2012 Sporting KC ad: Live For It

Michael Thomas signs with Sporting KC

January 18, 2012: Kansas City native Michael Thomas (St. Thomas Aquinas High School / KC Legends / Notre Dame / KC Brass / Halmstads BK / Ljungskile ) signed with Sporting KC (MLS). Michael joins well known KC natives Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic, Jonathan Kempin, Kevin Ellis and recently drafted player Kyle Miller on Kansas City's Major League Soccer team.

Matt Kuhn Drafted by DC United (MLS)

January 17, 2012: Kansas City native Matt Kuhn (Raytown South High School / KC Legends / KC Wizards Jrs / Drake University / KC Brass) was drafted in the 4th round (64th overall) by D.C. United in the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft.

Kyle Miller Drafted by Sporting KC (MLS)

January 17, 2012: Kansas City native Kyle Miller (St. Thomas Aquinas High School / Blue Valley SC / KC Wizards Jrs / Rockhurst University / KC Brass) was drafted by Sporting KC in the 3rd round (54th overall) of the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft. Kyle joins a Sporting KC team that also features Kansas City natives Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic, Jonathan Kempin and Kevin Ellis.

William Jewell College Women's and Men's Soccer Teams Selected to National Championships; Jewell Hosts 1st Round Games on November 20th

William Jewell College women's team (14-2-2) and men's team (17-2) have each been selected to the 2010 NAIA National Championships. William Jewell College will host both a women's and men's first round game on November 20th. The WJC women will host Ashford-Iowa (15-4-2) at 4pm. The WJC men will host Concordia-Oregon (16-2-1) at 7pm.

KC Brass (PDL) featured on MetroSports (5/25/10)

KC Brass (PDL) Win Opener

Kansas City Brass won their season opening match of the PDL season 1-0 over the Springfield Demize on May 16, 2010 at William Jewell College. KC Brass forward Coleton Henning (St. Thomas Aquinas/Wizards Jrs/Furman) scored the game winning goal in the 60th minute. KC Brass goalkeeper Andy Fitzpatrick (Winnetonka/KC Pace/Oklahoma City U) recorded the shutout. The match doubled as the first of four KC Brass U.S. Open Cup qualifying matches.

The Brass will host the Des Moines Menace on May 19 (Wednesday) at William Jewell College. Kickoff scheduled for 7:30pm. Wednesday's PDL match will also double as a U.S. Open Cup qualifying match.

KC Athletics Qualify for U.S. Open Cup

May 16, 2010-Kansas City Athletics (USASA) men's team qualified for the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after defeating AAC Eagles (USASA) of Chicago in penalty kicks after the game was tied 3-3 after 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime. The KC Athletics earned one of two Midwest Region USASA U.S. Open Cup berths. KC Athletics player/coach Kyle Perkins (SM Northwest/KC Hotspurs/UMKC/KC Brass) scored two goals in the victory.

The Athletics Open Cup qualifier took place at Community America Ballpark immediately following the KC Wizards (MLS) 2-2 tie with the Chicago Fire (MLS). Wizards forward Kei Kamara scored both goals for the Wizards.

Open Cup notes: The Kansas City Wizards failed to qualify for the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup through Major League Soccer's qualifying process. The KC Brass (PDL) will play four regular season PDL games that will also double as Open Cup qualifying matches during the month of May.

Kansas City Screening of Pelada: May 17

Kansas City Screening of Pelada

Plus Q&A with director Ryan White immediately following the film!

Monday, May 17th at 7:00pm
Studio Movie Grill
7430 NW 87th Street
Kansas City, MO 64153Tickets: $10




Away from professional stadiums, bright lights, and manicured fields, there’s another side of soccer. Tucked away on alleys, side streets, and concrete courts, people play in improvised games. Every country has a different word for it. In the United States, we call it “pick-up soccer.” In Trinidad, it's "taking a sweat." In England, it's "having a kick-about." In Brazil, the word is “pelada,” which literally means "naked"—the game stripped down to its core. It’s the version of the game played by anyone, anywhere.

Pelada is a documentary following Luke and Gwendolyn, two former college stars who didn’t quite make it to the pros. Not ready for it to be over, they take off, chasing the game. From prisoners in Bolivia to moonshine brewers in Kenya, from freestylers in China to women who play in hijab in Iran, Pelada is the story of the people who play.

Player Ratings: Wizards Win 4-0 vs DC United

Photo: Kei Kamara scored the first goal of the season for the Kansas City Wizards

Wizards win season and home opener 4-0 vs DC United on March 27, 2010 at Community America Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas.

Kansas City Wizards Lineup/Player Ratings: Nielsen 7, Harrington 6, Conrad 6.5, Besler 6, Arnaud 7.5, Jewsbury 7.5, Auvray 6.5 , Smith 8.5 (Aiyegbusi NR), Espinoza 5.5 (Leathers 5), Wolff 6 (Bunbury 5), Kamara 7

D.C. United Lineup/Player Ratings: Perkins 3, Talley 4, Jakovic 4, Wallace 3.5, Najar 4.5 (Allsopp 3.5), Morsink 4, Quaranta 4.5, Simms 3 (James 4), Castillo 5 (Khumalo 5), Pontius 4.5, Moreno 5

Scoring:
KC – Kei Kamara 1 (Unassisted), 9th minute
KC – Davy Arnaud 1 (Smith, Auvray), 35th minute
KC – Ryan Smith 1 (Unassisted), 54th minute
KC – Jack Jewsbury 1 (PK), 70th minute
Misconduct:
DC – Dejan Jakovic (caution, reckless tackle), 26th minute
DC – Kurt Morsink (caution, reckless tackle), 28th minute
DC – Santino Quaranta (caution, unsporting behavior), 47th minute
DC – Julius James (caution, reckless tackle), 61st minute
DC – Jaime Moreno (caution, reckless tackle), 67th minute
KC – Kei Kamara (caution, reckless tackle), 83rd minute

Attendance: 10,385

Player Ratings by Jefferson Roblee, Associate Head Coach at William Jewell College and Head Coach of the Kansas City Brass (PDL).

Michael Thomas in Sweden

Although KC native Michael Thomas was drafted #19 overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by the San Jose Earthquakes, he chose to sign with Halmstad BK of the Allsvenskan (Sweden's top league).

David Harris of Pro Soccer Weekly interviews Michael Thomas (St. Thomas Aquinas HS / KC Legends / Notre Dame / KC Brass):

Michael Thomas Halmstads BK - Exclusive Pro Soccer Weekly Interview
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview up and coming American player Michael Thomas, who just signed with Swedish Allsvenskan club Halmstads BK. Michael had a very solid career playing college ball with Notre Dame and in the USL PDL with the Kansas City Brass. Here is the interview and I hope that you all enjoy and learn a little bit about this up and coming American player.

PSW: Michael, tell us a little bit about yourself, specifically how you got interested in playing soccer.

MT: Well, I have been in love with soccer since I was about four years old. My brother, Eric, was playing soccer at the time and I hadn’t been to any of his games before. When the first game of the season rolled around, my parents took me to the game. I didn’t know too much about soccer, but after the game I went home and started playing with my brother’s soccer ball by myself in the backyard. I loved kicking the ball and chasing after it. Eventually, my brother and I would play in our backyard together and I loved the challenge of trying to score goals on him. I always tried to improve even at that young age. The feeling of being challenged and knowing that you can always improve is what got me seriously interested in playing soccer.

PSW: What are your strengths as a player and what position do you typically play?

MT: I believe that my greatest strengths as a player would be that I consistently work very hard, have good vision, and play the game simply. I enjoy working in the center of the field getting involved with the attack, but I also like getting back and helping my defenders as well. I typically play central midfielder, attacking or defensive. It just depends on what the team needs at the time and what type of formation we are playing. I would consider myself a very good two-way center midfielder.

PSW: What led you to play for Notre Dame, the Kansa City Brass, and now Halmstads BK?

MT: I was lucky to get noticed by the coaching staff of Notre Dame when I was playing down in Florida with my ‘88 regional team. We had four games over the weekend and I played a big part in most of them. The last day there we played Anderlecht’s youth team. It was a big game for us and they had been playing well so we knew it was going to be a tough game. I played the full ninety minutes and recorded both a goal and an assist. After that tournament, I received a letter from Notre Dame telling me that they were interested in me as a player and would like me to play at their university. After many months of hard thinking, I decided that Notre Dame was the best fit for me and I believe that it was the best decision that I had ever made in my life.

The coaches of one of my rival club teams, the Kansas City Pace, called me when I was a senior in high school and asked if I would like to play with the Brass for the summer. I was honored because of a lot of very good high school and college players in Kansas had played for the team before. I was lucky enough to get a lot of playing time my first year and that continued for the next few years.

I was in preseason with San Jose when I was contacted by my agent telling me that a team in Sweden was interested in me and would like to have me over for a trial. After many days of thinking about my future, I decided to go to Halmstads BK and give it everything that I had. It has been my dream since I was very young to play in Europe and this was the opportunity of a life time for me. I played well during the trial and impressed the right people. Eventually, my dream came true, and I received a contract offer from the club and signed for the team.

PSW: What was it like playing for the Brass in the USL PDL?

MT: Playing for the Brass was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to play with the team as much as I wanted to. I had a lot of conflicts with games because of club soccer and eventually summer school up at Notre Dame. However, whenever I was able to play with the team, I enjoyed it very much. A lot of guys I grew up playing with played for the team as well. So, practices were very fun, but the talent was exceptional at the same time. I liked the way the coaches, Jefferson and Lincoln Roblee, handled everything as well. They took it very serious, but let us all have a good time as well. It was a great experience playing for the Brass and I’m happy that I did.

PSW: What do you think that you will be able to learn from some of the veteran players on Halmstads who have played internationally with Sweden and other countries?

MT: It is good to be playing with some older players who have had a lot of international experience. Every single player brings something different to the table. We have guys from Sweden, Germany, Brazil, the United States, and the Netherlands. Everyone has been through different experiences and we are lucky to have a few guys on the team who have player with their respective country’s national team. Playing with these types of players can only help me mature into a better player. The team, especially most of these guys, demand high standards whether in a game or on the training pitch. To always play with these standards will only help me become a better player and the attitude of these guys will really help with that.

PSW: Does it help you to have a fellow American in Ryan Miller on the Halmstads team with you?

MT: It definitely helps to have Ryan here with me. He has played in Sweden for over seven months now so he knows a lot of things about the game that I am still learning. If I have questions or concerns about what we’re doing, he’s always there to help me out and let me know what is going on. Luckily, we’ve played together at the University of Notre Dame. So we both know each other’s game and feel comfortable playing with one another here. He has helped me out a lot off the field as well. With him being here everything is a lot more comfortable. We are able to enjoy each other’s company and have a good time off the field. Having someone here that I personally know has helped me ease out of my comfort zone a lot better.

PSW: What do you think it will take for soccer to become more popular within the world of American sports?

MT: I think it will always be hard to make soccer more popular in the United States because of how popular the other Americanized sports already are. There is a lot of history in these sports, such as baseball, football, and basketball. Soccer is still new to America, so there isn’t enough history with it to make it very popular right now. However, I believe that since my generation has grown up with soccer, as well as these other sports, it will be much popular in the future than it is right now. It seems like a lot of children are getting involved with soccer now. That is very good for the sport because they will continue growing up with it. Also, I think that soccer will become much popular in America once our national team wins a major honor, such as the World Cup and the bigger tournaments. This can only make the sport more popular and there will then be a standard set in America for what it takes for Americans to succeed in soccer.

PSW: Do you feel that top young players should play college soccer even if it doesn’t allow them to begin their professional career at the same age as players in other countries typically start theirs?

MT: At the end of the day the decision is always up to the player. If they truly believe that they are fully developed enough to play professionally and have plenty of confidence, then why not try it out. However, this rarely seems to be the occasion. Players around the age of eighteen can still fully improve on many things in their game. Playing another four years at a top university can only help them develop as a player. The way the system is set up in America makes it harder for kids to go professional at such a young age. The academy system is starting a new trend that may help players develop at a younger age which could be good for American soccer. Yet, I truly believe that college soccer can only help players who have the right attitude and determination to make it professionally. Four years of competitive soccer should never hurt anyone if they have the right mindset.

PSW: What do you think about so many of the top young U.S. players going to European clubs and how do you think this affects their development?

MT: I believe that right now is the best time for young players to try and play overseas. The uncertainty revolving around American soccer right now makes it tough for younger players to make a name for themselves here in the United States. Going overseas can only help the player mature and develop even faster too. The speed of play is quicker and the players are better technically. Therefore, you must learn how to make decisions quicker and understand the game better as well. Also, a lot of European clubs have reserve leagues or games year round. So, if you are not getting to play right away with the first team, you can still play in these games to keep match fitness and show your stuff on the field. This can be very beneficial to many players and can help them slowly ease into the style of play at European clubs.

PSW: What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment thus far in soccer?

MT: My greatest accomplishment has to be getting the opportunity to play here for Halmstads BK. It has been my dream since I was a young boy to play professionally and possibly overseas as well. Fortunately, I have been given this opportunity and can’t wait to contribute as much as I can this year. It will be an even greater accomplishment if I can make a name for myself here and help the team succeed during the season.

PSW: Going forward, what would you like to achieve in soccer?

MT: My number one goal is to represent my country one day. I know I have a lot of work to do and can still develop into a much better player, but I have the confidence that I could possibly get called into camp one day. I will continue to work extremely hard to make this goal of mine a reality. I just want to play well and help my team as much as I can. If I do this, then you never know what can happen in the future. PSW: Do you think that someday you would like to come back to the U.S. to play professionally?MT: I can definitely see myself coming back and playing in the MLS one day. I don’t know if that will be in one, two, or three years or in ten years, but I would definitely love to play a few years in America as well.

July 25: Another CAB sellout watched Wizards Tie 1-1 vs LA Galaxy

KC Wizards forward Claudio Lopez scored from over half field and LA Galaxy forward Landon Donovan evened the score as the Wizards and Galaxy tied 1-1 at Community America Ballpark on July 25, 2009.

Wizards vs. Galaxy from Whitney Mathews on Vimeo.

KC Brass win 2-1 over Real Colorado Foxes in Regular Season Finale

Ryan Hennessy (North Kansas City HS/KC Pace/Missouri State U) and Brian Wurst (Park Hill South/KC Pace/Drake) finished the regular season leading the KC Brass in games played and played the full 90 minutes on defense in the KC Brass' 2-1 win over Real Colorado Foxes on July 18, 2009 at William Jewell College. KC Brass goals scored by Matt Kuhn (Raytown South, KC Legends/Wizards U19/Drake) and Chris Markey (UMKC). KC Brass goalkeeper Andy Fitzpatrick (Winnetonka/KC Pace/Oklahoma City) recorded the win in goal.

KC Brass win 1-0 over Springfield Demize

Coleton Henning (St. Thomas Aquinas, KCFC/KC Wizards U19, Furman) scored the game's only goal as the KC Brass 1-0 win over the Springfield Demize at William Jewell College on July 9, 2009. KC Brass goalkeeper Andy Fitzpatrick (Winnetonka, KC Pace, Oklahoma City) earned the shutout.

KC Brass: Another Tie at St. Louis: 2-2

Luke Gorczyca (St. Thomas Aquinas, KC Legends, Drake) and Brett Lewis (Blue Springs, KC Attack, William Jewell) each scored for the KC Brass in a 2-2 tie at St. Louis Lions on July 5, 2009.

KC Brass Tie 4-4 at St. Louis Lions

Brian Wurst (Park Hill South, KC Pace, Drake) had a goal and assist in the KC Brass' 4-4 tie at St. Louis Lions on June 13, 2009.

KC Brass goals: Michael Erwood, Brian Wurst, Matt Kuhn, Patrick White.

Wizards Win 3-1 vs Revolution

Aaron Hohlbein scored in the Wizards 3-1 win over New England Revolution on June 13, 2009 at Community America Ballpark.

Wizards goals scored by Davy Arnaud (assisted by Claudio Lopez), Own Goal and Aaron Hohlbein (unassisted).

50th Win

Photo: Lincoln Roblee, Burke Slusher and Jefferson Roblee

On June 6, 2009 the KC Brass won 6-0 over the Springfield Demize. The victory was the 50th regular season PDL win for Brass head coach Jefferson Roblee and assistant coaches Lincoln Roblee and Burke Slusher. The Brass coaching staff is among the top five most winning coaching staffs currently in the 68 team Premier Development League. Robi Goff coached the Brass during their first two seasons (1998-1999). Jim Schwab coached the team the next two seasons (2000-2001). Jefferson Roblee became the Brass' head coach beginning in 2002. Below is the list of the current staff's 1st, 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th and 50th wins.

1st Game: May 5, 2002-KC Brass tie 2-2 vs Colorado Rapids U23 at BV Northwest.
KC Brass goals scored by Jake Bleyenberg (assisted by Geoff Miles) and Larry Scheller.

1st Win: May 12, 2002-KC Brass win 1-0 over Sioux Falls Spitfire at BV Northwest.
KC Brass lineup: Beau Williams; Mike Rosenthal, Scott Kaiser, Eric Zobrist, Nate Anderson; Tony Avery, Matt Jewett, Blake Ryan, Geoff Miles;Jake Bleyenberg, Larry Scheller
KC Brass goal scored by Blake Ryan. Shutout by Beau Williams.

10th Win: June 8, 2003-KC Bass win 2-0 over Nashville Metros at Blue Valley West.
KC Brass lineup: Todd Dohlman; Mike Rosenthal, Ryan Barber, Josh Duffy, Scott Kincaid; Ryan Shaw (Adam Blinzler), Ryan Raybould, Blake Ryan (William John), Geoff Miles (Kyle Sebus); Jake Bleyenberg, Larry Scheller (Jake Wyllie). DNP: Kurt Larson, Luis Licerio.
KC Brass goals by Blake Ryan (assisted by Ryan Shaw) and Larry Scheller (assisted by William John). Shutout by Todd Dohlman.

20th Win: June 10, 2005-KC Brass win 2-1 over Sioux Falls Spitfire at Excelsior Springs High School.
KC Brass lineup: Todd Dohlman; Joe Klosterman (Andy Cooper), Josh Howard, Josh Duffy, Ali Dorri; John Barber, Jared Atwood, Blake Ryan, Peter Kariotis (Andrew Clifton); Jesus Rodriguez (Chad Ramey), Kyle Perkins (Adam Blinzler).
Both KC Brass goals were scored by Kyle Perkins and both assists were provided by Jesus Rodriguez.

30th Win: June 3, 2006-KC Brass win 1-0 over West Michigan Edge at William Jewell College.
KC Brass lineup: Kyle Schroeder; Kevin Shrout, Kurt Larson, Josh White, Ali Dorri; Josh McDaniel (Richie Harris), Keith Gorczyca, Brant Bishop, Brian Wurst (Kevin Nekuda); Ryan Kaufman, Matt Blouin. DNP: Adam Sokolowski.
KC Brass goal scored by Keith Gorczyca (assisted by Ali Dorri). Shutout by Kyle Schroeder.

40th Win: June 30, 2007-KC Brass win 2-1 over Colorado Rapids U23 at William Jewell College.
KC Brass lineup: Kyle Schroeder; Kevin Shrout, Josh White, Josh Howard, Calvin Clark; Luke Gorczyca (Brian Wurst), Kevin Nekuda, Keith Gorczyca, Ali Dorri (Garret Guthrie); J.D. Warman (Jimmy Cummings), Brant Bishop (Haggai Leboo).
KC Brass goals scored by Josh Howard and Jimmy Cummings.

50th Win: June 6, 2009-KC Brass win 6-0 over Springfield Demize at Cooper Complex in Springfield, Missouri.
KC Brass lineup: Andy Fitzpatrick (Donovan Dowling); Brett Heinz, Ryan Hennessy (Patrick White), Michael Erwood, Chris Markey; Brian Wurst, Kevin Shrout (Bryan Perez), Luke Gorczyca; Matt Klaus, Edson Edward (Coady Andrews), Matt Kuhn.
KC Brass goals scored by Matt Kuhn (3), Edson Edward, Kevin Shrout and Coady Andrews. Shutout by Andy Fitzpatrick and Donovan Dowling.

Since its formation in 1997, the Kansas City Brass (PDL) has provided opportunities for the area's top amatuer soccer players to prepare for future professional play. In the past seven years, 30 Kansas City Brass players have been drafted or signed professionally in Europe, Major League Soccer, USL or the MISL.

The top U23 men’s league in North America, the USL Premier Development League (PDL) features 68 teams within four conferences across the United States and Canada. The PDL season consists of 16 regular season matches for each team, eight home and eight away. The PDL provides elite collegiate players the opportunity to taste a higher level of competition while maintaining their eligibility. In addition to league play, PDL teams compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as various exhibitions. The USL Premier Development League has proven to be an important stepping stone for top professionals now playing around the world.

2009 State Cup Champions

Congratulations to all the 2009 Kansas State Cup champions and Missouri State Cup champions from the Kansas City Area!

*Kansas U12 Girls: KCFC United (Coach Kevin Sloan)

Missouri U13 Boys: KCFC Futura Academy I (Coach Brian Budzinski)

Missouri U13 Girls: KCFC Futura Academy (Coach Vlatko Andonovski)

Kansas U13 Boys: KC Wizards Juniors (Douda Kante)

Kansas U14 Boys: BVSC Stars Boca Juniors (Coach Dustin Ottesen)

Kansas U14 Girls: KCFC Force (Richard Davies)

Kansas U15 Boys: KC Wizards Juinors

Kansas U15 Girls: BV Stars Villareal (Coach Jon Parry)

>Missouri U15 Girls: KC Select Scream progress to Regionals with Midwest Regional League berth.

Kansas U16 Boys: KCFC Rangers (Coach Gareth Hughes)

>U16 KC Wizards Juniors progress to Regionals with Midwest Regional League berth.

Kansas U16 Girls: KCFC Intensity (Coach Huw Williams)

Kansas U17 Boys: KC Wizards Juniors (Coach Paul Rideout)

Kansas U17 Girls: BV Stars Mallorca (Coach Jon Parry)

Kansas U18 Boys: KC Wizards Juniors (Coach Paul Rideout)

Kansas U18 Girls: KC Metro Dynamos (Coach Derek Shoare)

Kansas U19 Boys: KC Wizards Juniors (Coach Jon Parry)

Kansas U19 Girls: KC Metro Dynamos (Coach Derek Shoare)

> U19 KCFC Jazz advance to Regionals with WildCard

*Missouri does not sponsor a U12 state cup for boys or girls. State Cup winners in the U13-U19 age groups advance to the USYSA Regional Championships in Sioux Falls, South Dakota June 20-24, 2009.

Josh Howard Scores Again for Soderhamns FF (Sweden)

Josh Howard (Lee's Summit North, KC Attack, William Jewell College, KC Brass) scored again for Soderhamns FF (Sweden). Howard scores Soderhamns FF's only goal in their 2-1 loss vs IK Frej. Partial story below with translation.

Efter att Frej tagit ledningen med 0-1 i den 55 minuten (också det lite för enkelt) så kvitterade vår amerikan Josh Howard med en kraftfull nick på en precis hörna slagen av Simon Åberg. Detta hände i den 75 minuten och här hade hemmalaget börjat på att oroa bortaförsvaret ett antal gånger framför målet.

Translation: After Frej taken the lead with 0-1 in 55 minutes (also a little too easy) so receipted our American Josh Howard with a vigorous nod in a corner, just beaten by Simon Åberg. This happened in the 75 minutes and this was the home team started to worry over the defense a number of times in front of goal.