A distinct orange seat dots the north corner of Children’s Mercy Park. At each Sporting Kansas City match, the chair is occupied by an honoree of the Victory Project, a club initiative to support children who are battling cancer.
On Saturday, the seat reserved for 15-year-old Jordan Rodriguez was left vacant.
Rodriguez, a devout sports fan from Oak Grove, died earlier Saturday morning after a second bout with cancer.
In an emotional pre-game ceremony, Sporting KC spread a jersey across the seat, “Rodriguez” scripted on its nameplate, and recognized his memory with a moment of silence before its match against FC Dallas.