Starting XI: Month of Magic

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 completed a perfect month of August with their fourth straight shutout victory on Saturday night, receiving second-half strikes from Yohan Croizet and Diego Rubio in a 2-0 win over Minnesota United FC at Children’s Mercy Park.

Johnny Russell assisted on both goals as Croizet fired the hosts ahead in the 47th minute and Rubio doubled the advantage 15 minutes later. The result lifts Sporting KC within a point of first-place FC Dallas in the Western Conference and gives the club four straight shutout wins in a single regular season for the first time in club history.

2. Mourning Newman

Sporting Kansas City mourns the passing and celebrates the life and legacy of the club’s original head coach Ron Newman, who died today at age 84 in Tampa, Florida. Newman was hired as the first head coach in MLS history on Oct. 11, 1995 and brought in Sporting Legends Preki, Chris Klein, Mo Johnston and Tony Meola while guiding Kansas City during the team’s first 100 regular season games from the inaugural season in 1996 until his retirement in 1999.

3. Sensational Seth

An integral contributor to Sporting KC's record-breaking streak has been veteran defender Seth Sinovic, who slotted into the lineup on Aug. 4 against the Houston Dynamo and played every minute of the club's four games throughout August. The ultra-reliable Sinovic turned in another stout display on Saturday to claim MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week honors for the first time in 2018. Joining him among the best players in Week 26 are goalkeeper Tim Melia and forward Johnny Russell, who were selected to the Team of the Week bench.

4. Stealing the Show

Here’s a Cliffs Notes version of Sporting KC's month of August: four games played, four wins, four clean sheets for goalkeeper Tim Melia and four goals for striker Diego Rubio. Melia and Rubio have both made strong cases for MLS Player of the Month honors, helping the side to its first perfect month in club history with a minimum of four matches played.

5. Battle in Seattle

Manager Peter Vermes' men will now prepare for a mouthwatering matchup with Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CT, with three hours of live coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. CT on FOX Sports Kansas City and FOX Sports Midwest Plus. The match will also air nationally in Spanish on UniMas and stream live in English on Twitter at @UnivisionSports, while ESPN 94.5 FM, 1510 AM and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM will broadcast the game over the radio.

6. Sounders Surging

While Sporting KC boasts four straight shutout victories, Seattle is on a club-record seven-game winning streak of their own. The Sounders edge the Portland Timbers 1-0 on Sunday night thanks to a late own goal, equaling Sporting KC's record of seven straight regular season wins in 2012, the most in MLS history during the non-shutout era (2000-present).

7. No Other Party

All supporters are invited to the official watch party for Saturday's crucial Western Conference clash at No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District (1370 Grand Blvd.). Beginning at 2:30 p.m. CT, No Other Pub will offer $5 Corona cans and an all-you-can-eat buffet with bottomless soda and domestic draft beers.

8. Meet and Greet

Sporting KC forward Johnny Russell will participate in a meet and greet with fans tonight at MO Sports in Kansas City, Missouri (9767 Cedar Ave.), just north of I-35 and 291 Highway. Russell, who leads Sporting KC with eight MLS goals this season, will be available for autographs and photo opportunities from 6-7:30 p.m. CT. On the opposite side of the state line, another meet and greet with a player to be determined will take place Sunday from 2-3:30 p.m. CT at the Furniture Mall of Kansas in Topeka (1901 SW Wanamaker Rd.).

9. Rangers Roll

Led by head coach Paulo Nagamura, the Swope Park Rangers secured a huge 2-1 road win over San Antonio FC on Saturday to take sole possession of the eighth and final playoff spot in the USL's Western Conference. Goals from Hadji Barry and Sporting KC loanee Amer Didic propelled the Rangers, who also received six saves from goalkeeper Eric Dick.

10. Two at CMP

The Rangers will continue their postseason push this week with a pair of home games at Children's Mercy Park, hosting Oklahoma-based rivals Tulsa Roughnecks FC (2-12-10, 16 points) at 7:30 p.m. CT Wednesday and OKC Energy FC (10-12-5, 35 points) at 4 p.m. CT Sunday. Tickets for both matches are available via SeatGeek.com or at the stadium's east box office on gameday, and the first 500 fans in attendance on Sunday will receive a free Hat Trick Harry bobblehead. Both games will also stream live on ESPN+.

11. Back in Session

Three Sporting Kansas City Academy teams will kick off their 2018-19 U.S. Soccer Development Academy campaigns this Sunday in a tripleheader against the Colorado Rapids at Swope Soccer Village. The U-15s will kick off at 10 a.m. CT, followed by the U-17s at noon and the U-19s at 2 p.m. All three matches are free and open to the public to attend. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for live updates on Twitter this Sunday and throughout the 2018-19 Academy season.

Games to Watch (Aug. 28-29, 2018)