This Sporting Life.

It seems to be Minnesota day here at This Sporting Life. Earlier we brought you a look at the current state of fan affairs in the MLS, with our look at the reaction to the Minnesota Vikings’ and San Jose Earthquakes’ respective stadium deals.

After a bit more digging, it seems like this Vikings stadium deal–which, it should be pointed out, is yet to be approved by the Minnesota House, Senate, or the City Council of Minneapolis–could have a more direct effect on MLS and Sporting Kansas City.

Buried in the term sheet for the stadium plan announced today is this gem:

The Vikings have exclusive rights to bring Major League Soccer to the new stadium within five years of its opening, and the team could play there without paying additional rent. “The team intends to actively evaluate pursuing an MLS franchise,” the term sheet says.

The Twin Cities have been rumored in the past to be interested in acquiring a MLS franchise, but this is the most concrete evidence thus far. And while other cities are mentioned as possible expansion possibilities–NYC, St Louis, San Diego, Atlanta, Charlotte–Minnesota has an established owner (Vikings’ owner Zygi Wilf) firmly in place and may soon have a sparkling new stadium.

It’s interesting that such a statement would be included in the stadium’s term sheet. But, cities and local governments have wised up to the grossly unfair stadium deals of the past, and many think doling out millions of dollars for 8 home football games a year is a poor investment. The additional tenant would give stadium proponents a little more political clout (or, if you’re cynical, the Wilfs have no intention of bringing a MLS team and are posturing in an effort to improve the odds of having a football stadium built while “actively evaluating pursuing” a MLS franchise).

Now what a team in Minneapolis would mean for MLS is not exactly clear. First of all, the franchise’s games would be played in a hulking 60,000+ seat stadium. Second of all, there seems to be a saturation of the market as the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro already has franchises in all four major sports.

Despite that, count us as supporters of the idea. If it came to fruition, the team would have an established owner in Zygi Wilf, a downtown stadium with several light rail stops within walking distance of the stadium, in a market that is rapidly growing (The MPLS-St. Paul metro has 3.3 million people, and is the 16th largest market in the country). The large football stadium isn’t ideal, but for a city that prides itself as being the Portland of the Midwest, the stadium seems to be workable.

And best of all, this gives us the regional rivalry we’ve been clamoring for. St. Louis doesn’t seem like it’s going to get an ownership group in place anytime soon. Minneapolis would provide the proximity needed to start a true regional rivalry, something that due to our geography, SKC is lacking.

And for those wondering, yes, there will be a roof on the stadium for the inevitable shift to the winter schedule.

We’ll keep you posted as the Minnesota stadium debate continues.

Earlier today a friend–a fellow diehard Chiefs fan–enticed me over to his laptop with the familiar, “Hey, bro, check this out.” He showed me a Facebook post by a friend of his: an artist’s rendering of the proposed Minnesota Vikings stadium. Frankly, it’s glorious. The artist’s rendering includes a giant, glass-front facade with a huge Vikings logo that puts it on a glossy-corporate-headquarters level of prominence and flair. The stadium’s proposed location is in downtown Minneapolis at the old Metrodome site, just blocks from the river. Great stadium, great location. I visited Minneapolis about a year ago, and one of our writers actually lives there. Collectively we know a little more than the average KC fan about the city. It’s a cool place, trust us. Great city. Great stadium. Great location. Good for the ol’ Vikes, right? You know what my friend’s Comment was on the Facebook post? “Vikings suck.” Well, yeah, that too.

Just last week, the San Jose Earthquakes received permission to begin development on their new stadium. It won’t be quite as fancy as The House That Robb Built, but it’ll do. And “it’ll do” because it means San Jose is going to remain San Jose. The city lost their team once to Houston, but now it’s not going anywhere, and that means a great deal to a lot of people in California.

The permission for the stadium development came via a vote at a San Jose Planning Commission meeting where the Earthquakes finally defeated a group of neighborhood noise complainants. The meeting included a host of pro- and anti-stadium citizen-speakers and it was streamed live on the team website. That night, Robert Jonas (@robertjonas) did an exemplary job covering the meeting via Twitter. I followed along, entranced. I wasn’t alone, either. I noticed fellow Sporting bloggers live-tweeting the event. We sat on pins and needles waiting for the vote, and we rejoiced when the Earthquakes prevailed. As Sporting fans, we just lived this, after all. The desperation to avoid franchise exodus. The naysayers. The red tape. But we prevailed. Not only that, we prospered. We are prospering.

I’m a fan of both the MLS and the NFL, so I understand the cultural differences in fandom between the leagues. When I saw my friend’s response this morning, it got me thinking. The MLS has some special fans. In the MLS, when another team builds a stadium, we congratulate. We admire. We re-tweet. We do all of this presumably because we love the league and recognize the importance of soccer-specific stadiums to the league’s development and stature.

Seemingly a world away, there’s the NFL. The closest thing to the NFL in soccer is the English Premier League. Money, history, glamour, and money. I believe there’s something to be said for my friend’s response. I’m not sure, but I would guess a Manchester United fan’s response to an artist’s rendering of a new Liverpool stadium (John Henry, are you listening?) would be the same. “Liverpool sucks.”  I think this is understandable: the leagues are in different places in their histories. Families have been rooting for NFL teams for decades. Rivalries are firmly entrenched. Hatred has matured. In fact, I hate the Raiders. I don’t hate the Sounders, or the Fire. Not like I hate the Raiders. But that’s OK. For now. Because it’s coming.

Sounders suck.

“Unless something dramatic happens in the next two days, we will not be announcing a DP in this window. #SportingKC“

–@RobbHeineman, 1/25/2012 (approx. 2:30AM)

Those words hit us in the gut like a Zidane headbutt. Before you weep into your Cheerios, though, consider a little comfort food:

There’s another window coming

We’ve got a theory. Well, a couple theories, so hear us out. First, we think that, for several reasons, the winter window isn’t the best for signing DPs. I’m sure Eric Wynalda would love to chime in here, but as we all know MLS runs a different schedule (March-December) than most of Europe (August-May). Thus, European clubs are chasing trophies and Euro-cup berths when MLS teams are shopping for players. It isn’t a convenient time now for a European club to part with a player who still has something to contribute. Plus, it’s common for teams to grossly overpay for players during the winter window in order to pry them away from their current club. Just ask Liverpool.

If we wait until the summer, our chances of landing a player on a Bosman transfer (for $free.99) increase as players’ contracts typically expire at season’s end, which is May for European clubs. Do you remember LA’s big signing last year? Robbie Keane during the summer window. I think it paid off with that assist.

Heineman Hardball

Second, this could simply be a negotiation tactic. Robb knows full well that his twitter account is one of the hottest stoves in MLS. If he “announces” that we are not looking likely to land our man, maybe he is trying to persuade the other side that we’ll be OK without him. “It’s now or never, dude. Sign up or sayonara.” In addition,  it strikes us as odd for Robb to announce a 2-day deadline on January 25. The European window doesn’t even close for another 5 days. Don’t touch that dial.

Look at our roster

There is no shortage of “we’ve got a deep roster” posts this week. Yesterday we here at This Sporting Life Addressed the subject. Charles Gooch and Tod Palmer have both published their thoughts, too. We’ve had a lot of turnover this off season, but not bad turnover–we’ve maintained our Eastern Conference-winning core. The only significant loss was Bravo, and that was the right move regardless of replacement. If you want a football analogy, we’re the talented but undersized sophomore tight end who is going to come back his junior year filled out and ready to throw his weight around a little more.

Don’t forget that we can sign more than one DP. A delay in signing one could mean adding two high-impact signings in the summer–just in time for another push to a conference title. So stay tuned and stay calm, Sporting fans. Robb knows what he’s doing, one way or another.

–This Sporting Life

Sporting has added several draft picks, traded for MLS veterans, and added a free agent (Don Garber: “A free-what???”) in the off season, and pre-season camp is finally under way. Now is a great time for all fans to get acquainted (or re-acquainted) with the roster. This post is our summary of where the roster stands today. With President Obama’s State of the Union Address just around the corner, we think it’s time for a similarly-titled address for Sporting KC. Look for a post on intriguing roster-spot battles later this week. The following is the 2012 State of the Roster Address for the fans, by a fan. Enjoy.

My fellow Heinemaniacs,

This is a proud time in our club’s history. In two years we have built the best stadium in MLS [brief pause for standing ovation], won an Eastern Conference title, advanced to the conference finals [Ed: Don't those last two sound weird when read in chronological order?], and built a deep roster loaded with talent. The next step is simple–silverware. [Applause].

Meet the team that is going to deliver the goods.

First, our manager, Peter Vermes [standing ovation]. Peter has won the fans over in recent years through dedication to playing attractive soccer in a 4-3-3 formation and his aptitude for bringing in talent from a wide variety of places.

We return all three goalkeepers, varying in age yet unified in hair color: Jimmy Nielsen (Age 34) [brief pause for "Jim-my Niel-sen" chant], Eric Kronberg (28), and homegrown product Jon Kempin (18). [Applause].

From the impregnable back line, we return all four starters: center backs Matt Besler (24) and Aurelian Collin (25) [audible catcalls], right back Chance Myers (24), and left back Seth Sinovic (24). [Impromptu standing ovation for Seth's return]. We also return five backup defenders: center backs Daneil Cyrus (21) and Lawrence Olum (27), and full backs Michael Harrington (25), Korede Aiyegbusi (23), and homegrown product Kevin Ellis (20). Recognizing that a strong defense also requires more-than-adequate depth for injuries, dips in form and the like, we drafted liberally, adding center backs Cyprian Hedrick (22) and Stefan Antonijevic (22 [until 1/24/12]), full back Shawn Singh (22), and local college standout Kyle Miller (22).

Our three-man starting midfield also returns: Julio Cesar (33), Roger Espinoza (25), and Graham Zusi (25) [Cries of "Zuuuuussss!" ring out]. Out of the backup midfielders, only one is a proven commodity at this club–the man, the myth, the sandwich: Luke Sassano (26). Relatively-unknown quantities Peterson Joseph (21) and Konrad Warzycha (22) round out the returning midfielders. In a savvy display of championship-building know-how, we added MLS veteran midfielder Paulo Nagamura (28) in a trade with Chivas USA.  His versatility in midfield and championship experience will serve us well. We acquired promising midfielder Michael Thomas (23) in a trade with San Jose. In the supplemental draft, we also added Pablo Punyed (21), who will aim to make the team as an attack-focused midfielder.

Our loaded forward line returns two starters, Kei Kamara (27) and Teal Bunbury (21), as well as the reigning rookie of the year, C.J. Sapong (23)! [Standing ovation; somewhere, Hope Solo blushes]. A veteran, Birahim Diop (32), and a youngster, Soony Saad (19), round out our returning forwards. After the departure of Omar Bravo, we immediately traded for MLS and U.S. National Team veteran Bobby Convey (28). Look for Bobby to #OccupyLeftWing. We also added Jacob Peterson (25), who will provide solid cover for the starters. With our first pick in the SuperDraft, we selected Dom Dwyer (21), a natural goal-scorer originally hailing from Cuckfield, England. As Peter and Robb so delicately put it (Ed: skip ahead to about 8:10 on the video), this “******* beast” will surely follow in the footsteps of Teal and C.J., establishing himself as a viable MLS striker in his rookie season.

While the roster now numbers in the 30s, a difficult time of evaluation and decision-making lies ahead. Players will make impressions–some good, others bad. Eventually, the roster will be reduced to 30 by the start of the season. Notably, we currently are known to be in the market for a high-profile signing or two, perhaps a creative midfielder to feed our hungry forwards. The team will continue to take shape in the coming weeks.

Before I conclude, I would like to thank Graham Zusi, Teal Bunbury, and C.J. Sapong for their recent service to their country’s national team, representing Sporting Kansas City at our nation’s highest level. [Applause gives way to "U-S-A, U-S-A" chant].

It’s a great time to be a Sporting KC fan and even better times are ahead. I can feel that high-profile signing coming any week now, and don’t forget that a shirt sponsor is likewise imminent. With less than 50 member’s stand season tickets still available, the buzz surrounding this team has never been louder, and expectations have perhaps never been higher. The Cup is within grasp–let’s drink it’s sweet nectar of glory.

Mr. Vermes, #PaintTheWall.

– This Sporting Life.

With the 30th pick of the MLS SuperDraft, Sporting Kansas City selected Cyprian Hedrick, a central defender from Coastal Carolina. Hedrick was born in Cameroon and moved to the United States as a child. As I understand it he will not take an international roster slot like first round pick Dom Dwyer.

Joe Mauceri, a college soccer writer for Top Drawer Sports who live-tweeted the draft, called Hedrick a “bad pick,” citing “raw skills.” True, there may be a concern that Hedrick lacks the “polish” of an MLS-ready center back. However, this was a luxury, depth pick for Sporting, and Peter Vermes admitted as much. Hedrick joins  fellow center backs Lawrence Olum and Daneil Cyrus as backups to lock-starters Aurelian Collin and Matt Besler. I would not be surprised to see another center back added during the pre-season. Hedrick is solidly-built at 6’0″, 185 pounds, but doesn’t possess the height of Collin, Olum, or Cyrus. It is interesting to note that Hedrick has experience playing a defensive holding role in the midfield. Perhaps Vermes will give him a shot as understudy to Julio Cesar, but that will depend on whether Hedrick possesses or develops the passing and ball control skills to play midfield in the MLS.

Sporting KC has had success drafting defenders in recent drafts and developing them into major contributors. Counting Roger Espinoza, who has played a fair share of left back, five current Sporting defenders were drafted by the team since 2007, Peter Vermes’ first draft as technical director. A theme with these players, and SuperDraft picks generally, is that they need time to develop. Specifically, Matt Besler and Chance Myers have, over time, blossomed under Vermes’ coaching. Here’s hoping Cyprian Hedrick will follow the same path.

As you know by now, Sporting selected South Florida forward Dom Dwyer (pictured above) with the 16th pick of the MLS draft yesterday. It was a bit of a surprise that Dwyer, a Generation Adidas player, fell to KC at 16, and some have proclaimed it one of the steals of the draft. This falling stock is perhaps due to the fact that Dwyer will count towards SKC’s international player limit.

It will be interesting to see how Dwyer slots in to PV’s 4-3-3 formation. It is hard to see him earning a starting spot right away, but Dwyer figures to feature off the bench as one of the wing forwards in the squad’s trademark formation.

Bottom line: I like the move. As the sixteenth team to pick, SKC seemingly had to go for the best available player. They did that, and got a player that fits PV’s system exceptionally well. The Front Office has earned considerable leverage with their past drafts–notably Besler, Bunbury and Sapong, so we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on this one. Dwyer has made a living of poaching goals with his speed and awareness, and can hopefully contribute late in games by coming off the bench and doing the same for SKC. I was never a huge Bravo fan, and I see a Sapong-Kamara-Bunbury-Dwyer rotation as stronger in the long run for our boys.

Fun fact: Dwyer played semi-professionally for Staines Town FC in England. Staines, of course, is home to another famous resident.