Sporting Kansas City
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| Full name | Sporting Kansas City |
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| Nickname(s) |
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| Founded | 1995 as Kansas City Wiz |
| Stadium |
Children's Mercy Park Kansas City, Kansas |
| Capacity | 18,467 |
| Owner | Sporting Club |
| Manager | Peter Vermes |
| League | Major League Soccer |
| 2016 | Western Conference: 5th Overall: 8th Playoffs: Conf. Knockout round |
| Website | Club home page |
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Missouri, playing its home games in Kansas City, Kansas. The club competes as a member of the Western Conference in MLS. Sporting KC began play in 1996 as a charter team in the league, then known as the Kansas City Wiz. The team was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1995. Since moving across the state line, they have been the only major professional sports league franchise to play their home games in Kansas.
For the majority of their existence, the franchise were known as the Kansas City Wizards. The team rebranded in November 2010, coinciding with its move to their home stadium, now known as Children's Mercy Park. The franchise has won the MLS Cup twice (2000, 2013), the Supporters' Shield in 2000, and the U.S. Open Cup in 2004, 2012 and 2015.
The club also has a reserve team, Swope Park Rangers, that plays in the third-tier United Soccer League. Sporting is also affiliated with the separately owned FC Kansas City of the National Women's Soccer League, with the latter team using Sporting's facilities for practices and home games.
The Kansas City MLS franchise was founded by Lamar Hunt, who was also the founder of the American Football League, the Kansas City Chiefs, the United Soccer Association, and Major League Soccer. The Kansas City Wiz played their first game on April 13, 1996, defeating the Colorado Rapids at Arrowhead Stadium, 3-0. The Wiz players included Preki, Mo Johnston and Digital Takawira, and were coached by Ron Newman. The team finished fifth in the 1996 regular season with a 17–15 record, qualifying for the first ever MLS Playoffs. In the 1996 conference semi-finals, the Wiz beat the Dallas Burn in three games, winning the final game in a shootout, before losing the conference final to the LA Galaxy.
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