Sporting Kansas City Weekly Update: may 23, 2012

LSP EARNS RIGHT TO HOST OPEN CUP FOURTH ROUND ON 6/5

Should Sporting Kansas City advance to the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup fourth round, LIVESTRONG Sporting Park will host the match at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, June 5. Sporting KC faces Orlando City SC on Tuesday in the third round of the tournament and would face the winner between the Colorado Rapids and Tampa Bay Rowdies in the fourth round. If necessary, single-game tickets for the fourth round fixture will go on sale immediately following the third round match on Tuesday.

U.S. Soccer announced the possible pairings and locations for the fourth round on Wednesday. Match-ups are based on a geographic basis when feasible and hosts are determined by random selection among clubs who have applied to host and meet minimum venue requirements.

Sporting Kansas City will begin the tournament at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, may 29 when they welcome Orlando City SC to LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in the third round of the competition. The visitors were 7-0 winners over the KC Athletics in the second round on Tuesday and are the reigning USL PRO champions.

Tickets, starting as low as $13, are currently on sale for the match and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or at the LSP Box Offices. all Sporting Kansas City Season Ticket Members will receive a ticket to the may 29 match at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, and all subsequent Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup home matches through the quarterfinals, as part of their season ticket package.

UPDATED SPORTING KC TRAINING SCHEDULE

Sporting Kansas City will now train at 3:30 p.m. CT on Friday. The team's weekly press conference will be held at 1:30 p.m. CT on Friday with Manager Peter Vermes and forward Teal Bunbury.

The team will train as scheduled at 10 a.m. CT on Saturday. Visit SportingKC.com/calendar for all the latest times/dates for upcoming Sporting KC events.

All media members planning to attend practice are encouraged to contact Alice Schroeder (913-302-1565) of the Sporting Kansas City communications department in advance for assistance in facilitating media access and availability.

SPORTING KC TO HOST SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES SUNDAY

Sporting Kansas City will host a game at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park for the first time in three weeks against the San Jose Earthquakes at 3:30 p.m. CT this Sunday. The match will air live on the NBC Sports Network and will also be broadcast locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB, which will air a pre-game and post-game show for the match.

The Earthquakes (7-2-3) are currently in second place in the Western Conference with 24 points, most recently drawing with the Columbus Crew at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Earthquakes are currently without their leading goalscorer Chris Wondolowski (11), who has joined the U.S. Men's National Team in Orlando.

The match will be sponsored by Providence Medical Center and the first 10,000 fans will receive a free tumbler, courtesy of Providence Medical Center. A limited amount of tickets for the match are still available and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or at the LIVESTRONG Sporting Park box offices.

SPORTING KC TO HOST ORLANDO CITY IN U.S. OPEN CUP THIRD ROUND PLAY AT LSP

Sporting Kansas City will face Orlando City Soccer Club (USL PRO) in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, may 29 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Orlando City were the champions of the USL PRO league in their inaugural 2011 season. should Sporting Kansas City advance on Tuesday, they will host the winner between the Colorado Rapids and Tampa Bay Rowdies in a match to be played at 7:30 p.m. CT on June 5 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park at 7:30 p.m. CT.

All Sporting Kansas City Season Ticket Members and half season ticket members will receive a ticket to the match on may 29, and all subsequent Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup home matches through the quarterfinals, as part of their season ticket package.

Single-game tickets are available to purchase online at Ticketmaster.com or at the LSP Box Offices.

SPORTING KC TRIO SELECTED TO JOIN NATIONAL TEAMS

Sporting Kansas City players Roger Espinoza, Kei Kamara and Graham Zusi have been selected to join their respective national teams for upcoming international matches. Espinoza and Kamara will remain with Sporting Kansas City through the team's match on Sunday to be available against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Espinoza will then join Honduras for a friendly against El Salvador on June 2 and two World Cup Qualifiers on June 8 and 12 against Panama and Canada, respectively. Kamara will join Sierra Leone for World Cup Qualifiers on June 2 and 9 against Cape Verde Islands and Equatorial Guinea, as well as an Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier against Sao Tome & Prinicipe on June 15.

Zusi was named to the U.S. Men's National Team roster for their training camp in Orlando, Fla. The U.S. Men's National Team will train in Orlando through Friday, when head coach Jurgen Klinsmann will select a final 23-player roster for a series of five upcoming matches. The U.S. will play international friendlies against Scotland (May 26 in Jacksonville, Fla.), Brazil (May 30 in Landover, Md.) and Canada (June 3 in Toronto) to prepare for their first FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Antigua & Barbuda on June 8 in Tampa, Fla. and Guatemala on June 12 in Guatemala City.

Espinoza, Kamara and Zusi will rejoin Sporting Kansas City immediately following their international duty.

SPORTING KC IN THE COMMUNITYSporting Kansas City players will hang up their cleats and take part in several community appearances this week. Visit SportingKC.com/calendar to see a full list of Sporting KC events, including the following:

Chance Myers will be signing autographs and taking pictures with fans at the Kansas Sampler in Mission from 5:30-7 p.m. today.this evening from 5:30-7 p.m., Aurelien Collin, Teal Bunbury, Dom Dwyer and Lawrence Olum will help at a Sporting Club Network Mini-Clinic at the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park. Teal Bunbury will be signing autographs and challenging fans to FIFA '12 at the Overland Park Soccer Complex from 1-2:30 p.m. this Saturday during the Heartland Soccer Association tournament.

For more information on these appearances, contact Staci Schottman in the Community Relations Department at sschottman@sportingkc.com.

SPORTING KC ADDS TOMMY HOWE TO JUNIORS COACHING STAFF

Sporting Kansas City Juniors hired a new coach in St. Louis soccer icon Tommy Howe for the upcoming season. Howe will assist the Juniors Director of Coaching Jon Parry with both the under-16 and under-18 academy teams and will serve as the head coach for the under-12 pre-academy team.

SPORTING CLUB NETWORK WELCOMES NEW AFFILIATES

The Sporting Club Network welcomes Woodson City Rangers, St. Joseph Youth Soccer Association and Electric City Soccer Club as the newest affiliates to the club. Woodson City Rangers, one of the newest soccer clubs in St. Louis, will be an official Juniors affiliate and all three teams will now have unique access to the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park, as well as the coaches education series, licensing and experience opportunities and more.

SPORTING KC DRAWS WITH COLORADO RAPIDS ON THE ROAD

Sporting Kansas City were tested on the road last Saturday, but managed a 2-2 draw against the Colorado Rapids on their home turf. Two early goals from Teal Bunbury in the first 14 minutes of play saw Bunbury soar to the top of the Castrol Index for Week 11. Bunbury's first got Kansas City on the board 61 seconds after kickoff which ranks as the fourth fastest goal in club history and coincidentally fourth fastest in MLS this season.

SPORTING KC AND INK MAGAZINE SPONSOR SUMMER BEER FESTIVAL

Sporting Kansas City and Ink Magazine have teamed up with BeerKC to present its first annual Summer Beer Festival, a tribute to craft beers. The event will take place from 5-9 p.m. on June 9 at Pennsylvania Avenue, between McCoy's and Kelly's in Westport. The event will benefit AIDS Walk Kansas City.

More than 20 breweries will be showcased during the event. Participants will receive a commemorative tasting glass and will be able to sample the variety of beers. Sporting Kansas City players will also be in attendance. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. For more information visit here.

SPORTING KC TO HOST STOKE CITY FC ON AUGUST 1

Sporting Kansas City will host Stoke City FC of the Barclays Premier League at 7:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Aug. 1 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Ticket prices begin at $20 and are on sale now.

Founded in 1863, Stoke City are the oldest club in the Premier League and are led by Manager Tony Pulis and forward Peter Crouch, an England international with 22 goals in 42 appearances.

SPORTING KC BROADCASTS AVAILABLE ACROSS KANSAS

Sporting Kansas City has added MyTV Wichita and WIBW-TV/MyTV Topeka as the club's new regional broadcast partners. The Stations will carry all 13 of the club's remaining away matches live this season.

MyTV Wichita and WIBW-TV/MyTV Topeka join KSMO-TV to provide live, over-the-air broadcasts of Sporting Kansas City matches in 90 of the 105 counties in the state of Kansas and all of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Combined, Sporting Kansas City can now be seen in more than 1.5 million homes throughout the region, including the cities of Kansas City, Wichita, Topeka, Lawrence and Manhattan.

In addition to the 13 remaining Sporting Kansas City road matches during the 2012 MLS regular season, five home matches at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park will be nationally broadcast to provide a total of 18 upcoming telecasts that will now reach a wider regional audience.

MyTV Wichita (KMTW-TV) is broadcast throughout the Wichita and Hutchinson areas of central Kansas and is operated by Kansas City, Mo-based Newport Television, which also owns and operates Fox Kansas (KSAS-TV).

REGISTER FOR THE SPORTING CLUB 3v3 CLASSIC TOURNAMENT

GSI Sports & Sporting Kansas City are proud to host the 13th annual Sporting Club 3v3 Classic on July 7, 2012 at the Stump Park Soccer Complex in Shawnee, Kan. all teams will receive tickets to the Sporting KC vs. Houston Dynamo match and championship games will be played at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park after Sporting Kansas City's Eastern Conference championship rematch with the Dynamo.

For more information and to register your team, click here.

MAKE IT 'APPEN: DESIGN A SPORTING KC APP AND WIN SEASON TICKETS

Sporting Kansas City has announced a one-of-a-kind opportunity for amateur developers. Sporting Kansas City needs your ideas for a game or app associated with soccer that can be played on a mobile device. The creator of the winning idea will receive two Sporting Kansas City Season Tickets for the 2013 season and on-field recognition at a Sporting KC match.

To submit an entry, visit SportingMembership.com/AppContest and complete the online application form at the bottom of the page. The deadline to submit entries is midnight on Monday, June 3.

All entries will be reviewed by a panel (comprised of Sporting Kansas City front office personnel) to determine up to four finalists. Finalists will be determined by Monday, June 25. each finalist will then have the opportunity to pitch their idea in person to this panel. The winner will be announced at the July 21 Sporting KC match vs. new England Revolution.

PRORATED 2012 SEASON TICKET PLANS AVAILABLE

Sporting Kansas City prorated season ticket plans are available for the remainder of the 2012 Major League Soccer season. The benefits include discounted rates, priority for purchasing playoff tickets, preferred parking and access to special events.

For ticket information, visit sportingkc.com or call 888-4KC-GOAL.

JOIN SPORTING KC OVER THE AIRWAVES

The State Line Soccer show will be available over the airwaves on Thursday with hosts Callum Williams and Jake Yadrich on 610 Sports Radio. call 913-576-7610 to join the discussion around all the latest news.

SPORTING KC UNVEILS BOYS AND GIRLS YOUTH SOCCER CAMPS FOR 2012

Sporting Kansas City and the Sporting Kansas City Juniors youth development academy will again offer a series of youth soccer camps in 2012 for boys and girls of all ages. Please see the list of scheduled camps below:

Pre-Tryout Camp: June 4-6 for U11-U14 boys ($130) Boys & Girls Development Camp: June 18-20 for boys and girls ages 8-12 ($130) St. Teresa's Academy Camps: July 9-12 or July 30 - Aug. 3 for boys and girls ages 4-13 ($75-100) Sporting Youngsters Camp: June 11-14 for boys and girls ages 4-7 ($100) Sporting Development Camp: June 11-14 for boys and girls ages 8-12 ($150)FOLLOW SPORTING KC ONLINE

Sporting Kansas City fans looking to keep up with the club on the worldwide web now have a place to go. The new social media page on SportingKC.com features Twitter account information for the club, its players as well as many staff members. Additionally, fans may take advantage of the Media Recap page for all the latest independent news coverage available online.

<a href="http://www.wibw.com/sports/headlines/153268985.html?ref=985tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.wibw.com/sports/headlines/153268985.html?ref=985Wed, 23 May 2012 21:43:12 GMT">Sporting Kansas City Weekly Update: May 23, 2012