Five Things presented by Children’s Mercy Kansas City: Sporting KC heads west to take on the Colorado Rapids | March. 4, 2023 | Sporting Kansas City

2. SEARCHING FOR RARE WIN IN THE ROCKIES

Sporting Kansas City heads West this weekend when the team travels to take on the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday night. Both teams are looking to bounce back from disappointing openers in the Pacific Northwest, as Sporting fell to a narrow 1-0 loss in Portland while the Rapids got crushed 4-0 in Seattle.

Sporting has not enjoyed much success in Colorado over the previous decade, with the club’s most recent victory at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park coming on March 29, 2014. Since then, Sporting has gone 0-5-4 in their nine visits to Commerce City.

Sporting’s last visit to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park ended in defeat on March 12, 2022. Facing Colorado with a banged up squad, Sporting fell to a 2-0 defeat following goals from Diego Rubio and Mark-Anthony Kaye.

The return fixture at Children’s Mercy Park on May 18, 2022 saw Sporting take their revenge, as Daniel Salloi scored either side of halftime to guide SKC to a 2-1 victory. Late on, Colorado’s Auston Trusty was sent off after receiving his second yellow card before a brawl erupted and Sporting’s Salloi and Andreu Fontas were sent off, along with Colorado’s Lucas Esteves.

3. SPORTING KC ACQUIRES CENTER BACK DANY ROSERO

Sporting Kansas City announced on Thursday that the club has acquired 29-year-old center back Dany Rosero in a transfer from Colombian side Atletico Junior. Rosero has signed a three-year MLS contract through 2025 with an option for 2026 and will occupy an international slot on Sporting’s roster.

Rosero has eclipsed 300 professional appearances across Argentina and his native Colombia, scoring 20 goals and competing in the esteemed Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. Beginning his career at Argentine club Arsenal de Sarandi as a teenager, the defender has spent the last seven seasons in the Colombian top-flight Categoria Primera A with Patriotas Boyacá, Deportivo Cali and Junior.

Rosero joins a central defensive group that also contains veteran Andreu Fontas, U22 initiative signing Robert Voloder, USL Championship standout Robert Castellanos and 2023 MLS SuperDraft selection Chris Rindov.