Starting XI: Hanging in the Balance

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 scrapped to a 0-0 draw with the Portland Timbers in the first leg of the Western Conference Championship on Sunday night at Providence Park in Portland. Manager Peter Vermes’ side now heads home for the decisive second leg on Thursday at Children’s Mercy Park, with kickoff set for 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sports Radio 810 WHB and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM. A limited number of tickets for the highly anticipated matchup, Sporting KC’s last home game of 2018, remain available via SeatGeek.com.

2. The Task at Hand

After battling to a scoreless draw in the first leg of the Western Conference Championship on Sunday at Providence Park, Sporting KC know exactly what they must do against the Portland Timbers in Thursday's decisive second leg at Children's Mercy Park.

The message here is simple: Sporting KC can advance to MLS Cup 2018 with a win, while a loss would see Portland prevail on aggregate. Another 0-0 tie would force two 15-minute periods of extra time and, if necessary, penalty kicks. A regulation draw involving goals (1-1, 2-2, etc.) would see Portland prevail on the away goals tiebreaker.

3. Seth Signed Up

Sporting KC announced today that the club has signed defender Seth Sinovic to a new contract for the 2019 season. Sinovic, 31, has helped Sporting KC win four major trophies since joining his hometown team in 2011. The three-time Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup winner (2012, 2015, 2017) and 2013 MLS Cup champion ranks 10th in club history with 228 appearances across all competitions, tallying four goals and 15 assists.

A native of Leawood, Kansas, Sinovic has contributed to 62 shutouts over the last eight regular seasons, fifth-most in MLS. Sporting KC boasts an 85-48-46 record (.603 winning percentage) and a 0.92 goals against average in his 179 regular-season starts for the club.

4. Atlanta Rips Red Bulls

Josef Martinez and Franco Escobar scored on either side of halftime and Hector Villalba added a late third as Atlanta United FC grabbed a 3-0 win in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday. The victory gives Atlanta a strong advantage heading into the second leg of the series against the Supporters' Shield winners, which is set to take place at Red Bull Arena on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT on FS1 and FOX Deportes

5. Beat the Lines

SportingStyle has reopened matchday pre-orders for pickup at Thursday's game between Sporting KC and Portland. Fans can shop a limited assortment of items between now and Thursday, including the Claim the Cup scarf and the Sporting KC Columbia collection. The SportingStyle Pop-In Store is also open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Budweiser Brew House at Children's Mercy Park. Follow @SportingStyle on Twitter and Instagram for sneak peeks of all the latest club apparel.

6. Giving Back

All day Friday, Scooter's Coffee will celebrate the grand opening of its new cafe in Kansas City (5166 N. Oak Trafficway) with a Day of Giving, donating 100 percent of the location's proceeds to The Victory Project. The donation day is part of a season-long collaboration in which Scooter’s Coffee raises money and awareness for The Victory Project, an initiative that unites Sporting KC players, staff and fans to help children fighting cancer and other serious challenges. In conjunction with the Day of Giving, Sporting KC forward Krisztian Nemeth will be at the new Scooter's Coffee location from 3-4:30 p.m. CT Friday to sign autographs and take photos with fans.

7. Youngsters Shine

The Sporting KC Academy U-13s, U-14s and U-15s enjoyed a successful Thanksgiving weekend competing against premier teams from across the U.S. and Mexico at the 2018 Copa Rayados Internacional in The Woodlands, Texas. The U-13s and U-15s reached the semifinal stage, while the U-14s finishes as runners-up in one of the country's best holiday youth tournaments.

8. Down to Florida

The Sporting KC Academy U-17s and U-19s are set to compete at the 2018 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase, running Thursday through Monday at Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. The Winter Showcase features elite U-17 and U-19 academy clubs from across the country, spanning more than 200 matches over five days. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for live updates this weekend and throughout the 2018-19 season.

9. Melia's Mastery

While the likes of Matt Besler, Ike Opara, Seth Sinovic and Graham Zusi all delivered solid performances on Sunday en route to the clean sheet, goalkeeper Tim Melia has been the unquestioned ringleader of Sporting KC's defensive dominance against Portland over the last four years. As a slew of statistics plainly illustrate, the 32-year-old has been at his very best in this particular fixture.

Since joining Sporting KC in 2015, Melia has faced Portland eight times. In those games, he has totaled six shutouts, a 0.25 goals against average, a save percentage of 93.9 and a 3-0-4 record. He was not awarded a result when Sporting KC and Portland drew 2-2 in the 2015 Knockout Round, as he exited in the 84th minute with the game tied at 1-1.

10. Save the Date

Concacaf announced last week the date and procedures for the official draw of the 2019 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League. The official draw will be conducted on Monday, Dec. 3, at 6 p.m. CT, live from the Univision Deportes Studios in Miami.

The 11th edition of the region’s premier club championship will feature representatives from nine Concacaf Member Associations. Sporting KC is one of five MLS clubs set to participate in the annual competition, having qualified for the tournament as the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup champion.

11. Play the Game

Major League Soccer and EA SPORTS announced last week an expanded eMLS, poised to grow the fan connection to MLS through FIFA competition. The 2019 eMLS season features 22 MLS clubs integrated into the competitive ecosystem, with Atlanta United, D.C. United and FC Cincinnati joining the competition for the first time, as players compete to represent their club at the 2019 eMLS Cup presented by PlayStation® from Sony Interactive Entertainment, having PlayStation4 as the official console.

Games to Watch (Nov. 27-29, 2018)