Kansas City Wizards
Encyclopedia
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas
that competes in Major League Soccer
(MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada
. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception.
For the majority of its first 15 years of existence the team was known as the Kansas City Wizards. The team was renamed in November 2010, coinciding with its move to a new stadium. The team won both the MLS Cup
and the MLS Supporters' Shield
in 2000, and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
in 2004.
, who was founder or co-founder of the American Football League
, the Kansas City Chiefs
, the Chicago Bulls
, the United Soccer Association
, and Major League Soccer
, also founded the team.
The Kansas City Wiz played their first game on April 13, 1996, defeating the Colorado Rapids
at Arrowhead Stadium
. The Wiz players included Preki
and Digital Takawira, and were coached by Ron Newman
. The team finished with a 17-15 record, placing them among the eight of 10 MLS teams that qualified for the first MLS Playoffs. For their conference semi-finals, the Wiz beat the Dallas Burn in three games, winning the final game in a shootout. They lost the conference finals to Los Angeles Galaxy
, the time that would win that year's MLS Cup and would go on to make it to the finals of the 1997 CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
The Wiz changed their name to the "Wizards". For the 1997 Major League Soccer season, their record was 21-11; they won the Western Conference regular season championship. Preki
was named MLS MVP
of the year. In the first round of the playoffs, the Wizards lost to the last-seeded Colorado Rapids
.
The Wizards had losing records for the 1997 and 1998 seasons, ending up last place in the Western Conference both years. The Wizards fired Ron Newman in the summer and replaced him with Bob Gansler
. The Wizards would finish the season with a disastrous record of 8-24, which put them in last place in the Western Conference again.
, the Wizards return to their form from their first two seasons, playing well and having a solid defense. Goalkeeper Tony Meola
would record the longest shutout streak in MLS history at 681 minutes. By the end of the season, the Wizards held a record of 16-7-9, the best in the league. In the playoffs, the Wizards defeated the Colorado Rapids
, 7 points to 1 in three games. In the conference final, the Wizards would fall behind 4 points to 1 to the Los Angeles Galaxy
and their season seemed to be coming to an end. Miklos Molnar
scored a penalty kick early in game three to send the series into a tiebreaker, where he scored again to send the Wizards to their first MLS Cup. At RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.
, the Wizards, with the league's best defense, tried to prove that defense wins championships by beating the team with the league's best offense, the Chicago Fire. The Wizards would lead early on an 11th minute goal by Miklos Molnar
. The Chicago Fire would put together an onslaught of scoring opportunities, putting 10 shots on goal, including 3 in the final 10 minutes. But Tony Meola
stopped every one of them and the defense barely held on to the lead as time ran out on the Chicago Fire. A year after not even making double-digits in wins, the Wizards amazingly turned it around and claimed their first MLS Cup Championship.
to the Miami Fusion
, the team struggled to defend their championship in 2001, making the playoffs as the 8th seed with a record of 11-13-3. In the first round, the Wizards' reign as champion ended with a 6 points to 3 loss to Preki
and the Miami Fusion
. Despite getting back Preki
, the Wizards sat in last place in the Western Conference in 2002. They made the playoffs with a record of 9-10-9. The last two teams in the East, the MetroStars
and D.C. United
missed the playoffs, which propelled the Wizards into the playoffs. In the first round, the team would fall, 6 points to 3 to eventual champions, Los Angeles Galaxy
.
The Wizards would return to the top half of the West in 2003 with a record of 11-10-9. In the first round, the Wizards would defeat the Colorado Rapids
in the aggregate goal series, 3-1. That set up a one-game showdown with the San Jose Earthquakes
the winner would advance to the 2003 MLS Cup. The Wizards would twice take the lead, but twice, the Earthquakes battled back and forced golden goal in overtime by Landon Donovan
in the 117th minute, which sent his team to the 2003 MLS Cup and the Wizards home.
Looking to build on their momentum from the previous year, the Wizards would start out 2004 mediocre before turning around in the summer and contending for the conference championship. The Wizards lost only 2 games in September and finished the season on a 6 game unbeaten streak to finish 14-9-9, for the Western Conference regular season championship. The season was not without controversy, though, as goalkeeper Tony Meola
, an American soccer goalkeeping legend that had been on the USA national team roster for three World Cups, went down with injury and backup Bo Oshoniyi
would fill as a replacement. Once the playoffs started, Meola had healed, but Oshoniyi was still in goal. In the first round of the playoffs, the Wizards would lose the first game to defending champions San Jose Earthquakes
, 2-0, putting in a seemingly impossible situation to score 3 goals and concede none in game 2 of aggregate goal series. However, amazingly, the Wizards did just that by scoring 2 goals in the first half, while little known Jack Jewsbury
scored the deciding goal in second half stoppage time to move KC onto the conference final for the second year in a row. In that game, the Wizards would easily hold off the Los Angeles Galaxy
on two Davy Arnaud
goals to send the Wizards to their second MLS Cup. The Wizards provided the stadium area championship feeling as they went up against D.C. United
at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California
as Bo Oshoniyi
got the starting in goal. The Wizards would get off to a great start as Jose Burciaga caught United unprepared as he scored a long range goal in the 6th minute. However, DC United's Alecko Eskandarian
scored 2 goals for his squad in the 19th and 23rd minutes respectively. Things would go from bad to worse in the 26th minute for the Wizards as Alex Zotinca
committed an own goal
. KC was given a lifeline in the 58th minute as DC's Dema Kovalenko was expelled from the match for a handball in the penalty area and Josh Wolff
scored the first penalty kick conversion in MLS Cup history. The Wizards hoped that that would propel them to more goals as they put 10 shots on goal. However it would not be enough as their season ended with a disappointing 3-2 loss at the hands of DC United.
announced his retirement.
Following a 2006 season in which they missed the playoffs, Lamar Hunt
sold the club in August 2006 to OnGoal, LLC, a six-man ownership group led by Cerner Corporation co-founders Neal Patterson and Cliff Illig, a local group committed to keeping the Wizards in Kansas City
. Despite the good news off the field, and winning four out of five games to start the season, the Wizards just missed out on a playoff berth with a loss to the New York Red Bulls on the final day, finishing with a 10-14-8 record.
After Hunt died, the club dedicated the 2007 season to him. A good start earned them four wins in the first seven weeks of the season. The club also picked up goalkeeper Kevin Hartman
from Los Angeles Galaxy
as a move to help the club with that position. But after a good start to the season, the Wizards tapered off near the end of the season, winning just four games after the All-Star break and finished fifth in the East at 11-12-7. The club shifted over to the West as a result of a playoff format change, the Wizards played against Chivas USA. With the Wizards Davy Arnaud
's goal in the first game to win the series as the defense and Kevin Hartman
did the rest and kept Chivas USA off the scoreboard. In the conference final the Wizards would come up short to the Houston Dynamo
, 2-0.
The Wizards played their home games at CommunityAmerica Ballpark
in Kansas in 2008, and ended a four year playoff drought by posting an 11-10-9 record, which was good enough for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Facing the Columbus Crew
who captured the MLS Supporter's Shield for the best record in the MLS, the Wizards had a strong showing, earning a 1-1 tie in Game 1 of the first round series. However, with a 2-0 loss in Game 2 the Wizards lost the aggregate series 3-1. In the 2009 season, the Wizards struggled offensively. They went 427 minutes without scoring a goal (the longest streak of offensive impotence of the season). The most telling stat of all though for the Wizards was their record at home, which was the worst in the league. Plus, they were 0-13–3 when giving up the first goal. By the end of season, they were third to last in the league standings. Top players were Claudio Lopez (8 goals & 7 assists) and Josh Wolff
(11 goals) who sparked the Wizards offense.
, D.C. United
and Real Salt Lake
. The "Sporting" implies that the soccer club will be part of a larger sports umbrella, in similarity to clubs in Europe. At the rebrand announcement, the team's president announced plans to add a rugby club and lacrosse club. The re-branding was met with both excitement and disdain. The name "Wizards" is still used as an informal nickname for the club. With the opening of the new Livestrong Park in Kansas City, Kansas, Sporting Kansas City became the first major-league team to have played in stadiums on both sides of the state line in Kansas City, and may continue to use Arrowhead Stadium
for special-occasion games, such as those against well-known international teams. An example of this practice would be the Wizards' 2010 game (and victory) against Manchester United at Arrowhead Stadium, which was also the first professional sporting match held at the venue after its renovations.
Because Livestrong Park was not ready for the beginning of the 2011 season, Sporting Kansas City played its first ten games on the road, only winning one game. Once the road trip was over, the team found more success and ended the regular season with the most points of any Eastern Conference team. After defeating the Colorado Rapids
on a 4-0 aggregate in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Sporting lost to the Houston Dynamo
by a score of 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals.
and Missouri
metropolitan areas called "Kansas City." The eleven individual lines comprising the stateline are a nod to the number of players a team places on the field during a soccer match. The "SC" (for Sporting Club) is inspired by Asclepius
' rod representing health and fitness, a Greek statue called the Winged Victory of Samothrace
- alluding to strength and movement, to LiveSTRONG apparel partner Nike, and to the Spanish architecture
of Kansas City's Country Club Plaza
.
From 1996 to 2007, the Wizards played home games in Arrowhead Stadium
, the American football
stadium mainly used by the Kansas City Chiefs
. Wizards management kept the west end of Arrowhead tarped off for the first 10 years of play, limiting seating near the field. In 2006, fans could sit all the way around the field, but in 2007 seating was only available along the sidelines
. After the 2007 final season at Arrowhead, the Wizards continued to use the stadium for select large events. In 2008, the club played a regular season home game against the Los Angeles Galaxy
at the stadium to accommodate the large crowd expected for David Beckham
's Galaxy debut. Again in 2010, the Wizards played a friendly here against English club Manchester United, winning 2-1.
The Wizards entered an agreement with the Kansas City T-Bones
to use their home stadium, CommunityAmerica Ballpark
, during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The deal was later extended to include 2010. The stadium, located across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas, built a new bleacher section financed by the Wizards to increase its capacity to 10,385. This move made the Wizards the third MLS team to share their home ground with a baseball
team. D.C. United
had been sharing RFK Stadium
with Major League Baseball
's Washington Nationals
in Washington, D.C.
, before the latter's move into Nationals Park. The San Jose Earthquakes
used Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, home of the Oakland A's (and Oakland Raiders
), for certain games during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
The Wizards originally planned to return to Kansas City, Missouri, and build a new stadium there – tentatively called Trails Stadium – as part of a major mixed-use development
. The team had received all required approvals and was awaiting site demolition; however, the 2008–09 financial crisis ultimately led to the scrapping of the Trails Stadium project. The developer then sought a new site, quickly settling on a similar development in Kansas City, Kansas, known as Village West
, near CommunityAmerica Ballpark
and Kansas Speedway
.
In September 2009, the developer asked Wyandotte County
and Kansas
state officials for permission to use revenues from existing tax increment financing
in the Village West area to help finance the soccer complex. On December 17, Wizards president Robb Heineman provided an update on the stadium situation published on team official website and blog, basically identifying the Kansas City, Kansas, location as final, pending the signature of the final agreements. On December 21, construction machinery was already on the Legends site waiting to break ground. On January 19, 2010, Wyandotte County approved the bonds to help finance the stadium, and on January 20 the groundbreaking ceremony was made, with Wizards CEO Robb Heineman using heavy machinery to move dirt on the construction site.
The largest supporters group is known as "Hillcrest Syndicate". The group derives its name from Hillcrest Road which is the road on which the Trails Stadium would have been built if the project had not fallen through and then shifted to Kansas. Other groups - such as Southern Voodoo, the Yardbirds, and the BSE - are also currently a part of The Cauldron. After a strong presence in 2007 and 2008, the Sudakas have largely faded from the section, although several of their chants remain a part of the regular repertoire.
(except for nationally broadcast matches). The play-by-play announcer is former BBC Radio commentator Callum Williams who began broadcasting with the 2011 season. Former Wizard/Sporting Kansas City player Sasha Victorine
provided color commentary in the beginning of 2011 but stepped down to spend more time with family. Color commentary is currently being covered by Jake Yadrich.
Local Radio coverage is broadcasted live in English using the television feed on KCZZ
1480AM. Spanish broadcasting can be found on KDTD
1340AM.
games, but are not part of the senior roster.
Davy Arnaud
(2002–2011) José Burciaga, Jr. (2001–2007) Mark Chung
(1996–1998) Jimmy Conrad
(2003–2010) Nick Garcia
(2000–2007) Herculez Gomez
(2008–2009) Richard Gough
(1997) Diego Gutiérrez
(1996–1997), (2002–2005) Kevin Hartman
(2006–2010) Chris Henderson
(1998–2000) Jack Jewsbury
(2003–2010) Eddie Johnson (2006–2007) Mo Johnston
(1996–2001) Chris Klein
(1998–2005) Frank Klopas
(1996–1997) Alexi Lalas
(1999) Claudio López (2008–2010)
Tony Meola
(1999–2004) Miklos Molnar
(2000) Uche Okafor
(1996–2000) Preki
(1996–2000), (2002–2005) Vuk Rašović
(2004) Paul Rideout
(1998) Refik Šabanadžović
(1997–1999) Scott Sealy
(2005–2008) Igor Simutenkov
(2002–2004) Mike Sorber (1996) Vitalis Takawira
(1996–1999) Peter Vermes
(2000–2002) Sasha Victorine
(2005–2008) Josh Wolff
(2003–2006), (2008–2010) Kerry Zavagnin
(2000–2008) Alexandru Zotincă (2003–2006)
(1996–1999) Ken Fogarty
(1999), (Interim) Bob Gansler
(1999–2006) Brian Bliss
(2006), (Interim) Curt Onalfo
(2006–2009) Peter Vermes
(2009—present)
MLS regular season only
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
that competes in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
(MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception.
For the majority of its first 15 years of existence the team was known as the Kansas City Wizards. The team was renamed in November 2010, coinciding with its move to a new stadium. The team won both the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
and the MLS Supporters' Shield
MLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
in 2000, and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
in 2004.
The early years: 1996-1999
Lamar HuntLamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the...
, who was founder or co-founder of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
, the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
, the United Soccer Association
United Soccer Association
The United Soccer Association is a former professional soccer league featuring teams from the United States and Canada. The league survived only one season before merging with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League. All the teams in the league were imported...
, and Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, also founded the team.
The Kansas City Wiz played their first game on April 13, 1996, defeating the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
at Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
. The Wiz players included Preki
Preki
Predrag Radosavljević is a former American international soccer player of Serbian extraction...
and Digital Takawira, and were coached by Ron Newman
Ron Newman (footballer)
Ronald Vernon Newman is a former association football player and coach. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame....
. The team finished with a 17-15 record, placing them among the eight of 10 MLS teams that qualified for the first MLS Playoffs. For their conference semi-finals, the Wiz beat the Dallas Burn in three games, winning the final game in a shootout. They lost the conference finals to Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
, the time that would win that year's MLS Cup and would go on to make it to the finals of the 1997 CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
The Wiz changed their name to the "Wizards". For the 1997 Major League Soccer season, their record was 21-11; they won the Western Conference regular season championship. Preki
Preki
Predrag Radosavljević is a former American international soccer player of Serbian extraction...
was named MLS MVP
Major League Soccer MVP Award
The Major League Soccer MVP is a soccer award for players in Major League Soccer. The award is given to the player deemed the most valuable player in the league each season. From 1996 to 2007 the award was sponsored by Honda. The award is now sponsored by Volkswagen.Preki is the only player to win...
of the year. In the first round of the playoffs, the Wizards lost to the last-seeded Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
.
The Wizards had losing records for the 1997 and 1998 seasons, ending up last place in the Western Conference both years. The Wizards fired Ron Newman in the summer and replaced him with Bob Gansler
Bob Gansler
Bob Gansler is a Hungarian-born American soccer player and coach of German descent. He coached the US National Team at the 1990 World Cup, the team's first appearance at the tournament since 1950....
. The Wizards would finish the season with a disastrous record of 8-24, which put them in last place in the Western Conference again.
Championship: 2000
In 2000, their first full season under Bob GanslerBob Gansler
Bob Gansler is a Hungarian-born American soccer player and coach of German descent. He coached the US National Team at the 1990 World Cup, the team's first appearance at the tournament since 1950....
, the Wizards return to their form from their first two seasons, playing well and having a solid defense. Goalkeeper Tony Meola
Tony Meola
Antonio Michael "Tony" Meola is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played for the United States national team at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and from 1996 to 2006 played in Major League Soccer, the U.S. top soccer division, where he obtained multiple honors...
would record the longest shutout streak in MLS history at 681 minutes. By the end of the season, the Wizards held a record of 16-7-9, the best in the league. In the playoffs, the Wizards defeated the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
, 7 points to 1 in three games. In the conference final, the Wizards would fall behind 4 points to 1 to the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
and their season seemed to be coming to an end. Miklos Molnar
Miklos Molnar
Miklos Jon Molnar , nicknamed "Danish Dynamite", is a Danish former professional football player who played as a striker for a number of Danish and foreign clubs. He was the top goalscorer of the 1989 and 1997 Danish championships, and won the 2000 MLS Cup with American team Kansas City Wizards...
scored a penalty kick early in game three to send the series into a tiebreaker, where he scored again to send the Wizards to their first MLS Cup. At RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the Wizards, with the league's best defense, tried to prove that defense wins championships by beating the team with the league's best offense, the Chicago Fire. The Wizards would lead early on an 11th minute goal by Miklos Molnar
Miklos Molnar
Miklos Jon Molnar , nicknamed "Danish Dynamite", is a Danish former professional football player who played as a striker for a number of Danish and foreign clubs. He was the top goalscorer of the 1989 and 1997 Danish championships, and won the 2000 MLS Cup with American team Kansas City Wizards...
. The Chicago Fire would put together an onslaught of scoring opportunities, putting 10 shots on goal, including 3 in the final 10 minutes. But Tony Meola
Tony Meola
Antonio Michael "Tony" Meola is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played for the United States national team at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and from 1996 to 2006 played in Major League Soccer, the U.S. top soccer division, where he obtained multiple honors...
stopped every one of them and the defense barely held on to the lead as time ran out on the Chicago Fire. A year after not even making double-digits in wins, the Wizards amazingly turned it around and claimed their first MLS Cup Championship.
Post-Championship struggles: 2001-2002
After the loss of PrekiPreki
Predrag Radosavljević is a former American international soccer player of Serbian extraction...
to the Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion F.C. was a professional soccer club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1998 to 2001. The club played in Lockhart Stadium, which was a former high school stadium converted into a soccer-specific stadium...
, the team struggled to defend their championship in 2001, making the playoffs as the 8th seed with a record of 11-13-3. In the first round, the Wizards' reign as champion ended with a 6 points to 3 loss to Preki
Preki
Predrag Radosavljević is a former American international soccer player of Serbian extraction...
and the Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion F.C. was a professional soccer club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1998 to 2001. The club played in Lockhart Stadium, which was a former high school stadium converted into a soccer-specific stadium...
. Despite getting back Preki
Preki
Predrag Radosavljević is a former American international soccer player of Serbian extraction...
, the Wizards sat in last place in the Western Conference in 2002. They made the playoffs with a record of 9-10-9. The last two teams in the East, the MetroStars
Metrostars
Metrostar may refer to:*New York Red Bulls, formerly called the "MetroStars", a soccer team from New York*Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly called "The Metrostar Express", a part of the metropolitan rail system in Manila...
and D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
missed the playoffs, which propelled the Wizards into the playoffs. In the first round, the team would fall, 6 points to 3 to eventual champions, Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
.
More success: 2003-2004
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
in the aggregate goal series, 3-1. That set up a one-game showdown with the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
the winner would advance to the 2003 MLS Cup. The Wizards would twice take the lead, but twice, the Earthquakes battled back and forced golden goal in overtime by Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing....
in the 117th minute, which sent his team to the 2003 MLS Cup and the Wizards home.
Looking to build on their momentum from the previous year, the Wizards would start out 2004 mediocre before turning around in the summer and contending for the conference championship. The Wizards lost only 2 games in September and finished the season on a 6 game unbeaten streak to finish 14-9-9, for the Western Conference regular season championship. The season was not without controversy, though, as goalkeeper Tony Meola
Tony Meola
Antonio Michael "Tony" Meola is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played for the United States national team at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and from 1996 to 2006 played in Major League Soccer, the U.S. top soccer division, where he obtained multiple honors...
, an American soccer goalkeeping legend that had been on the USA national team roster for three World Cups, went down with injury and backup Bo Oshoniyi
Bo Oshoniyi
Adegboyega "Bo" Oshoniyi is an American soccer goalkeeper who last played for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer.- Career :...
would fill as a replacement. Once the playoffs started, Meola had healed, but Oshoniyi was still in goal. In the first round of the playoffs, the Wizards would lose the first game to defending champions San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
, 2-0, putting in a seemingly impossible situation to score 3 goals and concede none in game 2 of aggregate goal series. However, amazingly, the Wizards did just that by scoring 2 goals in the first half, while little known Jack Jewsbury
Jack Jewsbury
Jack Jewsbury is an American soccer player who currently plays for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
scored the deciding goal in second half stoppage time to move KC onto the conference final for the second year in a row. In that game, the Wizards would easily hold off the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
on two Davy Arnaud
Davy Arnaud
Davy Arnaud is an American soccer player who currently plays for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.-College:Arnaud played college soccer at West Texas A&M University from 1999 to 2001, finishing his career with 31 goals and 11 assists...
goals to send the Wizards to their second MLS Cup. The Wizards provided the stadium area championship feeling as they went up against D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
as Bo Oshoniyi
Bo Oshoniyi
Adegboyega "Bo" Oshoniyi is an American soccer goalkeeper who last played for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer.- Career :...
got the starting in goal. The Wizards would get off to a great start as Jose Burciaga caught United unprepared as he scored a long range goal in the 6th minute. However, DC United's Alecko Eskandarian
Alecko Eskandarian
Alecko Eskandarian is a former American soccer player who last played for Los Angeles Galaxy. He currently is the youth technical director for Philadelphia Union.-High School and College:...
scored 2 goals for his squad in the 19th and 23rd minutes respectively. Things would go from bad to worse in the 26th minute for the Wizards as Alex Zotinca
Alex Zotinca
Alexandru Zotincă is a Romanian-American soccer defender, who most recently played for C.D. Chivas USA of Major League Soccer in the United States.-Career:...
committed an own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
. KC was given a lifeline in the 58th minute as DC's Dema Kovalenko was expelled from the match for a handball in the penalty area and Josh Wolff
Josh Wolff
Joshua David "Josh" Wolff is an American soccer player currently playing for D.C. United of Major League Soccer.-College:...
scored the first penalty kick conversion in MLS Cup history. The Wizards hoped that that would propel them to more goals as they put 10 shots on goal. However it would not be enough as their season ended with a disappointing 3-2 loss at the hands of DC United.
Move to the East: 2005-2010
Following expansion, the Wizards moved to the Eastern Conference in 2005. The team won just two of its first seven games. After going through a summer filled with mostly ties and losses, a four game winning streak at the end of August helped get them back in the playoff race. In the end, it was not enough as the Wizards did not win another game to find themselves on the outside of the playoffs looking in with a record of 11-9-12. After the season, the team's veteran leader, PrekiPreki
Predrag Radosavljević is a former American international soccer player of Serbian extraction...
announced his retirement.
Following a 2006 season in which they missed the playoffs, Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the...
sold the club in August 2006 to OnGoal, LLC, a six-man ownership group led by Cerner Corporation co-founders Neal Patterson and Cliff Illig, a local group committed to keeping the Wizards in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. Despite the good news off the field, and winning four out of five games to start the season, the Wizards just missed out on a playoff berth with a loss to the New York Red Bulls on the final day, finishing with a 10-14-8 record.
After Hunt died, the club dedicated the 2007 season to him. A good start earned them four wins in the first seven weeks of the season. The club also picked up goalkeeper Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer-Youth and College:...
from Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
as a move to help the club with that position. But after a good start to the season, the Wizards tapered off near the end of the season, winning just four games after the All-Star break and finished fifth in the East at 11-12-7. The club shifted over to the West as a result of a playoff format change, the Wizards played against Chivas USA. With the Wizards Davy Arnaud
Davy Arnaud
Davy Arnaud is an American soccer player who currently plays for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.-College:Arnaud played college soccer at West Texas A&M University from 1999 to 2001, finishing his career with 31 goals and 11 assists...
's goal in the first game to win the series as the defense and Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer-Youth and College:...
did the rest and kept Chivas USA off the scoreboard. In the conference final the Wizards would come up short to the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
, 2-0.
The Wizards played their home games at CommunityAmerica Ballpark
CommunityAmerica Ballpark
CommunityAmerica Ballpark is a multi-purpose stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, home of the Kansas City T-Bones of the independent American Association, and the temporary home of Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. It is located in the Village West area at 1800 Village West Parkway...
in Kansas in 2008, and ended a four year playoff drought by posting an 11-10-9 record, which was good enough for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Facing the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
who captured the MLS Supporter's Shield for the best record in the MLS, the Wizards had a strong showing, earning a 1-1 tie in Game 1 of the first round series. However, with a 2-0 loss in Game 2 the Wizards lost the aggregate series 3-1. In the 2009 season, the Wizards struggled offensively. They went 427 minutes without scoring a goal (the longest streak of offensive impotence of the season). The most telling stat of all though for the Wizards was their record at home, which was the worst in the league. Plus, they were 0-13–3 when giving up the first goal. By the end of season, they were third to last in the league standings. Top players were Claudio Lopez (8 goals & 7 assists) and Josh Wolff
Josh Wolff
Joshua David "Josh" Wolff is an American soccer player currently playing for D.C. United of Major League Soccer.-College:...
(11 goals) who sparked the Wizards offense.
Rebranding: 2011-present
With the rebranding, the team follows a recent tradition in MLS of adopting European-style names. Other teams with such names include Toronto FCToronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
, D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
and Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
. The "Sporting" implies that the soccer club will be part of a larger sports umbrella, in similarity to clubs in Europe. At the rebrand announcement, the team's president announced plans to add a rugby club and lacrosse club. The re-branding was met with both excitement and disdain. The name "Wizards" is still used as an informal nickname for the club. With the opening of the new Livestrong Park in Kansas City, Kansas, Sporting Kansas City became the first major-league team to have played in stadiums on both sides of the state line in Kansas City, and may continue to use Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
for special-occasion games, such as those against well-known international teams. An example of this practice would be the Wizards' 2010 game (and victory) against Manchester United at Arrowhead Stadium, which was also the first professional sporting match held at the venue after its renovations.
Because Livestrong Park was not ready for the beginning of the 2011 season, Sporting Kansas City played its first ten games on the road, only winning one game. Once the road trip was over, the team found more success and ended the regular season with the most points of any Eastern Conference team. After defeating the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
on a 4-0 aggregate in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Sporting lost to the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
by a score of 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals.
Colors and badge
Sporting Kansas City's official colors are dark indigo and "Sporting" blue. The primary logo is composed of a teardrop-shaped shield containing a stylized representation of the Kansas-Missouri state line with "Sporting" blue stripes on the "Kansas" side and an interlocking "SC" on the "Missouri" side. The shield's contour alludes to the team's former logo while under the "Kansas City Wizards" appellation. The stateline respresents Sporting's fanbase in both of the KansasKansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
metropolitan areas called "Kansas City." The eleven individual lines comprising the stateline are a nod to the number of players a team places on the field during a soccer match. The "SC" (for Sporting Club) is inspired by Asclepius
Asclepius
Asclepius is the God of Medicine and Healing in ancient Greek religion. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts; his daughters are Hygieia , Iaso , Aceso , Aglæa/Ægle , and Panacea...
' rod representing health and fitness, a Greek statue called the Winged Victory of Samothrace
Winged Victory of Samothrace
The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called the Nike of Samothrace, is a 2nd century BC marble sculpture of the Greek goddess Nike . Since 1884, it has been prominently displayed at the Louvre and is one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world.-Description:The Nike of Samothrace,...
- alluding to strength and movement, to LiveSTRONG apparel partner Nike, and to the Spanish architecture
Spanish architecture
Spanish architecture refers to architecture carried out in any area in what is now modern-day Spain, and by Spanish architects worldwide. The term includes buildings within the current geographical limits of Spain before this name was given to those territories...
of Kansas City's Country Club Plaza
Country Club Plaza
The Country Club Plaza is an upscale shopping district and residential neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It was the first shopping center in the world designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile...
.
Stadiums
- Arrowhead StadiumArrowhead StadiumArrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
; Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
(1996–2007) - Blue Valley Sports ComplexBlue Valley Sports ComplexThe Blue Valley Sports Complex is a baseball, football, and soccer complex located in Overland Park, Kansas...
; Overland Park, KansasOverland Park, Kansas-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 149,080 people, 59,703 households, and 39,702 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,627.0 people per square mile . There were 62,586 housing units at an average density of 1,102.9 per square mile...
(2001, 2004, 2006, 2011) 6 games in US Open Cup - Julian Field; Parkville, MissouriParkville, MissouriParkville is a city in Platte County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,059 at the 2000 census. Parkville is known for its antique shops, art galleries, and historic downtown. The city is home to Park University and English Landing Park....
(2005) 2 games in US Open Cup - CommunityAmerica BallparkCommunityAmerica BallparkCommunityAmerica Ballpark is a multi-purpose stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, home of the Kansas City T-Bones of the independent American Association, and the temporary home of Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. It is located in the Village West area at 1800 Village West Parkway...
; Kansas City, KansasKansas City, KansasKansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
(2008–2010) - Hermann StadiumHermann StadiumHermann Stadium, or fully, Robert R. Hermann Stadium is located in Midtown St. Louis, Missouri, on the campus of Saint Louis University. The first game played was August 21, 1999. This is where the both the Billiken men's and women's soccer teams play. Also, several other events take place here,...
; St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
(2009) 1 game in North American SuperLiga - Stanley H. Durwood Stadium; Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
(2010) 1 game in US Open Cup - Livestrong Sporting ParkLivestrong Sporting ParkLivestrong Sporting Park is a soccer-specific stadium in Kansas City, Kansas and is the home of Sporting Kansas City. The stadium opened during the 2011 season of Major League Soccer on June 9, 2011 with a match against the Chicago Fire. The stadium has a seating capacity of 18,467 seats, which can...
; Kansas City, KansasKansas City, KansasKansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
(2011–present)
From 1996 to 2007, the Wizards played home games in Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
, the American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
stadium mainly used by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. Wizards management kept the west end of Arrowhead tarped off for the first 10 years of play, limiting seating near the field. In 2006, fans could sit all the way around the field, but in 2007 seating was only available along the sidelines
Sidelines
The "sidelines" is a term commonly used to define the white or colored lines which mark the outer boundaries of a sports field. American football sidelines, for example, mark the edge of the field. Should a player pass through the sidelines, he is considered out of bounds...
. After the 2007 final season at Arrowhead, the Wizards continued to use the stadium for select large events. In 2008, the club played a regular season home game against the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
at the stadium to accommodate the large crowd expected for David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
's Galaxy debut. Again in 2010, the Wizards played a friendly here against English club Manchester United, winning 2-1.
The Wizards entered an agreement with the Kansas City T-Bones
Kansas City T-Bones
The Kansas City T-Bones are a professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Kansas, in the United States. The T-Bones are a member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
to use their home stadium, CommunityAmerica Ballpark
CommunityAmerica Ballpark
CommunityAmerica Ballpark is a multi-purpose stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, home of the Kansas City T-Bones of the independent American Association, and the temporary home of Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. It is located in the Village West area at 1800 Village West Parkway...
, during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The deal was later extended to include 2010. The stadium, located across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas, built a new bleacher section financed by the Wizards to increase its capacity to 10,385. This move made the Wizards the third MLS team to share their home ground with a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team. D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
had been sharing RFK Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
with Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, before the latter's move into Nationals Park. The San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
used Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, home of the Oakland A's (and Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
), for certain games during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
The Wizards originally planned to return to Kansas City, Missouri, and build a new stadium there – tentatively called Trails Stadium – as part of a major mixed-use development
The Trails
The Trails will be a retail and office development. It will be located north-south from 87th Street to Bannister Road and west-east from I-435 to Hillcrest Road in Kansas City, Missouri. The mall is developed by LANE4 Property Group, Inc. The Trails site is currently under construction. The first...
. The team had received all required approvals and was awaiting site demolition; however, the 2008–09 financial crisis ultimately led to the scrapping of the Trails Stadium project. The developer then sought a new site, quickly settling on a similar development in Kansas City, Kansas, known as Village West
Village West
Village West is a $573 million, retail, dining and entertainment development that opened in 2002 in Kansas City, Kansas. It is located at the intersection of Interstates 70 and 435...
, near CommunityAmerica Ballpark
CommunityAmerica Ballpark
CommunityAmerica Ballpark is a multi-purpose stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, home of the Kansas City T-Bones of the independent American Association, and the temporary home of Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. It is located in the Village West area at 1800 Village West Parkway...
and Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway is a tri-oval race track in Kansas City, Kansas. The speedway was built in 2001 and currently hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The IndyCar Series also raced at the speedway until 2011...
.
In September 2009, the developer asked Wyandotte County
Wyandotte County, Kansas
Wyandotte County is a county located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. The county's population was 157,505 for the 2010 census. Its county seat and most populous city is Kansas City with which it shares a unified government...
and Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
state officials for permission to use revenues from existing tax increment financing
Tax increment financing
Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, is a public financing method which has been used as a subsidy for redevelopment and community improvement projects in many countries including the United States for more than 50 years...
in the Village West area to help finance the soccer complex. On December 17, Wizards president Robb Heineman provided an update on the stadium situation published on team official website and blog, basically identifying the Kansas City, Kansas, location as final, pending the signature of the final agreements. On December 21, construction machinery was already on the Legends site waiting to break ground. On January 19, 2010, Wyandotte County approved the bonds to help finance the stadium, and on January 20 the groundbreaking ceremony was made, with Wizards CEO Robb Heineman using heavy machinery to move dirt on the construction site.
Supporters
The main supporters group of Sporting Kansas City stand in a section known as "The Cauldron". The name is derived from the large metal pots used in witchcraft, due to the teams former name Wizards. Over the past few years, Sporting have seen dramatic growth in their fan section, with several fan groups adding their voice to The Cauldron culture and atmosphere.The largest supporters group is known as "Hillcrest Syndicate". The group derives its name from Hillcrest Road which is the road on which the Trails Stadium would have been built if the project had not fallen through and then shifted to Kansas. Other groups - such as Southern Voodoo, the Yardbirds, and the BSE - are also currently a part of The Cauldron. After a strong presence in 2007 and 2008, the Sudakas have largely faded from the section, although several of their chants remain a part of the regular repertoire.
Broadcasting
Matches are broadcast in high definition on KSMO-TVKSMO-TV
KSMO-TV, virtual channel 62, is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the Kansas City Metropolitan Area licensed to the Missouri side. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 47 from a transmitter in Independence, Missouri...
(except for nationally broadcast matches). The play-by-play announcer is former BBC Radio commentator Callum Williams who began broadcasting with the 2011 season. Former Wizard/Sporting Kansas City player Sasha Victorine
Sasha Victorine
Sasha Victorine is a retired American soccer player.He spent his entire professional career in Major League Soccer in the United States, making over 100 appearances for both Los Angeles Galaxy and Kansas City Wizards, before finishing his career with Chivas USA...
provided color commentary in the beginning of 2011 but stepped down to spend more time with family. Color commentary is currently being covered by Jake Yadrich.
Local Radio coverage is broadcasted live in English using the television feed on KCZZ
KCZZ
KCZZ is a Spanish language radio station licensed to Mission, Kansas and serving the Kansas City market. The radio station plays a mix of modern Spanish music and talk, in contrast to the more traditional music of its Kansas City Spanish-language counterpart, 1250 AM.KCZZ, despite the usual...
1480AM. Spanish broadcasting can be found on KDTD
KDTD
KDTD is a radio station broadcasting a Mexican Regional music format. Licensed to Kansas City, Kansas, USA. The station is currently owned by Davidson Media.It is the Spanish Language flagship station of Sporting Kansas City ....
1340AM.
Current roster
Reserve team players
This list shows players who have played for the team in official 2011 MLS Reserve Division2011 MLS Reserve Division
The new MLS Reserve League was resurrected for the 2011 season, after not having played since 2008. Each team will play 10 games against divisional opponenets, with clubs being allowed schedule additional games against non-MLS opponents. The schedule begins March 20 and tentatively concludes Oct...
games, but are not part of the senior roster.
Notable former players
This list of former players includes those who received international caps while playing for the team, made significant contributions to the team in terms of appearances or goals while playing for the team, or who made significant contributions to the sport either before they played for the team, or after they left. It is clearly not yet complete and all inclusive, and additions and refinements will continue to be made over time.Davy Arnaud
Davy Arnaud
Davy Arnaud is an American soccer player who currently plays for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.-College:Arnaud played college soccer at West Texas A&M University from 1999 to 2001, finishing his career with 31 goals and 11 assists...
(2002–2011) José Burciaga, Jr. (2001–2007) Mark Chung
Mark Chung
Mark Chung is a former American soccer midfielder who, after a season in the Continental Indoor Soccer League, played ten seasons in Major League Soccer. He also earned twenty-four caps, scoring two goals, with the U.S. national team.-Youth and college:Chung was born in Toronto to Chinese...
(1996–1998) Jimmy Conrad
Jimmy Conrad
James "Jimmy" Conrad is a retired American soccer defender who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-High School and College:...
(2003–2010) Nick Garcia
Nick Garcia
Nick Garcia is an American soccer player who grew up playing for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club and most recently played for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(2000–2007) Herculez Gomez
Herculez Gomez
Herculez Gomez Hurtado is an American soccer player who currently plays for Estudiantes Tecos in the Primera División de México.-Early life:...
(2008–2009) Richard Gough
Richard Gough
Charles Richard Gough is a former Scottish football central defender who enjoyed great success as captain of Rangers. He also played for Scotland 61 times and had a brief spell as manager of Livingston...
(1997) Diego Gutiérrez
Diego Gutierrez (soccer)
Diego Gutiérrez is a retired Colombian American footballer, who spent his career between Chicago Fire and Kansas City Wizards, both of Major League Soccer, and is currently Head of Scouting and Player Development for Philadelphia Union.Born in Colombia, Gutiérrez was part of that country's youth...
(1996–1997), (2002–2005) Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer-Youth and College:...
(2006–2010) Chris Henderson
Chris Henderson
Christopher "Chris" Henderson is a former American soccer midfielder who earned 79 caps with the U.S. national team. He was part of the U.S...
(1998–2000) Jack Jewsbury
Jack Jewsbury
Jack Jewsbury is an American soccer player who currently plays for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(2003–2010) Eddie Johnson (2006–2007) Mo Johnston
Mo Johnston
Maurice John Giblin "Mo" Johnston is a former football striker.Johnston began his football career with Partick Thistle in 1981 before moving to Watford in 1983. With Watford Johnston scored 23 league goals, made his international debut, and helped the team reach the 1984 FA Cup Final...
(1996–2001) Chris Klein
Chris Klein (soccer)
Chris Klein is a former American soccer player.Klein spent the entirety of his 12-year professional career playing in Major League Soccer, for the Kansas City Wizards, Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles Galaxy, winning the MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield with Kansas in 2000, and the Supporters' Shield...
(1998–2005) Frank Klopas
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas is a retired Greek-American soccer forward and midfielder. Klopas is currently the Head Coach for the Chicago Fire...
(1996–1997) Alexi Lalas
Alexi Lalas
Panayotis Alexander Lalas is a retired American soccer player who played mostly as a defender for the United States national team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup...
(1999) Claudio López (2008–2010)
Tony Meola
Tony Meola
Antonio Michael "Tony" Meola is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played for the United States national team at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and from 1996 to 2006 played in Major League Soccer, the U.S. top soccer division, where he obtained multiple honors...
(1999–2004) Miklos Molnar
Miklos Molnar
Miklos Jon Molnar , nicknamed "Danish Dynamite", is a Danish former professional football player who played as a striker for a number of Danish and foreign clubs. He was the top goalscorer of the 1989 and 1997 Danish championships, and won the 2000 MLS Cup with American team Kansas City Wizards...
(2000) Uche Okafor
Uche Okafor
Uchenna Kizito Okafor, often shortened to Uche Okafor was a football defender who played 34 international matches for Nigeria.- Club career :Okafor's club career took him to many countries before he settled in the USA...
(1996–2000) Preki
Preki
Predrag Radosavljević is a former American international soccer player of Serbian extraction...
(1996–2000), (2002–2005) Vuk Rašović
Vuk Rašovic
Vuk Rašović is a former Serbian footballer.-Career:Being the son of Partizan's legend Branko Rašović, it's not surpisengly that still very young Vuk started to play in Partizan youth teams. He played professionally, initially, with FK Rad and Bulgarian Slavia Sofia...
(2004) Paul Rideout
Paul Rideout
Paul Rideout is a retired English professional football player who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He is a youth coach with Sporting Kansas City, heading their U-16, U-17 and U-18 teams.-Playing career:...
(1998) Refik Šabanadžović
Refik Šabanadžovic
Refik Šabanadžović is a retired Montenegrin-born Bosnian footballer.-Club career:His career began in a small Montenegrin club FK Dečić Tuzi. He was spotted there by Titograd's FK Budućnost and moved there shortly after...
(1997–1999) Scott Sealy
Scott Sealy
Scott Ryan Sealy is a Trinidadian footballer who currently plays for San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer.-College:Sealy played college soccer at Wake Forest from 2001 to 2004, where he played in 83 games, starting 73...
(2005–2008) Igor Simutenkov
Igor Simutenkov
Igor Vitalyevich Simutenkov is a retired association footballer. Currently, he works as an assistant coach at FC Zenit Saint Petersburg.- Club career :...
(2002–2004) Mike Sorber (1996) Vitalis Takawira
Vitalis Takawira
Vitalis "Digital" Takawira is a retired Zimbabwean football player. He has played forward and attacking midfield professionally in Zimbabwe, Switzerland and the United States, as well as for the Zimbabwe national team....
(1996–1999) Peter Vermes
Peter Vermes
Peter Joseph Vermes is an American former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer....
(2000–2002) Sasha Victorine
Sasha Victorine
Sasha Victorine is a retired American soccer player.He spent his entire professional career in Major League Soccer in the United States, making over 100 appearances for both Los Angeles Galaxy and Kansas City Wizards, before finishing his career with Chivas USA...
(2005–2008) Josh Wolff
Josh Wolff
Joshua David "Josh" Wolff is an American soccer player currently playing for D.C. United of Major League Soccer.-College:...
(2003–2006), (2008–2010) Kerry Zavagnin
Kerry Zavagnin
Kerry Zavagnin is a former American soccer midfielder, who last played defensive midfielder for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer, and sparingly for the US national team. Kerry Zavaginin also went to and played soccer for Detroit Catholic Central High School...
(2000–2008) Alexandru Zotincă (2003–2006)
- See also All-time Sporting Kansas City roster
Head coaches
Ron NewmanRon Newman (footballer)
Ronald Vernon Newman is a former association football player and coach. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame....
(1996–1999) Ken Fogarty
Ken Fogarty
Ken Fogarty is a American soccer coach. Fogarty was Head Coach and Technical Director of the Cayman Islands national team from 1993–1994 and from 1996-1998.-Professional career:...
(1999), (Interim) Bob Gansler
Bob Gansler
Bob Gansler is a Hungarian-born American soccer player and coach of German descent. He coached the US National Team at the 1990 World Cup, the team's first appearance at the tournament since 1950....
(1999–2006) Brian Bliss
Brian Bliss
Brian Boyer Bliss is a retired American soccer defender and former coach of the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. He played professionally in Europe and the United States including the original Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League and...
(2006), (Interim) Curt Onalfo
Curt Onalfo
Curt Onalfo is an American former soccer player.As a player, he played two seasons in France, two in the USISL, one in Mexico and four in Major League Soccer, achieving his most success with Los Angeles Galaxy and D.C. United. He earned also earned one caps with the United States national team...
(2006–2009) Peter Vermes
Peter Vermes
Peter Joseph Vermes is an American former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer....
(2009—present)
General managers
- Tim Latta (1996)
- Doug Newman (1997–1999)
- Curt Johnson (1999–2006)
- Peter VermesPeter VermesPeter Joseph Vermes is an American former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer....
(2006—present) Technical Director and Head Coach - Greg Cotton (2006—present) Director of Business Operations
Presidents
- Robb Heineman (2006—present) http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/15792227.htm
Achievements
- MLS CupMLS CupThe MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
- Winners (1): 2000MLS Cup 2000The 2000 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2000 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 15, 2000, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. between the Kansas City Wizards and the Chicago Fire. Kansas City took advantage of an early breakdown by Chicago to net the game's only goal...
- Runners-up (1): 2004MLS Cup 2004The 2004 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place at 12:30 EST on November 14, 2004 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California to determine the champion of the 2004 Major League Soccer season. D.C. United defeated the Kansas City Wizards 3-2. The winning goal for United came from an own goal...
- Winners (1): 2000
- MLS Supporters' ShieldMLS Supporters' ShieldThe Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
- Winners (1): 2000
- Runners-up (2): 1997, 2004
- MLS Western Conference
- Winners (Regular Season) (3): 1997, 2000, 2004
- Winners (Playoff) (1): 2004
- MLS Eastern Conference
- Winners (Regular Season) (1): 2011
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open CupLamar Hunt U.S. Open CupThe Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
- Winners (1): 20042004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup-Schedule:Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.-First round:Eight PDL and eight USASA teams start.-----Second round:Six PSL and two A-League teams enter....
- Winners (1): 2004
Year-by-year
| Year | MLS Reg. Season | MLS Cup Playoffs | Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup | CONCACAF Champions' Cup/Champions League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 3rd, West | Semi-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Did not qualify |
| 1997 | 1st, West | Quarter-Finals | Round of 16 | Did not qualify |
| 1998 | 6th, West | Did not qualify | Round of 16 | Did not qualify |
| 1999 | 6th, West | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2000 | 1st, West* | Champions | Round of 32 | Did not qualify |
| 2001 | 3rd, West | Quarter-Finals | Round of 16 | Not held |
| 2002 | 5th, West | Quarter-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals |
| 2003 | 2nd, West | Semi-Finals | Round of 16 | Did not qualify |
| 2004 | 1st, West | Runners-up | Champions | Did not qualify |
| 2005 | 5th, East | Did not qualify | Quarter-Finals | Quarter-Finals |
| 2006 | 5th, East | Did not qualify | Round of 16 | Did not qualify |
| 2007 | 5th, East | Semi-Finals** | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2008 | 4th, East | Quarter-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Did not qualify |
| 2009 | 6th, East | Did not qualify | Quarter-Finals | Did not qualify |
| 2010 2010 Kansas City Wizards season The 2010 Kansas City Wizards season is the fifteenth season of the team's existence. In the earliest parts of 2010 the club broke ground on their future stadium and made the announcement that they had reached a new local television contract with KCWE that would put every home and away match for the... |
3rd, East | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2011 2011 Sporting Kansas City season The 2011 Sporting Kansas City season will be the sixteenth season of the team's existence in Major League Soccer but the first year played under the Sporting Kansas City moniker.... |
1st, East | Semi-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Did not qualify |
International tournaments
- 2001 Copa MerconorteCopa Merconorte 2001The Copa Merconorte 2001 was an association football tournament in 2001 and the last Copa Merconorte to be held. Millonarios of Colombia beat Emelec of Ecuador in the final.-Group stage:...
-
- Group Stage v.
Sporting CristalSporting CristalClub Sporting Cristal is a Peruvian football team. Based in the Rímac District, in the department of Lima, it plays in the professional league known as the Peruvian First Division. Founded on November 16, 1926 in the Rimac District given its approval to the merger and Snuff Sporting merging with...
-- 1:2 - Group Stage v.
Santos Laguna -- 2:4 - Group Stage v.
Barcelona -- 3:2 - Group Stage v. Sporting CristalSporting CristalClub Sporting Cristal is a Peruvian football team. Based in the Rímac District, in the department of Lima, it plays in the professional league known as the Peruvian First Division. Founded on November 16, 1926 in the Rimac District given its approval to the merger and Snuff Sporting merging with...
-- 1:2 - Group Stage v. Barcelona -- 1:1
- Group Stage v. Santos Laguna -- 0:1
- Group Stage v.
- 2002 CONCACAF Champions CupCONCACAF Champions' Cup 2002The 2002 CONCACAF Champions' Cup was the 37th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CONCACAF region , the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. It featured a league format with 16 clubs. As part of the expansion, the quarterfinal stage for the current Champions Cup was moved...
-
- First Round v.
W ConnectionW ConnectionVibe CT 105 Williams Connection is a football club from Trinidad and Tobago, which currently plays in the Pro League. The club plays its home games in Manny Ramjohn Stadium...
– 1:0, 2:0 (Wizards win 3:0 on aggregate) - Quarter-Finals v. Santos LagunaSantos LagunaClub Santos Laguna is a Mexican football club. They represent the urban area of Comarca Lagunera, which is made up of Torreón, Gomez Palacio, and Lerdo. Santos Laguna currently plays in the Primera División. The club was founded in 1982, and reached Mexico's top division after buying the franchise...
– 1:2, 2:0 (Wizards win 3:2 on aggregate) - Semi-Finals v. Monarcas Morelia – 1:6, 1:1 (Morelia advances 7:2 on aggregate)
- First Round v.
- 2005 CONCACAF Champions CupCONCACAF Champions' Cup 2005The 2005 CONCACAF Champions' Cup was the 40th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CONCACAF region , the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. The tournament was also a qualifying event for the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship...
-
- First Round v.
Deportivo Saprissa – 0:0, 1:2 (Saprissa advances 2:1 on aggregate after added extra time)
- First Round v.
- 2009 North American SuperLiga
-
- Group Stage v. Atlas -- 0:0
- Group Stage v.
New England RevolutionNew England RevolutionThe New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
-- 1:1 - Group Stage v. Santos Laguna -- 1:3
- Group Stage v.
Team records
- Games: Davy ArnaudDavy ArnaudDavy Arnaud is an American soccer player who currently plays for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.-College:Arnaud played college soccer at West Texas A&M University from 1999 to 2001, finishing his career with 31 goals and 11 assists...
(240) - Goals: PrekiPrekiPredrag Radosavljević is a former American international soccer player of Serbian extraction...
(71) - Assists: PrekiPrekiPredrag Radosavljević is a former American international soccer player of Serbian extraction...
(98) - Shutouts: Tony MeolaTony MeolaAntonio Michael "Tony" Meola is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played for the United States national team at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and from 1996 to 2006 played in Major League Soccer, the U.S. top soccer division, where he obtained multiple honors...
(37)
MLS regular season only
- All-Time regular season record: 154-155-65 (Through April 20, 2008)
Average attendance
As of September 30, 2011:| Year | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 12,878 | 7,754 |
| 1997 | 9,058 | 10,174 |
| 1998 | 8,073 | DNQ |
| 1999 | 8,183 | DNQ |
| 2000 | 9,112 | 8,243 |
| 2001 | 10,954 | 5,803 |
| 2002 | 12,255 | 9,484 |
| 2003 | 15,573 | 10,712 |
| 2004 | 14,819 | 10,977 |
| 2005 | 9,691 | DNQ |
| 2006 | 11,083 | DNQ |
| 2007 | 11,586 | 12,442 |
| 2008 | 10,686 | 10,385 |
| 2009 | 10,053 | DNQ |
| 2010 2010 Kansas City Wizards season The 2010 Kansas City Wizards season is the fifteenth season of the team's existence. In the earliest parts of 2010 the club broke ground on their future stadium and made the announcement that they had reached a new local television contract with KCWE that would put every home and away match for the... |
10,287 | DNQ |
| 2011 2011 Sporting Kansas City season The 2011 Sporting Kansas City season will be the sixteenth season of the team's existence in Major League Soccer but the first year played under the Sporting Kansas City moniker.... |
17,678 | 19,072 |