15-year-old Sydney Manning is no short of obsessed with Soony Saad. She is also one of Sporting KC's biggest fans, even though her full-on support of the team only began last summer. I caught up with the local freshman to chat about Sporting KC and Soony Saad, among other things. Enjoy.
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Why do you think soccer is growing so quickly in America?
SM: I think it's growing because the league itself is. Between new teams and stadiums, MLS is getting lots of publicity around the nation. Also, it's a fun sport to watch. There aren't too many things a common spectator needs to know about the game besides a few basic rules, and there's constant action on the field. With state-of-the-art stadiums like LSP to enjoy a game at, I'm not sure why people wouldn't give soccer a chance.
How long have you been a Sporting KC fan, and how were you first attracted to the team?
SM: Growing up in Kansas City and playing soccer as a child, I would have always considered myself a "fan" of the Wizards without knowing the name of a single player on the team. Thankfully, that all changed this summer. My dad bought two season tickets in the East Stand for my sister and himself, since she moved onto club soccer when I chose not to. We toured the stadium a couple weeks before the inaugural match, and I then began to come around to the team. The first Sporting KC match I witnessed at LSP was against Chivas USA on July 9, I believe, and since then I have become more interested in our team and the sport in general. The thing that attracted me most to Sporting (besides my sister's daily rants) had to be Soony Saad. By the end of July, I became a die-hard fan, and was among the many that cried for hours after the devastating loss against Houston. I love this team!
When did you first hear about Soony Saad?
SM: My family and I were on vacation in Gulf Shores, Alabama a few weeks into July when my sister first started mentioning him. I don't remember too much information on him from that week, partially because I had spent five hours in a car with Mackenzie talking continuously about SKC and I was determined to zone her out for the rest of the trip. All I knew by then was that Soony was an 18-year-old kid the team had gotten a few weeks before, but I quickly became a huge fan of his.
Why is Soony Saad your favorite Sporting KC player?
SM: I get this question a lot, and have yet to find an answer, but the biggest thing would have to be that I became a fan at about the same time that he came to Sporting KC. I knew this was his first club and he would remember it forever, so why not make it the best? I did a lot of research and found all sorts of highlight videos and articles giving him high praise, stumbling across some fun things along the way. I knew Soony was the real deal and has what it takes to be a key player on this team, all I can do now is wait for then and support him along the way!
What are your expectations for Sporting KC in 2012? Any early predictions?
SM: Obviously I would like to see Soony in the starting XI a couple times before the end of the season, and making it to the MLS Cup would be great as well! All I can predict is a amazing season!
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I'd like to give a huge thanks to Sydney for participating in the interview, and I hope you all enjoyed it. Expect many more interviews to come, on a slightly more serious note, later this year.
Leave any comments you have below.
I know it's a bit of a late reaction on my part, but Major League Soccer has released the full 2012 regular season schedule. View the full league schedule here and Sporting KC's schedule here. If you'd like to look at the specific national television schedules, check out these pages: ESPN networks schedule, NBC/NBC Sports schedule, and the Galavision schedule.
