The Blue Testament: For Sporting Kc Fans

We're inching closer to the new season! The kits are released, the launch party was a success, and Sporting Kansas City is wrapping up the preseason. So we were joined by Chad Reynolds, Creative Director of Sporting Kansas City to get the inside scoop on the team. The Swiss Dots of the new secondary kit have been received quite well by SKC fans and MLS fans alike. That is, of course, after an initial dislike of leaked images. It's so easy to look at a design and say, "Why didn't you do this? Or, "It should have some of that on it." But the years' long process of kit design is a very interesting and often times frustrating job. Chad discusses the intricacies of the new kit as well as his favorite & least favorite ones since he joined the team all the way back in 2006. Where is the napkin containing the original sketch of the "State Line"? When will you bring back the argyle? Why did you design a jersey that looks like it has been run over by a truck? Chad. From KC is anything but shy and we cover it all in thi

Peter Vermes has added another piece to his midfield ahead of the 2020 season with the arrival of Gadi Kinda. In this episode Cody, Robert, and Thad cover all your questions about the 25-year-old out of Beitar Jerusalem. As it often goes, there has been some confusion around the terms of the deal. Is Kinda here on loan or is it just a straight transfer? His agent and former coach have referred to the deal as a transfer, while Sporting Kansas City says it is a loan. We also talk about the money and whether he is a Designated Player or not. But how important are those labels anymore anyway? Vermes sees Kinda as a box-to-box, #8 midfielder who possesses the strict defensive standards he requires from his players, while being dangerous going forward as well. So where will he play? Will he fight Roger Espinoza for playing time? Robert wonders what this means for the plethora of young talent with SKC and if it will be another year where the likes of Felipe Hernandez & Gianluca Busio aren't able to get enough first

A new year and a new season of the Shades of Blue Soccer Show! That's right, they have yet to kick us out of the studio. And we are starting this year off with a bang as club legend Jimmy Nielsen joins Cody, Robert, and Thad for a very long show. The White Puma was rather candied as he spoke about his youth career all the way up to his coaching career. He and his family have come back to KC after a brief stint as the head coach of Hartford Athletic, where he was far from happy. He shared some wonderfully kind words about Kansas City that will warm the heart of any native. The Cauldron, of course, gave him fond memories that we all enjoyed revisiting. For the league and club's 25th anniversary season, we will be having on several former players and staff all season long to take a look back through the years. We asked Nielsen his thoughts on the progression of Sporting Kansas City and Major League Soccer as a whole. He had some hilarious stories to tell about shenanigans of old teammates like Casey Keller, Kei

Wednesday was a historic day as Sporting Kansas City announced the long-awaited singing of a Designated Player striker. We talk about the money and what it means to the club, we talk about Alan Pulido as a player, and then after the break we discuss his expectations and what the new Starting XI looks like. Jimmy Mack joined the show for the first time along with Thad and Cody. Whether the price was $9.5 million or closer to $6 million, Peter Vermes held to his word about jumping a couple tiers into MLS 3.0. He spoke of "plateau negotiating" in the media conference call on Thursday. Listen to a clip of what he describes as an interesting situation in spending more money. Liga MX strikers have a fantastic track record of translating their success in Major League Soccer. Sporting KC appear to have finally found that proven scorer who will simply put away the chances he's given, something they've missed all the way back to the days of Dom Dwyer. Can the 28-year-old Mexico international possibly live up to the exp

Plenty to talk about this week as Major League Soccer announced the 2020 conference alignment on Tuesday, the KC Comets are in action, and the potential for Peter Vermes to spend money at a new level. David Beckham's Miami will enter the Eastern Conference and Nashville will play in the Western Conference which makes the two even at 13 teams a piece. However, this means the schedule is now unbalanced and each team will no longer play every other team in the league over the course of a season. What might this mean for the Supporters' Shield? How long will it remain like this? And where will Sporting Kansas City end up when they finally reach 30 teams? The re-entry draft also continued this week with Juan Agudelo & Saad Abdul-Salaam being selected. Our thoughts & prayers go out to SAS in his new venture with Cincinnati FC. We also spend some time in the Kansas City Comets and Thad will let you know what they have been up to. Vermes recently had a press conference in which he spoke a lot about new capital and SK

The podcast crew was finally back at it again for another episode on Thanksgiving week. It has been a while so everyone was a bit rusty and things got weird, but we cover everything happening in the SKC-verse right now. The expansion draft is done and the roster moves have been announced. We share what we like and of course what we didn't like, for the team as well as for our hearts. Peter Vermes can now focus on filling in any holes he sees on the roster and we'll tell you what we would like to see. You'll get a full rundown of all the players who are out but Jimmy Medranda is the one that hurts us the most. But we talk about how and why this happened so we can begin the stages of grieving. Seth Sinovic is another fan favorite that sparks a debate about Sporting Legends that brings in the departure of Benny Feilhaber as well. We cover the Adrian Zendejas trade and the current keeper situation. Although Dick jokes are very difficult to avoid. Is there anyone you are happy to see gone? The frustrating Krisztia

You just knew it was going to happen right? Sporting Kansas City was officially eliminated from playoff contention after letting Minnesota United come from behind to win 2-1 on Wednesday night. That match, and the loss to the Colorado Rapids, were both done in the same fashion. SKC fans saw an early lead and were bracing for a collapse that we all knew was coming. Cody, Robert, and Thad were in the studio and actually in pretty good spirits. Missing the playoffs was a forgone conclusion for a while and now that it's official, the pressure is off. A weight has been lifted! But we looked back at the last two losses and talked about Daniel Salloi's struggles, the ratio of Gerso Fernandes' proximity to goal vs the likelihood he will score, and Gianluca Busio's performance. You'll also get a little bit of Ultimate Frisbee talk as a bonus. After the break we took some time to touch on the situation with the South Stand Supporters Club and the SKC front office. The South Stand has been asked to move to the Cauldron,

We here at The Blue Testament understand your pain and want to provide a safe space to express yourself and work through emotions during this difficult time. Cody, Robert, & Thad got in the studio to share what is on their minds after Sporting Kansas City were destroyed by the Galaxy, eliminating (nearly) all hope of making the playoffs. We look for other, more positive soccer topics to discuss, including the good things going on from the Swope Park Rangers. And we finish by discussing this weekend's match vs the Colorado Rapids. Just lay down on our couch and let us know how that 7-2 beating from the Los Angeles Galaxy makes you feel. We aren't used to this sort of thing as Sporting KC fans. As Thad points out, this is the first time as SKC they haven't made the playoffs, the first time with a full season of Vermes, and first time in Children's Mercy Park as well! We're lucky to have had the last decade of quality soccer. But we share everything on our minds and what has everyone upset. After the break we ch

We're all feeling things we have never felt with Sporting Kansas City on the brink of elimination before the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. Cody and Robert sit down for some group therapy, or a podcast, rather. Certain players will have a lot to prove before the offseason arrives, but first we look at this weekend's match-up against Zlatan and the Los Angeles Galaxy. The podcast was recorded just before the Major League Soccer Wednesday night matches, but SKC is focusing on four teams. RSL, DAL, POR, and LAG are technically within striking distance and SKC needs at least two of them to falter. Which two teams give us the best chance to make a miraculous run to the post season? Peter Vermes has a lot of decisions to make this off season. But the players have a few more games to make their mark. We go line-by-line to decide who has the most to prove. Daniel Salloi is the most obvious, but a couple players on the backline have questions to be answered as well. And can Erik Hurtado cement himself

This week's podcast covers SKC's 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo, a huge match on Saturday in Portland, as well as a USA vs Mexico discussion. Graham Smith has stepped up when this team needed it the most. He's solidified the back line during a string of wins by one-goal margins and provided help on the attacking end as well. Ilie Sanchez has been getting a break recently, starting on the bench with Gutierrez in his spot. Why has this been working so well? Many have tried to replace Seth Sinovic, and Luis Martins is next in line to attempt it. He has been improving every game and the Sporting Kansas City win over the Dynamo was his best yet. Can he hold that spot down? Of course, with the biggest game of the year coming up against the Portland Timbers, Sporting will be without six players. Felipe Gutierrez and Johnny Russell will have the biggest impact. What will this mean for Peter Vermes' lineup. and can they still pull out a win to go level with the Timbers? It's time for the United States Men's National

This week it was just Cody and Thad in the studio taking a couple questions from Twitter about Yohan Croizet, the string of call-ups for Sporting Kansas City players, and what sort of impact it will have on the team. We also look ahead and preview potential lineups against the Houston Dynamo this weekend. Where in the world is Croizet? Is he even technically still with the team? Is it the team or the player that has created this situation? We discuss what Peter Vermes had to say about it. Johnny Russel, Boton Borath, Krisztian Nemeth, Felipe Gutierrez, Nico Hasler, and Gianluca Busio have all been called into their respective national teams and will be leaving the team after the Houston match. SKC will be without them for an incredibly important match with the Portland Timbers. But for this weekend, it looks like almost everyone is back to health. What will Vermes do with so many options for his lineuup this week? We've got the report from the training ground. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone

With an odd Thursday match this week Cody, Robert, and Thad have a fresh new podcast covering all things Sporting Kansas City - and Missouri soccer. Saturday's big comeback win over San Jose Earthquakes was a breath of fresh air as we saw glimpses of the SKC team we know and love. But will it actually be the start of something, or will they follow this up with another loss as we've seen several times this season? Graham Smith has established himself as the backup centerback to Besler & Barath, plus Luis Martins had a solid match by not being very noticeable. St. Louis has finally been awarded an MLS team. It has been a long time coming and will mean a lot for soccer in Midwest, the league, and for fans wanting to see a true rivalry. But what might this mean for the expansive Sporting KC Academy? Minnesota United is far from a real rival, as the fans from both teams are as friendly with eachother as humanly possible. Thad is really "peeved" about the late 8:30pm kickoff in the middle of the week. What was MLS

We're officially in the darkest timeline.. But the podcast is here to fix Sporting Kansas City. Cody, Robert, and Thad were in the studio to discuss Wednesday's disappointing loss at the hands of Orlando City. Peter Vermes was forced into three experiments in this one with Gianluca Busio on the wing, Jimmy Medranda up top, and Graham Smith at centerback. We decide what worked and what should never, ever happen again. A new segment was introduced this week as the team struggles so heavily - Pod Save the Team. Because we have all the answers on this podcast. What can be done to fix this and get SKC into the post season? We were also joined by Daniel Sperry once again and he was able to share with us some great insight into Saturday's opponent, the San Jose Earthquakes. And as always we go through each part of the lineup and figure out what Peter Vermes should do with his Starting XI this weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every time we think this Sporting Kansas City team is ready to climb out of the abyss, they just sink deeper. They had a big opportunity to chip away at their deficit in the playoff race against Real Salt Lake on Saturday but after a 2-1 loss, they are sitting eight points out right now. Misery loves company right? We were joined by Daniel Sperry to talk about the loss and prepare for the midweek match against Orlando City. A Peter Vermes team is always very organized and smart on defense. Always, except for right now. We talk about what is going on with the defense and why things look so different than SKC fans are used to from their defense. Felipe Gutierrez had us talking last week about him being the leader and perhaps putting the team on his back, but his missed penalty put a damper on things. Another play from the RSL match that proved vital was the no-call on a penalty kick. What say you... pen or no pen? Daniel Salloi has yet to score in what has been an incredibly disappointing MLS season for him, wh

The gang's all here! Aly was back at it again on Wednesday night with Cody, Robert, and Thad to revisit the huge win over Seattle and preview Saturday's equally important match with RSL. Sporting Kansas City got the 3-2 win over the Seattle Sounders last week on the back of a Felipe Gutierrez brace. The Chilean has stepped up as of late, both on and off the field. Can he be the guy to put SKC on his back and climb up the ladder into the playoffs? We also discuss the encouraging start (and goal) from Erik Hurtado in Krisztian Nemeth's absence. He brings something different to the table and the fans are here for it. Botond Borath has claimed the starting role, but is Andreu Fontas really as bad as the criticism he's been receiving? He won't be winning a footrace anytime soon, but the entire back line is lacking in the speed department. Do you blame centerbacks or the fullbacks? There was also some breaking news while we were recording as Kelyn Rowe was traded to RSL in exchange for $75,000 in TAM as well as an

The podcast is back after a buy week to discuss Sporting Kansas City's loss to FC Dallas, players returning from injury, and give a preview of Friday's match in NYC. There was something in the stadium on July 20th that prevent anyone from making a shot on target. Everyone except Dallas, that is. We discuss Saturday's Media Game and how Cody wasn't the only one who couldn't manage a shot on target. SKC took 18 shots on the day and it wasn't until later in the 2nd half they managed to get two of them on goal. Coming off two straight wins it was a gut punch to lose this one at home. But the return of Roger Espinoza was a breath of fresh air and something this team was missing desperately for too long.  We have seen the light at the end of the tunnel for this stretch of injuries and everyone is back training except for Jaylin Lindsey and Rodney Wallace. Roger is a big one but while we still have the famous question of "Who is the striker" right now, Erik Hurtado will be welcomed back with open arms. We have a lin

Riddled with injuries and inter-state duty, the podcast roster was down to Cody and Thad this week. But the summer of soccer has given us a lot to discuss as of late. The United States Women's National Team are FIFA World Cup Champions for the fourth time and the celebrations have been so much fun to watch! The USMNT were able to make the Gold Cup final against Mexico, but still came up a bit short falling 1-0. And SKC get a much needed win that hopefully marks the beginning of their climb through the ranks of the West. With Megan Rapinoe & Rose Lavelle netting the goals, the US took down the Netherlands to become World Champs yet again. The country, especially Kansas City, were all the way behind them and the party has yet to stop. The girls are enjoying the wave, but how long will this last? Can the NWSL parlay this hype into something more for the sport? The scenes from PnL (somehow) had some wondering if fans were to blame for the demise of FCKC. Thad is a HUGE fan of the women's game and we discuss the f

It's a great week for soccer in Kansas City with Sporting finally getting a win over Columbus, the United States Women beat Spain in the World Cup, and the USMNT is coming to Children's Mercy Park on Wednesday! Cody, Bob, and Thad were in the studio on Monday night to talk about all the wins coming in. The match may not have been the prettiest, but Sporting Kansas City claimed all three points over the Columbus Crew and are starting to show signs of their old selves. Tim Melia was back to his old tricks as he bailed the team out more times than we can count. Botond Barath also gets some praise in the podcast after establishing himself as a rock for the defense. Benny Feilhaber had absolutely no idea what was going on when SKC got the goal. It was a really, really bad look for him. But the podcast found it hilarious. Spain proved to be quite the test for the USWNT on Monday, but they advance after two penalty kicks that sparked a lot of discussion. Don't you just love a good ol' "Pen or No-Pen" argument?! With

Sporting Kansas City took a week off and the podcast decided to use that time to recover as well. Cody, Aly, Robert, and Thad were back in the studio to cover a very busy summer of soccer. The Women's World Cup is in full swing and the USWNT caused a stir with their celebrations in a 13-0 win. The United States Men's National Team kicks off the Gold Cup after struggling heavily as of late. Plus, Sporting Kansas City will try to pull themselves out of a slump against the Columbus Crew this weekend. Aly and Thad have some strong opinions on Megan Rapinoe's (perhaps) excessive celebration. This is the World Cup, not little league. But where do you stand? Was this a close-knit team having fun - or was it rubbing it in the face of a team that didn't stand a chance? The USMNT has been quite the dumpster fire and they haven't inspired a ton of confidence heading into the Concacaf Gold Cup that they kicked off on Wednesday night. The team has gotten away from what so many fans took pride in - grit. What is the minimu

Something has to give, right? Sporting KC got the monkey off their back with a 3-2 win over Seattle Sounders, but the troubles continued against a tough Los Angeles Galaxy team. Vermes' hand has been forced several times and he is just clearly "over it" when it comes to the injuries, suspensions, and national team duty. The crew discusses the last two matches, including Johnny F. Russell in all his glory. In the Seattle match, we saw Yohan Croizet step up to the challenge and really have a big impact on the win. But after just three days rest, Croizet - and the rest of the team - was a little flat-footed. The lack of rest definitely played a role, but SKC had plenty of chances to get a result against the Galaxy. They were punished for two mistakes with two goals. Looking ahead to the weekend, SKC travel to take on the Houston Dynamo. Just what the doctor ordered... another match on short rest in the Texas heat. Things won't be getting easier as the Dynamo are off to a hot start this season. We examine potenti