Starting XI: Catching Fire

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.

Another crucial Western Conference clash beckons on Saturday as second-place Sporting Kansas City (11-6-6, 39 points) returns home to battle the fifth-place Portland Timbers (10-5-7, 37 points) at Children's Mercy Park. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT with a limited number of tickets available via SeatGeek.com. FOX Sports Kansas City Plus, FOX Sports Midwest Plus and FOX Sports GO will air three hours of live coverage beginning at 7 p.m. CT, while listeners can catch the action on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM (Spanish).

Manager Peter Vermes' men enter the weekend high on confidence, having secured two straight shutout road wins to jump from fifth to second in the West. Portland, meanwhile, has lost two on the trot after going a club-record 15 games unbeaten from April to August. Dive into more pregame content with the newest editions of By The Numbers and Five Things.

2. Living Legends

Graham Zusi and Matt Besler are two of the most accomplished and iconic players in Sporting KC history, and they now occupy first and second place, respectively, on the team's all-time regular-season appearances list. Ticket holders will want to get to their seats early on Saturday night, as Besler and Zusi will be formally recognized on the field during pregame for their outstanding contributions to the club.

3. Radio Rewind

Sporting KC's resurgence has just so happened to correspond with the return of a veteran presence along the backline. Left back Seth Sinovic has started in each of Sporting KC's last two matches, a 1-0 away win over the Houston Dynamo followed by a 2-0 road victory over LAFC on Saturday. The Kansas City native reflected on the club's recent success Tuesday night when he joined host Nate Bukaty for a new episode of The Sporting KC Show on Sports Radio 810 WHB.

4. Little Brother

Gianluca Busio burst onto the scene in Sporting KC’s 1-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo on Aug. 4. In his first career start, he was involved throughout and provided a wonderful flick assist to Diego Rubio to become the third youngest player in MLS history to record an assist. MLSsoccer.com got to know the second-youngest signing in MLS history this week.

5. Oh, Snap!

Sporting KC has become one of the first teams in the world to sell tickets through Snapchat. In partnership with SeatGeek, Sporting KC has made a limited number of tickets to Saturday’s home match against the Portland Timbers available via the popular social media platform.

Utilizing Snapchat to reach a dedicated fan segment, Sporting KC is offering another innovative way for supporters to secure tickets to matches at world-class Children’s Mercy Park. With the integration of SeatGeek directly into Snapchat, fans can purchase tickets without ever having to leave the app.

6. Going Camping

Sporting KC Youth Soccer will host its second Pro Player Camp on Monday, Sept. 3, with midfielder Ilie Sanchez. The Labor Day camp will run from 9-11:30 a.m. CT at Swope Soccer Village with registration now open for boys and girls 5-14 years of age.

7. Medranda Setback

Sporting KC announced Wednesday that defender Jimmy Medranda will miss the remainder of the 2018 season due to a knee injury. Medranda had exploratory surgery on Friday, revealing a cartilage defect in his left knee. He will undergo further surgery to repair the injury and is expected to be sidelined for eight months.

8. Midweek Report

The LA Galaxy and Portland Timbers both had the chance to leapfrog Sporting KC for second place in the Western Conference, but neither could take advantage in their midweek matches. The Galaxy were held to a 2-2 home draw with the Colorado Rapids on Tuesday before Portland suffered a 4-1 loss at D.C. United on Wednesday. The other Western Conference fixture saw LAFC move level on points with Sporting KC following a 2-0 home win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night, a game in which Christian Ramirez scored twice.

9. Conquering Canada

There are now two MLS clubs that have qualified for the 2019 Concacaf Champions League (CCL), with Toronto FC joining Sporting KC after their Canadian Championship triumph on Wednesday night. Concacaf and the US Soccer Federation in January clarified the procedures by which the US-based qualifiers to the CCL are determined, specifically addressing the scenario that was triggered when Toronto FC won 2017 MLS Cup.

The 2017 MLS Cup winner was automatically slated to qualify for the 2019 Concacaf Champions League, but since Toronto FC, as a Canadian team, were only able qualify for the 2019 CCL by winning the 2018 Canadian Championship, their spot will be taken by the US-based club with most aggregate points over the 2017 and 2018 MLS regular seasons combined.

10. Headliners

Sporting KC fans will have all eyes on Saturday's showdown against the Portland Timbers at Children's Mercy Park. But soccer fanatics looking for an extra dose of MLS action need only look before and after the Sporting KC match this weekend.

At 3 p.m. CT Saturday, red-hot Seattle Sounders FC (9-9-5, 32 points) will put a five-game winning streak on the line when they host Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the LA Galaxy (10-8-7, 37 points) on ESPN. At 6:30 p.m. CT Sunday, upstart D.C. United (6-9-6, 24 points) continues life in its new home at Audi Field against the New England Revolution (7-8-8, 29 points) on FS1.

11. Take to Twitter

Sporting KC announced Tuesday that the club's road match against Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, Sept. 1, will be televised live nationally in Spanish on UniMas and Univision Deportes Network. The Western Conference clash, set for 3 p.m. CT at CenturyLink Field, will also stream live in English on Twitter at @UnivisionSports.

The game in Seattle will continue to be broadcast regionally on FOX Sports Kansas City and FOX Sports Midwest Plus, with play-by-play commentator Nate Bukaty and color analyst Matt Lawrence on the call.

Games to Watch (Aug. 17-19, 2018)