Couldn't have asked for a better home opener. Great time tailgating, and an awesome game.

I love that celebration after the Kamara goal, also think it's great that Zusi came over and was like "Alright, that's enough, they'll card you." LMAO

This shot is one of my favs.

HOW MANY GOD DAMN PEOPLE DOES IT TAKE TO NOT STOP CJ SAPONG!?!?!

http://image.yogile.com.s3.amazonaws...fhev-large.jpg

Didn't see this posted here.

http://media-cache7.pinterest.com/up...w22KlBkU_f.jpg

Sophomore slump? Not for Sporting KC's Sapong

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...ing-kcs-sapong

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – It’s still early days for the 2012 season, but C.J. Sapong has already all but wiped out any thoughts of a sophomore slump.

Sporting Kansas City’s second-year center forward has continued the form that earned him 2011 Rookie of the Year honors, with two goals in Sporting’s first two matches – and he doesn’t see that pace slowing any time soon.

“I’ve been fortunate to get a lot of opportunities and find myself in the right position, so I’m pretty happy about that,” Sapong said after Sporting’s 3-0 rout of New England in Week 2. “I’m pretty confident that I can continue the streak. “

The learning curve is still on the upslope, too, as Sapong continues to figure out his strengths and limitations.

After scoring early in the second half against the Revs, he had a chance for a breakaway second goal late in the game. He wasn’t able to finesse the ball around goalkeeper Matt Reis, though, and pushed his shot wide.

Manager Peter Vermes was in no rush to criticize the young striker – but it was a coachable moment.

“He’s not in that position a lot of times,” Vermes told MLSsoccer.com earlier this week. “You probably think he has been, but getting clear on a breakaway like he did is not common. He knows that he should have gone with the power and pace that he could have, either pushed it around and gotten by him or finishing on the first-time ball.”

That aside, Vermes likes what he sees in Sapong’s development.

“Obviously, a striker has to be able to score goals,” Vermes said. “That’s first and foremost. Then there are all the other things you have to look at: Is he a target forward? Is he able to lay it off? Is he a guy you can build through? Can he play in the combinations? Does he have breakaway speed to get away from guys? Is he good in the air? All those little things.

“He’s getting better at all of them, and then there’s the defensive responsibility as well,” Vermes went on. “That’s an area he’s been working on, and that continues to help us. The better he gets at being that first line of defense for us, the stronger we’re going to be defensively.”

And the more defensive attention Sapong draws from other clubs, the wider the door opens for his teammates to score.

“I would say there’s no doubt a certain focus will be placed on him,” Vermes said, “which then will give opportunities for some other guys at times.”

Against New England, for example, the Revs’ penalty area turned into Sporting’s private shooting gallery after he drew a red-card foul on defender Stephen McCarthy just 14 minutes in. Graham Zusi and Kei Kamara capitalized with first-half goals before Sapong added a capper shortly after the break.

“Everybody’s hungry. Everybody can score,” Sapong said. “We all approach it that way. Doesn’t matter what position you’re in, we know we have those capabilities.”

Steve Brisendine covers Sporting Kansas City for MLSsoccer.com. Write to him at steve@artkc365.com.

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Goddamn, Nebraska Furniture Mart is BIG.

Ha! Yea that was my first thought as well. I mean. I know its huge but its soooo big compared to LSP. I was struck by how LSP was smaller than you would think up against other structures like the speed way once when I flew over the area on a flight home to KCI.

Check your rep. Thinking it might be helpful as a fan.

Immensely, sincerely helpful. Thank you so much.

I figured. Not a lot of coverage there in south. Ha. And you won't get blacked out unless its a national game. They did some kick ass stuff with MLS Live this year.

Ready for Dallas on Sunday night. I get to go as a fan and not a photo taking worker bee. Can't wait.

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/38961384?byline=0&amp;color=ff9933" width="700" height="394" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/38961384">Portland Timbers Season Opener</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/uncagethesoul">Uncage the Soul Productions</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

From Portland.

I don't think I'll soon forget my first MLS game in Portland. Hell, it was less than 2 weeks ago so if it did slip from memory I'd better seek help.

Now I've certainly seen big, boisterous MLS crowds on many occasions but after a decade of wallowing in the general sense of malaise and indifference that surrounds my local MLS club, bearing witness to the pandemonium of the communal love-fest that is a Portland Timbers home game was something bordering on straight-up unbelievable.

I won't regale you with tales of the fans sleeping outside of the stadium in the rain just to get 'their spot' in the stands even though they already had tickets. And I'll spare you the details of how you know it's gameday in downtown Portland the moment you step outside your hotel, even if that happens to be a full 12 hours before kickoff. I'll just say that if you are an old school MLS fan a visit to this particular corner of the Pacific Northwest is like seeing your most unfathomable BigSoccer daydreams realized.

The clip above is a wordless recap of that day, time-lapsed and tilt-shifted to wow-inducing perfection. This is JELD-WEN Field. This is Soccertown USA. This is awesome.

http://theoffsiderules.com/An-awesom...rs-home-opener

Sporting out to silence doubters against West opposition

http://www.mlssoccer.com/sites/leagu.../05/Vermes.jpg

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Sporting Kansas City might be the least-respected unbeaten team of the young MLS season, to hear them tell it.

Never mind that they're No. 2 in the MLSsoccer.com Power Rankings, or are generally considered among the Supporters' Shield favorites.

The fact is, Sporting are 2-0-0 so far, but both their wins have come against Eastern Conference clubs that failed to make the playoffs in 2011 – D.C. United and the New England Revolution. Their next six games, however, come against Western Conference opponents, the first one on Sunday against FC Dallas at Livestrong Sporting Park (7 pm ET; Galavision).

With the West widely expected to be better than the East this season, it may be a chance to silence the queries of “who have they played?”

“I think it’s more of a media thing with the West vs. the East, to be honest,” defender Matt Besler said after Friday’s training session. “Everyone says the West is better, but for us, we’re looking forward to the challenge. A couple of the games are going to be on the road, on the West Coast, and we’ll see what we can do.”

After Sunday, Sporting travel to play Chivas USA on April 1, return home for matches against the LA Galaxy on April 7 and Real Salt Lake on April 14, then go back on the road to face Vancouver on April 18 and Portland on April 21.

“You play those guys once, so you want to pick up the points as much as possible,” midfielder Graham Zusi said. “If you take a look at the standings, the West seems to be doing better right now. As the season goes on, you’ll see that even up a bit, but yeah, it’s a good test.”

Few in Kansas City, though, are buying into the “West is Best” conventional wisdom.

“I beg to differ with what most people think,” manager Peter Vermes told MLSsoccer.com. “I think there’s so much parity in the league -- West, East, it doesn’t matter. They’re all MLS teams, and every game going in is always a difficult proposition. Anybody can put anybody out on the field and have a good game that day. That’s why you’ve got to be prepared to play everyone. I don’t measure it any more than I would if we were playing an east coast team. “

Then again, the West does have the reigning MLS Cup and Supporters Shield holder in the Galaxy, the three-time defending US Open Cup champion in Seattle, and one of MLS’ entries into the 2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League in Real Salt Lake.

“It’s still early in the season to determine what side is the stronger side, but the West has been strong for the last couple of years and everyone puts them in that position,” Sporting forward Kei Kamara said. “But we’re positioning ourselves as one of the dominant sides in the East, and all we can do is compete with the best. So having all these games against Western Conference teams, it’s just like any other team.

“If we keep playing like we’re playing, it doesn’t matter who we’re going against,” Kamara continued. “Whatever people are going to say, that’s fine with us. When the whistle blows, we’re there to play. We’re there to prove that we’re one of the best teams in this league.”

Steve Brisendine covers Sporting Kansas City for MLSsoccer.com.

KU's playing about two hours before Sporting. I'll be watching in the Member's Club before the match starts.

Sporting Kansas City is the greatest Football Club On Earth.

I can't remember the last time the Quakes and Revs won on the same day but it's probably been a long time. TFC is a disaster, I almost feel sorry for them (but **** RYAN JOHNSON).

Also god, that U-23 match was a downer.