Ever since Sporting Kansas City entered Major League Soccer as the Kansas City Wiz in 1996, very few days have changed the course of the club’s history quite like Jan. 15, 2009.
On a cold afternoon in St. Louis precisely 10 years ago, technical director and soon-to-be manager Peter Vermes hit an absolute home run at the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. He selected hometown defender Matt Besler in the first round and two-time NCAA national champion Graham Zusi in the second round, reeling in two future stars who have since become the faces of the franchise.
Side by side, Besler and Zusi have embarked on a meteoric rise since then.