Starting XI 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.
1. Bitten in the Big Apple
Sporting Kansas City fell in New Jersey on Saturday night to the New York Red Bulls by a 3-2 scoreline. After falling behind in the fourth minute, Johnny Russell responded just four minutes later to tie the game at 1-1 going into halftime. Roger Espinoza scored his first goal of the season in the 51stminute, but the Red Bulls cracked the Sporting KC defense and added two more from substitute Marc Rzatkowski to win the match.
Saturday marked yet another milestone for Sporting KC Manager and Technical Director Peter Vermes. On a trip that brought Vermes back to his roots in New Jersey, the 51-year-old coached his 300th regular season game. Steering the team to four championships over the last six years, Vermes is one of seven managers to coach 300 regular season matches, and one of two to do it for the same club. Vermes signed a contract in May to extend his tenure with Sporting KC through the 2023 season.
3. Eyes on the Open Cup
Sporting KC heads back on the road to face the Houston Dynamo in the quarterfinal round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and the game will stream live on SportingKC.com. Sporting KC and the Dynamo are set to meet for the second time in four weeks, and will meet again in the regular season on Aug. 4back at BBVA Compass Stadium.
4. No Other Party
Fans can head over to No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District to to enjoy #HOUvSKC watch party specials from 7 p.m. CT until the final whistle. No Other Pub will offer $2 off all appetizers, $4 Bud Light drafts, $5 Corona cans and $6 Till Vodka cocktails.
The Swope Park Rangers will have a two-game home set after a West Coast clash with the Portland Timbers 2 on Saturday resulted in a 2-1 loss. On Wednesday, the Rangers will take on Orange County SC at 7:30 p.m. CT at Children’s Mercy Park. The first 500 fans at the match will receive free USA Rangers socks. Orange County is just one spot ahead of the Rangers, so a win on Wednesday would put SPR in fifth place. This will be the first time these two sides meet in the 2018 USL regular season. Tickets are available via SeatGeek.com.
6. Free Pickup
Sporting Fields + Athletics is offering free pickup soccer Thursday from 6-8 p.m. CT at Wyandotte Sporting Fields for players age 18 and up. The open summer league will feature 5-v-5 games taking place on Field 6 at Wyandotte Sporting Fields (1500 N. 19th St., Kansas City, KS). For more information, visit SportingAthletics.com.
7. Marathon Men
Beginning at 6 p.m. CT Thursday, FOX Sports Kansas City will air a Sporting KC marathon consisting of four straight MLS matches from the 2018 season. The marathon starts with the 6-0 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC on April 20, followed by the 3-2 win over Houston on June 23, the 4-3 win over Chicago Fire on March 10 and the 2-0 win over Atlanta United FC on May 9.
All Sporting KC fans are welcome to the SportingStyle End of Summer Sale on Saturday at Children's Mercy Park. The event serves as the biggest sale event of the 2018 season for supporters, offering 30 percent off full-priced items and up to 50 percent off sale items. The End of Summer Sale — one of the few times throughout the year that fans can purchase SportingStyle products at a discounted price — will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT at the Budweiser Brew House inside Children's Mercy Park. Parking will be available on Village West Parkway just outside the Budweiser Brew House entrance and in the Red Lot.
9. Allez Les Bleus
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was unpredictable, entertaining, breathtaking and downright spectacular. France and Croatia set off to battle for the treasured World Cup trophy on Sunday morning, with France coming out on top 4-2. To secure its status as arguably the best-ever World Cup, the tournament needed a memorable final — and it got it. France didn't take long to take a 1-0 lead on an own goal from Croatia's Mario Mandzukic. Just ten minutes later, Ivan Perisic leveled the match with a great strike off a half-cleared set piece. Antoine Griezmann converted a penalty to restore France's lead in the 38th minute. It was all upwards from there for the French, as 19-year-old Mbappe becomes the first teenager to score in a FIFA World Cup Final since Pele after Paul Pogba made it 4-2. This was the second time France won the title, with the last time being in 1998 on their own soil.
10. Last Chance to Vote
Tim Melia and Ike Opara are two of four nominees for Best MLS Player at the 2018 ESPYS, set for Wednesday at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles. The show will air live at 7 p.m. CT on ABC. Voting will remain open on ESPYS.com until the show starts on Wednesday night. Melia and Opara are the second and third Sporting KC players to be nominated for an ESPY. Defender Graham Zusi was one of four finalists in 2013, the same year he helped the club to an MLS Cup championship.
11. Coming to KC
Children’s Mercy Park will host the United States Women’s National Team in a 2018 Tournament of Nations doubleheader next Thursday, July 26. The three-time World Cup champion U.S. WNT will face Japan at 6 p.m. CT on the opening match day of an elite four-team tournament that will take place at three different venues in a round-robin format between July 26-Aug. 2. The first match of the day at Children’s Mercy Park will feature Brazil against Australia, kicking off at 3:15 p.m. CT. Tickets for the doubleheader are on sale via ussoccer.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.
