Children’s Mercy Park voted by players as second-best atmosphere in MLS

On a cool evening Sunday, Children’s Mercy Park held its 72nd straight sellout crowd for a Sporting Kansas City match in MLS play.

But it’s not just a full stadium. It’s one of the best atmospheres in the league, too.

Well, at least according to MLS players.

In an annual player poll conducted by ESPN FC, 28 percent of MLS players consider Kansas City to have the best or most intimidating atmosphere in the league. That number trailed only Portland, which received 42 percent of the player vote.

“There isn’t one stadium in MLS that I consider intimidating. The best atmosphere is Portland. But the best overall experience is Kansas City, because they’re full and it’s grass,” the article quoted one player anonymously as saying.

ESPN polled 123 players, who answered anonymously.

They voted New York City’s Mix Diskerud as the most overrated player in the league. Sporting Kansas City midfielder Benny Feilhaber was No. 10 on that list.

The New York Red Bulls’ Dax McCarty and Portland’s Darlington Nagbe received the most votes for the league’s most underrated player, according to the survey.

LA Galaxy’s Bruce Arena was voted the most popular coach in MLS. Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes was fifth on that list.

This story was originally published March 22, 2016 at 1:36 PM with the headline "Children’s Mercy Park voted by players as second-best atmosphere in MLS."