CHICAGO — In Sporting Kansas City’s 4-3 win over the Chicago Fire on Saturday, Kevin Ellis saw some minutes as a defensive substitution. For the first time since 2011, however, Ellis was wearing a different kit.
After being signed as a homegrown player in 2011 by Sporting KC, Ellis, who was born and raised in Kansas City, spent seven seasons with his hometown club. He was a flexible forward-turned-defender and served as one of the first options off the bench for Sporting KC head coach Peter Vermes for several seasons.
At the end of the 2017 season, however, the relationship turned sour.