Starting XI: Battle in Seattle

Starting XI, presented by StorageMart, is a biweekly series on SportingKC.com that highlights 11 of the biggest storylines and news updates from Sporting Kansas City, MLS and soccer around the globe. Click here to visit the Starting XI archive.

Two of the hottest teams in Major League Soccer will put their respective winning streaks on the line Saturday as second-place Sporting Kansas City (13-6-6, 45 points) visits sixth-place Seattle Sounders FC (11-9-5, 38 points) at CenturyLink Field in downtown Seattle. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CT with live coverage on FOX Sports Kansas City, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, UniMas, ESPN 94.5 FM/1510 AM and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM. The Western Conference clash will also stream live on Twitter at @UnivisionSports.

With both sides enjoying their best runs of form this year, Saturday's contest gives Sporting KC and Seattle the opportunity to make history — and an emphatic statement to the rest of the league. Our By The Numbers preview and Five Things rundown provide in-depth looks at the match.

2. Rubio's Recall

Sporting KC striker Diego Rubio has been named to the Chile Men’s National Team for two upcoming friendly matches in Asia, the Football Federation of Chile announced on Thursday. Rubio and Chile are set to face Japan on Sept. 7 at the Sapporo Dome in Sapporo, Japan, and South Korea on Sept. 11 at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, South Korea.

The 25-year-old Rubio has earned his first selection to Chile’s senior national team in seven years. Chile are No. 12 in the latest FIFA rankings and two-time defending Copa America champions, having won the continental title in 2015 and 2016.

3. Euro Trip

Sporting KC announced Tuesday that Scottish forward Johnny Russell and Hungarian forward Daniel Salloi will join their respective national teams next week for the start of the inaugural UEFA Nations League. Russell, Salloi and Chile national team selection Diego Rubio will be available for Saturday’s pivotal Western Conference clash at Seattle Sounders FC — slated for 3 p.m. CT on FOX Sports Kansas City, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, UniMas and streaming live on Twitter at @UnivisionSports — before traveling abroad for international competition.

Russell and Scotland will play two home matches at Hampden Park in Glasgow, hosting world No. 2-ranked Belgium in a high-profile friendly on Sept. 7 before opening their UEFA Nations League campaign in Group C1 against Albania on Sept. 10. Salloi and Hungary will begin UEFA Nations League play with two games in Group C2, traveling to meet Finland on Sept. 8 at Tampere Stadium in Tampere and hosting Greece on Sept. 11 at Groupama Arena in Budapest.

4. No Other Party

All supporters are welcome to the official watch party for Saturday's game at No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District (1370 Grand Blvd.). From 2:30 p.m. CT until the final whistle, No Other Pub will offer $5 Corona cans and an all-you-can-eat buffet with endless soda and domestic draft beers.

5. Rangers Revived

The Swope Park Rangers posted their second straight victory with a 2-1 result against Tulsa Roughnecks FC on Wednesday night at Children's Mercy Park. Tulsa struck first, but a stunning goal from Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal and a second-half tally from Hadji Barry gave Paulo Nagamura's side all three points.

Currently occupying the seventh of eight playoff spots in the Western Conerence, SPR (11-9-7, 40 points) will resume their regular season campaign Sunday when they host rivals OKC Energy FC (10-12-5, 35 points) at Children's Mercy Park. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. CT and tickets are available at SeatGeek.com, with the first 500 fan in attendance receiving a free Hat Trick Harry bobblehead.

6. Quakes Sink Dallas

FC Dallas ventured to San Jose on Wednesday and fell to the last-place Earthquakes for the second time in a month, coming out on the wrong end of a 4-3 thriller at Avaya Stadium. The unlikely result gives Sporting KC the opportunity to provisionally take first place in the West with a win or draw on Saturday in Seattle. In other midweek action, the Philadelphia Union won their fourth straight at the expense of D.C. United, the New York Red Bulls took the lead in the Supporters' Shield race after beating Houston, and the Portland Timbers snapped a four-game skid with a 2-0 win over Toronto FC, whose playoff hopes continue to hang by a thread.

7. Dempsey Retires

U.S. international and American soccer legend Clint Dempsey announced his retirement from the game on Wednesday. The 35-year-old played professionally for 15 years, including seven years in the English Premier League for Tottenham and Fulham in between MLS stints with the New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders FC. Dempsey scored 57 goals for the U.S. national team, tied with Landon Donovan for the most all time. His 141 appearances are the third-most in team history, while his 43 World Cup qualifying appearances are the most in U.S. team history.

8. Remembering Ron

Sporting KC continues to mourn the passing of Ron Newman, the club's first head coach who died Monday at age 84 in Tampa, Florida. Among the hundreds of players Newman competed with or coached during his storied soccer career was Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes. Both have been inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame and left indelible impacts on the sport in this country. Vermes reflected Tuesday on Newman's life and legacy as a free-spirited soccer pioneer who played an integral role in advancing the game during Major League Soccer's early years. Additionally, four former Kansas City players shared their thoughts and memories of Newman with SportingKC.com.

9. Radio Rewind

In Tuesday's episode of The Sporting KC Show on Sports Radio 810 WHB, hosts Nate Bukaty and Carter Augustine recapped Sporting KC's brilliant month of August and previewed Saturday's mouthwatering matchup against a Sounders side that has won seven straight games, one shy of breaking the all-time MLS record set by Sporting KC during the first seven matches of 2012.

To help break down the battle in Seattle, Bukaty and Augustine welcomed Sporting KC defender Brad Evans to the show. Evans starred for the Sounders from 2009-2017, guiding the team to the 2016 MLS Cup and four U.S. Open Cup titles. Sporting Legend Tony Meola also joined the show to reflect on Ron Newman's life and legacy as a pivotal contributor to the growth of soccer in the United States.

10. Didic and Dick Shine

A pair of Sporting KC loanees earned USL Team of the Week honors on Tuesday for their leading roles in the Swope Park Rangers' crucial 2-1 road win over San Antonio FC last Saturday at Toyota Field. Defender Amer Didic was selected among the Team of the Week starters, while goalkeeper Eric Dick took a spot on the bench.

11. Back in Session

Three Sporting KC Academy teams will kick off their 2018-19 U.S. Soccer Development Academy campaigns this Sunday in a tripleheader against the Colorado Rapids at Swope Soccer Village. The U-15s will kick off at 10 a.m. CT, followed by the U-17s at noon and the U-19s at 2 p.m. All three matches are free and open to the public to attend. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for live updates on Twitter this Sunday and throughout the 2018-19 Academy season.

Games to Watch (Aug. 31 - Sept. 2, 2018)