MISL News Release
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
TAMPA, Fla. – The MISL’s Missouri Comets will play their annual “Retro Game” honoring the area’s rich indoor soccer history against the Wichita Wings at Sprint Center on January 14, 2012, during the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Annual Convention in Kansas City. The game, expected to attract a large crowd due to the convention, was moved from the Independence Events Center to Kansas City’s award-winning downtown arena to accommodate the increased demand.
The NSCAA’s yearly meeting of the top soccer coaches and executives from throughout the United States and abroad is set for January 11-15, 2012 at the Kansas City Convention Center.
“We love our fans and our home at the IEC,” Comets President Brian Budzinski said. “When it was announced that the NSCAA Convention was going to be in downtown Kansas City right in the middle of our season, we immediately started to receive phone calls asking us about tickets.
“Thousands of players and coaches will travel from all over the country to attend this conference. Now they can enjoy all that our area has to offer and take in one of the MISL’s greatest classic rivalries, the Comets versus the Wings!”
The NSCAA Convention is the largest gathering of its kind in the world, attracting more than 8,000 attendees. Top instructors such as U.S. Men’s National Team Assistant Coach Mike Murray, former USMNT player Eric Wynalda and Duke University Head Coach John Kerr will lead training sessions throughout the week. Other highlights of the convention include the MLS SuperDraft held Thursday, January 12 and the NSCAA Awards Banquet on Friday, January 13. USL and the MISL annually have a major presence at the convention’s trade show, which features more than 270 exhibitors from around the globe.
“We expect this game to be one of the highlights of the 2011-12 MISL regular season,” MISL Senior Director Chris Economides said. “Showcasing one of the MISL’s traditional rivalries in one of the premier arenas in the United States will make this game a can’t-miss event for those attending the NSCAA Convention.”
Last year’s inaugural “Retro Game” played to a packed house at the Independence Events Center and saw the Comets play an exciting game wearing special “rainbow striped” jerseys inspired by the uniforms worn by the original Comets in 1981. The Independence Events Center will continue to be the permanent home of the Comets, but for this one Saturday in January all eyes will be on downtown Kansas City.