Manu Garcia’s Rumored Departure, Sporting KC Lose Again

For the Glory KC is back with the 191st episode of the show!

Sporting Kansas City had another terrible weekend, but before we get to the on-field shenanigans, we have to talk about Manu Garcia. After the loss to the Colorado Rapids, the KC Soccer Journal got a surprisingly candid quote out of manager Rapha Wicky on why Manu Garcia wasn’t playing.

“Manu was available for selection, but we had some discussions with him about his future in recent days, and so I decided it was best not to involve him in the game tonight,” said Wicky. “That’s all I can say. Everything else I refer to David [Lee].”

Sheena and I work through all the feelings around this move. Plus, some fan reactions. Does it make sense? Could it actually be a good thing? We talk through all the sides. And not only is he potentially leaving, but a landing spot has emerged overnight in Greece at his old club Aris.

Of course, we also had to talk about the 2-0 loss to the Rapids. As well as some more positive news around Graham Zusi’s return, an Andre Luiz update and a potentially big front office hire for Sporting KC. Sheena also picks on poor Ethan Bartlow as he heads out the door. Nobody tell him!

Sporting KC Hire, Bartlow Loaned and Malawi to WAFCON Final

The KC Current continued their road struggles on Friday night in a 2-1 loss to Gotham FC. After taking an early lead, the team fell apart. They had a moment or two, but the New Jersey side was the better team. Sheena and I discuss how VAR handled key moments, lineup choices, including Lorena not starting, team health and more. Plus, Temwa Chawinga and Malawi’s amazing World Cup qualification!

In the Digital Crawl, we hit a few more topics:

• SKC II
• Big MLS moves
• Messi and Ronaldo both retiring?

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro – 0:00
• Sporting KC – 4:45
• KC Current – 1:06:53
• Digital Crawl – 1:21:52

Upcoming Games

• Sporting KC vs. St. Louis City, WED, August 19th at 7:00PM CST
• SKC II @ LAFC 2, THUR, August 20th at 9:00PM
• KC Current vs. Seattle Reign, SAT, August 22nd at 5:30PM
• Sporting KC @ Atlanta United, SUN, August 23rd at 6:00PM (Wooden Spoon Battle)
• SKC II @ Tacoma Defiance, MON, August 24th at 9:00PM

As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they’ll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!

Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron. 

You can find For the Glory KC wherever you get your podcasts. Search “For the Glory KC” and be sure to subscribe! Here are some helpful links:

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Be sure to like and subscribe to the podcast. Five-star ratings and reviews will help others find the pod. On Spotify you can review on the mobile app by clicking the three dots. On Apple Podcasts, it’s much easier. If it’s not quite five-star worthy yet, feel free to let us know in the comments or on Twitter (@PlayFor90 or @ForTheGloryKC). Sheena essentially runs our FTGKC BlueSky, so that’s a great way to get her takes. 

You can follow us me on BlueSky (@ChadCSmith). Also, you can find the podcast on other social media platforms: @ForTheGloryKC on Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Facebook or you can email us at ForTheGloryKC at Gmail.