Blue Links: Espinoza, Dwyer, FC Kansas City, Oliveira, SPR

Kansas City soccer does not stop. There is lots to catch up on over the last week or so that you may have let slip through the cracks. Before we catch you up on some news you may have missed, check out what you may have missed on The Blue Testament.

• 2017 All-Star Game Roundtable between TBT staff (e.g. who we voted for)
• Vermes will be “active” in the Secondary Transfer Window
• Dom Dwyer gets his first USMNT call-up.
• Soony Saad called up for International duty.
• EPB and the U-20’s were eliminated from the World Cup. There are a couple contributing circumstances worth noting.
• Amer Didic signs with Sporting KC!
• Even More Blue Links!!

Roger Espinoza Injured

Right after Espinoza got called up to the Honduran National Team for the FIFA break (which MLS isn’t observing) there is news that Espinoza has withdrawn due to injury. The diagnosis is back spasms, which doesn’t seem too serious, but he’ll remain in Kansas City to rehab the injury.

Sporting Kansas City have two straight home games between this weekends clash with the Montreal Impact and next Wednesday’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match with Minnesota United. That stretch of games will be capped with a road trip to San Jose on the 17th, which will be the clubs third game in just eight days.

Jimmy Medranda filled in admirably for Roger last weekend so it’ll be interesting to see what direction Vermes takes with the starting eleven over the next weeks worth of games. Speaking of Roger, here he is getting his quick one-on-one interview with Jillian Carroll.

Dom Dwyer on By The Way

Susannah Collins takes us behind the scenes with Dom Dwyer at the WWE event in Kansas City. Dwyer meets the Hardy Boys and a bunch of other wrestlers I’ve never heard of while Collins admits to stalking Dom’s son and wife on Instagram. Don’t worry Susannah, my wife stalks them too.

FCKC Awards and Call-Ups

Despite FC Kansas City coming up short this past weekend, the prior week (and month) brought some honors in the clubs direction. First Sydney Leroux won NWSL Player of the Week on the heels of her brace against the Washington Spirit and Becky Sauerbrunn won NWSL Goal of the Week based on her goal scored in that same game. Sauerbrunn added the honor of being on the NWSL Team of the Month for May as well.

Speaking of Syd and Becky, they also earned United States Women’s National Team call-ups recently. This is Leroux’s first stint since announcing her pregnancy well over a year ago. Though not with the Senior team, FCKC’s first round pick from the 2017 draft, Christina “Gibby” Gibbons will join the U-23 team as the US head to play in the Open Nordic Tournament. The last player called up will be Desiree Scott to the Canadian National Team. The FIFA break will be observed in the NWSL who won’t have another game for KC until the 17th against the Seattle Reign.

SPR’s Kevin Oliveira Called Up

Not to be left out of all the call-up news (Sporting KC also have four players who will be away this weekend) the Swope Park Rangers superstar midfielder Kevin Oliveira has joined the Cape Verde National Team for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. This is Oliveira’s first call-up for the senior team in a competitive match. Cape Verde has just one game on June 10th against Uganda. Kevin has struggled recently in USL as he returns from a serious knee injury though he is second on the team with two goals.

SKC Academy Update

The Sporting KC Academy keeps showing the future is bright after they qualified for the playoffs on the heels of a second place finish in the US Soccer Frontier Division (behind only FC Dallas). They learned their group stage opponents yesterday and will play against Atlanta United, FC Boston Bolts and the LA Galaxy in the U-17/18 Division and Weston FC (FL), Pateodores (CA) and Everton FC Westchester (NY). The group stage will take place June 22-26th in Indiana.

One player worth watching is striker Leroy Enzugusi who is under contract with the Swope Park Rangers as well. He scored 14 goals this season.

For the younger guys the U-12 and U-13 teams won their respective Kansas State Cup titles two days ago.

Quick Hits

• Ike Opara and Tim Melia get snubbed for USMNT call-ups (but really, they can’t all be gone or who will SKC play).
• SKC are historically good at home this year. The last time they were this successful was 2004 and before that 2000 and both years trophies were won. Mmmm trophies!
• Ike Opara made the MLS Team of the Week
• Oumar Ballo made the USL Team of the Week in his first start of the year.
• SKC made an appearance in the Apple Developer’s Keynote. Random.
• Sporting opened the Wyandotte Sporting Fields.
• KC are up to 5th in the MLS Power Rankings