Friday, March 25, 2016

Sporting Loan Three to Swope Park

The Swope Park Rangers kick off their inaugural season tomorrow night at Children's Mercy Park against the Portland Timbers 2. Ahead of their first game, the parent club, Sporting KC has sent three players from the first team on loan to the Rangers ahead of the game, Jon Kempin, Jimmy Medranda, and Daniel Salloi. All three were expected to spend time with the Rangers this season ahead of their first team and all should get plenty of playing experience with the USL side.

Kempin spent all of the Rangers preseason training with them. After spending the first portion of Sporting KC preseason with the first team, Kempin moved to the Rangers for the second half of Sporting's preseason. Kempin is likely expected to the starter for the Rangers, getting him the experience that Sporting KC has been trying to get him for the last two years on loan, only to be stopped due to goalkeeping injuries, inconsistencies, and departures. Hopefully in 2016 Kempin can finally get the chance to be a full time starter. If he does struggle, or KC goes through more goalkeeping issues, the club has two other goalkeepers, veteran, Zac Lubin and academy player, Steven Tekesky.

Medranda was another player from Sporting KC that spent the second half of preseason in Arizona training with the Rangers instead of Sporting KC. Medranda started all of the Rangers games in the Desert Diamond Cup. Since then though Medranda has been a fixture in the 18 man roster on each of Sporting's first three games. In fact he's been the first substitute off the bench for KC in their 1-0 win over Seattle and 2-1 win over Vancouver. He did not make the field in KC's last game against Toronto though. With Benny Feilhaber returning to health it would seem Medranda's spot in the 18 would likely go to him instead allowing him to go to the Rangers where he'll get more consistent minutes.

The final player loaned, Salloi has been a fixture in the 18 for Kansas City over the first three games of the season, but has yet to make his debut for Sporting KC. With the acquisition of Diego Rubio on loan, Salloi's time in the 18 was likely limited to begin with so this loan isn't much of a surprise, even though Salloi didn't spend any time with the Rangers during preseason. The announcement about the moves doesn't indicate a length of time for any of the three, but if Rubio isn't ready to be in the 18 come next week against Real Salt Lake, Salloi could very easily be recalled and be in the 18 for Sporting KC on Saturday against RSL.

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