Starting XI: Prepare for Launch

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 Kansas City will host the club's 2019 Season Kick-Off and Kit Launch Party presented by Ivy Investments tonight at the historic Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri. Held in partnership with adidas and Bud Light, the event will begin at 6 p.m. CT in the scenic Bloch Lobby of the Nelson-Atkins Museum, giving fans the opportunity to purchase food, beverages and SportingStyle apparel, including the team's new primary kit and 2019 collection. From there, supporters will be ushered into the stunning Kirkwood Hall, where Sporting KC players and coaches will be introduced before signing autographs and posing for photo opportunities with attendees.

2. New Threads

In addition to being available at tonight’s Season Kick-Off and Kit Launch Party, Sporting’s new primary kit will go on sale at MLSstore.com tonight at 8 p.m. CT. The entire new collection of Sporting KC merchandise will also be available beginning Tuesday at the SportingStyle Pop-In Store, open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT inside the Budweiser Brew House at Children’s Mercy Park. Fans may also place their SportingStyle orders by emailing stylist@sportingkc.com or calling 913-912-7563.

3. Back on Air

The 2019 premiere of The Sporting KC Show will air Monday at 6 p.m. CT on Sports Radio 810 WHB with hosts Nate Bukaty and Carter Augustine. Broadcasting the show live from Sporting's Season Kickoff and Kit Launch Party at the Nelson-Atkins Museum, Bukaty and Augustine will preview the forthcoming MLS regular season and Concacaf Champions League while welcoming multiple Sporting KC guests.

4. Return to the Desert

After practicing in Kansas City on Tuesday, Sporting KC will travel to Scottsdale, Arizona, on Wednesday for the second leg of their 2019 preseason, presented by Children's Mercy. Manager Peter Vermes' side will take the field Thursday night at 7 p.m. CT, facing USL Championship club Phoenix Rising FC in a pair of 75-minute scrimmages at Phoenix Rising FC Soccer Complex. Follow @SKCmatchday on Twitter for live updates.

5. Champions League Countdown

The month of February has arrived, and with that comes a monumental showdown between Sporting Kansas City and Deportivo Toluca in the 2019 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Round of 16. Sporting KC will host the first leg at Children’s Mercy Park on Feb. 21 before traveling to Mexico for the decisive second leg on Feb. 28. Tickets to the contest at Children’s Mercy Park are now on sale at SeatGeek.com as Sporting hosts its earliest competitive match in club history.

In the 20 days leading up to Feb. 21, SportingKC.com will rattle off a 20-day Champions League countdown, hitting all the relevant storylines surrounding the two-legged fixture. From history and geography lessons to number crunching, player matchup and coaching backgrounds, this daily series will set the stage for a pivotal battle in which two successful sides aim to take their first steps toward Champions League glory.

6. Tumbling Toluca

Deportivo Toluca FC slumped to their third straight shutout defeat on Saturday night, falling 2-0 to Tijuana at Estadio Caliente. After vaulting to the Liga MX summit with two convincing wins to start the Clausura campaign, los Diablos Rojos have dropped to 11th after seeing their scoreless streak hit 280 minutes against a Tijuana side that thoroughly deserved its home victory.

7. Rangers Roll

The Swope Park Rangers opened preseason ahead of the 2019 USL Championship season by cruising to a 5-0 victory over Barton Community College at Swope Soccer Village on Saturday afternoon. Ethan Vanacore-Decker gave the Rangers the lead midway through the first half before SPR added another four goals over the final 45 minutes.

8. Alexsander Added

The Swope Park Rangers have signed Brazilian midfielder “Alexsander” Jhonatta de Oliveira Andrade on loan from Athletico Paranaense for the 2019 USL Championship season, the club announced last week. The signing is pending league and federation approval.

Alexsander, 20, has spent the last three years with Brazilian club Athletico Paranaense, rising through the youth ranks and most recently representing the club at the Under-20 and Under-23 level in 2018.

9. Mo the Merrier

Sporting KC Academy defender Mo Abualnadi helped lead the Jordan U-19 Men’s Natinonal Team to a pair of victories over Qatar’s Aspire Academy this week at King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman, Jordan. Abualnadi anchored a Jordan backline that posted consecutive shutouts, with the hosts prevailing 2-0 on Tuesday and 4-0 on Thursday. The friendlies served as preparation for 2020 AFC U-19 Championship qualifying, which will begin later this year.

10. We Want the Cup

Sporting KC will enter the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the Fourth Round, U.S. Soccer announced today. The 2019 tournament, serving as U.S. Soccer’s National Championship, will see Sporting KC begin their title pursuit on June 12 in the Round of 32 alongside 20 other MLS clubs and 11 lower-division teams. Manager Peter Vermes’ side will learn their Fourth Round opponent during the Fourth Round Draw on May 30.

11. Leaving It Late

The U.S. Men’s National Team concluded its annual January training camp with a 2-0 win over Costa Rica at Avaya Stadium on Saturday in San Jose, California. Sebastian Lletget opened the scoring in the 80th minute before Paul Arriola sealed the result eight minutes later, giving new head coach Gregg Berhalter his second straight win at the helm.

Matches to Watch (Feb. 4-7, 2019)