Sporting Kansas City’s 4-0 preseason win over Phoenix Rising FC had a distinct Academy flair to it.
Taking the field at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Arizona, for the first match of the 2021 preseason presented by Children’s Mercy, Sporting saw a slew of its heralded Academy products assume leading roles in the wire-to-wire victory.
For starters, Manager Peter Vermes gave playing time to 12 past and present Academy players. That bunch included nine on Sporting’s MLS roster—Grayson Barber, Gianluca Busio, Ozzie Cisneros, Cam Duke, Tyler Freeman, Wilson Harris, Felipe Hernandez, Jaylin Lindsey and Daniel Salloi—plus Sporting KC II duo Kaveh Rad and Jake Davis and current Academy standout Kayden Pierre.