Across State Lines: Sapong and Abdul-Salaam Join New Teams

The MLS regular season kicks off this weekend with a full slate of games after five teams kicked off CONCACAF Champions League play this past week. Two former Sporting Kansas City players though will be in new colors in 2019. Over the weekend, former first round draft pick, CJ Sapong was traded to the Chicago Fire for allocation money that could eventually reach $450,000. Sapong had played in 123 games for the Philadelphia Union over his four years there, scoring 36 goals, including a career high 16 in 2017. In 2018 though Sapong’s goal scoring dropped to just 4 goals and with a crowded forward line, Sapong was sent to Chicago.

Elsewhere, Saad Abdul-Salaam was out of contract after the 2018 season, but New York City FC had made him a qualifying offer to hang on to his MLS rights. Recently though Abdul-Salaam had showed up in preseason camp with the Seattle Sounders, playing in a number of preseason games. This week they made a trade, sending NYCFC $50,000 in allocation money for Abdul-Salaam’s MLS rights and signed the outside back to a new contract.

While those are the only two moving within MLS this week, two other former players also signed with new teams this week. Former homegrown defender, Matt Lewis has joined the New York Cosmos ahead of their NPSL season. Cristian Lobato, who started the 2018 season opener at left back for Kansas City signed today for UA Cornella in his native Spain.

Here’s the rest of this week’s update.

Key

SKC - former Sporting KC players

ACA - former Sporting KC academy players

KC - Kansas City area players

Note: Players under contract to Sporting Kansas City at this time are not included on this list.

International

Korede Aiyegbusi (SKC) - Amical Saint-Prex - Switzerland - No game until 3/16.

Ever Alvarado (SKC) - Olimpia - Honduras - Started and played 90 minutes in Olimpia’s 3-1 win over Real de Minas.

Emiliano Amor (SKC) - Aldosivi - Argentina - Started and played 90 minues in Aldosivi’s 0-0 draw with Gimnasia La Plata.

Scott Angevine (SKC) - MP - Finland - No game until March.

Bernardo Anor (SKC) - Caracas - Venezuela - Started and played 90 minutes in Caracas’ 2-0 loss to Melgar. Did not dress in Caracas’ 1-0 loss to Academia Puerto Cabello. Started and played 90 minutes in Caracas’ 2-1 win over Melgar.

Stefan Antonijevic (SKC) - Lillestrom - Norway - No game until 3/30.

Ezra Armstrong (ACA) - Turkspor Augsburg - Germany - No game until 3/2.

Claudio Bieler (SKC) - San Martin Tucuman - Argentina - Came off the bench and played 23 minutes, recording an assist in San Martin’s 2-1 loss to River Plate.

Sunil Chhetri (SKC) - Bengaluru - India - Did not dress in Bengaluru’s 3-0 win over Goa.

Jorge Claros (SKC) - Real Espana - Honduras - Did not dress in Real’s 1-1 draw with UPNFM.

Nuno Coelho (SKC) - GD Chaves - Portugal - Did not dress in Chaves’ 4-0 loss to Benfica.

Daneil Cyrus (SKC) - Al Orubah - Saudi Arabia - Lost 3-1 to Al Kawkab.

Marcel de Jong (SKC) - Pacific FC - Canada - No game until 4/28.

Toni Dovale (SKC) - East Bengal - India - Came off the bench and played 33 minutes in East Bengal’s 1-1 draw with Aizawl.

Luis Gil (SKC) - Queretaro - Mexico - Did not dress in either of Queretaro’s games.

Elvir Ibisevic (ACA) - NK Celje - Slovenia - Did not dress in Celje’s 4-3 win over Gorica.

Will John (SKC) - Lokomotivi Tbilisi - Georgia - No game until 3/2.

Peterson Joseph (SKC) - Hang Yuen - Taiwan - No game until 4/2.

Benji Joya (SKC) - Irapuato - Mexico - Defeated Sporting Canamy 3-1.

Igor Juliao (SKC) - Fluminense - Brazil - Dressed but did not play in either of Fluminense’s games.

Michael Kafari (SKC) - Motala AIF FK - Sweden - No game until 4/6.

Seo-In Kim (ACA) - Qormi FC - Malta - No game this week.

Igor Kostrov (SKC) - Slavia-Mozyr - Belarus - Offseason.

Cristian Lobato (SKC) - UE Cornella - Spain - Just signed for the club.

James Marcelin (SKC) - FC Edmonton - Canada - No game until 5/4.

Kyle McLagan (KC) - FC Roskilde - Denmark - No game until 3/3.

Michal Mravec (SKC) - FK Trinec - Czech Republic - No game until 3/1.

Soni Mustivar (SKC) - Neftchi Baku - Azerbaijan - Started and played 90 minutes in Neftchi’s 2-1 loss to Sebail.

Erik Palmer-Brown (SKC) - NAC Breda (Manchester City) - Started and played 90 minutes in Breda’s 0-0 draw with Groningen.

Pablo Punyed (SKC) - KR - Iceland - No game this week.

Jordi Quintilla (SKC) - FC St. Gallen - Switzerland - Started and played 90 minutes in St. Gallen’s 2-2 draw with Sion.

Max Rugova (ACA) - FC Nurnberg U19s - Germany - Did not play in Nurnberg’s 5-0 loss to Mainz.

Soony Saad (SKC) - Al Ansar - Lebanon - Started and played 85 minutes in Al Ansar’s 2-2 draw with Bekaa.

Peter Schmetz (SKC) - Wuppertaler SV - Germany - Came off the bench and played 10 minutes in Wuppertaler’s 2-0 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach II.

Khiry Shelton (SKC) - SC Paderborn 07 - Germany - Out injured.

Yann Songo’o (SKC) - Plymouth Argyle - England - Started and played 90 minutes in Plymouth’s 5-1 win over Rochdale.

Martin Steuble (SKC) - Ceres-La Salle - Philippines - Started and played 90 minutes in Ceres’ 3-2 win over Shan United.

Milos Stojcev (SKC) - Tuzla City - Bosnia - Came off the bench and played 33 minutes in Tuzla’s 3-0 loss to Sarajevo.

International women

Maegan Kelly (KC) - Atalanta Femminile - Italy - No game until 3/16.

Sydney Miramontez (KC) - Western Sydney - Australia - Offseason.

Indoor

Jose Burciaga (SKC) - Dallas - Did not play in Dallas’ 5-4 win over Tacoma.

Mitchell Cardenas (SKC) - Rio Grande Valley - Played in RGV’s 7-6 shootout win over Ontario.

Kevin Ellis (SKC) - Kansas City - Scored 2 goals in the Comets’ 9-4 win over Orlando.

Adam James (KC) - Kansas City - Playd in the Comets’ 9-4 win over Orlando.

Mike Jones (SKC) - Dallas - Played in Dallas’ 5-4 win over Tacoma.

Patrick Kelly (KC) - Kansas City - Did not play in the Comets’ 9-4 win over Orlando.

Robert Kelly (KC) - Kansas City - Did not play in the Comets’ 9-4 win over Orlando.

Boris Pardo (SKC) - San Diego - No game this week.

Lucas Rodriguez (KC) - Kansas City - Did not play in the Comets’ 9-4 win over Orlando.

Mark Saxby (KC) - Kansas City - Did not play in the Comets’ 9-4 win over Orlando.

MLS

Saad Abdul-Salaam (SKC) - Seattle - No game until 3/2.

Jalil Anibaba (SKC) - New England - No game until 3/2.

Nick Besler (KC) - Salt Lake - No game until 3/2.

Latif Blessing (SKC) - LAFC - No game until 3/3.

Teal Bunbury (SKC) - New England - No game until 3/2.

Servando Carrasco (SKC) - LA - No game until 3/2.

Aurelien Collin (SKC) - Philadelphia - No game until 3/2.

Dom Dwyer (SKC) - Orlando - No game until 3/2.

Benny Feilhaber (SKC) - Colorado - No game until 3/2.

Kortne Ford (KC) - Colorado - No game until 3/2.

Kei Kamara (SKC) - Colorado - No game until 3/2.

Alec Kann (SKC) - Atlanta - Dressed but did not play in Atlanta’s 3-1 loss to Herediano.

Jon Kempin (SKC) - Columbus - No game until 3/2.

Ike Opara (SKC) - Minnesota - No game until 3/2.

Tony Rocha (SKC) - New York City - No game until 3/2.

Oriol Rosell (SKC) - Orlando - No game until 3/2.

Diego Rubio (SKC) - Colorado - No game until 3/2.

CJ Sapong (SKC) - Chicago - No game until 3/2.

USL Championship

Joe Amico (ACA) - Orange County - No game until 3/9.

Kharlton Belmar (SKC) - Nashville - No game until 3/9.

Camilo Benitez (ACA) - Swope Park - No game until 3/9.

Amadou Dia (SKC) - Phoenix - No game until 3/9.

Amer Didic (SKC) - San Antonio - No game until 3/9.

Christian Duke (SKC) - Orange County - No game until 3/9.

Kyle Greig (KC) - Saint Louis - No game until 3/9.

Wilson Harris (ACA) - Swope Park - No game until 3/9.

Felipe Hernandez (SKC) - Swope Park - No game until 3/9.

Cyprian Hedrick (SKC) - Tulsa - No game until 3/9.

Cameron Iwasa (SKC) - Sacramento - No game until 3/9.

Ryan James (SKC) - Pittsburgh - No game until 3/16.

Mechack Jerome (SKC) - El Paso - No game until 3/9.

Ray Lee (ACA) - Hartford - No game until 3/9.

Will Little (ACA) - Swope Park - No game until 3/9.

Mikey Lopez (SKC) - Birmingham - No game until 3/9.

Alex Martinez (SKC) - Charlotte - No game until 3/15.

Alex Molano (SKC) - Colorado Springs - No game until 3/16.

James Musa (SKC) - Phoenix - No game until 3/9.

Amobi Okugo (SKC) - Austin - No game until 3/9.

Kevin Oliveira (SKC) - Ottawa - No game until 3/9.

Tyler Pasher (SKC) - Indy - No game until 3/9.

Camden Riley (SKC) - Swope Park - No game until 3/9.

Ray Saari (KC) - Sacramento - No game until 3/9.

Alex Tambakis (SKC) - North Carolina - No game until 3/9.

Kris Tyrpak (SKC) - Austin - No game until 3/9.

Christian Volesky (SKC) - Pittsburgh - No game until 3/16.

USL1

Will Bagrou (SKC) - Orlando - No game until 3/30.

Brandon Fricke (ACA) - Lansing - No game until 3/30.

Ualefi (SKC) - Chattanooga - No game until 3/30.

Wilfred Williams (SKC) - Orlando - No game until 3/30.

NWSL

Dorian Bailey (KC) - Washington - Offseason.

Shea Groom (KC) - Seattle - Offseason.

Haley Hanson (KC) - Houston - Offseason.

CeCe Kizer (KC) - Houston - Offseason.

Mandy Laddish (KC) - Utah - Offseason.

NPSL

Tomas Granitto (SKC) - Miami FC - Offseason.

Matt Lewis (SKC) - New York - Offseason.

Active without a club or unknown

Emmanuel Appiah (SKC)

Hakim Diaw (ACA)

Andrew Dykstra (SKC)

Pablo Escobar (SKC)

David Greczek (SKC)

Cody Hoffman (KC)

Tanner Hunjak (KC)

Chris Konopka (SKC)

Blake Levine (ACA)

Parker Maher (SKC)

Kamar Marriott (SKC)

Franky Martinez (SKC)

Yura Movsisyan (SKC)

Lawrence Olum (SKC)

Jacob Peterson (SKC)

Alberto Sanchez (ACA)

Nansel Selbol (SKC)

Colton Storm (SKC)

Zach Wright (SKC)

Sal Zizzo (SKC)