Match Notes: Sporting KC vs. Inter Miami CF | April 13, 2024

2024 REGULAR SEASON TEAM STATS

Sporting Kansas City

2-1-4, 10 points (1-1-2

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. CT

Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO)

MLS Regular Season Game 8

SPORTING KANSAS CITY PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

2024 REGULAR SEASON INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

2024 MLS REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS

SPORTING KANSAS CITY 2024 NUMERICAL ROSTER

SPORTING KANSAS CITY 2024 ALPHABETICAL ROSTER

#SKCvMIA: HEAD-TO-HEAD

Sporting Kansas City (2-1-4, 10 pts.) is set for one of the most momentous nights in KC soccer history when the team plays host to Inter Miami CF (3-2-3, 12 pts.) at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday night. It marks the first time Sporting has played at the venue since July 25, 2010 when the then Kansas City Wizards beat European giants Manchester United 2-1 in an exhibition match that proved transformational for the club.

Sporting and Miami have only met once prior since the Florida-based side joined MLS as an expansion team in 2020, coming at Chase Stadium on Sept. 9, 2023. Daniel Salloi gave Sporting an early lead before a brace from Leonardo Campana and a goal from Facundo Farias put Miami in control. Alan Pulido notched a late consolation goal for the visitors but Miami saw out a 3-2 victory.

Sporting’s final full season at Arrowhead Stadium was in 2007 and their final competitive match at the venue came the following year on Sept. 13, 2008 when Sporting Legends Josh Wolff and Davy Arnaud each scored in a 2-0 victory over the LA Galaxy. Sporting spent the majority of 2008-2010 at Legends Field - a baseball venuebefore opening the club’s permanent home, Children’s Mercy Park, midway through the 2011 campaign.

Sporting will now host a star-studded Miami side led by a quartet of former FC Barcelona icons in Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez as the club makes their return to Arrowhead 28 years to the day from the team’s first-ever MLS match that also took place at the venue.

#SKCvMIA: Recent Meetings (MIA leads 1-0-0 in reguler season)

Date Score Result Details

09/09/2023 KC 2 at

#SKCvMIA: PLAYER HISTORY

• Forward Daniel Salloi has scored once against Inter Miami, firing home the opener in the 3-2 road loss on Sept. 9, 2023.

• Forward Alan Pulido has tallied one goal against Miami, scoring a consolation goal in the 3-2 road defeat on Sept. 9, 2023.

• Midfielder Erik Thommy has recorded one assist against Inter Miami, coming on Alan Pulido’s goal in the 3-2 road loss on Sept. 9, 2023.

• Goalkeeper Tim Melia is 0-1-0 against Miami, making two saves in the 3-2 road loss on Sept. 9, 2023.

#SKCvMIA: PLAYER/COACH CONNECTIONS

• Sporting KC defender Andreu Fontas was teammates with Miami superstars Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba at FC Barcelona from 20092013.

• Forward Alan Pulido played for Miami head coach Tata Martino while he was the coach of the Mexican National Team from 2020-2021.

• Midfielder Danny Flores was in the Philadelphia Union Academy from 20182019 alongside Miami forward Leo Afonso

• Goalkeeper Tim Melia was teammates with Inter Miami assistant coach Javier Morales at Real Salt Lake from 2010-2011.

• Inter Miami Sporting Director Chris Henderson played for the Kansas City Wizards from 1999-2000, making 69 appearances and helping the club win the 2000 Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup.

#SKCvMIA: BY THE NUMBERS

Sporting KC Team Notes

• On Saturday, Sporting will play an MLS match at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since Sept. 13, 2008. It was the club’s home stadium for its first 12 MLS seasons from 1996-2007, where Kansas City posted a 10357-25 regular season record.

• Sporting last played at Arrowhead Stadium on July 25, 2010, winning 2-1 over Manchester United in a friendly that drew 52,424 fans. Saturday’s game is expected to set a club attendance record and a record for highest-attended soccer match in the state of Missouri.

• Saturday’s game between Sporting and Miami marks the 28-year anniversary of Kansas City’s inaugural MLS match, a 3-0 home win over the Colorado Rapids at Arrowhead Stadium on April 13, 1996.

• Sporting have scored two or more goals in four straight regular season matches for the first time since August 2020.

• Sporting have taken 2-0 leads in three straight matches since March 23, and 3-0 leads in each of their last two matches against Toronto on March 30 and Portland on April 7.

• Sporting have trailed for a total of 17 minutes this season, the fewest in MLS.

• Sporting have outscored opponents 11-1 through the 64th minute and been outscored 9-1 from the 65th minute onward this season.

• In four home matches this season, Sporting have dropped seven points from leading positions.

• Sporting are tied for second in MLS with 6.0 shots on target per match.

• Sporting have played 168 successful long balls this season, 27 more than any other team, and rank second in MLS in long ball accuracy at 54.7%.

• Sporting have used 18 different players during the 2024 regular season, tied for the fewest in MLS. The average age of those players is 29.6, the oldest in MLS.

Sporting KC Player Notes

• With a brace in Sunday’s 3-3 draw against Portland, forward Willy Agada now has 12 goals in 11 regular season home starts since joining the club in 2022. Agada has scored or assisted in each of Sporting’s last three matches since making his first start of the season on March 23.

• Goalkeeper Tim Melia is tied for third in MLS with 27 saves.

• Midfielder Erik Thommy leads MLS with 43 progressive carries this season.

• Defender Tim Leibold ranks fourth in MLS with 13 dribblers tackled this season. He also ranks 10th in the league in total tackles (20).

Inter Miami Team Notes

• Miami leads MLS in goals (16) and assists (25) this season and enters the weekend two points out of first place in the Supporters’ Shield standings.

• Miami is tied for the MLS lead with three wins by a multi-goal margin in 2024.

• Miami is one of two MLS teams (LA Galaxy) with at least 100 shots attempted (110) and 100 shots faced (104) this season. The team ranks second in MLS with 43 shots on target.

• Miami ranks third in MLS in average possession (57.5%) and leads the league in touches in the opponent’s box (202).

• Miami leads MLS in dribble success rate at 52.9%.

• Miami leads MLS with 25 yellow cards but has yet to receive a red card.

• Miami has committed seven errors leading to shots by the opponent, three more than any other MLS team this season.

Inter Miami Player Notes

• Miami’s roster features four players who starred for European giants FC Barcelona earlier in their careers: Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba

• Forward Luis Suarez is one off the MLS lead with five goals this season, while Messi is one behind with four. Suarez is the only MLS player with two multi-goal games this season. He ranks fourth in MLS with 13 shots on target, while Lionel Messi is tied for eighth with 10.

• Forward Lionel Messi is tied for third in MLS in assists (four) alongside midfield teammates Diego Gomez and Julian Gressel

• Midfielder Diego Gomez leads MLS with 18 fouls committed, while Sergio Busquets is fourth in the league with 19 fouls suffered.

NOTEWORTHY MILESTONES

• Forward Daniel Salloi has appeared in 59 straight regular season matches since June 2022, the fifth longest streak in club history. He is one shy of his 200th MLS appearance.

• Midfielder Erik Thommy is one shy of his 50th regular season start for Sporting.

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SPORTING KANSAS CITY NEWS AND NOTES

HOME FRUSTRATIONS

Sporting Kansas City endured another frustrating day at home this past weekend, letting a 3-0 halftime lead slip as the team settled for a disappointing 3-3 draw at Children’s Mercy Park. It marked the second straight home match that Sporting had surrendered points from a commanding position, having seen a 2-0 lead turn into a 3-2 loss to the LA Galaxy on March 23.

Sporting is now 63-0-2 when leading 3-0 in the MLS regular season. The only other time Sporting Kansas City had failed to win with a 3-0 lead was April 2, 2011 in a 3-3 draw against Vancouver on the road. The team has outscored opponents 11-1 through the 64th minute and been outscored 9-1 from the 65th minute onward this season.

Despite some frustrating home results early in the season, Sporting is still sitting in a tie for fifth in the Western Conference with a winning record (2-1-4). The team has trailed for a total 17 minutes this season - the fewest in all of MLS - and Peter Vermes’ squad has lost just twice in their last 13 matches dating back to last season, going 6-2-5 in that time.

SPARRING STAR-STUDDED INTER MIAMI

Sporting Kansas City remains at home this weekend but in an unfamiliar venue as the club is set to host a star-studded Inter Miami CF squad at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday night, led by former FC Barcelona quartet Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez.

Sporting and Miami have only faced off once since the Floridians joined MLS in 2020, with SKC falling to a 3-2 loss at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Sept. 9, 2023. Daniel Salloi gave Sporting the lead on the night but Miami roared back with two goals from Leonardo Campana and another from Facundo Farias to take a two-goal lead before Alan Pulido netted a consolation goal late on.

Sporting will now return to Arrowhead where the team played their first 12 seasons in MLS from 1996-2007. Sporting’s last competitive game at the venue was on Sept. 13, 2008 while the last time the Kansas City Wizards played any sort of match at Arrowhead was on July 25, 2010 in a momumental 2-1 victory over Manchester United in a friendly match.

The Wizards did play 11 MLS matches against the precursor to Inter Miami, the Miami Fusion who operated from 1998-2001. Kansas City went 4-6-1 in those games.

SPORTING RETURNS TO ARROWHEAD AFTER 14 YEARS

Sporting Kansas City is set to make their return to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium this weekend when the club hosts Inter Miami CF on Saturday night.

Sporting last played at Arrowhead on July 25, 2010 when the then Kansas City Wizards earned a 2-1 victory over Manchester United in a friendly match that proved transformational for the club’s future.

In front of 52,424 spectators - the biggest soccer crowd in Missouri history at the time - the 10-man Wizards got goals from Davy Arnaud and Kei Kamara either side of a Dimitar Berbatov penalty to capture the hearts and minds of the Kansas City public. In the following 12 months, the club rebranded to Sporting Kansas City and opened their permanent home at Children’s Mercy Park.

Sporting played the opening 12 years of the club’s existence at Arrowhead Stadium until 2007 and their most recent competitive match at the venue came the following year on Sept. 13, 2008 when Sporting Legends Josh Wolff and Arnaud each scored in a 2-0 victory over the LA Galaxy.

AGADA BAGS BRACE, NAMED TO TEAM OF THE MATCHDAY

Sporting Kansas City forward Willy Agada maintained his red-hot start to the 2024 season this past weekend, netting a brace with a pair of first-half goals in Sporting’s 3-3 draw with the Portland Timbers at Children’s Mercy Park.

The Nigerian frontman first saw an opportunistic effort deflect beyond Maxime Crepeau in the Portland net to open the scoring in the 13th minute before redirecting Robert Voloder’s header across goal into the corner to give his side a 3-0 lead in first-half stoppage time.

The 24-year-old, who was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday and nominated for MLS Player of the Matchday, now has 12 goals in 11 career regular season starts at Children’s Mercy Park and he has scored or assisted a goal in each of Sporting’s last three matches.

Among players with at least 15 career goals for Sporting Kansas City in all competitions, Agada ranks second in club history with 0.69 goals per 90 behind only Miklos Molnar (0.70 goals per 90).

ROSERO CONTINUES EARLY-SEASON SCORING FORM

Sporting Kansas City center back Dany Rosero scored his second goal of the season with a towering header in the club’s 3-3 draw with the Portland Timbers at Children’s Mercy Park last Sunday afternoon.

It was a carbon-copy of his first goal of 2024, meeting Memo Rodriguez’s corner kick from the left side in front of the Cauldron to power home a header into the back of the net. Through seven games, Rosero is now one shy of his goal total from all of 2023, where he scored twice in MLS play and once in Leagues Cup.

Rosero has scored five of Sporting’s eight headed goals since the start of 2023, all coming off set pieces. The center back has scored all five of his goals for the club on headers. During the entire 2023 regular season, Sporting had three total goals scored by defenders (Rosero 2, Robert Castellanos 1). Seven games into the 2024 regular season, Sporting has already equaled that total (Rosero 2, Jake Davis 1).

WALTER ADDS ASSIST TO RECENT GOALS

Sporting Kansas City midfielder Remi Walter continued his fine attacking form to begin the 2024 campaign with his first assist of the year during Sunday’s 3-3 draw with the Portland Timbers at Children’s Mercy Park.

Walter, who is tied for second on the team with two goals this year, saw his free kick headed across goal by Robert Voloder for Willy Agada to score his team’s third goal of the match on the stroke of halftime. Walter was credited with the secondary assist, his first assist since Aug. 26, 2023, while Voloder recorded the first primary assist of his MLS career and second overall assist, having tallied a secondary assist in the 4-1 win over Austin on June June 10, 2023.

Walter, who recently reached the century mark for MLS regular-season appearances for Sporting, now has nine goals and 10 assists in 117 appearances across all competitions for the club since joining ahead of the 2021 campaign.

SKC II NAMED MLS NEXT PRO TEAM OF THE WEEK

For their performance in their second comeback win of 2024, Sporting Kansas City II was named MLS NEXT Pro Team of Matchweek 4. Head coach Benny Feilhaber’s squad went on the road, erased a 3-1 halftime deficit and claimed a 5-3 victory over Colorado Rapids 2 on Sunday night to earn the weekly honor.

In the first of three meetings between the two Frontier Division combatants, Sporting KC II’s offense exploded with a hat-trick performance from MLS NEXT Pro Player of Matchweek 4 Kamron Habibullah, a brace from forward Beto Avila and assists from Avila, Ethan Bryant and Sebastian Cruz. An all-around team effort saw Kansas City score four unanswered goals in the second half with a little over 20 minutes to play.

QUOTES: #SKCvPOR

Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes

On the second half… “Bad management of the game. Simple. Just bad management. I’m not going to tell you what I told the guys at halftime. But what I told them to do, we did the complete opposite which resulted in the ball being in our end most of the half or at least until they tied the game up except for the period getting to the penalty kick.”

On the second half penalties…

“Momentum change, but still bad management on our part because we’re still at that point up 3-1. It’s just bad management.”

On his message to the team…

“Well, the good thing is we didn’t lose. So we made a step in the right direction of tying but it’s still not good enough. Not with three goals. No chance. I said last time we were at home, ‘You scored two goals. You have got to finish the game out at home.’ And now we scored three at home. We scored three away and we closed the game out and we don’t do it at home.”

On the team not executing the plan for the second half…

“I wish I could tell you, but I’ll find out for sure and that ain’t gonna happen because it’s the thing that put us in the position that we’re in. We were chasing everything facing our goal. They were playing over the top of us. I knew they were going to do that just because of two things. One is they were going to go direct. The other is they had the wind with them.”

SPORTING KANSAS CITY TRANSACTION TRACKER

Players In Players Out

DEF - Zorhan Bassong (Signed as Free Agent - Dec. 12, 2023)

FWD - Alenis Vargas (Acquired from Futbol Consultants Desamparados - Dec. 15, 2023)

MID - Memo Rodriguez (Signed as Free Agent - Feb. 1, 2024)

GK - Ryan Schewe (MLS SuperDraft Selection - Feb. 5, 2024)

GK - Kendall McIntosh (Out of Contract - Dec. 1, 2023)

DEF - Kortne Ford (Option Declined - Dec. 1, 2023)

DEF - Graham Zusi (Option Declined - Dec. 1, 2023)

MID - Cam Duke (Out of Contract - Dec. 1, 2023)

MID - Roger Espinoza (Option Declined - Dec. 1, 2023)

MID - Felipe Gutierrez (Option Declined / Retired - Dec. 1, 2023)

MID - Gadi Kinda (Out of Contract - Dec. 1, 2023)

DATE IN/OUT DETAILS

SPORTING KANSAS CITY TRANSACTION TIMELINE

Dec. 1: OUT Sporting KC declines options on defenders Kortne Ford and Graham Zusi along with midfielders Roger Espinoza and Felipe Gutierrez. In addition, goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh and midfielders Cam Duke and Gadi Kinda are out of contract.

Dec. 12: IN Sporting KC signs free agent defender Zorhan Bassong, most recently with Farul Constanta (Romania).

Dec. 15: IN Sporting KC acquires forward Alenis Vargas in a transfer from Futbol Consultants Desamparados (Costa Rica). Vargas had spent the 2023 season on loan with Sporting KC II (MLS NEXT Pro).

Feb. 1: IN Sporting KC signs free agent midfielder Memo Rodriguez, most recently with Austin FC (MLS).

Feb. 5: IN Sporting KC signs goalkeeper Ryan Schewe, the club’s first round pick (22nd overall) in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft out of Georgetown.

2020

2021

2022

2023 Stephen Afrifa (1st Round - #8)

Chris Rindov (2nd Round - #37)

2024 Ryan Schewe (1st Round - #22)

CONSTRUCTING SPORTING KANSAS CITY

Andreu Fontas

Khiry Shelton (12/9/19)

Alan Pulido (12/10/19)

Remi Walter (12/22/20)

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)

Nemanja Radoja (10/26/22)

Tim Leibold (1/12/23)

Robert Castellanos (2/17/23)

Dany Rosero (3/2/23)

Zorhan Bassong (12/12/23)

Alenis Vargas (12/15/23)

Danny Flores (1/13/23)

Memo Rodriguez (2/1/24)

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)

2024 REFEREE LOG (MLS REGULAR SEASON)

2024 VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREE LOG (MLS REGULAR SEASON)

Brad Smith heads the ball into the bottom corner off a cross from Coco Carrasquilla. After reviewing the play, referee Jaime Herrera overturns his original decision and disallows the goal because Carrasquilla was offside in the build-up.

March 16, 2024 vs. SJ Amin Hadzic

Ian Anderson SJ Goal Overturned - No Goal

Rodrigues fires the ball home from close range after a free kick is deflected into his path. After reviewing the play, referee Amin Hadzic overturns his original decision and disallows the goal due to handball because the ball came off the arm of Vitor Costa.

March 23, 2024 vs. LA Aleksandar Zhelyazkov

Shawn Tehini LA No Goal Overturned - Goal

Marky Delgado fires home at the far post after the ball had been tipped into his path, but the flag goes up for offside. After reviewing the play, referee Aleksandar Zhelyazkov overturns his original decision and allows the goal because Delgado was onside.

SPORTING KC MISCELLANEOUS STATS

2024 Regular-Season Record When...

Regular Season Record By Month

Feb.

Feb.

Aug.

Sept.

Regular Season Team-By-Team (in 2024)

vs.

SPORTING KC IN 2024 (MLS REGULAR SEASON)

Game-winning goals after 75’...

Game-tying goals after 75’...

Game-winning goals against after 75’... Mark Delgado (3/23 vs. LA) - 80th Minute

Game-tying goals against after 75’... Alejandro Bedoya (3/2 vs. PHI) - 95+ Minute Eric Miller (4/7 vs. POR) - 81st Minute

Red Cards...

Red Cards Against...

Penalty Kicks... Willy Agada (4/7 vs. POR) - Missed

Youngest Goalscorer... Alenis Vargas (3/30 at TOR) - 20 years and 117 days

Oldest Goalscorer... Alan Pulido (3/16 vs. SJ) - 33 years and 8 days

Youngest Starter... Jake Davis (2/24 at HOU) - 22 years and 52 days

Youngest to play in a game... Alenis Vargas (2/24 at HOU) - 20 years and 82 days

Oldest Starter... Tim Melia (4/7 vs. POR) - 37 years and 328 days

Oldest to play in a game...

2024 MLS REGULAR SEASON TEAM STATS

Tim Melia (4/7 vs. POR) - 37 years and 328 days

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

SPORTING KC 2024 MLS REGULAR SEASON BOX SCORES

Feb. 24, 2024: Houston Dynamo 1-1 Sporting KC

MLS Regular Season | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, TX Attendance: 18,818

Sporting KC Houston Dynamo FC

GK Melia GK Clark (C)

D Davis D Dorsey

D Rosero D Sviatchenko

D Fontas D Micael

D Leibold (Bassong 74’) D Schmitt

M Radoja M Artur

M Thommy (Rodriguez 74’) M Carrasquilla

M Walter M Raines (Gregus 67’)

F Russell (C) (Afrifa 59’) F Kowalczyk

F Pulido (Agada 59’) F Aliyu

F Salloi (Vargas 86’) F Smith (Segal 67’)

Subs not used: Subs not used:

Pulskamp (GK) Tarbell (GK)

Castellanos Awodesu

Voloder Sargeant

Hernandez Steres Gonzalez Sylla Gyamfi

Scoring Summary:

SKC - Erik Thommy 1 (Unassisted) 61’

HOU - Gabe Segal 1 (Ibrahim Aliyu 1, Coco Carrasquilla 1) 69’

Misconduct Summary:

SKC - Johnny Russell (Yellow Card; Dissent) 57’

SKC - Erik Thommy (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 67’

HOU - Ben Olsen (Yellow Card; Dissent) 89’

Stats Summary

(2)

(6)

Sporting KC San Jose

GK Melia GK Daniel

D Davis D Marie (Thompson 85’)

D Rosero D Wilson

D Voloder D Rodrigues

D Leibold D Costa

M Radoja M Espinoza

M Thommy M Yueill (C)

M Rodriguez (Walter 46’) M Gruezo (Morales 72’)

F Russell (C) (Afrifa 53’) M Pellegrino (Skahan 64’)

F Pulido (Agada 87’) F Ebobisse (Kikanovic 63’)

F Salloi (Vargas 88’)

F Judd (Bouda 64’)

Subs not used: Subs not used:

Pulskamp (GK) Yarbrough (GK)

Bassong Beason

Castellanos Munie

Pierre Baldisimo

Hernandez

Scoring Summary:

SJ - Vitor Costa 1 (Cristian Espinoza 1) 11’

SKC - Dany Rosero 1 (Memo Rodriguez 1) 18’

SKC - Alan Pulido 1 (Johnny Russell 1, Jake Davis 1) 29’

Misconduct Summary:

SKC - Dany Rosero (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 35’

SJ - Ousseni Bouda (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 66’

SJ - Cristian Espinoza (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 81’

SKC - Daniel Salloi (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 82’

SKC - Erik Thommy (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 91+

Stats Summary

SKC SJ

Shots (on goal) 5 (3) 13 (6)

Saves 5 1

Fouls 12 15

Offside 1 1

Corner Kicks 3 5

March

D Davis

D Mbaizo (Wagner 46’)

D Rosero D Elliott (C)

D Fontas D Lowe

D Leibold

D Harriel

M Radoja M Martinez (Bedoya 46’)

M Thommy (Rodriguez 80’) M Bueno

M Walter M McGlynn (Anderson 82’)

F Russell (C)

M Rafanello (Gazdag 46’)

F Pulido (Agada 80’) F Donovan (Uhre 57’)

F Salloi (Afrifa 87’) F Sullivan

Subs not used: Subs not used: Pulskamp (GK) Rick (GK)

Bassong Glesnes

Castellanos Real

Voloder Baribo

Hernandez

Vargas

Scoring Summary:

SKC - Remi Walter 1 (Unassisted) 19’

PHI - Alejandro Bedoya 1 (Unassisted) 95+

Misconduct

PHI - Damion Lowe (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 58’

SKC - Johnny Russell (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 93+

March 23, 2024: Sporting KC 2-3 LA Galaxy

MLS Regular Season | Children’s Mercy Park | Kansas City, KS

Attendance: 18,102

Weather: 46 degrees and overcast

Sporting KC (1-1-3, 6 points)

Sporting KC LA Galaxy

1 2 F

2 0

GK Melia GK McCarthy

D Davis D Yamane

D Rosero D Zavaleta

D Voloder D Yoshida (C)

D Leibold D Aude

M Walter M Delgado

M Radoja M Cerrillo (Brugman 62’)

M Thommy M Painstil

M Pulido (C) M Puig

M Salloi (Afrifa 83’) M Pec (Fagundez 83’)

F Agada F Joveljic (Berry 83’)

Subs not used:

Subs not used:

Pulskamp (GK) Micovic (GK)

Bassong Cuevas

Castellanos Nelson

Pierre Aguirre

Rindov Perez

Flores

Hernandez

Tzionis

Scoring Summary:

Vivi

SKC - Nemanja Radoja 1 (Daniel Salloi 1) 34’

SKC - Willy Agada 1 (Unassisted) 48+

LA - Eriq Zavaleta 1 (Unassisted) 72’

LA - Dejan Joveljic 5 (Riqui Puig 1, Gaston Brugman 2) 75’

LA - Mark Delgado 1 (Unassisted) 80’

Misconduct Summary:

SKC - Erik Thommy (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 53’

SKC - Tim Leibold (Yellow Card; Time Wasting) 69’

LA - Gaston Brugman (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 88’

March

D Fontas D Long

D Leibold D Campos

M Radoja M Tillman

M Thommy M Ilie (C)

1-3

Sporting KC

Melia

Gavran

D Davis D O’Neill

D Rosero D Long

D Voloder D Rosted (Thompson 68’)

D Leibold M Marshall-Rutty

M Radoja M Longstaff (Kerr 68’)

M Walter M Coello (Flores 59’)

M Rodriguez (Hernandez 78’) M Spicer

F Thommy (Afrifa 96+)

F Agada (Vargas 78’)

M Bernardeschi

M Osorio (C)

F Salloi (C) F Owusu (Akinola 86’)

Subs not used:

Subs not used:

Pulskamp (GK) Ranjitsingh (GK)

Bassong Franklin

Castellanos Mabika

Pierre Mailula

Tzionis Perruzza

Scoring Summary:

SKC - Remi Walter 2 (Unassisted) 57’

SKC - Jake Davis 1 (Willy Agada 1) 64’

SKC - Alenis Vargas 1 (Jake Davis 2) 83’

TOR - Jonathan Osorio 1 (Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty 1) 97+

Misconduct Summary:

SKC - Jake Davis (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 44’

TOR - Alonso Coello (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 57’

SKC - Tim Leibold (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 71’

TOR - Jonathan Osorio (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 85’

Stats Summary

17 (10)

(2)

April

2024:

Sporting KC Portland Timbers

GK Melia GK Crepeau

D Davis D Mosquera (Bravo 46’)

D Rosero D Araujo

D Voloder D K. Miller

D Leibold D E. Miller

M Radoja M Paredes (Williamson 96+)

M Walter M Ayala (Chara 54’)

M Rodriguez (Vargas 82’) M Moreno (Mora 46’)

F Thommy M Evander (C)

F Agada (Pulido 71’) M Antony (Asprilla 89’)

F Salloi (C) F Rodriguez

Subs not used: Subs not used: Pulskamp (GK) Pantemis (GK)

Bassong Zuparic

Castellanos Fogaca

Fontas Pierre

Hernandez

Tzionis

Scoring Summary:

SKC - Willy Agada 2 (Unassisted) 13’

SKC - Dany Rosero 2 (Memo Rodriguez 2) 38’

SKC - Willy Agada 3 (Robert Voloder 1, Remi Walter 1) 48+

POR - Evander 3 (Penalty Kick) 64’

POR - Felipe Mora 2 (Jonathan Rodriguez 1, Antony 2) 66’

POR - Eric Miller 1 (Unassisted) 81’

Misconduct Summary:

SKC - Dany Rosero (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 25’

POR - Kamal Miller (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 34’

SKC - Memo Rodriguez (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 48’

POR - Eric Miller (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 82’

SKC - Jake Davis (Yellow Card; Unsporting Behavior) 98+ Stats

SPORTING KC STARTERS BY POSITION (2024 REGULAR SEASON)

Formation: 4-2-3-1 (1 game)

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

SPORTING

A leading independent children’s health organization dedicated to holistic care, translational research, educating caregivers and breakthrough innovation to create a world of well-being for all children, Children’s Mercy Kansas City began a 10-year partnership with Sporting KC in 2016.

Children’s Mercy provides the highest level of care for children from birth through the age of 21. U.S. News & World Report has repeatedly ranked Children’s Mercy as one of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals.”

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 health care 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. 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.

• FLEET, an innovative team of remote experience robots operated via 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, the robot allows users to enjoy two-way live audio and video captured from a 150-degree wide-angle lens while navigating 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. In 2023 and 2024, Sporting and Children’s Mercy teamed up to provide 90 students at 30 local elementary and middle schools with SKC jerseys on National Random Acts of Kindness Day as part of a Kindness In The Schools (K.I.T.S.) initiative.

2. 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.

3. Protecting youth athletes and educating parents and coaches

• The partnership provides athletic 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.

SPORTING KC 2024

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

April

April

April

vs. St. Louis

at Minnesoota United FC

May 4 at Real Salt Lake

May 11 vs. Houston Dynamo FC

May 18 at Austin FC

May 25 at Portland Timbers

May 29 vs.

June

June

June

June

June

June

July

July

July

July

SPORTING

PLAYER @HOU PHI @LAFC SJ LA @TOR POR MIA STL @MIN @RSL HOU @ATX @POR VAN @MIN SEA

AFRIFA SUB-31 SUB-3 DNP SUB-37 SUB-7 SUB-1 UNAV

AGADA SUB-31 SUB-10 DNP SUB-3 CF-90 CF-78 CF-71

BASSONG SUB-16 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP

CASTELLANOS DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP

CISNEROS INJ UNAV SKCII INJ UNAV UNAV SKCII

DAVIS RB-90 RB-90 RB-90 RB-90 RB-90 RB-90 RB-90

FLORES INJ SKCII SKCII SKCII DNP SKCII SKCII

FONTAS CB-90 CB-90 CB-90 INJ INJ INJ DNP

HERNANDEZ DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP SUB-12 DNP

LEIBOLD LB-74 LB-90 LB-90 LB-90 LB-90 LB-90 LB-90

MELIA GK-90 GK-90 GK-90 GK-90 GK-90 GK-90 GK-90

NDENBE INJ INJ INJ INJ INJ INJ INJ

PIERRE SKCII SKCII DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP

PULIDO CF-59 CF-80 CF-90 CF-87 AM-90 INJ SUB-19

PULSKAMP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP

RADOJA DM-90 DM-90 DM-90 DM-90 DM-90 DM-90 DM-90

RINDOV SKCII SKCII SKCII SKCII DNP SKCII SKCII

RODRIGUEZ SUB-16 SUB-10 CM-90 CM-45 INJ CM-78 CM-82

ROSERO CB-90 CB-90 CB-90 CB-90 CB-90 CB-90 CB-90

RUSSELL RW-59 RW-90 RW-90 RW-53 INJ INJ INJ

SALLOI LW-86 LW-87 LW-90 LW-88 LW-83 LW-90 LW-90

SCHEWE SKCII SKCII SKCII SKCII SKCII SKCII SKCII

SHELTON INJ INJ INJ INJ INJ INJ INJ

THOMMY CM-74 CM-80 CM-90 CM-90 RW-90 RW-89 RW-90

TZIONIS SKCII UNAV SKCII UNAV DNP DNP DNP

VARGAS SUB-4 DNP DNP SUB-2 INTL SUB-12 SUB-8

VOLODER DNP DNP DNP CB-90 CB-90 CB-90 CB-90

WALTER CM-90 CM-90 INJ SUB-45 DM-90 CM-90 CM-90

AFRIFA

AGADA

BASSONG CASTELLANOS

CISNEROS

DAVIS FLORES

FONTAS

HERNANDEZ

LEIBOLD

MELIA

NDENBE

PIERRE

PULIDO

PULSKAMP

RADOJA

RINDOV RODRIGUEZ

ROSERO RUSSELL

SALLOI

SCHEWE

SHELTON

THOMMY

TZIONIS

VARGAS

VOLODER

WALTER KEY

MANAGER & SPORTING DIRECTOR | PETER VERMES

Peter Vermes is in his 16th season as Sporting Kansas City Manager in 2024 and is the longest-tenured active head coach in MLS. He is the team’s longest-serving manager and his 240 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 regularseason 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 197 regular-season wins top the club’s all-time chart and rank third 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 566 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 leagues with an average attendance of 10,000+, Vermes ranks second, only behind 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 in March 2022, Vermes’ tenure at ranks as the fifth 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.

ASSISTANT COACH | KERRY ZAVAGNIN

Kerry Zavagnin currently holds the MLS record as he enters his 25th 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 ninth 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.

Height: 5-10

Weight: 155 Birthday: 2/19/2001

Hometown: Toronto, Canada

College: Florida International University

Acquired: 2023 MLS SuperDraft 1st Round (#8)

Forward Stephen Afrifa was selected by Sporting Kansas City as the eighth overall pick of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft before signing with the team at the conclusion of his senior year in April. He enjoyed a standout career at Florida International, where he amassed 23 goals and 11 assists in 63 appearances from 2019-2022. He made his debut for Sporting on May 17, 2023 at LAFC before earning his first start at Austin on July 15, 2023.

Capable of playing as a striker or a winger, Afrifa began his professional journey on the heels of a phenomenal campaign in 2022 that yielded a team-high 10 goals, four assists and United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American honors. He guided the Panthers to the 2022 American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles and was

Last Regular Season...

2024, KC at TOR

#23

Height: 5-9

Weight: 185

Hometown: Bauchi, Nigeria

Last Club: Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel)

Acquired: Acquired in transfer on 6/23/2022

Birthday: 9/17/1999

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.

named the AAC Championship Most Outstanding Offensive Player. Afrifa ended his senior season as a 2022 MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist and a member of the USC All-East Region Team.

As a freshman, Afrifa tallied three goals and three assists, and added two goals and an assist during his COVID-shortened sophomore year. As a junior, Afrifa helped FIU make its first of two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with a team-best eight goals and three assists. Afrifa competed for USL League Two side One Knoxville SC in 2022, scoring 10 goals and leading the club to a first-place finish in the South Central Division and a run to the national quarterfinals.

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 2, 4 times, last: April 7, 2024, KC vs. POR

Assists 1, 3 times, last: March 30, 2024, KC at TOR

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

Shots 7, 2 times, last: March 23, 2024, KC vs. LA

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 7, 2024, KC vs. POR

Goal April 7, 2024, KC vs. POR

Assist March 30, 2024, KC at TOR

2024 Record when: he starts 1-1-1 he scores 0-1-1

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.

#22 | D | ZORHAN BASSONG | @BassongZ

Height: 5-10

Weight: 175 Birthday: 5/7/1999

Hometown: Montreal, Canada

Last Club: Farul Constanta (Romania)

Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on 12/12/2023

Sporting Kansas City added left back Zorhan Bassong ahead of the 2024 campaign. The Canadian has previously spent time in France, Belgium, Romania and Major League Soccer, including 43 matches in all competitions with CF Montreal. He played two MLS seasons in Montreal from 2021-2022 before spending 2023 in Romania with Arges Pitesti and Farul Constanta.

Born in Toronto and raised in Montreal, Bassong moved to Belgium in 2013 to join the Mouscron academy. Bassong furthered his development in the heralded academy systems at Belgian side Anderlecht and French club Lille, beginning his professional career at the latter in 2016.

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 0

Assists

Shots on Goal

Last Regular Season...

1, May 29, 2021, MTL at CHI (w/ MTL)

Appearance Feb. 24, 2024, KC at HOU

Goal N/A

He joined Belgian outfit Cercle Brugge in January 2019 and left the club in July 2020. Bassong enjoyed a two-year MLS stint with CF Montreal that began in early 2021. Following his time with Montreal, Bassong spent 2023 with two Romanian clubs, Arges Pitesti and Farul Constanta.

On the international stage, Bassong represented the Belgium U-19s for two friendlies in 2017 before switching his allegiance to Canada. He earned two caps for Canada’s senior national team in January 2020, including a 90-minute outing in a 4-1 friendly win over Barbados. In March 2021, Bassong played three matches for Canada at the 2020 Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship in Mexico, reaching the semifinals.

#19 | D | ROBERT CASTELLANOS | @rc4official

Height: 6-1

Weight: 195

Hometown: Palmdale, California

Last Club: KuPS (Finland)

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 turned professional in 2017 and has had stints in the USL Championship, MLS and Finland. Castellanos made his debut for the club in Philadelphia on April 1, 2023 and scored his first goal for Sporting in the 4-1 home win over Austin FC on June 10, 2023.

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 where he scored an equalizing goal in a 1-1 draw at Toronto FC in his lone appearance for the club. 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: 140 Birthday: 3/13/2004

Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska

Last Club: Sporting KC Academy

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

Forward 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

Hometown: Rochester, Michigan

Last

Birthday: 1/3/2002

Last Club: Sporting KC II (USL Championship)

Acquired: Signed as Homegrown Player on 8/19/2021

Sporting Kansas City signed defender 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 and earned his first MLS start on April 29, 2023 in a home match against Montreal. Davis scored his first goal for Sporting with the game-winner in a 3-1 win at Toronto on March 30, 2024.

Davis spent significant time developing with Sporting KC II under former Sporting greats Paulo Nagamura and Benny Feilhaber from 2019-2022 before breaking out with the first

team in early 2023, switching from central midfield to right back and helping the team post a 12-7-5 record in the 24 regular-season matches he started.

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.

Height: 5-9 Weight: 150 Birthday: 4/6/2002

Hometown: Half Moon Bay, CA

College: Virginia Tech

Last Club: Oakland Roots (USL Championship) Acquired:

Sporting Kansas City added Danny Flores off MLS waivers in January 2023. Flores began his MLS career after a two-year college stint at Virginia Tech, while he also boasts three seasons of play in the USL Championship, representing Philadelphia Union II from 2019-2020 and Oakland Roots SC in 2021. Flores spent the 2023 season primarily with SKC II, tallying two goals and two assists in 21 MLS NEXT Pro appearances while he also made his first-team debut on March 25 against Seattle.

Flores made his USL Championship 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

Regular

Last Regular Season... Appearance March 25, 2023, KC vs. SEA Goal N/A Assist N/A 2024 Record when: he starts 0-0-0 he scores 0-0-0

club’s inaugural USL Championship campaign, starting 10 of 12 matches. Following his 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.

Flores has represented the U.S. U-17 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.

Height: 6-2

Weight: 200

Hometown: Banyoles, Spain

Last Club: Celta Vigo (Spain)

Birthday: 11/14/1989

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

Andreu Fontas joined Sporting KC midway through the 2018 season following a 10-year career with more than 200 appearances in his native Spain. 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 129 appearances in all competitions for Sporting KC, tallying three goals and two assists.

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

Regular Season Game Highs: Goals

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: 5-7

Weight: 140

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Birthday: 6/8/1998

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 victory on June 19, 2022.

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 1, 4 times, last: May 28, 2023, KC vs. POR

Assists 2, May 14, 2022, KC at POR

Shots on Goal 2, May 28, 2023, KC vs. POR

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 March 30, 2024, KC at TOR

Goal May 28, 2023, KC vs. POR

Assist May 14, 2022, KC at POR

2024 Record when: he starts 0-0-0 he scores 0-0-0

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 the first team in January 2015, before signing an Academy contract with SKC II in August 2016, two months prior to earning Bob Gansler Academy Player of the Year honors that then led to a professional SKC II contract in early 2017.

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

Height: 5-9

Weight: 170

Hometown: Friolzheim, Germany

Last Club: Hamburger SV (Germany)

Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on 1/12/2023 #14

Birthday: 11/30/1993

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 is the third German newcomer at Sporting since the start of 2022, following center back Robert Voloder and midfielder Erik Thommy. Since joining the club, Leibold has tallied three assists in 28 appearances across all competitions.

Leibold spent eight seasons across Germany’s top two divisions from 2015-2022. He starred at Nurnberg from 2015-2019 before moving to Hamburg, where he served 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

Regular Season Game Highs: Goals 0

Last Regular Season...

Appearance April 7, 2024, KC vs. POR

Goal N/A

Assist July 1, 2023, KC vs. VAN

2024 Record when: he starts 2-1-4 he scores 0-0-0

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.

Height: 6-1 Weight: 215

Hometown: Great River, New York

College: Lynn University

Last Club: Chivas USA (MLS)

Birthday: 5/15/1986

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

Tim Melia leads Sporting KC in regular-season wins (102), shutouts (67) and saves (695), and has also played the most games (239) 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 19 of the 34 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, the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs Quarterfinal and the 2023 Wild Card Game.

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.

Last Regular Season...

Appearance Oct. 21, 2023, KC vs. MIN

Goal N/A

Assist Oct. 7, 2023, KC at RSL

2024 Record when: he starts 0-0-0 he scores 0-0-0

(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 has made 50 appearances for the club in all competitions, tallying two goals and two assists with both goals coming in the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs series against St. Louis. Ndenbe suffered a torn ACL in the second match against St. Louis on Nov. 5, 2023 and is set to be out until the summer of 2024.

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.

Height: 5-9 Weight: 155

Hometown: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Last Club: Sporting KC Academy

Birthday: 2/16/2003

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.

Height: 5-10 Weight: 170

Hometown: Ciudad Victoria, Mexico

Last Club: C.D. Guadalajara (Mexico)

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 2, 6 times, last: Sept. 2, 2023, KC vs. STL

Assists 2, July 22, 2020, KC at RSL

Shots on Goal 6, Oct.

Last Regular Season...

7, 2024, KC vs. POR

Goal March 16, 2024, KC vs. SJ

Assist June 10, 2023, KC vs. ATX

2024 Record when: he starts 1-1-3 he scores 1-0-0

Birthday: 3/8/1991

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.

Pulido tallied 15 goals and eight assists in 36 games in his first two seasons in MLS and was named Sporting’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2020. Pulido missed the entire 2022 season following knee surgery, returning to the field on April 1, 2023 and was named MLS Comeback Player of the Year after tallying 14 goals on his return in 2023. Pulido has tallied 31 goals and 14 assists in 76 appearances across all competitions for the club.

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 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.

Height: 6-4

Weight: 210

Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Birthday: 4/19/2001

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.

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 2024 Record when: he starts 0-0-0

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

Hometown: Novi Sad, Serbia

Last Club: Levante (Spain)

Birthday: 2/6/1993

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 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 has tallied one goal and three assists in 37 appearances across all competitions since joining SKC.

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 spent three seasons with Levante from 2019-2022. 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

Regular Season Game Highs: Goals

March 23, 2024, KC vs. LA Assists

Aug. 26, 2023, KC vs. SJ

Shots on Goal

Last Regular Season...

Appearance April 7, 2024, KC vs. POR

Goal March 23, 2024, KC vs. LA

Assist Aug. 26, 2023, KC vs. SJ

2024 Record when: he starts 2-1-4 he scores 0-1-0

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

Hometown: Rockville, Maryland

College: Maryland

Birthday: 10/8/2001

Acquired: 2023 MLS SuperDraft 2nd Round (#37)

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 became Sporting’s first MLS SuperDraft selection to sign for the first team since 2018. Rindov made his MLS debut as a late substitute on April 22, 2023 at New England.

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

Last Regular Season...

Appearance April 22, 2023, KC at NE Goal N/A Assist

2024 Record when: he starts 0-0-0 he scores 0-0-0

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

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

Height: 5-8 Weight: 155

Hometown: El Campo, Texas

Last Club: Austin FC (MLS)

Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on 2/1/2024 #8

Birthday: 12/27/1995

Sporting Kansas City signed midfielder Memo Rodriguez ahead of the 2024 MLS campaign. Prior to joining Sporting, Rodriguez scored 34 goals in 227 professional club appearances since joining Houston Dynamo FC as a homegrown player in late 2014. He spent seven MLS seasons in Houston, notably winning the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, prior to representing both LA Galaxy and Austin FC in 2023.

Born in Wharton, Texas, and raised in nearby El Campo, Rodriguez entered the Houston Dynamo Academy in 2011. He was named its Academy Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013 before launching his MLS career at age 18, inking a Homegrown Player deal with the Dynamo ahead of the 2015 season. He spent most of his debut campaign on loan

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 2, 2 times, last: July 13, 2020, HOU at LAFC (w/ HOU)

Assists 1, 18 times, last: April 7, 2024, KC vs. POR

Shots on Goal 3, 3 times, last: July

Last Regular Season...

Appearance April 7, 2024, KC vs. POR

Goal May 31, 2023, LA at RSL (w/ LA)

Assist April 7, 2024, KC vs. POR

2024 Record when:

with the Charleston Battery in the USL Championship before joining the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros, Houston’s then-USL affiliate, for a breakout 2016 season. Rodriguez rejoined Houston in 2017 and made his MLS debut on April 8, 2017. In 2018, Rodriguez and Houston collected silverware as champions of the prestigious U.S. Open Cup before being named the Dynamo Young Player of the Year in 2019.

The Galaxy signed Rodriguez as a free agent in January 2023. He scored his first goal for the club in a thrilling 3-2 road win over Real Salt Lake on May 31 before moving to Austin FC in a trade on Aug. 1. He played nine MLS matches for Austin and finished the year with 21 league appearances, notching one goal and two assists.

Height: 6-2

Weight: 205

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia

Last Club: Atletico Junior (Colombia)

Acquired: Acquired in transfer on 3/2/2023

Birthday: 10/6/1993

Sporting Kansas City acquired center back Dany Rosero in a transfer from Colombian side Atletico Junior in March 2023. Rosero 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 spent seven seasons in the Colombian top-flight Categoria Primera A with Patriotas Boyacá, Deportivo Cali and Junior. To date, Rosero has tallied five goals in 40 appearances across all competitions for Sporting KC.

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 with Patriotas Boyacá where

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

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

#7 | F | JOHNNY RUSSELL

Height: 5-9 Weight: 175 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 62 goals and 44 assists in 200 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

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 3, 2 times, last: May 26, 2019, KC vs. SEA

Assists 2, 3 times, last: Sept. 15, 2021, KC vs. MIN

Shots on Goal 4, 4 times, last: Aug. 28, 2021, KC vs. COL

Shots 8, Sept. 2, 2020, KC vs. DAL

Fouls Committed 5, April 30, 2022, KC vs. DAL

Fouls Suffered 6, 2 times, last: April 8, 2023, KC vs. COL

Last Regular Season...

Appearance March 16, 2024, KC vs. SJ

Goal Oct. 21, 2023, KC vs. MIN

Assist March 16, 2024, KC vs. SJ

2024 Record when: he starts 1-0-3 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.

Height: 6-1

Weight: 160

Hometown: Budapest, Hungary

Last Club: Sporting KC Academy

Last Regular Season...

Birthday: 7/19/1996

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 All-Star and 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. His 16 game-winning goals are the most in club history.

Salloi, who signed a new four-year contract in late 2022, enjoyed another productive year in 2023 by leading the team with 22 goal contributions (10 goals, 12 assists) and has recorded 58 goals and 38 assists in 221 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 before scoring the winning goal in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup Final against the 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. Salloi briefly returned to his former Hungarian Academy side Ujpest FC in July 2015 where he made his pro debut on July 18, 2015 before returning to Kansas City in 2016. He split the 2016 season on loan with SKC II and Gyirmot SE in Hungary before joining the Sporting KC first team full-time in 2017.

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.

Height: 6-3 Weight: 195

Hometown: Marietta, Georgia

College: Georgetown

Birthday: 3/8/2002

Acquired: 2024 MLS SuperDraft 1st Round (#22)

Sporting Kansas City selected goalkeeper Ryan Schewe as the 22nd overall pick in the first round of MLS SuperDraft 2024. In two outstanding seasons as a starter at Georgetown University from 2022-2023, Schewe posted a 20-4-4 record with a 0.79 goals against average, 12 clean sheets and 86 saves. He enjoyed a breakout season as a junior in 2022, landing Second Team All-BIG EAST recognition after leading the conference in save percentage (.838) and shutouts (seven) en route to an 11-2-1 record.

During his senior year in 2023, Schewe propelled the Hoyas to the BIG EAST regular season championship with a 9-2-3 record and led the conference with the lowest goals against average (0.84) and the most shutouts (five). He punctuated his final college

campaign with BIG East Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team All-BIG EAST honors while also receiving United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-East Region accolades.

In addition to playing for Georgetown, Schewe competed as an amateur for Georgia club Apotheos FC of the National Premier Soccer League in 2022 and the New York-based Westchester Flames of USL League Two in 2023. At the youth level, the Georgia native spent three years each with the Atlanta United Academy and United Football Academy in his home state.

Height: 6-3

Weight: 190

Hometown: Austin, Texas

College: Oregon State

Last Club: SC Paderborn 07 (Germany)

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 1, 18 times, last: June 10, 2023, KC vs. ATX

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 Oct. 21, 2023, KC vs. MIN

Goal June 10, 2023, KC vs. ATX

Assist July 9, 2022, KC at MTL

2024 Record when: he starts 0-0-0 he scores 0-0-0

Birthday: 6/26/1993

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 15 goals and 17 assists across 138 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.

Height: 5-8 Weight: 155 Birthday: 8/20/1994

Hometown: Wettenhausen, Germany

Last Club: VfB Stuttgart (Germany)

Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on 6/23/2022 #26

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 top-flight Bundesliga. He scored his first goal for Sporting in the 4-2 victory over the LA Galaxy on Aug. 6, 2022 and has tallied nine goals and 15 assists across 62 appearances across all competitions for the club.

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

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 1, 9 times, last: Feb. 24, 2024, KC at HOU

Assists 2, Sept. 2, 2023, KC vs. STL

Shots on Goal 4, 2 times, last: March 11, 2023, KC vs. LA

Shots 8, March 11, 2023, KC vs. LA

Fouls Committed 3, 4 times, last: March 30, 2024, KC at TOR

Fouls Suffered 5, 2 times, last: Oct. 21, 2023, KC vs. MIN

Last Regular Season...

Appearance April 7, 2024, KC vs. POR

Goal Feb. 24, 2024, KC at HOU

Assist Oct. 7, 2023, KC at RSL

2024 Record when: he starts 2-1-4 he scores 0-0-1

(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.

Height: 5-7

Weight: 155

Hometown: Nicosia, Cyprus

Last Club: Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus)

Acquired: Acquired in transfer on 1/24/2022

Birthday: 7/16/2001

#77 | F | MARINOS TZIONIS

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 1, May 14, 2022, KC at POR

Assists 1, May 28, 2023, KC vs. POR

Shots on Goal 2, 2 times, last: Sept. 10, 2022, KC at HOU Shots 3, 3 times, last: Aug. 26, 2023, KC vs. SJ

Fouls Committed 2, 5 times, last: Sept. 20, 2023, KC vs. NSH

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

Last Regular Season...

Appearance Oct. 7, 2023, KC at RSL

Goal May 14, 2022, KC at POR

Assist May 28, 2023, KC vs. POR

2024 Record when: he starts 0-0-0 he scores 0-0-0

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. Appearing mostly as a substitute during his time with Sporting, Tzionis has tallied three goals and one assists in 53 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 25 caps for the Cyprus National Team, scoring his first goal in a 2-0 win over Estonia on March 29, 2022.

| F | ALENIS VARGAS | @_aleeenis

Height: 6-1 Weight: 160 Birthday: 12/4/2003

Hometown: San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Last Club: Futbol Consultants Desamparados (Costa Rica)

Acquired: Acquired in transfer on 12/15/2023 #20

Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Alenis Vargas in a transfer from Costa Rican side Futbol Consultants Desamparados ahead of the 2024 season. Vargas spent the 2023 season on loan with SKC II and enjoyed an excellent campaign in MLS NEXT Pro. In 21 appearances, Vargas recorded six goals and five assists while drawing three penalty kicks and helping the team reach the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs with a third-place finish in the Western Conference.

A native of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Vargas did not begin playing competitive soccer until he was 16. He developed in the Leones Academy from 2019-2020 before joining the

reserve team at Honduran powerhouse C.D. Olimpia in December 2020 at age 17. Vargas left his home country in 2022, signing for Futbol Consultants in Costa Rica’s second division. During the latter half of the year, he trained with reigning top-flight champion Cartaginés, where he was coached by former striker and Costa Rican World Cup veteran Paulo Wanchope.

Vargas excelled on loan with SKC II in 2023, scoring a sensational scissor-kick goal to spark a 4-0 home win over first-place Colorado Rapids 2 before scoring a hat trick in a 6-1 win over Portland Timbers 2 in Aug. 13, 2023.

Height: 6-0

Weight: 170

Hometown: Frankfurt, Germany

Last Club: NK Maribor (Slovenia)

Acquired: Acquired in transfer on 1/19/2022

Birthday: 5/9/2001

#4 | D | ROBERT VOLODER

Regular Season Game Highs:

Goals 1, Sept. 13, 2022, KC vs. DC

Assists 1, 2 times, last: April 7, 2024, KC vs. POR

Shots on Goal 1, Sept. 13, 2022, KC vs. DC

Shots 1, 4 times, last: June 3, 2023, KC at VAN

Fouls Committed 2, 2 times, last: June 10, 2023, KC vs. ATX

Fouls Suffered 4, April 7, 2024, KC vs. POR

Last Regular Season...

Appearance April 7, 2024, KC vs. POR

Goal Sept. 13, 2022, KC vs. DC

Assist April 7, 2024, KC vs. POR

2024 Record when: he starts 2-1-1 he scores 0-0-0

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 the move to MLS. Since joining Sporting KC, Voloder has made 34 appearances in all competitions and tallied 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.

Height: 5-8

Weight: 165

Hometown: Essey-les-Nancy, France

Last Club: Yeni Malatyaspor (Turkey)

Birthday: 4/26/1995

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 nine goals and 10 assists in 117 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

Regular Season Game Highs:

Last Regular Season... Appearance April 7, 2024, KC vs. POR Goal March 30, 2024, KC at TOR Assist April 7, 2024, KC vs. POR 2024 Record when: he starts 1-1-3 he scores 1-0-1

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.

SINGLE SEASON RECORDS (GOALKEEPERS) SINGLE

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

SPORTING KANSAS CITY INDIVIDUAL HIGHS (MLS REGULAR SEASON)

GOALS

Career: 71 Preki

Season: 22 Dom Dwyer (2014)

Game: 3 10 times

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

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

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

ASSISTS

Career: 98 Preki

Season: 17 Preki (1997)

Season: 17 Preki (2003)

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

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

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

SHOTS

Career: 693 Preki

Season: 140 Preki (1996)

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

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

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

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

GOALS

Season: 65 in 2018

Game: 7 03/30/2019 vs. MTL

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

Half: 5 05/02/1996 vs. CLB (2nd)

Half: 5 06/21/1997 vs. DC (2nd)

ASSISTS

Season: 69 in 2018

Game: 10 06/20/1999 vs. MET

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

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

SHOTS

Season: 583 in 2018

Game: 34 05/15/2016 vs. ORL

Game: 34 04/20/2018 vs. VAN

Game: 34 10/06/2018 vs. LA

2-Tms: 44 4 times

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

SHOTS ON GOAL

Career: 283 Preki

Season: 61 Preki (1996)

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

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

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

Half: 4 10 times

FOULS COMMITTED

Career: 517 Roger Espinoza

Season: 79 Chris Henderson (2000)

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

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

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

FOULS SUFFERED

Career: 528 Davy Arnaud

Season: 111 Davy Arnaud (2004)

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

Half: 6 8 times

CORNER KICKS

Career: 800 Graham Zusi

Season: 150 Graham Zusi (2012)

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

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

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

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

GOALS ALLOWED

Career: 304 Tim Melia

Season: 60 Tim Melia (2019)

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

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

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

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

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

SAVES

Career: 695 Tim Melia

Season: 129 Tony Meola (2000)

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

Half: 7 4 times

SPORTING KANSAS CITY TEAM HIGHS (MLS REGULAR SEASON)

SHOTS ON GOAL

Season: 250 in 1996

Game: 14 08/23/1998 vs. MIA

Game: 14 06/21/2003 vs. CHI

Game: 14 04/20/2018 vs. VAN

2-Tms: 22 05/02/1996 vs. CLB

2-Tms: 22 04/18/1997 vs. DAL

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

FOULS COMMITTED

Season: 511 in 2013

Game: 27 07/04/1997 at CLB

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

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

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

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

FOULS SUFFERED

Season: 541 in 2000

Game: 30 08/16/2003 at DAL

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

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

CORNER KICKS

Season: 207 in 2021

Game: 15 04/10/1999 vs. SJ

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

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

GOALS ALLOWED

Season: 67 in 2019

Game: 7 07/04/2001 vs. CHI

Game: 7 09/15/2019 at LA

Game: 7 05/14/2022 at POR

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

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

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

SAVES

Season: 133 in 1999

Game: 10 04/08/2018 at LA

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

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

Half: 7 4 times