Eddie Johnson on Loan

Today marks the close of the transfer window in England and as expected, there's been no shortage of drama (SBI has a live commentary, as does ESPN SoccerNet). Fernando Torres to Chelsea is the headline of a full day of activity, but a few MLS products also appear on the latest list of transfers today. Robbie Findley (LA 2007, RSL 2007-10) to Nottingham Forest. Michael Bradley (NY 2004-06) to Aston Villa. And, according to Ives Galarcep, Eddie Johnson (FCD 2001-06, KC 2006-07) to Preston North End.

After coming to the club prior to the 2006 season, Johnson went on to score 15 goals in 24 matches for Kansas City in 2007, including back-to-back hat tricks, before moving to Fulham in January 2008. Today's move marks the third loan agreement for EJ, after previous stints with Aris and Cardiff City, and sees him return to the Championship where EJ scored twice in 2009 for his first club goals abroad.

Preston North End are currently last in the 24-team Championship, with 21 points from 26 games played, and hired Manager Phil Brown earlier this month to resurrect the season. Brown was previously the manager at Hull City and while there, acquired American striker Jozy Altidore on loan from Villarreal (Altidore may also be on the move by day's end according to Greg Seltzer at MLSsoccer.com).

Who did Brown take over for? Darren Ferguson, son of Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Speaking of the Red Devils, head over to SportingKC.com for today's look back at the historic upset.

MLS Desert Cup

Need an excuse to take a trip to Tucson, Arizona for a weekend in early March? Consider adding the 2011 MLS Desert Cup to your calendar for a little pre-season action to hold you over until the new stadium opens in June.

As we announced last week, Sporting Kansas City will play the final two games of its Arizona pre-season preparation in back-to-back days in Tucson on Friday, March 4th and Saturday, March 5th. The games -- against the Arizona Sahuaros and the New York Red Bulls -- are part of a four-team tournament to be hosted at Hi Corbett Field. Might the 9,500 seat independent league baseball stadium provide a home field advantage for our boys in blue after spending the last three seasons playing at CommunityAmerica Ballpark?

Tickets for the tournament are on sale now, starting at $12.00 for a general admission ticket and $20 for a general admission weekend pass. Check out the Facebook event for much more information, including prices on group seating, VIP tickets/passes and luxury suites for "the most important professional soccer event in Tucson history."

Still not sold? The Kansas City Royals have a spring training game on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox in Phoenix, a two-hour drive from Tucson. And did we mention it's 73 degrees in Tucson today?

Click here for Sporting Kansas City's currently scheduled 2011 pre-season matches (subject to change).

Omar Bravo en Espanol

SKC forward Omar Bravo at pre-season training on Thursday

For all of our Spanish-speaking supporters, there are some great Omar Bravo soundbytes and quotes out there today.

Goal.com's Eric Gomez spoke to the Chivas Guadalajara icon after training today and posted the full transcript of the interview online (translated English version now available). See what Bravo thinks about the quality of MLS, his goals for his time in Kansas City and his future with the Mexico National Team, among much more.

Yesterday, FutbolMLS.com had Bravo as a guest on their weekly podcast Tiro Libre. Listen to the audio here and be sure to vote in their poll to see how many goals listeners think Bravo will score in 2011. Major League Soccer Facebook fans can also vote for Bravo in their poll which pits him against Kenny Cooper, Juan Pablo Angel, Jan Gunner Solli and Dax McCarty for MLS offseason acquisition that will have the biggest impact this season.

KUKC-TV, Kansas City's local Univision affiliate, was out at training on Wednesday to talk to Omar. Tune in to La Revista on Saturday to see their feature. Also, La Gran D 1340AM interviewed Omar this morning for their show to air from 10:00-11:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Agility and Beep Test Results

We told you about the testing the players underwent yesterday, now see below for the how the top performers stacked up. Props to defender Michael Harrington for being the only player in the top five in both tests on Wednesday.

Agility 5/10/5 Test (in seconds):

1. Graham Zusi (4.10)
2. Michael Harrington (4.12)
3. Chance Myers (4.12)
4. Konrad Warzycha (4.16)
5. Teal Bunbury (4.19)

Endurance/Beep Test (in units of VO2)

1. Sam Scales (68.5)
2. C.J. Sapong (65.5)
3. Matt Besler (65.2)
4. Davy Arnaud (65.0)
5. Roger Espinoza (63.9)
6. Michael Harrington (63.9)

SKC Fitness Coach Mateus Manoel explained VO2 as the maximum volume of oxygen your body can use per minute of work, relative to your body weight.

Wednesday Wrap-Up

The running shoes were the center of attention on Wednesday as the team was split into two groups and most of the session was spent getting an idea of where the players are at fitness wise early in pre-season. The groups went through their stretches before undergoing two tests: an agility test and the dreaded beep test. 

Fitness and Conditioning Coach Mateus Manoel was front and center as he led players through all the drills. For the side-to-side agility test, Manoel said he isn't concerned as much about each player's individual time as he is in trying to identify differences between the strength and quickness for each player moving from left to right. Manoel said the test can provide helpful information for the coaching staff by indicating whether a player may be at a higher risk of injury based on a weaker or stronger time in a certain direction.

In the beep test, rookies Sam Scales and C.J. Sapong each finished at the highest level amongst their groups in the endurance regimen. When asked after training, Scales said, "I pride myself on my fitness." Veteran captain Davy Arnaud was very pleased by what the newcomer showed, saying he doesn’t see many players make it to the 17^th level in the beep test, especially as a rookie.

Manoel said the value of the beep test is that it allows the technical staff to know what the players did in the offseason by showing where they are at on a cardiovascular level. The results as a whole were better than last year's as the team continues to set the bar higher in pre-season preparation. “Guys have finally taken this serious and are pushing each other," Manoel said. "That only makes the team better and makes the tests more reliable.”

Each group finished the training session with a series of small-sided games which emphasized attacking soccer, particularly via wide play and quick transitions. The goalkeepers had their hands full and spectators got to see some particularly impressive goals from Roger Espinoza, Adda Djeziri and Calum Butcher. Davy Arnaud, Craig Rocastle, Kei Kamara and Korede Aiyegbusi were also among the day two goal scorers.

Check back tomorrow for the top performers and test results from Wednesday and read Andy Edwards' latest entry for even more observations from Day 2.

Former Faces in the News

Quick round-up of former Kansas City players -- and a coach -- making the headlines this week...

• FWD Yura Movsisyan (2006, 2007) may be on the move to the Russian Premier League to join FC Krasnador for a hefty transfer fee from his current Danish side Randers FC. Yura has three goals for the Armenia National Team after making his debut last summer.
• FWD Matt Taylor (2004) scored in his second straight game yesterday for Rot Weiss Ahlen in Germany. Taylor now has nine goals in 13 games, eighth most in the German third division.
• FWD Herculez Gomez (2008, 2009) has begun the Clausura in Mexico coming off the bench in each of Pachuca's first three matches after leading the league with 10 goals last season.
• DEF Aaron Hohlbein (2007-2010) has signed with Miami FC, the same NASL club that we loaned him to during the second half of last season. Hohlbein was chosen by the Columbus Crew in last month's Stage 1 Re-Entry Draft.
• GK Boris Pardo (2008, 2009) made his second start of the season and MID Jamar Beasley (2010) scored two goals in the Missouri Comets 21-20 win at Omaha on Sunday. The Comets return home to the Independence Events Center on Friday at 7:35 p.m. -- join the Cauldron for Cauldron Night at the Comets.
• Manager Curt Onalfo (2007-2009) has been hired as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Will Eddie Johnson (2006, 2007) be available for Fulham as they face Liverpool today? EJ -- pictured earlier this week with fellow Yanks Charlie Davies and Clint Dempsey -- has made a career-high 11 appearances in the EPL this year. Tune into Fox Soccer Channel at 2 p.m. to see. 

BoonBooRee T-Shirt Contest

There are less than three hours left to vote in the Teal "BoonBooRee" t-shirt contest. Fans have submitted some truly great designs, including the two above which are in the lead as of Wednesday morning. The design with the most combined "likes" on the Sporting KC and KC Cauldron Facebook pages at noon CT today will be announced as the winning design to be printed onto t-shirts to commemorate Teal's first goal with the USMNT and the memorable goal call from Telefutura's Pablo Ramirez (who was interviewed on ExtraTime Radio earlier this week).

The winning designer will also receive a Sporting Kansas City soccer ball personally autographed by Teal. For every shirt sold, $5 will be given to the Cauldron in support of their 2011 efforts. The winning t-shirt will go on sale shortly.

Tuesday Training Rewind

Day one of training, day two of pre-season...check.

The guys -- and many of our local media -- showed up to the Chiefs Indoor Practice Facility this morning ready to get to work on the 2011 season. Read about some of their thoughts on the year ahead and watch the video on SportingKC.com to hear their reactions to Tuesday's training (including the opening highlight of Omar Bravo's first goal in a Sporting KC uniform which was controversially called offside and disallowed).

As for the action, Manager Peter Vermes split the players into three teams of ten who competed in a round-robin series of abbreviated scrimmages. The blue team grabbed bragging rights for now with wins in each of their matches thanks to two shutouts from goalkeeper Eric Kronberg and not one, not two, but three goals from Birahim Diop (two on assists from fellow forward Kei Kamara). The green and orange teams played to a scoreless draw to finish 0-1-1 on the day.

As mentioned, there was a mafia of media on the sidelines who have already churned out some great coverage from their first chance to talk to the team today. Here's what is out there as of now and we'll update this with more links as they get published...

• Fox 4, KCTV 5, NBC 41 and Metro Sports were all at training Tuesday and aired stories during their nightly newscasts
• Andrew Wiebe writes about trialist Julio Cesar Santos at MLSsoccer.com
• Charles Gooch of the Kansas City Star with his "Thoughts on the first day of Sporting KC camp"
• Gooch's colleague Terez Paylor penned "Sapong makes impression as Sporting KC starts training"
• James Starritt with his bullet points from "2011 Pre-season Day One" on SportingTimes.net
• James also interviewed Craig Rocastle at training on Tuesday
• Thad Bell talked to Peter Vermes, Kei Kamara, Jimmy Nielsen and C.J. Sapong with video at The Back Post
• Thad also posted his "First day of practice thoughts and observations"

Pre-season Test Results

As we mentioned yesterday, the team underwent some standard preliminary testing as part of the coaching staff's pre-season evaluations of where the team and individual players are at coming into camp. Today we get to take a look at the results and some of the top guys who stood out in the two tests completed.

Vertical Jump

1. Mike Jones (6670 watts)
2. Roger Espinoza (6557 watts)
3. Teal Bunbury (6434 watts)
4. Konrad Warzycha (6364 watts)
5. C.J. Sapong (6297 watts)

This traditional test was measured in watts, a unit for power, that was calculated by comparing players vertical jump to their body weight to get the power. Sporting Kansas City fitness and conditioning coach Mateus Manoel said it provides a better assessment indicator than simply judging by the jump height by itself.

Body Fat 

1. Michal Mravec (4.0 percent)
2. Teal Bunbury (4.7 percent)
3. C.J. Sapong (5.3 percent)
4. Kei Kamara (5.5 percent)
5. Korede Aiyegbusi  (5.5 percent)

These numbers speak for themselves -- the average American male has a body fat percentage of around 25 percent -- but for comparison, Teal Bunbury was among the top three players in the recently completed U.S. Men's National Team January Camp.

With the initial round of testing and entrance physicals out of the way, the team took to the field for the first time in 2011 this morning at the Chiefs Practice Facility. Lots of local media were on the sidelines to see all the action firsthand, so check back later for a full round-up of reactions and interviews.

Let the 2011 Pre-Season Begin

The first official day of Sporting Kansas City pre-season is in the books as players reported for entrance physicals, team meetings and some preliminary tests on Monday at the team's Swope Park Training Facility. A lot has changed since the guys last left KC over two months ago -- the new name and look, Gold Cup coming to KC, Teal's scoring spree (Generation adidas, Stoke City, USMNT) and perhaps most of all, 75 days worth of construction progress on the stadium they'll be opening in June.

But somewhere on the list is another deserving mention...Graham Zusi's once clean-shaven face transformed into a full-fledged, ear-to-ear beard. Rumors around the locker room were he had spent the off season hibernating in a cabin in Wyoming doing Rocky IV-style workouts. Michael Harrington's Fabio-esque long locks get an honorable mention, as all those who saw him at the KCSnowmageddon last week can attest.

For a look at the some of the other guys off-season activities, check out the video interviews at SportingKC.com. Video guru Jake Yadrich also spoke to the team about what lies ahead in 2011...



Wearing the newly arrived gear, the team will hit the field for the first day of training tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the Chiefs Practice Facility.

Bunbury Reaction

We've read what others have to say about Sporting Kansas City striker Teal Bunbury's performance on Saturday for the U.S. Men's National Team, but what did the man himself think? Sporting Kansas City color commentator -- and former USMNT player himself -- Sasha Victorine was out in California and caught up with Teal after the game. See the interview below...



Teal is also part of the post-game package put together by the fine folks at US Soccer and Studio 90. Click ahead to 1:33 to hear the goal scorer's take on the game...

Peter Vermes, Robb Heineman On Air

The 2011 pre-season begins today as Sporting Kansas City players report for entrance physicals. We'll have more on that later, but until then check out KCTV5's 2011 season preview as Michael Coleman sat down with Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes during last night's newscast.

Also worth a watch, KCPT interviewed Sporting Club CEO Robb Heineman on The Local Show earlier this month. See it below, beginning at the 14:12 mark...

Bunbury Gets Rave Reviews

We know what our fans thought of Teal's goal last night -- reports from the American Outlaws - Kansas City watch party at Johnny's Tavern said the place was rocking -- but how did his second appearance for the USMNT go over nationally? He was chosen Goal.com's Player of the Match and received Soccer America's highest U.S. player rating. Read below for more comments on his performance...

espnLA: "Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury injected life into a dormant U.S. attack."

Goal.com: "The two young strikers brought the excitement and energy to a team that seemed quite lethargic for much of the match. Causing trouble from all the pitch, Agudelo and Bunbury were the spark that the team needed to get back in the match...The terrific pair of Agudelo and Bunbury looked excellent together in the second half and could be in line for more minutes next month."

Sports Illustrated: "Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury continue to impress up top...they brought an instant injection of speed and quality upon entering the game...this duo is indeed off to a promising start. They'll be fun to watch in MLS this season with New York (Agudelo) and Kansas City (Bunbury)."

ESPN.com: "Bunbury gave the team a noticeable boost when he entered the match with Agudelo. He used his size well, was aggressive in running at people, and slotted home his penalty with aplomb."

MLSsoccer.com: "The penalty stroke was true, and besides that, Bunbury offered good value for a half hour in causing Chile problems. His blend of strength and silkiness is impressive."
SoccerByIves.net: "The United States will take on its next opponent on February 9th facing Egypt in Cairo. Due to the success of the combination of Bunbury and Agudelo, the pair may have a chance of inclusion with the full squad."

Seeing a trend with the Bunbury-Agudelo connection? From Bunbury and Agudelo Shine in Friendly (ESPN.com)...

"On and off the field, our chemistry is growing," said Bunbury of his relationship with Agudelo. "We hang out a lot off the field, and on the field we just try to work off of each other. We're always trying to push each other and make each other better, and I feel that really showed tonight."

"I guess that he's my brother from somewhere," Agudelo said. "We just get along real well."

As for the decision on who would take the penalty kick? From Bunbury, Agudelo Show Clear Signs of Excitement (MLSsoccer.com)...

"We conversed about it," Agudelo said after the match. "I've been practicing my penalties and I just wanted to make sure it went it. But if [Bunbury] was sure he was going to make it, then I let him take it."

For more thoughts from Teal, and U.S. Manager Bob Bradley on his performance, read the USsoccer.com Post Game Quote Sheet.

Bunbury Buzz

Less than 12 hours after Teal Bunbury opened his scoring account for the USMNT, the 20-year-old Sporting KC striker is getting plenty of press. After scoring his first international goal on a PK in the 75th minute of the United States 1-1 draw with Chile, @TealBunb was trending on Twitter as the buzz began. See below for all the sights and sounds from last night's friendly and we'll post a full round-up of reaction throughout the soccersphere later today. 

First up, some great photos of Teal from the friendly are posted on the Sporting KC Facebook Page. Perhaps give them a look while you listen to the BoonBooRee remix. And save the best for last, video highlights. Two takes, first the Telefutura footage (and colorful commentary) and second the in-stadium raw video as the 18,000+ in attendance at The Home Depot Center celebrated.

Bunbury Scores for USMNT

Teal Bunbury's offseason just got even better. The Sporting Kansas City striker scored the first goal of his blossoming USMNT career on Saturday in the United States 1-1 draw against Chile at The Home Depot Center. Trailing 1-0 in the second half, Bunbury converted a penalty kick in the 75th minute for the game-tying goal. The video below doesn't do justice to the finish (calmly tucked inside the post), but the Spanish commentary is one for the ages.



Bunbury entered in the 60th minute, replacing San Jose's Chris Wondolowski, for his second appearance for the United States, after debuting in the team's last friendly against South Africa in November. He again wore the No. 9 shirt and played primarily on the left side as a strike partner with Juan Agudelo (who drew the PK in the 73rd minute).

We'll have plenty more pictures, video and reaction to come tomorrow so stay tuned.

USMNT vs. Chile Tonight

Sporting Kansas City striker Teal Bunbury is among the 23 U.S. Men's National Team players available for selection by Manager Bob Bradley for the 18-player gameday roster for tonight's international friendly against No. 15 Chile. Head down to Johnny's Tavern in Power & Light at 9:00pm for a watch party thanks to American Outlaws - Kansas City, or tune in to Telefutura on TV or ESPN3 online to see if Teal can make his second consecutive appearance for the USA.

Some links to get you ready for the game, including an interview with Sporting KC's Dave Borchardt below:

• Teal was quoted earlier this week in Jeff Carlisle's ESPN.com article, "Opportunity knocks for young players."
• He also says the focus of camp has been tactics and familiarity in SoccerByIves.net post "Newcomers ready to make an impact as USA faces Chile."
• Finally, vote for Teal in USA10Kit.com's poll, "Which USMNT could help his first team case most against Chile?"

Sporting Way Namesake

We have received word that the Public Works and Safety Committee for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County will be hearing our request to change the name of Prairie Crossing Street to Sporting Way on Monday, February 14th. Prairie Crossing Street currently runs along the northwest boundary of the stadium site, between State Avenue and Parallel Parkway.

The meeting is open to the public and will take place at 5:00 p.m. in the 6th Floor Conference Room of the Municipal Office Building (701 North 7th Street, Kansas City, Kansas). No Valentine's Day plans? Help paint the meeting Sporting blue and show your support for Sporting Way (the street, not the blog).

SpecialKCSnowmageddon

Get ready, Kansas City. Sporting KC forward Kei Kamara has planned his "1st Special K event of 2011" and he's setting the bar high: snowball fight at UMKC at noon today. In less than 24 hours since Kei tweeted the idea with this pic, it's gone viral with RSVP's from fellow SKC teammates Michael Harrington, Jon Kempin and Matt Besler.

The Cauldron's getting in on the fun. The Kansas City Star and The Pitch are covering it, and photog phenom Tyson Hofsommer says he'll be snapping shots. There's even plans for a live stream on a great Intefy page courtesy of Kristi Colvin. Do we have great players and fans or what?

Use the #SpecialKCSnowmageddon hashtag on Twitter if you go, we want to hear all about the action -- including Kei's promised "announcement." Map is below.

View SpecialKCSnowmageddon in a larger map

Bunbury Scores...Against Canada

And the plot thickens. Teal Bunbury scored for the United States in a 4-0 closed scrimmage victory against the Canada U-23 National Team yesterday at The Home Depot Center. That would be the same Canadian youth team that Teal was in line to play for after representing Canada at the U-17 and U-20 levels prior to committing to the U.S. in November ahead of his senior national team debut against South Africa.

Teal's decision, and similar situations with others in the ongoing USMNT January Camp, is the focus of a USA Today story in Wednesday's sports section. Teal sounds pretty pleased with his choice. "I'm dedicated to the U.S. I'm glad with the decision I made."

The USMNT is continuing preparations for their first international match of 2011 on Saturday against No. 15 Chile at 9pm CT on Telefutura and ESPN3. American Outlaws - Kansas City is once again organizing a watch party at Johnny's Tavern in the Power & Light District, visit their Facebook event for full details. Will Teal earn his first start for the Yanks? Respected soccer voices Ives Galarcep and Luis Bueno think he should.

Supplemental Draft Complete

The current class of 2011 Sporting Kansas City rookies grew to six today with the addition of three more college seniors through the MLS Supplemental Draft. Sam Scales (Ohio State), Mike Jones (SIUE) and Michal Mravec (UAB) were all taken by Kansas City and now join last week's SuperDraft selections C.J. Sapong, J.T. Murray and Konrad Warzycha as the collegiate newcomers on the squad.

Head over to SportingKC.com to read about the three prospects and check out the golazo from Sam Scales below (or click here for a full-fledged highlight reel from the OSU product).

Chhetri Strikes Again

Four days after scoring against Bahrain, striker Sunil Chhetri struck again today for India at the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar. Chhetri drew the penalty against heavily favored South Korea and stepped up to the spot in the 12th minute to calmly slot his shot to the keeper's left. The goal, his 21st international tally, brought India within 2-1 before South Korea went on to win 4-1. See video of both plays below...

Twitter Chatter

There's a new voice on the SKC Twitter scene and if the last 24 hours are any indication, it's going to be fun listening. C.J. Sapong, a.k.a BigAfrika88, was drafted in the first round of yesterday's MLS SuperDraft in Baltimore and has already acquainted himself with the team's more regular Twitter users like Kei Kamara, Teal Bunbury and Jon Kempin. Read below to see a sampling of tweets exchanged between Kei and CJ (in italics):

Ok whoever (@SportingKC) pick 2day @MLS draft, make sure u bring me a box of Krispy Kreme Donut on the 24 oh and a cup of Hot Chocolate THNX

What kind of Donuts you like man??

Now that's what am talking bout this man is READY2WORK. GLAZED

hey man gotta pay your dues. Plus I might snag a couple out the box before I give them to you hahah

@BigAfrika88 welkom to the squad bro...hope u like #CHIPOTLE

Thanks homie and of course I do! I just wish they had queso..

I also wanna welkom my other 2 teammates J.T. Murray and MF Konrad Warzycha. Welkom boys and time to enjoy the best fans in the league.

Welcome, C.J. Sapong

Manager Peter Vermes with C.J. Sapong

Welcome to Kansas City, C.J. Sapong. Taken with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft on Thursday, Sapong comes from James Madison University and is a 6'2" goal scorer. Read more about him at SportingKC.com and follow him on Twitter.

I’m a flashy, outgoing person. I’m fun-loving. You’re going to see that I’m having fun on the field. I have fun with life. No matter what situations I come across, I take the best out of them. -- C.J. Sapong

And what did SKC Manager Peter Vermes tell him after he was announced?

That’s he’s coming into the best team in the League, in regards to so many different opportunities: new stadium, great training facility, very good team that plays a style that’s conducive to him. So I think all of those things fit really well with him coming into our club. -- Manager Peter Vermes

Say Goodbye, Say Hello

As you probably know, the annual SuperDraft takes place today at 11 a.m. CT, with the first round live on ESPN2 and rounds 2 and 3 streamed live at MLSsoccer.com. After saying hello to some new players this afternoon, feel free to stop by the Jimmy Conrad farewell party tonight at 810 Zone on the Plaza to say goodbye to a club legend and with him luck as he joins Chivas USA. 

The event is a fundraiser for one of Jimmy's many charitable involvements with the Child Protection Center. The party will last from 5-8. Read all the details here.

Sporting Snow Photo Winners

The Grand Champion.

Yesterday with all the snow falling in and around Kansas City, we hosted a mini contest on our Facebook page for fans. Supporters were charged with submitting their best Sporting-related snow photos. With the dry nature of yesterday's snow, building proved difficult, and many people went the Photoshop route. The submissions were so excellent, choosing just one winner was impossible. The grand prize goes to Sean Dane, a Cauldron leader, for his stadium replica made of snow (shown above). 

Runner-up prizes will also go to Coleen DeRasmo, Alexander Treat, Graham Fox and Eli Crossland Spencer. Click on the name of the winner to see the photo they submitted. If you're a winner, email socialmedia[at]SportingKC[dot]com to claim your prize.

Inside the Lines

U.S. Soccer takes viewers Inside the Lines of a recent practice. Teal Bunbury features on the blue squad. Check it out:

SKC New Years Resolutions

With 2011 now well underway, Sporting Way checked in with a few Sporting Kansas City players to find out what New Years resolutions they made for the big year ahead (SKC home opener countdown hit 150 days today!). Read the resolutions below and let us know if you've made any soccer-related resolutions we should know about for 2011.

DEF Matt Besler

On the field, my resolution is to become an important member of the team. I really want to make a statement this year with my play and help push us into the playoffs. Off the field, I'm trying to stop biting my nails. I can't believe I still have this habit when I'm 23 years old! So far, it's actually going very well. Also, I would like to make it to church more often.

MID Davy Arnaud

My resolution this year is to be a little more handy around my house. I'm not the best at all the DIY stuff.

GK Eric Kronberg

My New Years resolution is to try and stay in touch with all my friends in different parts of the country. I have a hard time keeping up with old friends and teammates when they live a long distance away and I want to try to do a better job of keeping them in my life.

GK Jon Kempin

I would say I am going to try and eat as much Chipolte as Kei Kamara, and start my college education.

DEF Roger Espinoza

My New Years resolution is to have a great season and help my teammates win an MLS Cup.

Great Stadium Story

Picture of main  stair case borrowed from Charles Gooch of KC Star.

Charles Gooch of The Full 90 made it out to the stadium site last week and posted early this morning a great update for fans on the current progress. Gooch touches on everything from the playing surface, to the stone facade of parts of the building, to the Members' Club and Stand and much, much more. Click over to the KC Star to read the story. Bookmark The Full 90. They've done a great job of providing information on the team for the last year.

USA/TealBunB

All of you know that our favorite #9 has been down training with the U.S. National Team at the annual January training camp. Teal has been featured in several of the photos posted on Twitter by @USSoccer and in the galleries posted each day on the Men's National Team Blog. Today, the New York Times caught up with Bunbury to talk about his decision to play for the USA and not Canada, among other subjects. Check out the story.

For the latest on U.S. Soccer, watch their latest version of Studio 90:

Chhetri in Asian Cup

India kicked off their 2011 Asian Cup campaign in Qatar today and Sunil Chhetri played the full 90 as India fell 4-0 to Australia. Check out the photos of Chhetri in action below. India will next face Bahrain on Friday in Doha.

 

Watch the Combine Live

Today, the 2011 adidas MLS Player Combine kicks off, giving players a final opportunity to make a good impression on MLS coaches and personnel people before next Thursday's MLS SuperDraft. The first match is between adiPower and adiPure, with match two between Jabulani and adiPure. Watch match 1 (12:45 CT) here. Watch match 2 (15 minutes after match 1) here.

For more info on the Combine and SuperDraft, click here.

Uche Okafor (1967-2011)

Uche Okafor and Kerry Zavagnin after the 2000 MLS Cup

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of former Kansas City defender Uche Okafor, who died yesterday in Dallas. One of the early faces of our club, Okafor left a lasting legacy with his five seasons in defense from 1996-2000. Take a look back at his Kansas City career and read an anecdote from Ron Newman about the player he first brought to KC.

• 1998 MLS All-Star (entered at halftime for the MLS World squad)
• Member of two World Cup squads for Nigeria (USA 1994 and France 1998)
• U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame ballot nomination 2004-2007
• April 21, 1996 -- Scored the first goal of his KC and MLS career at San Jose in the 16^th minute of a 3-2 shootout victory at Spartan Stadium. His goal was Kansas City’s first road goal in club history. He also converted the game's decisive shootout attempt in the 16^th round (believed to be the longest shootout in MLS history)
• July 10, 1996 – Scored his only goal in front of a home crowd, in the 82^nd minute of 2-0 win over the Colorado Rapids at Arrowhead Stadium
• October 15, 2000 -- Replaced Preki in the 74th minute as Kansas City' s first substitute in the 2000 MLS Cup against the Chicago Fire. He helped KC protect a 1-0 lead en route to the club's only MLS Cup championship. "Today tops it all," said Okafor at the time. "I wanted to be part of this team and go out as a champion."
• Okafor retired prior to the 2001 season as one of only three Kansas City players to have played every season since the team’s inception in 1996, along with Preki and Mo Johnston. He was honored prior to our game on April 28, 2001 and received his 2000 Championship ring.

Ron Newman coached Okafor from 1996-1999...

Every player I’ve ever had, and I’ve had many, there’s always some little thought that comes back about each of them. I always remember that I asked Uche to push out as a defender and he said an amazing thing to me: Coach, we don’t play offsides in Africa. And I thought, Oh, really? I wasn’t really talking about offsides, I was talking about closing the gap between the backs and the forwards. But his comment was so funny and sort of stuck in my mind, that they don’t play offsides in Africa. A pleasant thought, he was that sort of guy. He was very pleasant and I found him to be very professional. He was just an absolute gentleman

Kei Kamara Visits Sierra Leone

As those of you who follow Mr. Kei Kamara on Twitter already know, he spent a couple of weeks in his native Sierra Leone during the offseason. Always a fan of the quick video, Kei took several that are over on his YouTube page. Check out the video above or head to his YouTube to get a sense of life in Kei's homeland and meet some of his family members.

KC Star Wants Help

The Kansas City Star, well Charles Gooch of The Full 90 at least, wants your help. He is thanking soccer supporters for their readership over the last year and asking for your input. Click this link, read the story, share it with your friends and provide your feedback. The more people that read soccer stories on The Star's website, the more soccer coverage we will get.

Bunbury Begins USMNT Camp

Sporting Kansas City's own Teal Bunbury joins the U.S. Men's National Team today for their annual January training camp, held in Carson, California. Despite stories of snow in Southern California this weekend, it looks like the temperatures are back up into the 60's as the group prepares for the United States first match of 2011 on January 22nd against Chile at the Home Depot Center. Bunbury, the fourth youngest player on the roster, fits nicely into US Manager Bob Bradley's comments previewing the next three weeks of camp.

“I think it’s an opportunity to pick up on some of the work that we did in South Africa. We have some younger players that we think, with time, can grow into important roles with our national team. And the January camp is always an opportunity to look a little bit closer at players that have had very good seasons in MLS…We also understand going forward that it’s an opportunity to at least begin the process of looking at some under-23 players, players that will be able to play for our Olympic team in the qualifying.”

Yesterday, Bunbury was revealed as MLSsoccer.com's pick for Breakout MLS Player of 2011, and he also got a highlight video compilation last week courtesy of 723FootballFilms. Check it out...

Welcome Back

After a long holiday break here at The Sporting Way, we're back and ready for 2011. To kick things off, let's look back at last season for U.S. Soccer--and what a year it was. If only that Ghana game went a little better. Though it's not a World Cup year, hopefully 2011 will be very exciting for Sporting Kansas City/USA fans, with Teal Bunbury poised to break out. Enjoy US Soccer's 2010 recap video.