Starting XI: Committed to KC

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.

Sporting KC (13-7-6, 45 points) continues their push to the playoffs Saturday when the club hosts Orlando City SC (7-16-3, 24 points) at world-class Children's Mercy Park. The interconference clash will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT, and tickets remain available via SeatGeek.com. FOX Sports Kansas City Plus, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, FOX Sports GO, Sports Radio 810 WHB and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM will air the game live as Manager Peter Vermes' men look to move within a point of first place in the West.

Saturday's contest features a pair of teams headed in opposite directions. Sporting KC has won four of five and looks destined for an eighth straight playoff berth, while the limping Lions have just one victory to show from their last 17 matches, own the league's worst defensive record and appear set to miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

2. Committed to KC

Sporting KC announced Tuesday that the club has signed four MLS All-Stars to new, multi-year contracts: defender Matt Besler, midfielder Roger Espinoza, midfielder Ilie Sanchez and defender Graham Zusi. Besler, Espinoza, Ilie and Zusi have all contributed to Sporting KC’s most successful era in club history, highlighted by four major championships since 2012 and a team-record seven-year playoff streak.

3. Remembering Ron

Sporting KC continues to celebrate the life and legacy of Ron Newman, the club’s original head coach who passed away Aug. 27 at age 84. Newman led Kansas City for over three seasons from 1996-1999, racking up 50 regular season wins at the helm.

To pay tribute to Newman, supporters at Children’s Mercy Park are encouraged to participate in a moment of applause in the 50th minute of Saturday’s match between Sporting KC and Orlando City SC. This act will honor Newman’s 50 wins as Kansas City’s head coach and commemorate his profound impact on the sport of soccer in the United States.

4. Quake Cancels Friendly

The Chile and Japan Men's National Teams are confirmed safe after a 6.7 magnitude earthquake rocked the island of Hokkaido, Japan early Thursday. Sporting KC forward Diego Rubio and Chile were scheduled to face Japan in a friendly on Friday at the Sapporo Dome. The Japanese FA announced today that the game is canceled as a result of the quake, with its epicenter less than 40 miles from the stadium.

Rubio and Chile, who arrived in Sapporo earlier this week, will travel to face South Korea on Tuesday at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon.

5. Battle with Belgium

Winger Johnny Russell has parlayed his breakout season with Sporting KC into a call to the Scotland Men’s National Team for two high-profile matches, beginning with Friday’s friendly against world No. 2-ranked Belgium at Hampden Park in Glasgow. The contest will stream live at 1:45 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

6. Salloi Flies to Finland

As one of the most productive homegrown players in Major League Soccer, Sporting KC forward Daniel Salloi has joined the Hungary senior national team for the first time. Salloi and the Magyars will kick off their 2018-19 UEFA Nations League campaign on Saturday, visiting Finland at 11 a.m. CT in a game that will stream live on ESPN3 and WatchESPN.

7. Playoffs Set

Major League Soccer announced Wednesday that the 2018 MLS Cup will be played on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m. CT, airing on the FOX broadcast network, Spanish-language broadcast partner UniMás, and in Canada on TSN (English) and TVA Sports (French). The match will also be broadcast across more than 170 countries worldwide.

In addition, the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs schedule has been set and for the fourth consecutive season, all postseason games will be broadcast nationally across the league’s domestic U.S. partners ESPN, FS1, and UniMás, and in Canada on TSN and TVA Sports networks.

8. Lindsey Reports for Duty

Sporting KC defender Jaylin Lindsey has joined the United States U-20 Men’s National Team for the first time ahead of the 2018 U.S. Soccer U-20 Men’s Invitational at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Lindsey and the U.S. U-20s will play three matches during the week-long training camp, facing the Jamaica U-20s on Friday, the USA U-19s on Sunday and the Venezuela U-20s next Tuesday. All three games will kick off at 3:30 p.m. CT.

9. Volunteers of the Month

On Tuesday afternoon, Children's Mercy recognized the following five individuals from Sporting KC as Volunteers of the Month:

• Goalkeeper Tim Melia
• Defender Seth Sinovic
• Defender Graham Zusi
• Director of Community Programs Brandi Thomas
• Coordinator of Community Programs Lexi Brady

Each was formally honored on stage during a standing-room only celebration at Children's Mercy and will now be in consideration for Volunteers of the Year in 2018.

10. Hadji Stays Hot

Swope Park Rangers forward Hadji Barry has earned USL Team of the Week honors after scoring back-to-back game-winning goals in a pair of home victories over Tulsa Roughnecks FC and OKC Energy FC last week at Children's Mercy Park.

Barry found the back of the net in a 2-1 triumph over Tulsa last Wednesday before bagging the lone goal in the 26th minute of Sunday's contest against Energy FC. The 25-year-old has now scored in four straight games, during which time the Rangers are 3-0-1, and he leads the team with a dozen goals on the season.

11. Back at CMP

Riding a three-game winning streak, the Swope Park Rangers currently occupy sixth place in the USL's Western Conference with six regular season matches remaining. Head coach Paulo Nagamura's men are back in action this Sunday at Children’s Mercy Park, hosting Fresno FC (8-9-11, 35 points) at 4 p.m. CT. Tickets for the match are available at SeatGeek.com or at the stadium box office on gameday.

Games to Watch (Sept. 7-9, 2018)