Salloi Will Be Missed

Don’t meet your heroes. That’s how the old saying goes. But that isn’t the case when it comes to Daniel Salloi. Now I’m a 40-something year old, highly educated woman so I know that athletes aren’t actually heroes, but for the sake of this conversation we’ll go with it. 

My Sporting Kansas City history has been pretty well documented, but for those who may not know, I am kind of a soccer newbie. I became a casual fan in the run up to the MLS Cup in 2013, attended my first game in 2014 and became a season ticket holder in 2016. 

As I became a bigger fan of the team, I decided that I wanted to have a favorite player. There were a lot of good ones to choose from. Matt Besler, Graham Zusi, Ike Opara, Benny Feilhaber, but an up-and-coming Swope Park Rangers player was my choice. Daniel Salloi was a young player putting in several goals before being loaned to Hungary. I was convinced he would join the first team quickly and he was going to be my favorite player.

When the 2017 season came around, he was on the first team squad. He scored three times and had four assists. I was feeling good about my pick. Then my world turned upside down when I was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2017. Luckily, that turned out to be one major surgery and nothing else, but in a moment of weakness and feeling sorry for myself I decided to splurge on a Daniel Salloi #30 jersey. I didn’t know that that jersey purchase would lead to a 9-year super fandom.

Then in January of 2018, DS20 emerged. Right after my jersey purchase Salloi changed from #30 to #20. I responded to his Facebook post about the number change that I was bummed he changed numbers after I just got his jersey and he responded with a Facebook message thanking me for buying his jersey and apologizing for changing his number and offering to sign mine on my trip to preseason in Arizona. That message was the beginning of our long acquaintanceship. 

2018 was a breakout year for Salloi. He started 25 games, scored 11 goals in the regular season and had seven assists. He scored another three goals in the playoffs. At the end of year, he was the team Golden Boot winner. 

The 2019 and 2020 season were abysmal, and he scored only one goal through both seasons. Throughout those seasons I continued to be one of his biggest cheerleaders. We continued to share messages. Many times, I felt like I was the only person in the SKC fandom that was still fighting for him. Telling him to keep shooting and eventually things will start working out. Keep his head up. Keep working hard and it will ok. 

Turns out I was right! 2021 was the absolute best time to be the biggest Daniel Salloi fan in the world! He finished the season with 16 goals and eight assists. He was an MLS All-Star and was a finalist for the MLS MVP award. He also won the Sporting Kansas City team Golden Boot and team MVP that year. 

2022 wasn’t quite as successful as 2021 had been, but Salloi still managed to score seven goals and have three assists throughout the season. It was at the end of the 2022 season that I had my favorite Daniel Salloi moment of all time. It didn’t happen on the pitch, but off.

I am a 5th grade teacher and Daniel said he wanted to come to school and meet my class. So, one October morning in 2022, he did. He came in and sat and answered a million questions and never seemed annoyed and trust me 5th graders can be annoying! He even planned a game for them to play and brought prizes for the winners. He gave away a signed hat, a signed jersey and even a signed game worn pair of boots. After all of that he still stayed and signed autographs and took a picture with all 60ish 5th graders plus a few more people as word spread through the building that he was there. He was so kind and patient. He cemented himself that day as not only my favorite player but also one of my favorite humans. The team had missed the playoffs that year. He could have easily just been done with soccer for the offseason, but he took extra time out of his day to come to my class and make memories that will last a lifetime. 

The 2023 season was almost a repeat of 2022 with Salloi scoring seven goals but adding 10 assists. I continued to proudly wear my Salloi jersey to every single game. Messages of good luck and good game continued. 

The 2024 season was disappointing for the team. Playoffs were missed, long losing streaks happened, fans were grumbling. Salloi scored three goals and had four assists. 

Early in the season of 2024, I received a phone call from a Sporting KC “bigwig” asking if I would be interested in helping the team prank Jake Davis for a team April’s Fool Day prank video. He stated that my very verbal support of Daniel would be a major part of the video. While I love to be social and love talking about Sporting KC soccer, I am pretty self-conscious and really wasn’t sure about being on camera and it being shared on social media for all to see. However, they are very convincing so I got to work. Daniel came back to school for the prank and once again he was so patient and kind to the students involved. 

While 2025 was once again a struggle for the team and led to a new coach and the rebuild that led us to where we are today. Salloi had another decent season scoring seven goals and four assists. 

I am on all the social media platforms. I see what people say and post about Daniel. I know that there are a lot of people that don’t feel the way that I do about him, but I think you have to look back and put some respect on his name. He is the 2nd leading goalscorer in club history, has the most game-winning goals in club history, was the first Homegrown MLS All-Star, a league MVP finalist and has hoisted a US Open Cup trophy. We should see his name painted on the wall someday. 

Yesterday was the first time since 2013 that I doubted my love of Sporting KC. I know that it is just a business and that players move teams all the time. I hope that this move will be amazing for Daniel and I will become a Toronto FC fan when it doesn’t have any effect on Sporting. I will keep my season tickets and I will cheer, but it won’t feel the same. I won’t be wearing my 10th season Salloi personalized kit.  I won’t feel that personal connection to the team that I have felt for the last nine years. I’ll miss him out there and I think if you’re honest with yourselves, most of you will too.