Blue Links: Behind the Scenes, Halloween, Vermes, Zusi, Busio

All the best, most important stories about Sporting Kansas City and a few others about other, less important, teams.

Kansas City

• Another fantastic Behind the Shield for Sunday’s win over LAFC. This time featuring The Blue Testament’s own Aly Trost asking a question at the press conference to kick off the video. Good job Aly! (SKC YouTube)

• “Sporting Kansas City Director of Communications Kurt Austin and Assistant Director of Player Personnel Meghan Cameron joined the United Soccer Coaches podcast on Wednesday to discuss Sporting KC and the Swope Park Rangers with program host Dean Linke.” (SKC)
• In their playoff preview series, AMA takes a deep dive on Sporting Kansas City. They are always a good read. (American Soccer Analysis)
• Claim the Cup. I’m jacked up now. (SKC YouTube)

• 2018 was an epic regular season for Sporting KC that ended with more goals scored than ever in team history and evened a record of 1.91 goals per game set way back in 1996. They also set a road goal record as well as the goal differential record and finally equaled their all-time wins record. Whew. (SKC)
• In honor of the season, Sporting Kansas City released two Halloween videos. First, Ike Opara, Graham Zusi and Brad Evans visited The Beast. No thanks. (SKC YouTube)

• Then Eric Dick gets creepy with a prank on his teammates, including: Tim Melia, Felipe Gutierrez, Gerso Fernandes, Yohan Croizet, Gianluca Busio, Daniel Salloi, Graham Zusi and trainer Mateus Manoel. (SKC)

• Graham Zusi has the 21st most sold jersey in MLS. He’s the only Sporting KC player on the list but former player Dom Dwyer dropped in at #19. (SKC)

• Paul Tenorio does his end of year awards for 2018 and SKC are on the list. Peter Vermes is his pick for Coach of the Year. Graham Zusi is there too for Defender of the Year and in the Best XI as well. The case for Zusi: “He ranks first among defenders in chances created (66), second in recoveries (209), and fourth in duals won (154). He leads the league in touches (2,946) and is 11th in interceptions (65).” (The Athletic)
• ICYMI: American Soccer Analysis made a similar case for Zusi as Defender of the Year. No fullback has ever won. (ASA)
• ICYMI: Gianluca Busio is getting a lot of love around the league for a kid with next to no minutes. (MLS)
• One more look at your MLS Goal of the Week (SKC Twitter)

• The SKC Academy pull the sweep in Colorado over Real Colorado and the Colorado Rapids. Plus updates on the U-15s and U-19s. (SKC)
• Speaking of youth soccer, Sporting KC announced the Sporting Next Gen Invitational for U-9 through U-12 boys and girls. (SKC)
• Graham Zusi and Ilie Sanchez played every minute in 2018. They were two of the four players in the whole league to pull off the feat. (SKC)

Around the World

• Sleeve sponsors are coming to MLS in 2020 on a “four-year pilot.” They’ll be small, just 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches. But still.... (MLS)
• The league’s official site does a deep dive on former MLS players abroad. (MLS)
• Despite being injured, Atlanta United midfielder Miguel Almiron is rumored to be the subject of a €25 million bid from Tottenham Hotspurs of the English Premier League. (MLS)
• Diego Fagundez’s dad says the New England Revolution star could have played his last game with the Revs. (MLS)
• Vancouver Whitecaps center back Kendall Waston may have played his last game with the Caps too. (MLS)
• US Men’s National Team and Chicago Fire defender, Brandon Vincent, has announced his retirement from soccer at just 24-years of age. Crazy. (MLS)