Thursday, February 07, 2013

New Trialists in Orlando

Sporting KC today released an updated preseason roster ahead of their beginning training in Orlando for the final phase of preseason and the Disney Pro Soccer Classic.  Two new trialists are in camp, while two are no longer with the team.

Not joining the team in Orlando is second round supplemental draft pick, Mitchell Cardenas.  As long as he's not claimed off waivers, Sporting will retain his MLS rights as he'll go onto their "College Protected List." (And this just leads me again to question the trade Sporting had to make to get Michael Thomas... but I digress.)

Other other player not joining the team in Orlando is Sporting Juniors player, David Leichty.  I wouldn't read too much into that one, I have a feeling Leichty was just getting an extended look by the coaching staff.

On the other side of things, joining Sporting in camp now is Nick Zimmerman and Adama Mbengue.  Zimmerman spent two years in MLS in 2009 and 2010 with the New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union.  Zimmerman has spent the last two years in the NASL, playing with the Carolina Railhawks where the forward has scored 20 goals in 53 regular season matches.  Not a horrible strike rate for him.

Mbengue is an Orlando City midfielder, the second Orlando City player KC has brought in this preseason along with Mechack Jerome.  He's a 19 year old Senegalese player who appeared in 11 games with the club in his first season as a professional.

Sporting's first preseason game in Orlando will be this Saturday against Montreal.

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