Sporting KC
Sporting KC announce roster moves – Espinoza and Zusi among the cuts
SKC announces roster moves, Espinoza and Zusi among the options declined
Sporting Kansas City announced roster moves for both the first team and Sporting KC II in preparation for the 2024 seasons. After today there are 24 players on Sporting KC’s roster. SKC exercised contract options for eight players: Stephen Afrifa, Willy Agada, Robert Castellanos, Jake Davis, Danny Flores, Chris Rindov, Johnny Russell and Remi Walter.
Three players are out of contract: Cam Duke, Gadi Kinda, and Kendall McIntosh. Sporting KC has extended a bona fide offer to Kinda.
SKC declined contract options for Roger Espinoza, Kortne Ford, Felipe Gutierrez, and Graham Zusi. Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes stated that they are having discussions with Ford with a possibility that he could be back. While not a surprise that veterans Espinoza and Zusi will not be back, the fact that SKC declined their options made it final. Both Espinoza and Zusi are two of the most accomplished players in Sporting history and almost guaranteed locks to be Sporting legends in the near future. They are the last two to be Kansas City Wizards.
With today’s announcement, Sporting KC has 24 players under contract for the 2024 season:
Goalkeepers (2): Tim Melia, John Pulskamp
Defenders (9): Jake Davis, Robert Castellanos, Andreu Fontas, Tim Leibold, Logan Ndenbe, Kayden Pierre, Chris Rindov, Dany Rosero, Robert Voloder
Midfielders (6): Ozzie Cisneros, Danny Flores, Felipe Hernandez, Nemanja Radoja, Erik Thommy, Remi Walter
Forwards (7): Stephen Afrifa, Willy Agada, Alan Pulido, Johnny Russell, Daniel Salloi, Khiry Shelton, Marinos Tzionis
MLS Offseason Roster Mechanisms Schedule
- Monday, Dec. 11: Trade Window opens (8 a.m. CT)
- Tuesday, Dec. 12: End-of-Year Waivers (4 p.m. CT)
- Wednesday, Dec. 13: Free Agency begins (12 p.m. CT)
- Thursday, Dec. 14: Re-Entry Draft Stage 1 (12 p.m. CT)
- Tuesday, Dec. 19: MLS SuperDraft 2024 presented by Adidas (2 p.m. CT)
- Thursday, Dec. 21: Re-Entry Draft Stage 2 (12 p.m. CT)
Sporting Kansas City II Roster moves
Sporting KC II has also announced offseason roster moves in preparation for the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro campaign.
SKC II has exercised the contract option for Sebastian Cruz and declined contract options for Vitor Dias, Enzo Mauriz and Lucas Rosa.
There are six players are out of contract with the club—Bakary Bagayoko, Ethan Bandre, Josh Coan, Michael Lenis, Nassim Mekideche and Jahon Rad. The loans for Andrew Draper and Alenis Vargas have ended. The club is currently in discussions to retain Mekideche and Vargas.
Four players are currently under MLS NEXT Pro contracts with Sporting KC II for the 2024 season:
Defenders (1): Â Coby Jones
Midfielders (2): Sebastian Cruz and Ethan Bryant
Forwards (1): Pau Vidal
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Hope the team brings Ford back. He’s got a lot of injury history but his ceiling is so much higher than Castellanos and Rindov.
Most of these make sense. I like Gadi. I hope he returns. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him go.
From a personal level, I’ll be disappointed to see Zusi and Espinoza go. Both are really good dudes and Zusi is a true gem of a philanthropist. It’s clear that they were running out of steam playing. My hope is both are able to find jobs with the organization. Scouting or coaching or whatever. True sporting legends
Hot take: Replace Vermes and Zavagnin with Zusi and Espinoza.
Is that hot? I’d think it would be enthusiastically embraced by much of the fan base (not because PV is that hated, but because Zeus/Rog are that beloved). And I have to say, it would not surprised me at all if Zusi turned out to be some kind of sideline savant in the mold of an ego-less Mourinho or Pep right away, nor would it if Roger was the kind of locker-room/training-pitch motivator typically only seen in an episode of Ted Lasso. I say do it!
Roger gave an interview recently, I think with Herc Gomez on Vamos, and he didn’t sound like he wanted to coach.
And Zusi never struck me as a coach. I think David or Cody said something like they could see him living in the mountains and I agree. I’m not sure he’ll be around soccer, though I could definitely see Roger sticking around depending particularly on what happens to Lo in that expansion draft.
I would take Benny as head coach, Roger as an assistant. I have my doubts that Zusi’s temperament would make for a good coach, he has never even been a captain, and he has only been in the Sporting system.