Sporting KC kicks off 2021 preseason with voluntary training

Sporting Kansas City‘s 2021 training camp in Arizona officially begins next week, but voluntary training started today in Kansas City.

The voluntary training is taking place at Compass Minerals National Performance Center in Kansas City, Kansas. The team heads to Arizona for four weeks of training at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler starting March 7, followed by another two weeks of preparation in Kansas City prior to the team’s regular-season opener the weekend of April 17.

Sporting players began reporting to KC last month to complete a required seven-day quarantine period. Players can begin the voluntary training following the quarantine as long as all COVID-19 tests are negative. Ongoing health and safety protocols will include testing every other day during preseason.

The club plans to play preseason matches on March 13, March 20, March 24 and April 3.

Sporting finished first in the Western Conference with a 12-6-3 record in 2020 before losing to Minnesota United FC in the conference playoff semifinals.