Sporting Kansas City announces roster decisions for 2025

Sporting Kansas City announced roster moves in preparation for the 2025 season. Some familiar, fan-favorite names will not be returning to the team for next season. The team stated their intent to rebuild the roster and with the various contract situations, it seems they made as many moves to open up spots as possible.  What these first moves would be was the topic of much discussion among fans and staff.  

Sporting KC exercised the 2025 contract options for the following seven players: Stephen Afrifa, William Agada, Zorhan Bassong, Logan Ndenbe, Memo Rodriguez, Ryan Schewe, and Robert Voloder.

They declined the 2025 contract options for Robert Castellanos, Ozzie Cisneros, Danny Flores, and Chris Rindov.

The biggest questions for most people were the four veteran players that are out of contract. Sporting KC announced that these players will not return to the club: Andreu Fontas, Tim Melia, Johnny Russell, and Remi Walter. Does this mean it is impossible these veterans could return? Probably not, but historically the team will say contracts have been offered if that opportunity existed.

Russell has been the spark plug and captain for the last few years and Kansas City fans always felt good going into penalties with Melia in goal. The team has a lot of questions going forward.

These 11 players entered 2025 with guaranteed contracts at Sporting: Jake Davis, Joaquin Fernandez, Tim Leibold, Alan Pulido, John Pulskamp, Nemanja Radoja, Dany Rosero, Daniel Salloi, Khiry Shelton, Erik Thommy, and Alenis Vargas.

Sporting Kansas City II announced its offseason roster moves last week. SKC II head coach and Sporting Legend Benny Feilhaber will not return in 2025. Sporting KC has begun the search for the next SKC II head coach.

Sporting KC Roster

Sporting Kansas City now has 18 players under contract for the 2025 season:

Goalkeepers (2): John Pulskamp, Ryan Schewe

Defenders (6): Joaquin Fernandez, Tim Leibold, Logan Ndenbe, Dany Rosero, Khiry Shelton, Robert Voloder

Midfielders (5): Zorhan Bassong, Jake Davis, Nemanja Radoja, Memo Rodriguez, Erik Thommy

Forwards (5): Stephen Afrifa, William Agada, Alan Pulido, Daniel Salloi, Alenis Vargas

This is not the roster the team will want when they compete in the  2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup in early February. While not a clean slate, Sporting Director Mike Burns and Manager Peter Vermes now have some roster and cap room to add players before the season. Four senior roster player spots have been opened up but one will likely be taken by Jake Davis when his new contract starts.

Our team discussed all these changes at length on the most recent episode of Shades of Blue. That episode is embedded below, or you can find the KC Soccer Journal wherever you get your podcasts.

Let us know your thoughts. Was this a good sign that the rebuild is happening? Shocked or saddened by the player news?  Discuss in the comments.

Calendar of Major League Soccer’s remaining offseason roster-building events

MLS Offseason Events and Roster Mechanisms

Monday, Dec. 9: MLS Half-Day Trade Window (8 a.m. – 12 p.m. CT)

Tuesday, Dec. 10: Concacaf Champions Cup Draw (6 p.m. CT)

Wednesday, Dec. 11: MLS Expansion Draft for San Diego FC (time TBD)

Dec. 11-14: College Showcase in San Diego

Thursday, Dec. 12: Free Agency begins (12 p.m. CT)

Thursday, Dec. 12: End-of-Year Waivers (4 p.m. CT)

Friday, Dec. 13: MLS Re-Entry Draft Stage 1 (12 p.m. CT)

Thursday, Dec. 19: MLS Re-Entry Draft Stage 2 (12 p.m. CT)

Friday, Dec. 20: MLS SuperDraft 2025 presented by adidas (time TBD)

Tim Melia | Credit: Thad
Bell – KCSJ