Matt Besler and Jon Kempin selected for U.S. Men's National Team January Camp

SportingKC.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Sporting Kansas City captain Matt Besler and homegrown goalkeeper Jon Kempin were named to the United States Men's National Team roster on Friday and will take part in the U.S. MNT January Camp from Jan. 12 - Feb. 8 in Carson, California.

The annual training camp will be highlighted by the first two international matches on the United States schedule in 2015. Chile will host the U.S. on Jan. 28 at Estadio El Teniente in Rancagua, Chile, before the United States returns home to face Panama at 3 p.m. CT on Feb. 8 at StubHub Center in Carson, California (ESPN, UniMas, UDN).

"The prize in 2015 for the senior National Team is the Gold Cup, and this camp will give a lot of our players a chance to kick start their preparations for an important year," U.S. Men's National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. "We also get an opportunity to introduce the next wave of young players into the program, and in particular work with many of our Olympic-age guys as they build toward qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in Rio."

Besler has made 23 international appearances for the United States Men's National Team since his debut in 2013. The 27-year-old central defender led the national team with 11 starts in 2014, including starting  roles in all four games at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

"This is another big year ahead of us in 2015," Besler said. "The January Camp is always a good way to set the tone for the upcoming campaign and establish a positive rhythm within the national team environment. It is an important time of the year which brings a welcomed new wave of excitement and energy."

An Overland Park, Kansas native, Besler has made 161 appearances in MLS competition (including postseason) over six seasons since being selected in the first round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft out of Notre Dame. He is a three-time MLS All-Star (2011, 2013, 2014) and has twice been named to the MLS Best XI (2012, 2013) to go along with an MLS Defender of the Year honor in 2012.

Kempin, 21, joins the full U.S. Men's National Team for the first time in his career after previously representing the United States at the Under-14 through Under-23 levels and attending the U.S. Soccer Residency Program from 2008-2009. The Leawood, Kansas native was most recently a member of the U.S. Under-21 Men's National Team during a breakthrough 2014 campaign in which he made his MLS debut.

In doing so, he became the youngest at his position to play in Major League Soccer since 2012 and also entered the record books as the youngest goalkeeper to start an MLS match in club history. Kempin earned back-to-back MLS Save of the Week honors in his first two appearances and was named MVP of the 2014 MLS Chipotle Homegrown Game.

"I am extremely honored to be able to represent my country in my first senior team call up," Kempin said. "I am excited to work with some of the best players in the world and learn from the likes of Nick Rimando and Sean Johnson. The experience I will get from working with Jurgen (Klinsmann) and his coaching staff will be very valuable to my career. My dream is to represent the United States in the Olympics and World Cups. I feel like being invited to the January Camp is one step closer to achieving those dreams."

He also appeared in the Champions Shield friendly against the English Premier League's Manchester City, one of six total appearances for the club last season (4 MLS, 1 CCL, 1 friendly) while also spending time on loan at USL PRO affiliate OKC Energy FC.

Kempin, a product of the Sporting KC Academy and the team's first homegrown player signing at age 17, now enters his sixth professional season in 2015. He made his competitive debut during the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and helped Orlando City SC claim the USL PRO Championship in 2013, making 34 saves in nine games while on loan with the Lions.

The United States - No. 27 in the latest FIFA rankings - has scheduled seven international friendlies to be played against top competition over the next six months in preparation for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup (July 7-26).

The U.S. will face five teams ranked in the top 20 in the world, including regional rival Mexico (April 15), fifth-ranked Netherlands (June 5) and 2014 FIFA World Cup champion Germany (June 10).

Sporting KC captain Matt Besler named to U.S. roster for upcoming friendlies

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Sporting Kansas City captain Matt Besler was named to the United States 25-player roster on Monday for the national team's final two matches of the year.

The U.S. will face Colombia at 1:45 p.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 14 at Craven Cottage in London (ESPN, UniMas) before taking on the Republic of Ireland at 1:45 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Nov. 18
at Aviva Stadium in Dublin (ESPN2).

"I'm excited to join the U.S. Men's National Team for these upcoming friendlies in Europe," Besler said. "Colombia and Ireland are tough opponents and will provide us strong tests as we look to close out 2014 on a high note."

Besler has made 22 international appearances for the United States since his debut in 2013. The 27-year-old central defender started all four games for the U.S. MNT at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and leads the team with 10 games started this year.

An Overland Park, Kansas native, Besler has made 161 appearances in MLS competition (including postseason) over six seasons since being selected in the first round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft out of Notre Dame. He is a three-time MLS All-Star (2011, 2013, 2014) and has twice been named to the MLS Best XI (2012, 2013) to go along with an MLS Defender of the Year honor in 2012.

Besler anchors a Sporting KC backline that has conceded the fewest shots and shots on target among MLS teams in each of the past three years. Since 2011, he ranks first among all MLS defenders with 4,756 successful passes and he is second among defenders with 8,200 touches and 906 clearances over that same span.

The United States is 6-3-4 in 2014 and reached the Round of 16 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, finishing runners-up in Group G behind eventual champions Germany. Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has led the U.S. MNT to a 33-13-11 record since his hiring in 2011 and is on the 10-man shortlist for FIFA World Coach of the Year in 2014.

Colombia - ranked No. 3 in the world - reached the quarterfinals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup behind Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez with six goals and two assists. Rodriguez is a FIFA Ballon d'Or finalist and has six goals and five assists since joining Real Madrid in Spain's La Liga. Colombia captain Radamel Falcao has returned from a knee injury to feature with Manchester United in the English Premier League.

The Republic of Ireland currently sits atop Group D in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying after a 1-1 draw with World Cup champions Germany last month. The side is led by captain Robbie Keane, who has 60 goals and 38 assists for the LA Galaxy in the past four MLS seasons (including playoffs).

Professional athletes to visit Providence Holiday Heart Mart Dec. 15

Join Will Shields, Chiefs’ Hall of Famer and owner of 68’s Inside Sports Health and Fitness Clubs, Kenny Hook, Kansas City T-Bones Manager, and Matt Besler, Sporting KC and MLS Defender of the Year, as well as Providence Medical Center board-certified cardiologist Donald McSweyn, M.D. on Saturday, Dec. 15 from Noon to 2 p.m. at a Men’s Heart Health holiday event.

The free event will be held at the Providence Holiday Heart Mart at The Legends Shopping Center, Kansas City, Kan., which is located between Charming Charlie and the Yard House Restaurant.

Dr. McSweyn and area athletes are teaming up to bring awareness of heart disease this holiday season. New research indicates that three out of five men and one of two women, who are otherwise healthy at age 45, will develop heart disease in their lifetimes.

“Most people don’t know this, and during the holidays, they often overindulge in eating and drinking which can lead to a spike in their blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.,” Dr. McSweyn remarks. “Our free Heart Health event is specially designed to educate men about their hearts and risk factors for heart disease.”

To help spread the word across Kansas City, Dr. McSweyn and Kansas City sport icons will go on air with Sports Radio 810 WHB at a live remote, outside the Holiday Mart.

Participants will be able to meet athletes, get signed autographs and participate in a free and convenient 15-minute heart screening which includes cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, body mass index, pulse oximetry and a leg vein assessment. Hot cider and coffee will be served.

Each guest will receive a holiday heart health assessment form and packet. The Holiday Heart Mart is staffed by clinical and cardiac professionals.

Follow-up appointments with cardiologists, primary care physicians and other specialists can be scheduled after the screenings.

“As the official hospital partner of The Legends and the community hospital in this area, we’re doing all we can to help improve our community’s heart health and make heart care convenient,” says Randy Nyp, president/CEO of Providence. “Our neighbors in the community who shop at The Legends can take advantage of this opportunity to have their heart health evaluated by our outstanding clinical professionals. A free heart assessment may be the best gift you could give yourself or a loved one this holiday season.”

Sporting KC's Matt Besler earns 2012 MLS Defender of the Year award

SportingKC.com

Sporting Kansas City defender Matt Besler was voted the 2012 MLS Defender of the Year, Major League Soccer announced on Tuesday.

"I am very humbled, yet ecstatic, to be honored as MLS Defender of the Year," Besler said. "To be a part of such a great team and backline, you could make an argument for any of the back four for Sporting Kansas City. All year long our theme has been defending as a team from the forwards on back.

"I want to thank all of my teammates, the coaching staff and my family for their support and sacrifice. I am a player who sets team goals as well as personal goals and the number one priority is always to win MLS Cup. This award will continue to drive and push me to help bring the Cup back to my hometown."

Besler, an Overland Park, Kan. native and Blue Valley West alum, anchored a Sporting Kansas City defense that allowed 27 goals in 34 MLS matches to lead all MLS teams with the fewest goals conceded.

He started 30 of his 31 appearances in 2012 and was part of a smothering team defense that held opponents to the fewest shots (328) and shots on goal (102) of all 19 teams during the regular season.

The 25-year-old was named the team's Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season and was the highest-ranked defender in this year's MLS Castrol Index at No. 25 overall.

Besler, a 2011 MLS All-Star, also contributed two game-winning assists and Sporting Kansas City went 17-5-8 with a 0.72 goals against average with Besler in the starting lineup.

"Besler is a very steady player, which you need at his position," Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes said. "Even though some might think he was a bit under-the-radar, he is consistent, a solid defender, very technical and possesses an excellent soccer brain. His top notch work ethic and determination has seen him get better every year."