After Further Review: Sporting KC offers great sports venue

Trevin Edelman

In only four days the Major League Soccer season will begin. Every year since 2011, fans have been flocking to Sporting Park in Kansas City to watch Sporting Kansas City play their MLS home games. Some fans were even lucky enough in 2013 to witness the club win the MLS Cup. If you have never been to the stadium, you should. It is a must for any sports fan. The stadium hosts both hardcore soccer fans that go to every game and first-time visitors that have never even watched a full 90 minutes of soccer.

The charm of the stadium is what keeps fans coming out every game. Its innovative design and fan experience are head and shoulders above any other venue in the region. Last season, colleges and other pro teams even sent representatives to see what Sporting Club was doing to attract and retain fans. The secret is that from the moment you reach the parking lot to the moment you leave the lot you feel welcomed and that you are part of the club. As crazy as it may sound, they make you feel like you are a big part in what happens on the field.

As of late, the product on the field has been one to be proud of.  In the last eight years, the team has been in the playoffs in all but two of those years. This included hosting and winning the MLS cup in 2013. The average attendance last season was the highest it has ever been, just over 20,000 people.

The MLS season starts on Sunday as Sporting hosts the New York Red Bulls, the same team that knocked Sporting KC out of the playoffs last year. If you have never gone, now is a good time to go to a game. The popularity of the sport continues to grow and so does the stock of a few of the Sporting players. You don’t have to be a soccer fan to know the names of Matt Besler and Graham Zusi, as they have been a big part of the local sports scene leading up to and after last summer’s World Cup in Brazil.

Take the chance to go see one of the league’s top teams in quite possibly the league’s best stadium. The placement of the stadium, near the Legends, makes it easy for one to get there from Topeka. Take either I-70 for 45 minutes or take Highway 24 straight to the stadium without the toll.