Friday, May 11, 2012

Sporting KC to Play Stoke City

Yesterday, Columbus announced that they would be playing a friendly against Stoke City in Columbus this summer.  At the time I made the joke that this was the only game that had been announced and said that KC still hadn't announced a summer friendly yet.  Today, rumors are starting to make the rounds that Stoke City is in fact who KC will play this summer in their friendly.  Aaron Swarts, producer on The Border Patrol posted on Twitter that he'd been hearing August 1st as the date for the game between Sporting and the Potters.   The game is also currently posted on Ticketmaster as of this posting, which would confirm the friendly.
The August 1 date is a Wednesday, and falls between a league game at home on Saturday the 7/28 vs Columbus and an away game on 8/4 in New England.  KC is currently 1-0-1 against EPL teams, having beaten Manchester United 2 years ago, 2-1 and drawing with Newcastle United 0-0 this past summer.  The part that likes to get played up about those two friendlies is the fact that United didn't lose another game after that loss to KC until sometime in the new year on their way to the Premier League title that year.  Newcastle this year after playing KC are trying to wrap up a Champion's League birth for next season.
Can't say I'm overly thrilled with this one.  Stoke isn't exactly flashy like Manchester United.  And doesn't have a big following, like Newcastle United does.  I'm not saying I won't be going, cause I'll be there, but I'm not "stoked" about it.  Yes I pulled out that pun. :)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Stoke isn't exactly flashy like Manchester United."

You can say that again. Personally, I'd rather the team have the time-off to stay fresh and healthy during the meat of the league schedule rather than some one-off against a team only hard-core soccer nerds have heard of.

Jon said...

Ha, nice pun Mike.

Anonymous said...

Stoke plays a hard-nosed, tough style. Easily could be 1-1 here. And if u watch European soccer at all or the Premier League Stoke City is a regular almost.