Starting XI: Johnny in the House

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.

Newly acquired winger Johnny Russell visited Children’s Mercy Park for the first time on Wednesday, visiting the world-class venue as well as state-of-the-art Pinnacle after arriving from England, where he has played for Derby County FC since 2013. Russell, a 27-year-old native of Scotland, has now traveled to join Sporting KC in Arizona for preseason training and could make his Desert Diamond Cup debut as early as Saturday when the club faces Phoenix Rising FC at 3 p.m. CT. Follow @SportingKC and @SKCMatchday on Twitter for live updates of that match.

2. For Glory. For City.

Sporting KC introduced its “For Glory. For City.” marketing campaign for the 2018 season on Wednesday, debuting the mantra in a 60-second television commercial. The new TV spot conveys the club’s focus and determination to attain glory, thus delivering on the promise made to its loyal supporters and all of Kansas City. By owning the past and claiming the future, Sporting KC enters 2018 with the unwavering belief that “We’re not done yet.”

3. Ready to Launch

All supporters are invited to attend Sporting KC’s “For Glory. For City.” Season Launch Party presented by Ivy Investments on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at Children’s Mercy Park. Held in partnership with adidas and Bud Light, the Season Launch Party is free and open to the public. Fans planning to attend the event can RSVP at SportingKC.com/RSVP.

The “For Glory. For City.” Season Launch Party will start at 5 p.m. CT in the Budweiser Brew House at the northeast corner of Children’s Mercy Park, giving fans the opportunity to purchase the club’s new secondary jersey for the first time. The season-opening celebration will then begin in the Sporting Bay on the east side of the world-class stadium with appearances from all Sporting KC players and coaches.

4. Draw in the Desert

Sporting KC came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls in the Mobile Mini Sun Cup on Wednesday, remaining unbeaten through four games in the 2018 preseason, presented by Children’s Mercy. New York grabbed an early lead through Bradley Wright-Phillips’ deflected strike, but a superb volley from 19-year-old midfielder Felipe Hernandez gave Sporting KC a share of the spoils in a rain-soaked affair at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona.

Manager Peter Vermes’ men will continue Mobile Mini Sun Cup competition on Saturday, traveling north to face Phoenix Rising FC in Tempe, Arizona. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. CT with live updates available via Twitter at @SportingKC and @SKCMatchday.

5. Done Deals

Sporting KC has signed 23-year-old goalkeeper Eric Dick and 22-year-old defender Graham Smith, the club announced today. Dick and Smith, who joined Sporting KC in the first round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft last month, have both signed one-year contracts with options for 2019, 2020 and 2021.

6. Fantasy Footy

With Sporting KC’s season opener against New York City FC just around the corner, it’s high time to prepare for a successful year of MLS Fantasy. Multiple changes are in store this time around, as the new MLS Fantasy game will be split into a spring season and a fall season. The spring campaign will start March 3 — a day before Sporting KC’s highly anticipated curtain raiser at Children’s Mercy Park — and run until July 29, a few days before the 2018 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target. The fall season will then kick into gear for the final 17 rounds. Click here to play now.

7. Hot GAM

Sporting KC announced Tuesday that the club has traded an international roster spot for the 2018 season to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for $100,000 of General Allocation Money (GAM). Sporting KC has currently filled the seven available international spots on its 2018 roster, as follows: Emiliano Amor, Yohan Croizet, Felipe Gutierrez, Cristian Lobato, James Musa, Johnny Russell and Daniel Salloi.

8. Up, Up and Away
Away ticket requests are now open for Sporting KC’s first three road matches of the 2018 MLS regular season. Supporters can submit their requests at the links below.

• Saturday, March 10 | at Chicago Fire (5 p.m. CT)
• Saturday, March 24 | at Colorado Rapids (8 p.m. CT)
• Sunday, April 8 | at LA Galaxy (8 p.m. CT)

9. ESPN Plus

Major League Soccer’s out-of-market streaming package MLS LIVE is set to be one of the featured sports offerings on ESPN+, a new ESPN streaming product that will launch this spring and bring ESPN sports programming to subscribers via a newly redesigned ESPN App. ESPN+ will be available to fans for just $4.99 a month, and in addition to MLS LIVE, fans will have access to a lineup of other live sports and other ESPN content. The $4.99-a-month subscription represents a significant discount for MLS fans compared to last year’s $79.99 MLS LIVE full-season package.

10. SoCal Bound

The Sporting KC Academy U-17s will resume their 2017-18 Generation adidas Cup campaign with three qualifying matches this weekend at StubHub Center in Carson, California. The U-17s, who currently occupy second place in the West Region a 2-0-1 record, will look to secure their place among the elite MLS academies at the GA Cup Finals, held this April in Frisco, Texas. Led by head coach Rumbani Munthali, Sporting KC will meet hosts LA Galaxy on Friday before facing the Portland Timbers on Saturday and Seattle Sounders FC on Monday.

11. Heavyweights Collide

The 2017-18 UEFA Champions League knockout stage kicked off this week with multiple European heavyweights going head-to-head in the first of two legs. On Tuesday, Tottenham overcame a dreadful start to earn a 2-2 draw at Italian giants Juventus, while runaway English Premier League leaders Manchester City hammered Basel 4-0 in Switzerland. The following afternoon, back-to-back title holders Real Madrid ousted French powerhouse Paris-St. Germain 3-1 behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace. Valentine’s Day also saw Liverpool pummel FC Porto 5-0 in Portugal to put one step in the quarterfinals.

Games to Watch (Feb. 16-18)