by Mickey Redlingshafer
Sporting Kansas City, Kansas City’s soccer team is currently ranked number one in the Eastern Conference of the MLS. Sporting KC’s record is 18- 7, making them the only Kansas City Sports team with a winning record this year. According to their website, Sporting KC has attracted fans, and at their game on Friday Sept. 28 there was a record crowd of 21,000 people at the Livestrong Sporting Park. This week Sporting KC is participating in the MLS playoffs.
Friday Sept. 28th, Sporting KC beat the Chicago fire 2-0 at the Livestrong Sporting Park to secure a spot in the playoffs in the MLS. Sporting KC was the first team in the Eastern Conference to make it to the playoffs.
According to SportingKC.com, Graham Zusi scored both of Sporting KC’s goals in the game.
According to senior Morgan Trees, who attended the game, the atmosphere was intense.
”We almost had to go into overtime, but we scored a second goal at the very end,” Trees said. “It was awesome, like the best game I have ever been to. The whole crowd was very into it, doing all the cheers.”
According fan junior Cristina DeZeeuw, the game was “full of emotion”.
“I watched [the game] on TV,” DeZeeuw said. “You could tell how bad all the players wanted [to win] and how passionate they were. [Jimmy] Nielsen, the keeper, had some amazing saves that game.”
According senior Courtney Coppinger, two of her of her favorite players are Zusi and Nielsen.
“My favorite player is probably Graham Zusi or Jimmy Nielsen,” Coppinger said. “[I like] Zusi because he is an awesome player who also plays for the US men’s team. I love Jimmy because he never lets the team down as goalie.”
According to Trees, she has followed Kansas City soccer for a while, but once Sporting KC started, she got even more into it.
“I am just so excited Kansas City as a sports team that is good at something,” Trees said. “When I was younger my family followed the Wizards and went to some games. Once we were changed to Sporting KC, I was kind of mad. I didn’t understand the name, but now I love it. My dad gets tickets all the time and we go as a family. It is really fun.”
According to Trees, it is nice to have a competitive, successful sports team in Kansas city.
“It seems like this year the Chiefs and the Royals are not getting any better,” Trees said. “But Sporting is just getting started. They keep getting better and better. Livestrong Stadium is always filled with committed fans, it truly is ‘The Blue Hell.’”
Coppinger agrees that Livestrong Stadium’s atmosphere makes Sporting KC games more fun.
“When you go to a [Sporting KC] game, you know how important soccer is to everyone there and it’s an awesome feeling,” Coppinger said.
