of their 11 points on the season at PayPal Park.
Sporting were boosted by the return of Designated Player Alan Pulido to the starting lineup for the first time since the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs last weekend, but it wasn’t enough as the team fell 1-0 to the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park. The result leaves Sporting with zero wins through seven matches to open the year, marking just the second time in club history that’s occurred along with the 1999 campaign.
Sporting have struggled to find the back of the net in 2023, highlighted by the fact that according to Opta, Sporting has underperformed its expected goals by 4.74, the fourth most in MLS (two goals scored, 6.74 expected goals).
The loss to Colorado marked the fourth time in seven matches this year that Sporting has outshot their opponent, and across the season Sporting has outpaced their opposition 108-78 in shots and 38-26 in shots on goal. However, many of those shots have been blocked, as Sporting ranks second in MLS with 39 blocked shots.
‘QUAKES QUARREL
Sporting Kansas City hits the road this weekend as the team heads west to take on the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park in California. Sporting are still searching for their first win of the year and heads to visit a San Jose team that are an unbeaten 3-0-1 at home this year.
Sporting claimed the season series against the ‘Quakes in 2022, going 1-0-1 across two contests. The first match took place at PayPal Park on May 22, 2022, ending in a 1-1 draw. Johnny Russell, playing as a center forward, gave Sporting the lead late in the first half off Cam Duke’s cutback, but Jackson Yueill equalized seconds into the second half for the Earthquakes.
The return fixture took place at Children’s Mercy Park on Aug. 27, 2022 and Sporting emerged as 1-0 winners. Daniel Salloi fired home an opportunistic strike after the ball had ricocheted around the penalty area and while Sporting was unable to add a second goal, the team saw the game out to claim all three points and the season series against San Jose.
SKC leads the all-time series 29-25-10, including a 7-17-8 mark on the road. However, Sporting are 8-1-3 against San Jose since late 2016 with a 3-1-2 mark on the road.
MAKESHIFT BACKLINE CONTINUES TO PRODUCE
Sporting Kansas City’s makeshift backline has put together a pair of resolute performances over the club’s last two matches, a 0-0 draw on the road in Philadelphia and a 1-0 home loss to the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park.
Goalkeeper Tim Melia has been restored to the lineup these past two weeks for the first time since July 23, 2022 while longtime right back Graham Zusi has also provided a veteran presence at the back. To his left, center back pair Dany Rosero and Robert Castellanos have played their first two games for the club in April, while center back Robert Voloder has deputized as an emergency left back with regulars Tim Leibold and Logan Ndenbe sidelined through injury.
Despite the relatively new faces and Voloder playing out of position, Sporting has conceded just one goal in the last two matches and have limited their opponents to just six shots on goal in that time. Since his debut on April 1, Rosero ranks fourth in MLS with a 75 percent duel success rate amongst players with 20 or more duels.
PULIDO ENJOYS SOLID FIRST START IN 16 MONTHS
Sporting Kansas City Designated Player Alan Pulido earned his first start for the club in 16 months when the striker was a member of the starting lineup during Saturday night’s 1-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park.
Pulido looked sharp throughout the contest, spinning away from his marker on several occasions, almost setting up Felipe Hernandez with what would have been a brilliant assist late in the first half and forcing William Yarbrough into a diving save early in the second period. Pulido also completed 23 of his 25 passes, completed two of four dribbles and won four of his six duels.
The Mexican international went 65 minutes on Saturday having made his return with a 27-minute substitute appearance the previous week in Philadelphia.
Pulido has tallied 15 goals and eight assists across 38 appearances for Sporting KC since joining the club ahead of the 2020 campaign. After an impressive first two seasons in MLS, Pulido underwent knee surgery in January 2022 and missed all of last season.
CENTRAL BANK SPORTING COMPLEX GRAND OPENING
Sporting Kansas City hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, April 11 to celebrate the grand opening of Central Bank Sporting Complex, a $36 million multisport facility in Kansas City, Missouri.
Located in Kansas City’s northland, Central Bank Sporting Complex features 10 synthetic turf fields designed for year-round use by soccer, baseball, softball, flag football and lacrosse teams as well as a wide range of other activities, events and programming through Sporting Fields + Athletics. All 10 fields are lighted and the complex includes 1,000 convenient parking spaces and a fieldhouse with first aid.
In addition, Central Bank Sporting Complex offers ample on-site amenities for guests with the installation of two state-of-the-art playgrounds – highlighted by an inclusive playground and power soccer court in partnership with Variety Children’s Charity of Greater Kansas City.
SPORTING TO HOST TULSA ATHLETIC IN OPEN CUP
Sporting Kansas City will begin the club’s participation in the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the Third Round by hosting Tulsa Athletic at Children’s Mercy Park on Tuesday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. CT.
Sporting KC will be one of 18 MLS clubs entering the field along with 30 Second Round winners representing leagues in the lower divisions of American soccer.
Tulsa Athletic, led by first-year head coach Jason Rogers, are one of two amateur teams to advance from the Second Round and have reached the Third Round for the first time in the club’s 11-year history. Tulsa Athletic upset local USL Championship side FC Tulsa last Wednesday with a 1-0 victory in the “Oil Town Showdown.”
The U.S. Open Cup, named in honor of former Kansas City Wizards owner Lamar Hunt, has crowned a champion since 1914 and Sporting (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017) are fourtime winners of U.S. Soccer’s national championship, tied for most among MLS clubs.
WALTER’S IRONMAN RUN CONTINUES
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Remi Walter continued his impressive streak of consecutive starts with another 90-minute outing during the team’s 1-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night.
Dating back to Sept. 29, 2021, Walter has started 49 consecutive MLS regular-season matches and has gone the full 90 minutes in all but four contests. Walter’s active 49-match streak of successive starts ranks third among field players, trailing Philadelphia defender Jakob Glesnes (79) and Columbus midfielder Darlington Nagbe (73).
Walter currently ranks eighth in Sporting KC’s all-time most consecutive regular-season starts and fifth among outfield players.
In 2022, Walter became just the third outfield player in Sporting KC history to start every match in a 34-game regular-season, joining teammate Graham Zusi and former midfielder Ilie Sanchez, who both accomplished the same feat in 2018.
POSTGAME: #SKCvCOL
Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes
On assessing where the team is at…
“I’d like to score some goals. I think that’s the biggest thing. If I look at the game, I think the first half was kind of back and forth, a little even. Second half, we were all over them, but not enough high-quality chances. So, at the end, we don’t get the result. You get burned on the play that they scored, but we have to score two or three with all the domination we had in the game.”
On what the team needs to do to create higher quality chances…
“It’s not one thing, but it’s a number of things. We had opportunities in the first half with a couple of chances that we have to do a little better with the decision. When a guy that’s wide open, we wind up taking a shot or making an extra pass when we don’t need to. There were two opportunities in the first half where Johnny (Russell) was wide open on two plays and he’s walking in on the goal one on one. But we didn’t make the decision. Some of its recognition. One of these balls has got to drop. We have got to keep staying determined to try to do it.”
On Alan Pulido’s start…
“I’m happy for him. He has worked very hard to get back to where he is. You can see his quality when he plays. He’s a high-level player and he changes everything in the game. He’s very productive. Obviously, he’s still trying to get his rhythm in the game and he’s trying to get fit for a game where he’s not just surviving. Obviously, it was good to see him be able to play 60 minutes. I wasn’t sure if he was going to just do 45 or maybe a little bit more. He said he felt like he could push it a little bit more. That part is good. We need him 90 minutes if we can get there.”
ALL-TIME REGULAR SEASON RESULTS
Sporting KC record vs. San Jose Earthquakes: 29-25-10
games: 22-8-2 (51 GF, 33 GA)
games: 7-17-8 (31 GF, 45 GA)
CHILDREN’S MERCY PARK BY THE NUMBERS
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)
DEF - Ben Sweat (Waived - April 4, 2023)
SPORTING KANSAS CITY TRANSACTION TIMELINE
DATE IN/OUT DETAILS
Oct. 26: IN
Nov. 15: OUT
Dec. 2: IN
Jan. 12: IN
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).
April 4: OUT Sporting KC waives defender Ben Sweat
CONSTRUCTING SPORTING KANSAS CITY
2018 Johnny Russell (1/31/18) Andreu Fontas (8/8/18)
2019
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)
Kortne Ford (1/14/22)
Cam Duke (7/18/19)
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)
Danny Flores (1/13/23)
SPORTING KANSAS CITY 2023 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
2023 REFEREE LOG (MLS REGULAR SEASON)
March
2023 VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREE LOG (MLS REGULAR SEASON)
Darren Yapi bundles the ball home from close range after a cross is re-directed into his path by Sam Nicholson. After reviewing the play, referee Allen Chapman overturns his original decision and disallows the goal because Yapi was offside.
March 18, 2023 at DAL
Willy Agada steps up to take a penalty in the second half of the match but it’s saved by Maarten Paes. After reviewing the play, referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere orders a retake because Paes had encroached on Agada’s attempt.
March 18, 2023 at DAL
Felipe Hernandez latches onto a loose ball in the area and is brought down by goalkeeper Maarten Paes, and referee Pierre-Luc Luziere awards Sporting a penalty kick and shows Paes his second yellow card of the match. After reviewing the play, Luziere deems that Hernandez was in an offside position thus negating the penalty and the second yellow card.
SPORTING KC MISCELLANEOUS STATS
2023 Regular-Season Record When...
Regular Season Record By Month
SPORTING KC IN 2023 (MLS REGULAR SEASON)
63rd Minute
Red Cards Against... N/A
Penalty Kicks... Erik Thommy (3/18 at DAL) - Saved by Maarten Paes
Penalty Kicks Against... N/A
Penalty Kicks Earned... Foul on Willy Agada (3/18 at DAL) - 61st Minute
Youngest Goalscorer... Willy Agada (3/25 vs. SEA) - 23 years and 189 days
Oldest Goalscorer... Daniel Salloi (3/18 at DAL) - 26 years and 242 days
Youngest Starter... Marinos Tzionis (3/4 at COL) - 21 years and 231 days
Youngest to play in a game... Kayden Pierre (3/18 at DAL) - 20 years and 30 days
Oldest Starter... Tim Melia (4/8 vs. COL) - 36 years and 328 days
Oldest to play in a game... Tim Melia (4/8 vs. COL) - 36 years and 328 days
2023
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
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
March 4, 2023: Colorado Rapids 0-0 Sporting KC MLS Regular Season | Dick’s Sporting Goods Park | Commerce City, CO Attendance: 14,954 Weather: 37 degrees and clear
Sporting KC (0-1-1, 1 point)
Colorado Rapids (0-1-1, 1 point)
Sporting KC Colorado Rapids
GK Pulskamp GK Yarbrough (C)
D Zusi D Rosenberry
D Voloder D Abubakar
D Fontas D Maxso
D Sweat (Leibold 82’) D Beitashour
M Walter M Priso (Max 46’)
M Espinoza (Hernandez 72’) M Bassett
M Thommy (C) (Duke 88’) M Ronan
F Tzionis (Shelton 72’) F Barrios (Galvan 77’)
F Agada F Yapi
F Salloi F Nicholson (Cabral 63’)
Subs not used: Subs not used: McIntosh (GK) Rodriguez (GK)
Castellanos Anderson Pierre Gersbach Rindov Wilson Davis Acosta Harris
Scoring Summary: None
Misconduct Summary:
COL - Lalas Abubakar (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 3’
SKC - Roger Espinoza (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 58’
COL - Kevin Cabral (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 69’
Sporting KC LA Galaxy GK Pulskamp GK Bond
D Zusi D Leerdam (Mavinga 67’) D Voloder D Caceres
D Fontas D Neal
D Leibold (Sweat 77’) D Edwards (Uri 92+)
M Walter M Puig
M Espinoza (Radoja 67’) M Brugman (C)
M Thommy (C) M Delgado
F Shelton (Tzionis 63’) F Rodriguez (Aguirre 81’)
F Agada F Joveljic (Judd 67’)
F Salloi F Alvarez (Boyd 67’)
Subs not used: Subs not used: McIntosh (GK) Klinsmann (GK)
Castellanos Zavaleta
Pierre Perez
Rindov Saldana
Duke
March 18, 2023: FC Dallas 2-1 Sporting KC
MLS Regular Season | Toyota Stadium | Frisco, TX
17,467
March 25, 2023: Sporting KC 1-4 Seattle Sounders FC MLS Regular Season | Children’s Mercy Park | Kansas City, KS
18,629
April 1, 2023: Philadelphia Union 0-0 Sporting KC
MLS Regular Season | Subaru Park | Chester, PA
18,550
56 degrees and windy 1 2 F
Sporting KC (0-3-3, 3 points)
Philadelphia Union (2-3-1, 7 points)
Sporting KC FC Dallas
GK Pulskamp GK Paes
D Zusi D Twumasi (Jesus 82’)
D Voloder D Tafari
D Fontas D Martinez
D Sweat (Pierre 86’) D Farfan
M Walter M Cerrillo
M Espinoza (Hernandez 67’) M Lletget (Jimenez 82’)
M Thommy (C) (Radoja 75’) M Pomykal (Ntsabeleng 59’)
F Shelton (Tzionis 85’) F Arriola (C) (Ibeagha 93+)
F Agada F Ferreira
F Salloi F Velasco (Quignon 92+)
Subs not used: Subs not used:
McIntosh (GK) Maurer (GK)
Castellanos Junqua
Rindov Mulato
Davis Obrian
Duke
Scoring Summary:
SKC - Daniel Salloi 1 (Unassisted) 11’
DAL - Alan Velasco 2 (Sebastian Lletget 1) 55’
DAL - Jesus Ferreira 3 (Unassisted) 84’
Misconduct Summary:
DAL - Maarten Paes (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 61’
DAL - Ema Twumasi (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 76’
SKC - Robert Voloder (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 78’
Stats Summary SKC DAL
Sporting KC Seattle Sounders FC
GK Pulskamp GK Frei
D Zusi (Davis 83’) D C. Roldan (Kitahara 87’)
D Voloder D Yeimar
D Fontas D Ragen
D Sweat D Rowe (Dobbelaere 84’)
M Walter M Paulo (Leyva 84’)
M Espinoza (Hernandez 46’) M Atencio
M Thommy (C) (Duke 70’) M Rusnak
F Shelton (Russell 61’) M Lodeiro (C)
F Agada (Flores 84’) M Chu (Montero 78’)
F Salloi F Morris (Teves 84’)
Subs not used: Subs not used:
Melia (GK) Castro (GK)
Castellanos Cleveland (GK)
Rindov Cissoko Pulido
Scoring Summary:
SKC - Willy Agada 1 (Unassisted) 5’
SEA - Jordan Morris 4 (Leo Chu 1) 23’
SEA - Jordan Morris 5 (Leo Chu 2, Joao Paulo 1) 54’
SEA - Jordan Morris 6 (Nicolas Lodeiro 1) 69’
SEA - Jordan Morris 7 (Leo Chu 3, Albert Rusnak 1) 77’
Misconduct Summary:
SKC - Ben Sweat (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 53’
SKC - Ben Sweat (Yellow Card/Red Card; Unsporting Behavior) 63’
Stats Summary SKC SEA
(on goal) 7 (3) 13 (7) Saves 3 2 Fouls 10 9
Sporting KC Philadelphia Union
GK Melia GK Blake
D Zusi D Harriel (Mbaizo 85’)
D Rosero D Glesnes
D Castellanos D Elliott
D Voloder D Real
M Radoja (Espinoza 34’) M Martinez (Torres 86’)
M Walter M Bedoya (C)
M Thommy M Flach (McGlynn 62’)
F Russell (C) (Shelton 62’) M Gazdag
F Agada (Pulido 63’) F Carranza
F Salloi F Uhre (Sullivan 72’)
Subs not used: Subs not used: Pulskamp (GK) Bendik (GK)
Fontas Lowe
Rindov Bueno
Davis Perea
Duke Donovan
Hernandez
Scoring Summary: None
Misconduct Summary:
SKC - Willy Agada (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 16’
PHI - Nathan Harriel (Yellow Card; Handball) 18’
PHI - Daniel Gazdag (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 40’
PHI - Jose Martinez (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 72’
SKC - Remi Walter (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 95+
Stats Summary SKC PHI
SPORTING KC 2023
April 8, 2023: Sporting KC 0-1 Colorado Rapids
MLS Regular Season | Children’s Mercy Park | Kansas City, KS Attendance: 18,467 Weather: 61 degrees
Sporting KC (0-4-3,
Sporting KC Colorado Rapids
GK Melia GK Yarbrough (C)
D Zusi D Abubakar
D Rosero D Maxso (Beitashour 45’)
D Castellanos D Wilson
D Voloder M Rosenberry
M Walter M Acosta
M Hernandez (Tzionis 79’) M Ronan
M Thommy M Nicholson (Markanich 80’)
F Russell (C) F Max (Barrios 60’)
F Pulido (Agada 65’) F Rubio (Cabral 85’)
F Salloi F Lewis (Yapi 60’)
Subs not used: Subs not used:
Pulskamp (GK) Ilic (GK)
Fontas Edwards
Rindov Priso
Davis Harris
Duke
Espinoza
Shelton
Scoring Summary:
COL - Diego Rubio 1 (Darren Yapi 1) 68’
Misconduct Summary:
SKC - Dany Rosero (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 35’
COL - Max (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 37’
COL - Danny Wilson (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 58’
COL - Sam Nicholson (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 71’
COL - Bryan Acosta (Yellow Card; Persistent Infringement) 74’
SKC - Erik Thommy (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 77’
MLS REGULAR SEASON BOX SCORES
SPORTING KC STARTERS BY POSITION (2023 REGULAR SEASON)
Formation: 4-3-3 (7 games)
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.
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
STATS
GAME-WINNING GOALS: None
GAME-WINNING ASSISTS: None
PENALTY KICK GOALS/ATTEMPTS: Erik Thommy 0-1
SPORTING KANSAS CITY INDIVIDUAL GOALKEEPING
SPORTING KC 2023 PARTICIPATION CHART (MLS REGULAR SEASON)
MANAGER & SPORTING DIRECTOR | PETER VERMES
Peter Vermes is in 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 523 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, 3 times, last: March 18, 2023, KC at DAL
Last Regular Season...
Appearance April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL
Goal March 25, 2023, KC vs. SEA
Assist Sept. 4, 2022, KC at LA
2023 Record when: he starts 0-3-3 he scores 0-1-0
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
Last Regular Season...
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)
Acquired: Signed as Homegrown Player on 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 March 25, 2023, KC vs. SEA
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
Last Regular Season...
Appearance April 1, 2023, KC at PHI Goal July 9, 2022, KC at MTL
Sept. 17, 2022, KC vs. MIN
Record when: he starts 0-3-2 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 374 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.
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 has made 95 appearances in all competitions for Sporting KC, tallying three goals and one assist.
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
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.
Last
Europa League. The defender developed in FC Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth 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.
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.
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, 2 times, last: April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL
Last Regular Season... Appearance April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL
Goal Sept. 4, 2022, KC at LA
Assist May 14, 2022, KC at POR
2023 Record when: he starts 0-1-0 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.
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
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.
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: Signed as Free Agent on 1/12/2023
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 April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL Shutout April 1, 2023, KC at PHI 2023 Record when: he starts 0-1-1
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 (64) and saves (629), and has also played the most games (218) 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.
April 30, 2022, KC vs. DAL
May 18, 2022, KC vs. COL
times, last: July 3, 2022, KC vs. NY Last
4, 2022, KC at LA
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.
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.
| D | KAYDEN PIERRE | @KaydenPierre5
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 April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL
Goal Aug. 14, 2021, KC at DAL
Assist Aug. 18, 2021, KC vs. POR
2023 Record when: he starts 0-1-0 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 made his return to the field on April 1, 2023 after missing the entire 2022 campaign following 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, 2 times, last: March 25, 2023, KC vs. SEA Saves 7, July 17, 2022, KC at RSL
Last Regular Season...
Appearance March 25, 2023, KC vs. SEA Shutout March 11, 2023, KC vs. LA 2023 Record when: he starts 0-3-2
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.
#5 | D | DANY ROSERO
Regular Season Game Highs: Goals 0
0
Shots on Goal 1, 2 times, last: April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL
Shots 3, April 1, 2023, KC at PHI
Fouls Committed 2, April 8,
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
Regular
times, last: April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL
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 168 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
Last Regular Season...
Appearance April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL Goal Sept. 4, 2022, KC at LA Assist Sept. 17, 2022, KC vs. MIN
2023 Record when: he starts 0-1-1 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 April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL
Goal March 18, 2023, KC at DAL
Assist Oct. 2, 2022, KC vs. SEA
2023 Record when: he starts 0-4-3 he scores 0-1-0
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 49 goals and 25 assists in 179 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 April 1, 2023, KC at PHI
Goal Sept. 13, 2022, KC vs. DC
Assist July 9, 2022, KC at MTL
2023 Record when: he starts 0-3-1 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 114 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.
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 4, 2 times, last: March 11, 2023, KC vs. LA
Shots 8, March 11, 2023, KC vs. LA
Fouls Committed 3, April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL
Fouls Suffered 4, Aug. 21, 2022, KC vs. POR
Last Regular Season... Appearance April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL
Goal Sept. 17, 2022, KC vs. MIN
Assist Oct. 9, 2022, KC at DAL
2023 Record when: he starts 0-4-3 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 April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL
Goal May 14, 2022, KC at POR
Assist N/A
2023 Record when: he starts 0-0-1 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 22 caps for the Cyprus National Team, scoring his first goal in a 2-0 win over Estonia on March 29, 2022.
Last Regular Season... Appearance April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL Goal Sept. 13, 2022, KC vs. DC
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
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.
#54 | M | REMI WALTER | @remi_walter
2022, KC vs. SEA
Last Regular Season...
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 76 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
0-0-0
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
Regular Season Game Highs:
Goals 2, 3 times, last: Sept. 28, 2012, KC vs. CHI Assists 2, 9 times, last: Aug. 21, 2022, KC vs. POR
Shots on Goal 3, 5 times, last: Aug. 18, 2018, KC vs. POR
Shots 6, May 15, 2016, KC vs. ORL
Fouls Committed 4, 2 times, last: March 30, 2013, KC vs. MTL
Fouls Suffered 6, Oct. 26, 2013, KC at PHI
Last Regular Season...
Appearance April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL
Goal Oct. 9, 2022, KC at DAL
Assist Aug. 21, 2022, KC vs. POR
2023 Record when: he starts 0-4-3 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 402 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)
(2011), Ilie Sanchez (2018), Graham Zusi (2018), Luis Martins (2021), Felipe
Remi Walter (2022)
ALL-TIME RECORDS (FIELD PLAYERS)
SINGLE SEASON RECORDS (GOALKEEPERS)
ALL-TIME RECORDS (GOALKEEPERS)
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
SINGLE GAME RECORDS (GOALKEEPERS)
SPORTING KANSAS CITY INDIVIDUAL ALL-TIME CHARTS (MLS REGULAR SEASON)
ASSISTS
GOALKEEPER
SPORTING KANSAS CITY INDIVIDUAL SINGLE-SEASON CHARTS (MLS REGULAR SEASON)