Sporting Kansas City Team History

With the rebranding (of Wizards to Sporting) the team follows a recent trend in MLS of adopting European-style names, such as Toronto FC, D.C. United, and Real Salt Lake. The title “Sporting” has its origins in Iberia where it is used only by multi-sports clubs with a history of having multiple departments fielding teams across different sports. Kansas City’s use of the term has been criticized for inaccuracy and cultural appropriation. At the rebrand announcement, the Kansas City’s president announced plans to add a rugby club and lacrosse club. Since then, a partnership with the Kansas City Blues Rugby Club has been announced, but the two sides are not part of one “Sporting Club” and no lacrosse team has been established. The rebranding was met with a mixture of both excitement and disdain by fans when originally announced. With the opening of the new Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, Sporting became the first major-league team to have played in stadiums on both sides of the state line in Kansas City, while Kansas City became the only U.S. metropolitan area other than New York City to have major professional sports teams playing in different states.

MLS Cup 2013, the 18th edition of Major League Soccer’s championship match, was a soccer match that took place on Saturday, December 7, 2013, between Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas, United States. The match was to decide the winner of the 2013 season. Sporting KC was making their third appearance in the competition’s final, having won in 2000 and losing in 2004. RSL were appearing in their second final, having won their only other in 2009.

It was the first MLS Cup final to be held at Sporting Park and the second time the championship match was not held at a predetermined neutral site. Sporting Kansas City won the right to host the match by beating Real Salt Lake in the regular-season standings. This was the first time Kansas City hosted an MLS Cup final and the second final hosted at Sporting Park, the other being the 2012 U.S. Open Cup final.

The game was the coldest MLS match ever and was tied 1–1 after regulation time and extra time. The penalty shootout was won 7–6 by Sporting Kansas City, ending with the longest shootout in MLS Cup history at ten rounds.