KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Current are once again making waves this season and it’s catching the attention of soccer fans from around the world.
The Current made its mark with an undefeated streak and dominance on the pitch, and now the team is once again setting the bar by tapping into a new era of accessibility and global connections. For the first time, KC Current fans can listen to each match in Portuguese thanks to a new partnership with KC-based Tico Sports.
“I want to make sure that we recognize Chris and Angie Long, when we first were tossing around the idea of a Spanish broadcast, they were all in right away about that, but we started talking about a Portuguese broadcast and they were 'absolutely this is the future,'” explained Cici Rojas, founder of Tico Sports.
Christian Anderaos and Fernanda Silva are the dynamic duo behind this first-of-its-kind radio broadcast. Anderaos hails from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and played for UMKC as a midfielder coached for the KC Roos following graduation, and currently plays for the KC Comets.
Silva is also from Brazil and earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from Faculdade Cásper Líbero, in São Paulo and has previously worked for ESPN Brasil, Olimpíada Todo Dia and TV Gazeta, as a producer and reporter.
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“With soccer being such a huge thing in Kansas City and being such a big thing for the Latino community, it's awesome to be part of the organization that is giving the opportunity for more people to understand what's going on game and the Brazilian soccer players that might be watching this at home or listening to us,” Silva said. "I think it's very important this feeling of belonging you only really belong to a place when you can understand what's going on and when you can feel like you're a part of it."
Come game day, the two look through printed rosters, keep on the latest information and stats on both teams and their players, and once they hit the air, they are sending a message of inclusivity and diversity with each play-by-play.
"We are really sending a statement out there that we recognize the Latino fan base and how bright it is and the diversity in and of itself,” Rojas said. “We're saying we want you here we welcome all Latinos, if you don't have a Latino marketing strategy, you'd probably want to think about how you should get behind one and amplify that.”
To catch the action head to Tico Sports.
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