# 2016 Sporting Kansas City season

The 2016 Sporting Kansas City season was the twenty-first season of the team's existence in Major League Soccer and the sixth year played under the Sporting Kansas City moniker.
Sporting Kansas City entered the season as the defending U.S. Open Cup champions. By winning the 2015 U.S. Open Cup, they were qualified for the 2016–17 CONCACAF Champions League for the third time in franchise history.

## Squad
### First team roster

As of October 13, 2015.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad correct as of October 13, 2015.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Nation |
| 1 | GK | Jon Kempin (HGP) | United States |
| 3 | DF | Ike Opara | United States |
| 4 | DF | Kevin Ellis (HGP) | United States |
| 5 | DF | Matt Besler (Captain; DP) | United States |
| 6 | MF | Paulo Nagamura | Brazil |
| 7 | DF | Chance Myers | United States |
| 8 | MF | Graham Zusi (DP) | United States |
| 9 | FW | Diego Rubio (DP; on loan from Valladolid) | Chile |
| 10 | MF | Benny Feilhaber | United States |
| 11 | MF | Brad Davis | United States |
| 12 | DF | Nuno André Coelho | Portugal |
| 14 | FW | Dom Dwyer | England |
| 15 | DF | Seth Sinovic | United States |
| 16 | MF | Lawrence Olum | Kenya |
| 17 | DF | Saad Abdul-Salaam | United States |
| 21 | MF | Justin Mapp | United States |
| 22 | MF | Connor Hallisey | United States |
| 23 | MF | Emmanuel Appiah | Ghana |
| 25 | GK | Alec Kann | United States |
| 27 | MF | Roger Espinoza | Honduras |
| 29 | GK | Tim Melia | United States |
| 30 | FW | Dániel Sallói (HGP) | Hungary |
| 37 | FW | Jacob Peterson | United States |
| 39 | FW | Cameron Porter | United States |
| 93 | MF | Soni Mustivar | Haiti |
| 94 | MF | Jimmy Medranda | Colombia |

## Player movement
### In

| Date | Player | Position | Previous club | Fee/notes |
| December 9, 2015 | Lawrence Olum | MF | Kedah FA | Free Transfer |
| December 11, 2015 | Alec Kann | GK | Chicago Fire | Selected in Stage One of the 2015 MLS Re-Entry Draft |
| December 14, 2015 | Justin Mapp | MF | Montreal Impact | Free Agent |
| January 6, 2016 | Brad Davis | MF | Houston Dynamo | Trade |
| January 13, 2016 | Dániel Sallói | FW | SKC Academy | Homegrown Player |
| January 26, 2016 | Nuno André Coelho | DF | Balıkesirspor | Free Agent |
| June 24, 2016 | Éver Alvarado | DF | Olimpia | Undisclosed |
| July 12, 2016 | Emmanuel Appiah | MF | Colorado Rapids | Free Transfer |
| July 12, 2016 | Cameron Porter | FW | Montreal Impact | Acquired in exchange for Amadou Dia |

### Out

| Date | Player | Position | New club | Fee/notes |
| November 25, 2015 | Jalil Anibaba | DF | Houston Dynamo | Option Declined |
| January 26, 2016 | Mikey Lopez | MF | New York City FC | Free Agent |
| January 29, 2016 | Krisztián Németh | FW | Al-Gharafa | Undisclosed Fee |
| February 23, 2016 | Amobi Okugo | DF | Portland Timbers | Waived |
| March 1, 2016 | Marcel De Jong | DF | Ottawa Fury FC | Mutual Termination |
| June 24, 2016 | Jordi Quintillà | MF | | Waived |
| July 12, 2016 | Amadou Dia | DF | Montreal Impact | Traded for Cameron Porter |
| September 1, 2016 | Diego Rubio | FW | Real Valladolid | Permanent transfer of loan |

### Loans
#### In

| No. | Pos. | Player | Loaned from | Start | End | Source |
| 9 | FW | Diego Rubio | Real Valladolid | March 8, 2016 | September 1, 2016 | |

#### Out

| No. | Pos. | Player | Loaned to | Start | End |
| 2 | DF | Erik Palmer-Brown | FC Porto | February 1, 2016 | End of 2016 season |
| 23 | MF | Bernardo Añor | Minnesota United | February 17, 2016 | End of 2016 season |
| 30 | FW | Dániel Sallói | Vasas SC | June 15, 2016 | End of 2016 season |

## Competitions
### Match results

Win  Tie  Loss

### Preseason
#### Desert Diamond Cup

Kickoff times are in CST (UTC-06) unless shown otherwise

### Major League Soccer
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 6 | LA Galaxy | 34 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 54 | 39 | +15 | 52 | |
| 7 | Seattle Sounders FC (C) | 34 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 44 | 43 | +1 | 48 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 8 | Sporting Kansas City | 34 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 42 | 41 | +1 | 47 | |
| 9 | Real Salt Lake | 34 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 44 | 46 | −2 | 46 | |
| 10 | D.C. United | 34 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 53 | 47 | +6 | 46 | |

#### Western Conference standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 3 | LA Galaxy | 34 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 54 | 39 | +15 | 52 | MLS Cup Knockout Round |
| 4 | Seattle Sounders FC | 34 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 44 | 43 | +1 | 48 | MLS Cup Knockout Round |
| 5 | Sporting Kansas City | 34 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 42 | 41 | +1 | 47 | MLS Cup Knockout Round |
| 6 | Real Salt Lake | 34 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 44 | 46 | −2 | 46 | MLS Cup Knockout Round |
| 7 | Portland Timbers | 34 | 12 | 14 | 8 | 48 | 53 | −5 | 44 | |

#### Regular season

Kickoff times are in CDT (UTC-05) unless shown otherwise

### U.S. Open Cup

| Fourth round June 14–15 | Fourth round June 14–15 | Fourth round June 14–15 | Round of 16 June 28–29 | Round of 16 June 28–29 | Round of 16 June 28–29 | Quarterfinals July 20 | Quarterfinals July 20 | Quarterfinals July 20 | | Semifinals August 9–10 | Semifinals August 9–10 | Semifinals August 9–10 | | Final September 13 | Final September 13 | Final September 13 |
| MLS | Portland Timbers | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | San Jose Earthquakes | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | San Jose Earthquakes | 0 | MLS | Portland Timbers | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | MLS | LA Galaxy | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | LA Galaxy | 4* | MLS | LA Galaxy | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| USASA | La Máquina FC | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| USASA | La Máquina FC | 1 | | | | MLS | LA Galaxy | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | MLS | Seattle Sounders FC | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Real Salt Lake | 2(3) | | | | | | | MLS | Seattle Sounders FC | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| USL | Wilmington Hammerheads FC | 2(1) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| USL | Wilmington Hammerheads FC | 2(1) | MLS | Real Salt Lake | 1(1) | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | MLS | Seattle Sounders FC | 1(4) | | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Seattle Sounders FC | 2 | MLS | Seattle Sounders FC | 1(4) | | | | | | | | | | | |
| PDL | Kitsap Pumas | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| PDL | Kitsap Pumas | 0 | | | | | | | | MLS | LA Galaxy | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | MLS | FC Dallas | 2* | | | | |
| MLS | Houston Dynamo | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | MLS | FC Dallas | 2* | | | | |
| USL | San Antonio FC | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| USL | San Antonio FC | 0 | MLS | Houston Dynamo | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | MLS | Sporting Kansas City | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| NASL | Minnesota United FC | 1 | MLS | Sporting Kansas City | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Sporting Kansas City | 2* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Sporting Kansas City | 2* | | | | MLS | Houston Dynamo | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | MLS | FC Dallas | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | FC Dallas | 2(6) | | | | | | | MLS | FC Dallas | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| USL | Oklahoma City Energy FC | 2(5) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| USL | Oklahoma City Energy FC | 2(5) | MLS | FC Dallas | 2* | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | MLS | Colorado Rapids | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Colorado Rapids | 1 | MLS | Colorado Rapids | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| USL | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| USL | Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | MLS | FC Dallas | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | MLS | New England Revolution | 2 |
| MLS | New York City FC | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | MLS | New England Revolution | 2 |
| NASL | New York Cosmos | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| NASL | New York Cosmos | 1 | NASL | New York Cosmos | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | MLS | New England Revolution | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| NASL | Carolina RailHawks | 0 | MLS | New England Revolution | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | New England Revolution | 1* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | New England Revolution | 1* | | | | MLS | New England Revolution | 1(4) | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | MLS | Philadelphia Union | 1(2) | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Philadelphia Union | 3 | | | | | | | MLS | Philadelphia Union | 1(2) | | | | | | | | |
| USL | Harrisburg City Islanders | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| USL | Harrisburg City Islanders | 2 | MLS | Philadelphia Union | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | MLS | New York Red Bulls | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| USL | Rochester Rhinos | 0 | MLS | New York Red Bulls | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | New York Red Bulls | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | New York Red Bulls | 1 | | | | | | | | MLS | New England Revolution | 3 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | MLS | Chicago Fire | 1 | | | | |
| MLS | Chicago Fire | 1(4) | | | | | | | | | | | MLS | Chicago Fire | 1 | | | | |
| NASL | Indy Eleven | 1(3) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| NASL | Indy Eleven | 1(3) | MLS | Chicago Fire | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | MLS | Columbus Crew SC | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Columbus Crew SC | 4 | MLS | Columbus Crew SC | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| NASL | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| NASL | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0 | | | | MLS | Chicago Fire | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | NASL | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| NASL | Jacksonville Armada FC | 0 | | | | | | | NASL | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Orlando City SC | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Orlando City SC | 1 | MLS | Orlando City SC | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | NASL | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 2* | | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | D.C. United | 0(3) | NASL | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 2* | | | | | | | | | | | |
| NASL | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 0(4) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* Host team listed first
* Bold winner
* * = after extra time, ( ) = penalty shootout score
Kickoff times are in CDT (UTC-05) unless shown otherwise

### CONCACAF Champions League (2016–17)
#### Group stage

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | VAN | SKC | CEN |
| 1 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 12 | Quarter-finals | — | 3–0 | 4–1 |
| 2 | Sporting Kansas City | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 4 | | 1–2 | — | 3–1 |
| 3 | Central | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | −6 | 1 | | 0–1 | 2–2 | — |
Kickoff times are in CDT (UTC-05) unless shown otherwise