Five Things is a weekly series on SportingKC.com that highlights the top storylines, players to watch and matchday programming ahead of each game throughout the season.
Sunday's curtain raiser at Children's Mercy Park will see Sporting Kansas City and New York City FC step into the national spotlight, going head-to-head at 6:30 p.m. CT on FS1. With tickets still available at SeatGeek.com, we visit five major talking points surrounding the fixture as the 2018 MLS regular season gets underway.
1. Elite offense meets stifling defense
Only Toronto FC has scored more goals over the last two regular seasons than New York City FC. Third-year head coach and former France international Patrick Vieira has no shortage of attacking weapons up his sleeve, and while David Villa remains the headliner — more on him below — a slew of others are more than capable of doing damage in front of goal. Rodney Wallace is a seasoned veteran on the wing, Maxi Moralez tallied nine assists in his first MLS campaign last year, and freshly minted Designated Player Jesus Medina has generated plenty of buzz as a promising 20-year-old.
On the opposite sideline, Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes will deploy a defense that measured among the greatest in league history in 2017. Goalkeeper Tim Melia and defender Ike Opara were named the best MLS players at their respective positions last season, anchoring a back line that conceded seven fewer goals than any other club. Throw U.S. internationals Matt Besler and Graham Zusi into the picture, and Sporting KC is well positioned to continue their stingy ways in 2018.
2. International imports
Vermes is likely to give MLS debuts to three new players who have joined Sporting KC from abroad. Playmaking Frenchman Yohan Croizet appeared in all seven preseason exhibitions, spending most of his time wide on the right wing. Chilean international Felipe Gutierrez will bolster the midfield, and Scottish winger Johnny Russell brings a goal scoring pedigree from England's second division. All three additions could end up being staples of the Sporting KC lineup moving forward.
3. David Villa comes to KC
Few players on the planet boast a track record quite like David Villa's. The 36-year-old is Spain's all-time leading scorer and has more than 350 club goals to his name. He is a World Cup champion, a UEFA Champions League winner and — despite his age — still one of the league's best strikers. Villa leads MLS with 63 regular-season goals since 2015, accounting for almost 40 percent of NYCFC's goals since joining the side three years ago. Indeed, Sporting KC will have the Spaniard tightly marked on Sunday night.
4. Sporting blue reunions
Last December, a trade between Sporting KC and NYCFC saw forward Khiry Shelton and defender Saad Abdul-Salaam swap different shades of light blue. Shelton arrives in Kansas City after spending his first three seasons in the Big Apple, while Abdul-Salaam begins his NYCFC tenure with a Children's Mercy Park homecoming. It's safe to say that both players will want to deliver strong performances, for their new teams and against their former clubs.
5. Schedule magnets and rally towels
Supporters attending Sunday's match will have the opportunity to add a few free souvenirs. The first 15,000 people through the stadium gates will receive a free 2018 schedule magnet courtesy of match sponsor Children's Mercy. In addition, Sporting KC rally towels will be placed on every seat in Children's Mercy Park to make for an even greater opening-night atmosphere. That's not to mention the new secondary jersey and black "For Glory For City" scarf, which will be on sale at all SportingStyle locations inside the stadium.
