Sporting Kansas City have already had one of the most successful seasons in franchise history, with an Open Cup sitting in their trophy mantle. That Open Cup was their first trophy since 2004, but the Sporks are looking to increase that haul and win their first trophy 'double' since their first two trophies were pulled in back in 2000, when keeper Tony Meola and a staunch defense led the then Wizards to the MLS Cup and Supporter's Shield.
Graham Zusi has been one of the catalysts for the offensive powerhouse that Peter Vermes has built at Livestrong Sporting Park, with 11 assists to his name so far in 2012. To Zusi though, the personal accomplishments that he has built up -- including a string of calls to the US Men's National Team -- mean nothing if the club doesn't have success:
"The personal accomplishments, I really couldn’t care less about," Zusi told MLSsoccer.com after Tuesday’s training session. "That’s something I never think of at all. The team accomplishments – we’re always pushing forward. We set a goal of winning the Open Cup at the beginning of the year, and we’ve accomplished that. Now that that’s in our past, we can forget about it and focus on the Supporters' Shield, which is our next goal. And if we can accomplish that, then our next goal would be MLS Cup."
Kansas City is currently only a single game behind the San Jose Earthquakes in the race for the Supporter's Shield, and their playoff spot is all but guaranteed at this point. A double is certainly doable for Sporting this year.
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