episode 1: The White Puma: Shades of Blue Soccer Show
A new year and a new season of the Shades of Blue Soccer Show! That's right, they have yet to kick us out of the studio. And we are starting this year off with a bang as club legend Jimmy Nielsen joins Cody, Robert, and Thad for a very long show.
The White Puma was rather candied as he spoke about his youth career all the way up to his coaching career. He and his family have come back to KC after a brief stint as the head coach of Hartford Athletic, where he was far from happy. He shared some wonderfully kind words about Kansas City that will warm the heart of any native. The Cauldron, of course, gave him fond memories that we all enjoyed revisiting.
For the league and club's 25th anniversary season, we will be having on several former players and staff all season long to take a look back through the years. We asked Nielsen his thoughts on the progression of Sporting Kansas City and Major League Soccer as a whole. He had some hilarious stories to tell about shenanigans of old teammates like Casey Keller, Kei Kamara, and even an Aurélien Collin hangover at training. We also hit him with rapid fire questions like his most hated MLS player, best friend, funniest teammate, and worst game he can remember. His coaching mind was also put to the test in naming his Sporting KC All-Decade team.
Hear him describe the fateful 2013 MLS Cup Final in which he played 120 minutes then won in PK's with a broken rib. "I was in pain. I couldn't get out of bed. I could not sit on the toilet. But I didn't want to miss that one," the puma explains. "I took injections and tried everything. I had a shot in my ass, I had shots directly into my ribs, everything!"
This man is an absolute legend. Yet somehow not an official Sporting Legend. What exactly are they waiting for?
Sit back, relax, and enjoy a deep dive into the good ol' days!
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