Now Reading
Kansas City tops San Jose in preseason tune-up
sports

From the archive: This story is more than 10 years old.

Soccer notes

Kansas City tops San Jose in preseason tune-up

Sporting impresses with 3-man front line; 'Street soccer' Downtown

  • Sporting KC defender Chance Myers stretches to block a cross from San Jose midfielder Rafael Baca.
    Joshua Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comSporting KC defender Chance Myers stretches to block a cross from San Jose midfielder Rafael Baca.
  • Kei Kamara disagrees with the linesman's offside call.
    Joshua Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comKei Kamara disagrees with the linesman's offside call.
  • San Jose midfielder Jean Alexandre puts in a crucial tackle on Kei Kamara as the Sporting forward charges into the San Jose box.
    Joshua Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comSan Jose midfielder Jean Alexandre puts in a crucial tackle on Kei Kamara as the Sporting forward charges into the San Jose box.
  • San Jose Kyle Davies fights with Sporting forward Dom Dwyer for the ball.
    Joshua Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comSan Jose Kyle Davies fights with Sporting forward Dom Dwyer for the ball.
  • Players who were not used during the game did drills and skill exercises.
    Joshua Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comPlayers who were not used during the game did drills and skill exercises.
  • Kansas City midfielder Graham Zusi dribbles through the San Jose midfield.
    Joshua Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comKansas City midfielder Graham Zusi dribbles through the San Jose midfield.
  • Local soccer fans took the opportunity to watch MLS teams train at the Kino Sports Complex.
    Joshua Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comLocal soccer fans took the opportunity to watch MLS teams train at the Kino Sports Complex.
  • Sporting forward Kei Kamara tries to control the ball as San Jose players close in on him.
    Joshua Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comSporting forward Kei Kamara tries to control the ball as San Jose players close in on him.
  • Sporting forward Dom Dwyer dribbles past San Jose defender Lyle Martin.
    Joshua Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comSporting forward Dom Dwyer dribbles past San Jose defender Lyle Martin.
  • Recent US national team debutant C.J. Sapong was used in the second half.
    Joshua Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comRecent US national team debutant C.J. Sapong was used in the second half.
  • Victor Bernardez was shown yellow during a preseason match between San Jose and Kansas City.
    Joshua Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comVictor Bernardez was shown yellow during a preseason match between San Jose and Kansas City.
  • San Jose midfielder Tressor Moreno rides a tackle and retains the ball during a preseason match with Sporting Kansas City.
    Joshua Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comSan Jose midfielder Tressor Moreno rides a tackle and retains the ball during a preseason match with Sporting Kansas City.
  • Tressor Moreno and Aurelien Collin vie for the ball in the midfield.
    Joshua Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comTressor Moreno and Aurelien Collin vie for the ball in the midfield.

Major League Soccer preseason continued in Tucson on Saturday, with the San Jose Earthquakes falling to Sporting Kansas City, 2-1.

The Quakes opened up the scoring in the third minute, with former FC Dallas midfielder Marvin Chávez delivering the ball to Chris Wondolowski. As he had done for his team sixteen times last season, "Wondo" found the back of the net.

Unfortunately for San Jose, Kansas City responded scant moments later when Kei Kamara evened up the score. Kamara is part of Kansas City's three-man attack that gave teams fits in the second half of last season.

The three-forward lineup was familiar, except for new Quake Bobby Convey on the left in the place of C. J. Sapong. Sapong played in the second half.

Kansas City took the lead in the second half after both teams had taken most of their regulars off the field. Konrad Warzycha scored off of a free kick in the 80th minute.

"We're okay, there are still a couple of things that need to be done," Kamara said after the match. "It's the first game, and when you start the preseason with a win, no matter how it comes, we'll take it."

The Earthquakes made their way back to San Jose to continue their preseason Saturday afternoon. Kansas City will be traveling to Casa Grande to face DC United on Feb. 11.

Street soccer

Downtown, there's a slab of asphalt just east of the Martin Luther King Jr. apartments that is empty and unused, but the folks at FC Tucson have found a temporary purpose for it: street soccer.

It will be converted to a "street soccer" court for the next 2nd Saturdays Downtown event. 2nd Saturdays will be extended this year for our state's centennial, taking up the entire weekend from Friday, Feb. 10 through Sunday, Feb. 12. Street soccer will be part of Saturday's festivities, which run from noon until 10 p.m.

Street soccer was the brainchild of Greg Foster, managing partner for FC Tucson. Foster talked to downtown businessman Fletcher McCusker and Donovan Durband, then with Councilman Steve Kozachik's office. In conjunction with the Downtown Tucson Partnership, they found an appropriate spot for an asphalt pitch.

Details are still being worked out, but Foster is hoping to reserve daytime hours for younger players with adults playing in the evening. Players from Sporting Kansas City will be present, participating either as referees or coaches.

Teams will have three people each, and the plan is for a "king of the hill" format.

Foster's demands of players are simple.

"Bring two friends and your tennis or indoor soccer shoes."

Future plans?

The Downtown Tucson Partnership is responsible for leasing the place where the street soccer courts will be drawn.

Michael Keith, CEO of the Downtown business group, was interested in finding a way to integrate soccer into the larger Arizona centennial celebration, and he's happy with the result: the street soccer players will be in the shadow of a Ferris wheel in the Hotel Congress parking lot.

"We created a very dynamic corner for the centennial event," he said.

More importantly for downtown, Keith is hoping that a successful soccer related event can lead to bigger things.

"There's an enormous fan base in the Downtown community," he said. "This is a great way to test the market for soccer downtown and explore the possibilities that soccer can be integrated into plans for an arena in the future."

One can always hope.

Video

The numbers

  • San Jose Earthquakes vs Sporting Kansas City
  • Kino Sports Complex
  • Saturday

Scoring Summary: SJE – Chris Wondolowski (Marvin Chávez), 3' SKC – Kei Kamara (Roger Espinoza), 4' SKC – Konrad Warzycha (unassisted), 80' Misconduct Summary: SJE – Victor Bernardez (caution), 24' SJE – Tressor Moreno (caution), 39' SJE – Bernardez (2nd caution, ejection), 54'

San Jose Earthquakes: Jon Busch - Steven Beitashour (Lyle Martin 46), Victor Bernardez (Josh Suggs 54), Ike Opara (Kyle Davies 65), Ramiro Corrales (Justin Morrow 46) - Marvin Chávez (Sam Garza 46), Tressor Moreno (Anthony Ampaipitakwong 46, Tyler Krumpe 73), Sam Cronin (Brad Ring 65), Jean Alexandre (Ellis McLoughlin 65), Rafael Baca (James Kiffe 65) - Chris Wondolowski (César Díaz Pizarro 65)

Sporting Kansas City: Jimmy Nielsen (Jon Kempin 30) - Chance Myers (Michael Harrington 46), Aurélien Collin (Cyprian Hedrick 46), Matt Besler (Stefan Antonijević 46, Lawrence Olum 77), Seth Sinovic (Korede Aiyegbusi 46) - Julio César (Paulo Nagamura 30, Konrad Warzycha 75), Roger Espinoza (Michael Thomas 65), Graham Zusi (Luke Sassano 46) - Kei Kamara (Jacob Peterson 46), Teal Bunbury (C.J. Sapong 46), Bobby Convey (Dom Dwyer 46).

— 30 —

Top headlines

Best in Internet Exploder