Eleven August 2015

Photo by Mike Gunnoe

ELEVEN | AUGUST 2015 • 1

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Courtney FreriChs uMKC track and Field 2016 olympic hopeful 2 • ELEVEN | AUGUST 2015

Welcome to Eleven August 2015

IT’S FINALLY here. The first edition of Eleven.

After countless meetings, interviews and hours of work we hope that you enjoy the magazine.

Each month in Eleven we will bring you interviews with Sporting KC players, coaches and more as well as personalities from around Major League Soccer. We’ll give you inside access through words and pictures as well as highlight the great things that the club does in the community through The Victory Project and other fantastic outreach organizations. You’ll find some soccer, some lifestyle and a lot of passion.

In this issue you’ll find a little

bit of everything. From Sporting manager Peter Vermes talking transfer window to Benny Feilhaber and the impact that his family has had on his remarkable season, the amazing beginning to a career for Erik Palmer – Brown, inside access to the Kit Room and much more.

The other very cool thing you’ll find each month is a special guest editor. This month – that duty belongs to Benny Feilhaber. He’s getting every other award – why not this too? Throughout the issue you’ll find different comments from Benny on various stories.

I want to thank our great partners who are taking this maiden voyage with us as well as Sporting Kansas

table of contents

City who has opened every door and given us this opportunity.

We have a very talented staff.

Walfri Rodas is one of the best photographers in MLS and Matthew Kimbrough can design in his sleep – lucky to have them a part of the team.

Eleven is for you. It is for the fan who lives and dies with this club. It is for those who wear the colors, chant, sweat, eat and breathe Sporting Kansas City.

We hope you enjoy this first issue.

David Barr

ElevenTheMagazine

Welcome to Eleven ������������������������������������������ 3 Managing the Transfer Window ������������������������ 5 1v1 with Benny Feilhaber ������������������������������ 7 Central American Players Finding Homes in MLS ����������������������������������������������������������������������10 Dom Dwyer back flip �������������������������������������12 As Erik’s World Turns ���������������������������������������14

@ElevenTheMag

Inside Access �������������������������������������������������15 En Kansas City Se Toca Jazz ���������������������������16 Kids Tournament ���������������������������������������������17 The Victory Project �����������������������������������������18 Extra Time �����������������������������������������������������19 Wizards Rewind – Preki ���������������������������������21 Sporting Spotlight: Kevin Ellis �����������������������23 Sporting Fan Gallery ��������������������������������������24 ELEVEN | AUGUST 2015 • 3

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Managing the Transfer Window SPORTING KANSAS CITY manager Peter Vermes has been through the rigors of the Major League Soccer transfer window before – but this year is quite different. Interest in the club is at an all time high. MLS is attracting the biggest names in the world of soccer and along with those names come the rumors and pressure to improve the squad.

It takes a player with special traits to work within the Vermes system - a system that has been successful this season with multiple moving parts.

“He has to be a team first guy,” Vermes said after training. “A high work rate is a must as is being intelligent. A winning mentality rounds out what we look for in a player. It’s a given that most players have those four but the question is which of those are they really advanced in and where they need improvement. There are guys who are very tactical but lack decision making on field. It’s always a work in progress.”

Every club in MLS has obstacles to overcome when talking about adding players either via trade or transfer. Those obstacles are larger for smaller market teams like Kansas City but for Vermes the focus is solely on the team.

“Sometimes it’s best to keep looking in your own backyard” “My biggest focus is always keeping the current team focused on the job at hand,” one of the best to ever wear a Kansas City uniform said. “I don’t want to disrupt this group. We need to stay ambitious and keep working towards our goals.

The profile of Major League Soccer as a league players want to be a part of no matter the country they are from around the world brings with it the pressure to acquire those big names to keep up with the MLS “arms race”.

“I would take a guy like (Steven) Gerrard,” Vermes laughed. “But many of those types of players are thinking about Los Angeles and New York City because of other things like business opportunities. It’s not a knock just reality. I love Kansas City. I’ve been here for 15-years. When someone actually comes here they are taken

aback by what is offered. We continue to go about our plan differently than other markets.

Look, you can whine and cry about it and use it as an excuse or you can find another way.

Hopefully through time they will think differently about KC but in the meantime we will continue to pursue the types of players that fit our team, club and city.”

“I have the upmost respect for our fans” There are a combination of factors to look at when talking about Sporting and attracting players.

“It’s a combination of Kansas City, like we just talked about and budget,” Vermes said. “How do you spend $7 million on one player? There’s only so much sponsorship money that can be made. But when it comes to big names – we have those big names.

We built those names here. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Sometimes it’s best to keep looking in your own backyard and that’s what we are doing.

Our guys have decided to play here and work and be successful here. That’s never lost on me. Mustivar, Nemeth, Espinoza, Zusi, Besler, Dwyer, Feilhaber all of those are big names or guys whose stars are rising rapidly. They want to be here. I’m very respectful of that and when I bring someone in they have fit the model and fit seamlessly into this group.”

All that being said, fans see and read the rumors of possible transfers. The thought of landing that big star to play for the team they love has everyone on the edge of their seats.

“I have the upmost respect for our fans,” Vermes said with a smile. “ We have an incredible fan base and have a duty to them to give everything we have every time we step on the field. At the same time my responsibility is to always look at the future of the club we are building. We are looking for a player who is not just a big name but someone who benefits us in all aspects and whose main focus is winning.”

This is one of the most competitive transfer windows you’ve experienced in MLS and it is going to continue to get more competitive.

“Without a doubt it is the biggest challenge in our league especially with regard to small markets,” Vermes said. “Take Los Angeles with Gerrard, Keane and now Giovani Dos Santos all great players with great marketability. It’s a formidable challenge. Any person that has pride and is confident in what you do relishes the challenge. You can fold up your tent and accept the way that things are or you can find a way that best fits your circumstance. That’s what we’ve always done and will always do.”

ELEVEN | AUGUST 2015 • 5

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1v1 with Benny Feilhaber Words: David Barr • Pics: Walfri Rodas

THE YEAR that Sporting midfielder Benny Feilhaber is having is the kind of career season that player’s dream of. The kind of campaign so far where new records are written in pencil because each week a new mark is set.

Eleven had a chance to spend some extended time with the fan favorite and MLS All Star to talk family, soccer, lip-syncing and more.

ELEVEN: Could you have ever envisioned the kind of season that you’re having so far?

BF: It’s been amazing so far and most of my success to this point is due to the players around me. We brought in some new guys like Soni Mustivar and Roger Espinoza in the middle with me – they’ve done so much of the dirty work. I don’t know if people realize how much that helps me to be able to play more freely.

Krisztian Nemeth has come to the team and is providing something that we haven’t had since I’ve been here and that is a guy who provides a different scoring element than what Dom (Dwyer) provides. So, with those guys up front along with (Graham) Zusi it’s a very strong five or six. Add in that I’ve been in Peter’s system now for three years it has made me a better player. A more well rounded player that’s for sure. But, it’s all of the things that we’ve talked about that have come together this year to help me produce the way that I am.

ELEVEN: You mentioned some new names – it took a while for everyone to feel comfortable with each other through injuries, new players, international duty but now it really seems like things are clicking.

BF: The beginning of the season was tough.

We were trying to get to know each other, injuries to key guys like Ike (Opara). It was difficult to get a result in the beginning of the season. It showed on the field.

But for the last two months it’s been effortless. Kevin Ellis has really stepped up and become a quality starter for us and Tim (Melia) has been terrific. He’s a really solid leader and very vocal back there. We’ve got rookies stepping in and taking advantage of the minutes and opportunities that they’ve been given. It’s close to its peak and we want to keep working hard and developing that chemistry.

Photo by Jamila St. Ann ELEVEN: We hear so much about what Peter does from a strategy perspective. Define the Vermes system in a couple of sentences.

BF: A lot of pressing up higher on the field to create turnovers by the other team and in turn create opportunities for us. That’s as good as I can do it in a couple of sentences but it has taken time and has developed a little bit of new personality this year. Last year we pressured with no concern for our defensive shape and so we got crushed some late last season in the way that teams countered against us. This year we’ve been so much better at when we do press we are very organized in the back so that if they are somehow able to break the press we are in good spots to slow them down and not allow the counter. That’s something that we’ve done really well so far this year.

Story continues on next page

Photo by Gary Rohman

ELEVEN | AUGUST 2015 • 7

Continued from previous page.

ELEVEN: How much of the great things that have happened off of the field helped you on the field?

ELEVEN: We all love the Benny Feilhaber Show.

Give me your top 5 lip-sync songs.

BF: It’s definitely helped. Having a baby girl last year and now we are expecting again. We have a family and obviously I’m the guy who brings the money in you know so you’re playing for your family, for your kids, for your wife and I think that I’ve become more mature. It’s changed my perspective on how seriously I take everything that I do whether that’s training, taking care of my body after training and games, what I eat and how much I sleep. It’s all things together – taking care of our little girl so that my wife can do something for just her for a bit – all of that helps you become a more selfless person and that in turn helps you to be a better player on the field.

BF: A lot of them are on the show so let’s see

ELEVEN: Who is the one guy in Major League Soccer that you hate to play against but would love to be on your team?

BF: That’s a tough one. I’m going to go the other way a bit. I don’t hate him but I think it would be (Sebastian) Giovinco from Toronto FC. He’s tearing up this league right now. We haven’t had a chance to play against him yet but he’s definitely a guy you have to take care of. A guy like that takes care of games by himself sometimes. You just give him the ball and let him do his thing.

I’ve really enjoyed watching him play this year.

8 • ELEVEN | AUGUST 2015

• I Want to Dance with Somebody – Whitney Houston • Black or White or Billie Jean – Michael Jackson • Escape – Enrique Iglesias • No Air – Jordin Sparks • Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen (Love this one with Jimmy Conrad)

Photo by Mike Gunnoe ELEVEN: Let’s move away from soccer for a bit.

How much do you get to move around the city now without people recognizing you?

BF: People don’t recognize me too much or if they do they do a really nice job of letting me be. I think that’s one of the things that is so cool about Kansas City. I mean I’m not walking around in the Plaza much. The things that we do are mostly family related so we got to the pool with Sofia and to the park, runs with the dog that sort of thing. But when I do go out and people recognize me it’s always a lot of fun to talk to them.

ELEVEN: You’re living a great life on and off the pitch right now. What’s the best part of your life?

BF: Definitely my family. Spending time with Sofia and Michele. I love my dog Frankie as well.

Can’t forget about her and we’ll see if the next baby is a boy or girl but I’m a homebody so I like being home spending time with them. No doubt the most fun times are at home.

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ELEVEN | AUGUST 2015 • 9

Central American Players Finding WHEN THE 2015 season kicked off there were a record 28 players from Central American countries wearing the uniforms of Major League Soccer clubs including nine from the home of Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza.

“The word is out,“ Espinoza said after a recent match. “Players from Honduras do not look at Mexico first any more if they aren’t headed to Europe. They want to come and play in a league that is growing.”

“All of a sudden I was scoring goals in MLS and having success which led others to look at the league” The story of MLS isn’t lost on other countries in Central America either as Costa Rica (7), Panama (4), Guatemala (4) and El Salvador (4) all have players in the league.

The only countries not to be represented are Nicaragua and Belize.

“It’s all about opportunity,” Seattle

Sounders Guatemalan star Marco Pappa said after he and the Sounders visited Sporting Park back in June.” In MLS players can play in one of the best leagues in the world and stay close to home. The other big factor is the ever growing Hispanic population here in the U.S. It’s very comfortable for us now socially and professionally.”

As the level of soccer improves in countries like Panama and Honduras, more players are finding their way to the States to play professionally.

Even more evidence that Central Americans are having an impact were the number of Major League Soccer players who were named to preliminary rosters for this year’s COCACAF Gold Cup. In total 16 players were called and when the rosters were cut down, 11 Central Americans from MLS represented their countries.

“We have a role in this league,” Pappa said.

“We represent every country in Central America.

I hope more players can come especially Guatemalans to get an opportunity. Liga MX has a lot of history but when you look to the future it’s all about MLS.” Panama‘s national team experienced success beginning in 2005 when they reached the Gold Cup final. But the breakthrough came in 2013 when they once again reached the Final only to fall to the United States 1-0 in Chicago.

“Roger brings a ton of energy. I think that the fact that he had a pretty good stint in England and wanted to come back to Sporting shows what this team and club are all about, what the fans are all about, what it’s like playing in this stadium. It’s a real positive for our team to get him back on the roster but I really believe that it says a lot about the team and organization. All of the people who work hard here behind closed doors. It’s a match made in Heaven between Roger and this club.

Benny Feilhaber – Guest Editor

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g

Homes in MLS “That’s when I believe the door opened for our players,” FC Dallas striker Blas Perez said.

“All of a sudden I was scoring goals in MLS and having success which led others to look at the league.”

“It’s all about opportunity” Look they did and the likes of LA Galaxy goalkeeper Jaime Penedo and the Colorado Rapids first ever Designated Player Gabriel Torres followed in Perez’s footsteps.

Better coaching, renewed interest and funding behind youth programs has stimulated the countries national programs in Central America. That coupled with unprecedented television coverage of the league means the talent pipeline that has been created will only continue to grow in the most diverse league in American sports.

PLAYERS FROM LATIN AMERICA, SPAIN AND OF HISPANIC HERITAGE 2015 JUGADORES DE LATINOAMÉRICA, ESPAÑA Y DE HERENCIA HISPANA 2015

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CUBA (2)

MÉXICO (29)

HONDURAS (9) GUATEMALA (4) EL SALVADOR

PANAMÁ (4)

PUERTO RICO (3)

(4)

VENEZUELA (2)

COSTA RICA (7) GONZALO PINEDA SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (MÉXICO)

FERNANDO ARISTEGUIETA PHILADELPHIA UNION (VENEZUELA)

COLOMBIA (16)

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ECUADOR (2)

PERÚ (2)

ESPAÑA (6)

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CHILE (4)

JAIME PENEDO LA GALAXY (PANAMÁ)

ARGENTINA (22) ROGER ESPINOZA SPORTING KANSAS CITY (HONDURAS)

URUGUAY (7)

KAKÁ ORLANDO CITY SC (BRASIL)

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ELEVEN | AUGUST 2015 • 11

Sporting Kansas City Forward Dom Dwyer 12 • ELEVEN AUGUST 2015 July 18, 2015 |versus Montreal

“I have the upmost respect for our fans,”

Dom Dwyer back flip celebration 2

ELEVEN | AUGUST 2015 • 13

As Erik’s World Turns Photo by Kory Brinton IT HAS been quite the start of Sporting Kansas City defender Erik Palmer – Brown’s professional career.

Take into account that the youngest player ever to sign with Sporting at the age of 16 has gone through a foot injury that took most of 2014 from him and just returned to the club after participating in the U20 World Cup in New Zealand. Throw in that he graduated from Archbishop O’Hara high school and is now a fulltime professional.

“It’s been surreal,” Palmer-Brown said, as he and Sporting were getting ready to board a plane to Vancouver. “Ups and downs, it’s pro soccer life. It’s really gone quickly so far.”

Now back with the first team battling for minutes, Palmer-Brown added to his international resume this past summer. While frustrating in

14 • ELEVEN | AUGUST 2015

one sense – as he appeared in just one match on a team that advanced to the quarterfinals before bowing out to Serbia on penalty kicks his experience at the U20 World Cup will be one that he will always remember.

“It was an amazing experience,” PalmerBrown said. “Being able to wear your country’s colors is a thrill. It was amazing to be on the world’s stage and play. Hanging out with the guys for over a month. Seeing one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Those friendships will last a lifetime. I hope my next U20 World Cup will be bigger.”

It can take some time to learn how to be a professional soccer player but when you talk to one of the most touted young players to come from the States in a while, you quickly figure out that he is extremely humble and grounded.

That ability to be clear headed is needed when life undergoes a dramatic change such as when soccer becomes your full-time job. PalmerBrown’s life changed forever a couple of months ago.

“It’s way different,” he said with a laugh. “ Not having Mom take care of me anymore.

Getting paid now. The best part is having fun with the guys. I’m learning every day and have really good people around me like (Matt) Besler to learn from.”

Palmer-Brown’s focus is solely on Sporting

Kansas City. The ability to be in the top 11 before leaving for national duty did wonders for his confidence.

“That was big for me,” the talented defender said. “ Now working my way back in I’m still not sure what my role is now but if I keep working hard the opportunities and minutes will come.

That’s all I know. It’s what makes American players special. We out work you. I’m working hard on the field but just as important to me is working to be a better person off of the field as well.” Photo courtesy of Sporting Kansas City

“EPB is my roommate on the road. I like rooming with him.

He’s a great roommate and it’s cool because I’m like the second oldest guy on the team and he is the youngest. It’s really neat to see his perspective on things and until recently I didn’t see myself as that guy who was kind of a leader who could give my experience to a younger guy. He’s easy going and is eager to learn. We have a lot in common with things like what we watch on TV and movies. Rooming with EPB is something that I really enjoy.”

Benny Feilhaber – Guest Editor

Inside Access The Kit Room with Michael Flaherty EVERY MONTH, Eleven will give you access to Sporting Kansas City giving you a peak behind the curtain. To kick this off we thought of no better place than in the Kit Room.

When you walk into the home of equipment manager Michael Flaherty and team you notice a huge selection of scarves from around the word (a very cool Eusebio scarf is my favorite).

You look around and see boots and uniforms, balls and socks - everything that everyone asks Flaherty for on Twitter.

“Oh yea I’m a popular guy,” Flaherty said laughing.” It’s always a lot of fun to interact with the fans.”

So here’s how it all works. Every year Sporting buys into an allotment from adidas consisting of uniforms, boots, socks, training gear and more.

“We get just about everything from adidas,” Flaherty said. “ It sounds like a lot of money but to get through a season it really isn’t. It’s wholesale pricing but when you have players giving away jerseys and you have three kits it makes it hard.”

There are decisions that come out of the Kit Room each match that have a direct effect not only on the field but at the cash register as well.

“The decision about what jersey to wear on which night comes in three parts,” Flaherty said twirling his pen. “First there’s the Major League Soccer bit of input in regard to what looks best on television. Then there’s the marketing part for us as we want to sell jerseys and for me the competition part – what’s going to give us the best advantage. No way we wear the black jersey in Houston in August.”

Jerseys are big business in all sports but especially so in soccer. The creation of a new kit has a team of creative minds constantly working on the next big look.

“We have all of the input in designing the uniforms,” Flaherty said. “There are four of us who work on the design committee. John Moncke is in charge of merchandising, Chad Reynolds is the creative designer, Andy Tretiak is in charge of marketing and me. A lot of the input comes from Moncke because he comes from the fashion end of it. We talk about whether or not the jersey will sell or not and then for me it’s all about functionality on the field.”

As you can imagine, there are some crazy ideas that get bounced around when talking uniforms.

“A lot of ideas get tossed out,” Flaherty said

shaking his head. “Crazy ideas like laces on a jersey (like hockey jerseys). The first thing that we think of when we are designing a new kit is – can you, would you wear this with some jeans to go out and grab a beer. The other thing we think of is that for me, sometimes we might only wear a kit five or six times then have to replace it. For a barbeque eating fan – that could be much more difficult.”

Throughout Major League Soccer in the month of August, season ticket holders for each team will have their image emblazoned on uniform numbers. It’s a great opportunity for fans to get their face on the field without having to be tackled.

“This is a great marketing idea by the league to sell jerseys and a great keepsake for our loyal fan base.”

The new kits for 2016 are already in the books and work has begun on 2017. Trying to get a sneak peak was tough!

“What I can tell you is that there will not be a new third jersey coming anytime soon,” Flaherty said trying not to give too much away. “No colors away from our set of blues and fans will see the progression of the continuing series of jerseys.

It’s all about creating a series. Each kit will play off of the other.”

Even bigger business in soccer than jerseys is boots.

“There are only four companies that can be worn in MLS,” Flaherty said. “adidas of course, Nike, Puma and Under Armour. Under Armour just recently became one of that group.

Major League Soccer has played a huge role in helping adidas launch it’s new direction in player footwear. The X is the shoe that creates chaos and is for the player who wants to stand out while the Ace is the show for the player who can control the game. Our first team players and Sporting Kansas City Academy players helped test the prototypes of these two shoes before launch.”

“There are only four companies that can be worn in MLS” Travel is a huge part of MLS life, which means great disaster stories.

“Canada is always interesting,” Flaherty

commented. “ You never have your bags. There are pictures of me on the tarmac telling guys to load our bags instead of some bags for families going on vacation or something. This year we were in Los Angeles. The kits are folded four jerseys, training shorts, training tops, shorts and underwear all on a hanger so when we get to the stadium we can quickly get them put in each players lockers. We set up 18 lockers but we only had 17 kits. Someone had stolen a complete kit so we had to create a kit the day of the game.”

Players are quirky. The look and feel of a uniform can be the difference in a great game and a bad one. The challenging part for Flaherty’s team is that everyone wants something different and the lengths that they will go to get that done for the players is nuts. Superstition also plays a role.

“Matt Besler wears the same captains arm band during a winning streak, Flaherty chuckled, “It even extends to me. The captain’s banner that is exchanged before the game is always in the pregame huddle in the locker room. I put the arm band on Besler and I hand him the banner before the starting 11 take the field.”

Goalkeepers are like kickers in the National Football League. They are as quirky as anyone.

“Jimmy Nielsen used to wear this undershirt with a huge hole around one arm. The hole kept getting bigger but it was the only one he’d wear so we kept putting it in his locker. One day he wore his shorts backwards and had a great game and I was like oh no Here we go. We actually wrote “BACK” in his shorts just to give him a hard time.

You can follow Flaherty and the exploits of the Kit Room on Twitter @KitManSKC.

ELEVEN | AUGUST 2015 • 15

En Kansas City Se Toca Jazz Alejandro Cabero LAS TÁCTICAS del futbol se pueden ver de dos maneras: con la disciplina de la música clásica o con la creatividad del jazz.

Unos utilizan las tácticas de una manera dogmática y rígida. Cada jugador es una pieza que debe seguir los caprichos del DT hasta en sus detalles más ínfimos.

Otros consideran la táctica como un marco sobre el cual el jugador debe utilizar su creatividad y forzar al rival a lidiar con lo impensado.

Los equipos Jazz son los que me gustan. Cuando el DT en el vestuario da solo un eje ideológico, una filosofía básica que alienta a la libertad y la interpretación en las aplicaciones dentro del campo de juego. Las estrategias que se marcan en la pizarra son sólo sugerencias. Los equipos “jazz” se esfuerzan por ser “dinámicos” presionar en la topografía del campo de juego y pueden funcionar sin un sistema de montones de papeles y jugadores aburguesados.

El Sporting es el epítome del “equipo Jazz”. Trabaja sobre una formación básica 4-3-3 pero opera con funciones únicas que están más caracterizadas por las cualidades personales

16 • ELEVEN | AUGUST 2015

del jugador que por una exigencia estratégica a la que el jugador debe acomodarse. La estrategia se acomoda al jugador y no el jugador a la estrategia.

Así uno disfruta con el Chino Espinoza o con Feillhaber surgiendo del medio campo y arrastrando marcas que liberan a Dwyer y lo ponen frente al arco, o al cachorro Myers que surge de los laterales y utiliza las cualidades de su pasada experiencia juvenil de atacante. Sporting es un equipo fresco que explota la libertad creativa de sus piezas. No se basa en la reproducción de patrones y la disciplina posicional sino en los engranajes de un mecanismo que surge de la combinación de sus individualidades.

Peter Vermes sabe que esta química solo se logra con una columna vertebral de jugadores experimentados que conozcan e interpreten su música dentro del campo de juego y que tengan el liderazgo y el respeto de los jugadores nuevos: Y en eso Besler, Myers, Roger Espinoza, Benny Feillhaber y Zusi ya interpretan a Peter sin partitura.

Kids Tournament

Diviertete y Aprende Jugando

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The Victory Project

continues mission to help children across the KC metro

IN 2013, Sporting Club – the parent organization of Sporting Kansas City – launched The Victory Project, which unites the team’s supporters, players and staff to make a tangible difference in the lives of children who are battling cancer and all of life’s challenges. These challenges could be related to a child’s health, physical, developmental or socio-economic status.

The backbone of the foundation occurs during each home game when a child currently battling cancer is honored in the Victory Suite at Sporting Park. The highlights of being an honoree include visiting the team at practice the day before the match, hearing their name being chanted from the KC Cauldron during a pre-game announcement, watching the last 10 minutes of the match field side and getting a soccer ball signed by all the team members as they exit the field.

Since its inception, the foundation has raised nearly $250,000 and partnered with local organizations including Children’s Mercy, Braden’s Hope for Childhood Cancer, Shadow Buddies, Variety KC, Operation Jammies and Noah’s Bandage Project to name a few.

This Spring, The Victory Project partnered with Make-A-Wish Foundation Missouri to help make a wish come true for Vince Pham - a nine

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year old who was diagnosed with a rare form of muscular disorder - by escorting Sporting KC captain Matt Besler onto the field.

Sporting KC players have adopted The Victory Project as their own while participating in the annual Braden’s Hope Calendar, local community events and visiting children in local hospitals. Chance Myers makes bi-monthly visits to Children’s Mercy to do arts and crafts while visiting with the children.

The foundation has raised nearly $250,000 Earlier this month, the wives and girlfriends of Sporting KC players -- in partnership with the Shadow Buddies Foundation -- participated in a Pink Party at Children’s Mercy Clinic where they painted nails, applied make-up, curled hair and helped with various other activities for girls attending an all-day clinic. Along with community appearances, The Victory Project also hosts annual fundraising events including Yoga on the Pitch, Victory Project Soccer Clinics and the SKC Open Golf Tournament.

This September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and The Victory Project will be hosting a series of special events throughout the month.

• Sat., September 19: American Red Cross Blood Drive at Sporting Park • Sun., September 27: Sporting KC vs. FC Dallas at Sporting Park - Be The Match Bone Marrow Registry tent on the Sprint Plaza - Supporters from the Members Stand and South Stand will create special tifos that will be displayed during pregame to help raise awareness.

- Special halftime ceremony featuring former Victory Project honorees

To learn more about The Victory Project, please visit VictoryKC.org or follow @VictoryKC on Twitter and @ VictoryProjectKC on Instagram.

Extra Time with FOX Sports Rob Stone

Rob Stone does a myriad of different games and events for FOX Sports. He is arguably the most versatile host / play-by-play man in the business. But we all know him as “the soccer guy”.

We have reached the middle of the Major League Soccer season. A season that has seen unprecedented television coverage and some of the biggest names in the soccer world finding new homes in the United States. This may be the most important year for MLS since 1996 and the inaugural season.

“It has been an incredible year for Major League Soccer,” Stone said while preparing for a Gold Cup broadcast. “ The league continues it’s rapid growth and is breathing down the necks of the big three pro sports in the U.S.”

matter. The attraction now is LA and NYC but Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas has to get those players as well. We will see that in the next decade.”

More and more you hear the rumors of this happening. Big name after big name is being linked to MLS. A prime example of this breakthrough plays in Toronto.

“The best example is Sebastian Giovinco in Toronto,” Stone answered. “He’s playing so well that Italy has to pull him in. I’ve always said if we ever get that big name who was always called to his big national team it would be a break through moment. He took that chance and it has paid off. Playing in this league does not in any way adversely affect your opportunity to play for your national team no matter where that is.”

“It has been an incredible year for Major League Soccer”

“Many will tell you that KC is the home for soccer in the U.S.” Soccer is no longer a “niche”. It is being engrained into the fiber of American sports with the continued growth of the Hispanic population as well as the largest demographic in America – millennials.

“Soccer is now a generational thing,” Stone said. “ People my age who played and followed the game are raising kids as soccer fans. Millions of people like me are raising kids to know that LA isn’t Dodgers or Rams – it’s the Galaxy. It’s only going to get bigger. We just finished the Women’s World Cup in Canada and TV viewing set records and we come back for Gold Cup and numbers are blowing executives away. There’s a huge carryover effect.”

While you can watch MLS almost across the

globe now, there are still some breakthrough moments that need to happen to move the league to the next rung in its growth ladder.

“Breakthrough moments are when clubs like Sporting Kansas City, Columbus and Colorado can get the big name guys,” Stone said. “I can’t believe that Chicago isn’t involved more. It is a major city with a lot to offer a player coming to this country. A conversation will soon be had that players in Europe will say I want to play in U.S. not just Los Angeles and New York City. As the league builds as a whole – the city may not

We couldn’t let Rob go without asking him about Sporting.

“When you used to go to Arrowhead Stadium you dropped your head,” Stone remembered.

“Why is soccer still in Kansas City? There was a time when they were going to pull the plug.

The new stadium, new ownership and a new direction has Sporting KC moving in a much different direction. Many will tell you that KC is the home for soccer in the U.S. Surprising because it’s not easy to do there. There are many obstacles and many want them to succeed and they are - on and off of the field. It’s great to see.”

“The best thing about MLS – in a competitive sense the parity is fantastic.

Every single game is competitive. There are very few games where one team is vastly superior to the other. Every game is exciting for the fans. The worst thing is the inability of players to choose where they want to play because there is no free agency. It’s a right that every player should have when his contract runs out but unfortunately here that’s not the case yet.

Benny Feilhaber – Guest Editor

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Wizards Rewind – Preki Simply put – Preki is the best to ever wear a Kansas City uniform.

He is still the only player in Major League Soccer history to win the MLS scoring title and Most Valuable Player awards twice (1997 and 2003). Preki’s 71 career goals lead the franchise as does his 98 assists among numerous other records.

The Belgrade, Yugoslavia native who became a naturalized citizen of the United States was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2010.

Preki is the best to ever wear a Kansas City uniform An original Wizard who has since moved to the bench coaching a handful of teams in Major League Soccer and USL and now heading overseas to continue his growth as a manager Predrag Radosavljević sat down with Eleven for a look back at the first year of the Wiz, Arrowhead Stadium, MLS, his career and THE goal in 1998.

ELEVEN: Now 20-years later. What has made the difference and made MLS successful?

ELEVEN: When you watch soccer today. What player do you like to watch the most?

PREKI: I can’t describe what happened but I believe that the World Cup and exposure on TV helped change the perception and now many follow the game globally in this country. They just had to find a way to sell it. With regard to MLS no doubt it starts with stadiums. Moving out of Arrowhead to Sporting Park was huge for the long-term viability of the franchise. You see it all over the league now. Give credit to the league and team owners for seeing the future and investing in it.

PREKI: Hands down (Lionel) Messi. He is the best player in the world and it is not even close.

ELEVEN: Your most memorable goal as a Wizard?

(Many fans would say that if he scored one with his right foot that it would be memorable because Preki’s left provided the majority of goals and memories!)

PREKI: I treated every game the same. I really don’t have a particular memory of a game or goal. Just so we won – that was the most important thing to me.

ELEVEN: OK, so what about the goal you scored for the U.S. national team in 1998 when you came off of the bench to beat Brazil?

ELEVEN: Lets go back almost 20-years. The Kansas City Wizards came into existence and everything including the league was new.

PREKI: 1996 doesn’t seem that long ago – time flies. Things got off to a difficult start with facilities especially. There were a lot of unknowns for all of us. All of the players took a risk and now it’s paying off. But rumors of the league’s demise were heard all of the time.

ELEVEN: Reflect on those teams led by Bob Gansler and the club’s first MLS Cup in 2000.

PREKI: We had a lot of hard working players.

We were not known as the best or most talented team but we were organized and played hard for each other and got results. Bob was a very focused guy and we found a way. It always helps when you have the best goalkeeper in the league in (Tony) Meola and we defended as a group.

Like a lot of successful teams, we found a way to score goals in the right moments. As for the MLS Cup, we beat the (Chicago) Fire when (Miklos) Molnar scored very early on. We were probably not the better team that day but like the season we ground it out and found a way to win.

PREKI: No one will let me forget that one. I get asked all of the time about it. Its hard to forget – incredible moment for all of us. A lot of things went into the game. Kasey Keller was remarkable in goal. I was on the bench and was mentally ready to come on the field and contribute.

Fortunately I was able to make the play. I hated not starting. Everyone wants to start because they think they are good enough to be in the top 11. But we were a team and all of us just wanted to win.

“I treated every game the same” ELEVEN: After your playing days ended you went straight to the bench to begin the second half of your soccer career as a coach at places like Chivas USA and Toronto FC. What was the most difficult part of that transition? Who influenced you the most?

PREKI: I never dreamed the opportunity to be a manager would come so quickly. The biggest adjustment for me has been that certain things were easy for me as a player but that doesn’t mean they come as easy for everyone – you have to adjust and understand. You have to find the right balance. I’m becoming more patient.

Recognizing more and more my strengths and weaknesses as well as those of my players. As for influences, Bob (Gansler) helped me to become very organized but Bob Bradley and the time that I was able to spend with him has shaped my style and I learned a lot. In the end though – you have to be yourself.

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Sporting Spotlight: Kevin Ellis on Love, Starting a Family, Life after Soccer THE FACT that Kevin Ellis’ favorite character from Friends is Chandler may give you some insight on the type of guy he is: goodnatured, modest, and genuine. As we sit down on the bleachers at Sporting Kansas City’s practice facility, he sheepishly admits that he and his wife, Abigail, have been binge-watching Friends recently, with plans to get through all ten seasons. He admits he used to think Friends was a “chick show,” but his wife has since shown him the way.

“It’s a dream come true to play for this team” Kevin is quietly proud of the woman he’s chosen as his partner in crime. When asked how he knew she was “the one,” he said it was her smile. The two first met when they sat next to each other on a flight back to Kansas City. He said he could tell right away that she was just a down-to-earth girl. “She was funny and she was always laughing during the flight. She seemed like my kind of girl.” A few years later, Kevin was plotting a romantic Kansas City proposal: he surprised her with a ring on a carriage

ride around the Country Club Plaza. “I don’t think she had any idea, so it actually turned out to be pretty cool,” he recalls.

It wasn’t just the ring that made a good fit. Abigail also fits in beautifully with Kevin’s family. She has formed a close bond with Kevin’s twin brother, Keith. Kevin says, “It’s awesome-- they’re the best of friends. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

As for the future of Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Ellis? A family of their own is coming soon.

The couple recently announced via social media that they are expecting their first child in December. Earlier this year they bought a house in Fairway-- and they don’t plan on stopping there. Kevin says they dream of having four or five kids and living a simple, idyllic life on a farm when he retires from soccer. All in good time, though-- right now Kevin is exactly where he wants to be. As he shares his life goals, he reasserts his love for his native Kansas city: “It’s a dream come true to play for this team. I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else.”

Words: Crystle Lampitt (@crystlelampitt ) Pics: Walfri Rodas

Upcoming Telecasts

Wednesday, September 9th 9pm - Sporting Kansas City @ Portland Timbers Friday, September 18th 5:30pm - FC Dallas @ Sporting Kansas City Wednesday, September 23rd 7pm - Sporting Kansas City @ Houston Dynamo

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Sporting Fan Gallery

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