Starting XI: Houston, You Have a Problem

Starting XI, presented by Ford, 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 Kansas City raced into the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals with a 2-0 Round of 16 victory over the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday at BBVA Compass Stadium. Ike Opara stayed hot with a 61st-minute header before Gerso provided the dagger in second-half stoppage time to seal the win and ensure progression to the next round.

Manager Peter Vermes’ men will now mark their calendars for July 11, when they host reigning Open Cup champion FC Dallas in the quarterfinals at Children’s Mercy Park. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and tickets for the showdown are now on sale at SeatGeek.com.

2. Domo Arigato, Mr. Lobato

Sporting Kansas City announced today that the club has acquired 28-year-old Spanish midfielder Cristian Lobato in a transfer from Spanish side Gimnastic de Tarragona. Pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P-1 visa, Lobato will be added to the Sporting KC roster and occupy an international roster spot when the Secondary MLS Transfer Window opens on July 10. The midfielder has made more than 150 professional appearances since 2008, including a two-year stint at FC Barcelona B where he was teammates with current Sporting KC midfielder Ilie from 2011-2013.

In addition, Sporting KC has waived defender Igor Juliao. The 22-year-old right back started one match for Sporting KC this season while on loan from Brazilian club Fluminense.

3. Timbers Tango

With a momentous Open Cup win over Houston under their belts, Sporting Kansas City will return to Children's Mercy Park on Saturday for the resumption of MLS regular season play against the Portland Timbers (7-7-4, 25 points). The Western Conference clash will kick off at 6 p.m. CT with national television coverage on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, while local radio broadcasts will air on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.

Additional in-game updates will be available on the Sporting KC Uphoria mobile app, where users will receive an offer for a free carton of Breyer's ice cream at Price Chopper. A limited number of tickets for the marquee matchup are available at SeatGeek.com as Sporting KC puts its club-record 17-game home unbeaten streak on the line.

4. Opara the Omega

Sporting Kansas City finished the month of June with a 4-0-2 record across all competitions, and center back Ike Opara was a large reason why. The defender not only contributed to four clean sheets during the stretch, but led all Sporting KC players with four goals — including the game-winners in the last two road wins over LA Galaxy and Houston. Opara’s stellar play, highlighted by a magisterial bicycle kick against LA that won MLS Goal of the Week — has garnered national attention. He recently joined Bobby Warshaw’s podcast The Play and discussed the team’s recent success with CBS Sports.

5. Rubio Rising

Sporting Kansas City forward Diego Rubio scored his first goal since returning from a long-term ACL injury on Tuesday, guiding the in-form Swope Park Rangers (7-4-2, 23 points) to a 2-1 win at Tulsa Roughnecks FC (5-8-0, 15 points). Rubio’s first-half strike was followed by Mark Anthony Gonzalez’s smooth finish in the 63rd minute, which proved to be the game-winner that allowed SPR to extend its unbeaten run to five USL matches. The Rangers hit the road again Friday when they visit LA Galaxy II (3-9-2, 11 points) at StubHub Center. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. CT with a live stream on SportingKC.com.

6. Sixteens at CMP

The Sporting Kansas City Academy U-16s will host the Real Salt Lake AZ U-16s in the 2017 U.S. Soccer Development Academy quarterfinals on Thursday, July 6 at Children’s Mercy Park. The single-elimination showdown will kick off at 3 p.m. CT, taking place at the world-class venue prior to Sporting Kansas City’s home game against the Philadelphia Union at 7:30 p.m. CT. The occasion marks the first time a Sporting KC Academy team has played a competitive match inside Children's Mercy Park.

The Sporting KC U-16s punched their ticket to the quarterfinals for the first time after finishing atop Group E at the Development Academy Playoffs in Westfield, Indiana. Sporting KC claimed victories last Thursday and Saturday before a 2-2 draw on Monday secured first place and the quarterfinal berth that came with it.

7. Ghana Before Gold

Three Sporting Kansas City players will be with the U.S. Men’s National Team on Saturday when the Americans host Ghana in a CONCACAF World Cup tune-up match in East Hartford, Connecticut. Matt Besler, Dom Dwyer and Graham Zusi could all see minutes in the international friendly, which will serve as a precursor to a Gold Cup competition that will run from July 7-26 in 14 cities across the United States.

Kickoff is slated for 3:45 p.m. CT on ESPN, providing the perfect lead-in to Sporting KC’s home match against Portland at 6 p.m. CT on the same channel. Besler and Zusi are U.S. MNT veterans, while Dwyer is in contention to make his international debut after becoming an American citizen in March.

8. And Then There Were Eight

Sporting Kansas City proved to be the only road team to win its Round of 16 matchup in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup this week. Indeed, the seven other winners from the round hosted their respective matches, including FC Cincinnati’s epic penalty shootout victory over the Chicago Fire. The USL side drew a crowd of 32,287 before a national television audience on ESPN, upsetting the Fire to advance to the quarterfinals while making an emphatic statement that Cincinnati should be strongly considered as a site of MLS expansion. And as some have begun to suggest, FC Cincinnati seems to be showing that there is no limit to what soccer in America can become.

9. Red Riot

A scintillating final leg in the Canadian Championship saw Toronto FC and Montreal Impact engage in a superb, back-and-forth battle, only for the Reds’ magician to decide the affair with a bit of late-game magic. Sebastian Giovinco struck in the 95th minute, giving Toronto FC a 2-1 win and a 3-2 edge on aggregate to become Canadian Championship winners for the second straight year and secure a berth in the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League. Giovinco’s strike at the death drew riotous celebrations at an electric BMO Field, serving up yet another excellent chapter in the Canadian rivalry.

10. From June into July

Sporting Kansas City’s highly anticipated home tilt with Portland is one of four nationally televised fixtures to highlight the Week 18 slate in MLS. The action begins Friday at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN when Western Conference strugglers Real Salt Lake try to turn their season around against Kaka and Orlando City SC. Saturday at 9:30 p.m. CT, the San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy renew their long-standing rivalry on Facebook Live and UniMas, meeting for the 65th edition of the California Clasico at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto. The week then wraps up in Philadelphia, where the Union will host the New England Revolution at 4 p.m. CT Sunday on FS1.

11. Sneijder to LAFC?

According to widespread reports, Netherlands international midfielder Wesley Sneijder is close to agreeing a two-year deal to become the first Designated Player at 2018 MLS expansion club Los Angeles FC. Sneijder has reportedly accepted a contract that will pay $7 million over two years as LAFC flex their muscles in attempt to become a new MLS powerhouse. Sneijder, 33, has played in each of the last three FIFA World Cups and is the Netherlands’ most-capped player with 131 appearances for the senior team. The midfielder has played for the likes of Ajax, Real Madrid and Inter Milan during his illustrious career.

Games to Watch (June 30 - July 3)