Sporting Kansas City Re-sign Mustivar and Nagamura
Soni Mustivar, 2015 C0-Defender of the year, and Paulo Nagamura signed new contracts to return to Sporting Kansas City for the 2016 season.
When it was announced that both players were still yet unsigned and both went through the initial phases of free agency the possible loss of two valuable pieces from the 2015 roster would’ve proven exceedingly difficult to fill.
Mustivar was in this writer’s opinion the second best signing only behind Krisztian Nemeth. The need for defensive cover in the midfield was addressed with his signing and the prospect of trying to find a replacement was not a task that I would’ve welcomed.
Nagamura has been around the club since signing with the team in 2012. He has been part of the three recent championship wins with two US Open Cup wins in 2012 and 2015 and MLS Cup in 2013. He brings a solid pair of feet and has been good at coming off the bench to provide quality minutes when needed. His speaking Portuguese allows the club to have a voice that can easily relate to any Portuguese or Brazilian that the club should sign.
Sporing Kansas City Signs Daniel Salloi as a Homegrown Player
The fourth HGP to be signed by the club Daniel Salloi, a 19 year old forward, came through the Sporting KC academy via spending the 2014-15 school year at Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas as an exchange student. with the U-18 he led the team in scoring with 21 goals in 28 appearances in the US Soccer Development Academy league.
Following the season Salloi re-joined the Budapest side Ujpest FC where he had played at in the U-17, U-17 and U-21 levels. While just signing an amateur contract with the club in July the Hungarian youngster made a total of 16 league and cup appearances with seven goals and four assists.
Having personally seen this player with the academy team I had figured he was lost to playing in the top division of Hungary. As he was still on an amateur contract Sporting will have really slipped through and got a real steal.
Swope Park Rangers Sign Two Players
Oumar Ballo, 24 year old defender, was chosen by Houston Dynamo in the second round of the 2015 SuperDraft where he spent the 2015 USL season on loan with the Charleston Battery. His college career was a full four years at the University of Maryland – Baltimore County. In his senior season he helped UMBC reach the NCAA College Cup for the first time in 2014.
Ualefi Rodrigues dos Reis, 21 year old Brazilian defender, comes from Brazilian giant Corinthians where he joind the academy in 2007. He graduated to the senior side in 2012.
These two signings bring the squad total up to 10. While the squad is taking shape I foresee the 2016 season to very much be a learning curve for the Sporting KC brass though any development of players to benefit the senior team will prove the worthiness of this new additional developmental
Swope Park Rangers Sigh Two Coaches
Nikola Popovic, 42 year old dual citizen (Portugal and Serbia), has been the epitome of a journeyman coach. Most recently assistant with Portuguese side Benfica B, Popovic started in the 2005-06 season in the Segunda Division of Portugal with CD Olivais e Moscavide.
His travels would take his to different parts of the globe including Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Spain, and Bulgaria.
Currently Popovic hold a UEFA Pro coaching license, the highest available through UEFA.
Alec Duffy, 28 year old goalkeeper coach, spent the 2015 season coaching the goalkeepers at Toronto FC II. Duffy’s travels have taken him to Glorida Gulf Coast and the University of Illinois Chicago.
Beyond goalkeeper coaching Duffy will work also as a coach for the Sporting KC U-18 & U-16 Academy teams.
