Starting XI: Rocky Mountain Rumble

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.

Tied for first place in the Western Conference, Sporting Kansas City will aim for a third straight win this weekend when they travel to face the Colorado Rapids (0-1-0, 0 points) at 8 p.m. CT Saturday. FOX Sports Kansas City and FOX Sports Midwest Plus will air three hours of live coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT as two MLS charter members square off at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. ESPN 94.5 FM (English) and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM (Spanish) will carry the game on the radio, with The Final Whistle postgame show airing immediately after the match on 94.5 FM.

Sporting KC has been in excellent offensive form over the last two matches, exploding for seven goals in a pair of thrilling victories over the Chicago Fire and San Jose Earthquakes, respectively. Colorado, meanwhile, finished a disappointing 2017 campaign with 19 defeats — their most since 1996 — but has won six of the last seven meetings with Sporting KC.

2. No Other Party

All supporters are welcome to attend the official watch party for Saturday's match at No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District (1370 Grand Blvd.). Starting at 7:30 p.m. CT, No Other Pub will offer $4 Bud Light drafts as well as an all-inclusive buffet package with bottomless domestic draft beers for $30. Fans in attendance will also have the chance to win No Other Pub gift cards and tickets to a future Sporting KC home match.

3. The Best of Zusi

Graham Zusi has bagged has fair share of sensational goals during a 10-year stay with Sporting KC. Saturday’s left-footed Wurlitzer in the 56th minute of a 3-2 win over the San Jose Earthquakes was no exception. The sublime strike was the latest addition to Zusi’s vintage selection of long-range goals throughout his career. In the video below, MLSsoccer.com’s Susannah Collins gives a countdown of the top five goals Zusi has scored since he joined Sporting KC out of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft.

4. Bianconeri Beckons

Major League Soccer announced today that Juventus, the legendary Italian club that has won six straight Serie A titles and reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2015 and 2017, will face the best in MLS in the 2018 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target. The match will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Aug. 1 at 6:30 p.m. CT, airing live on ESPN and UniMás in the U.S.

5. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Teamworks, the industry leader of mobile collaboration and communication software for athletic organizations, announced on Wednesday a new partnership with Sporting KC. Teamworks will streamline communication for coaches, athletic trainers, advisors and administrators while centralizing player and staff information. Sporting KC is the first MLS club to capitalize on Teamworks’ mobile technologies.

6. Belmar Shines for SPR

Forward Kharlton Belmar was named USL Player of the Week on Tuesday after propelling the Rangers to a season-opening 4-3 victory at Reno 1868 FC last Saturday. On loan from Sporting KC, Belmar exploded for two goals and two assists — including the game-winning strike in the 92nd minute — as SPR prevailed in a snowy thriller at Greater Nevada Field. Belmar garnered a whopping 88 percent of the Player of the Week poll, conducted by a national panel of independent media representing every USL market.

7. Rangers Ready to Roll

Led by head coach and former Sporting KC midfielder Paulo Nagamura, the two-time defending USL Western Conference champion Rangers will play their 2018 home opener Saturday at Shawnee Mission South District Stadium in Overland Park, Kansas. SPR will battle Seattle Sounders FC 2 in a 7:30 p.m. CT kickoff with tickets, starting at just $9, available via SeatGeek.com.

Prior to Saturday’s home opener, the Rangers will host their 2018 season kickoff party tonight at Fox & Hound (10428 Metcalf Ave.) in Overland Park, Kansas, welcoming all fans for a night of interactive games and festivities. The party is free for fans of all ages to attend and will feature food and drink specials as well as the opportunity to meet Nagamura and Rangers players.

8. Real Gauntlet

The Sporting KC Academy U-17s will compete in the Championship Division of the 2017-18 Generation adidas Cup, a prestigious youth tournament that begins Friday and runs through March 31 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Led by head coach Rumbani Munthali, the U-17s will open the group stage against Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid at 6:15 p.m. CT Friday before facing Brazilian side Atletico Paranaense at 2:30 p.m. CT Sunday and New York City FC at 2:30 p.m. CT next Tuesday. Follow the Sporting KC Academy on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat (skcacademy) for live updates.

9. Toughest Place to Play

ESPNFC’s fourth annual MLS Confidential was unveiled on Wednesday, releasing anonymous feedback from MLS players about several polarizing topics in American soccer. Among the results, MLS players voted Children’s Mercy Park as the league’s toughest place to play.

10. Ibra to MLS

According to reports, 36-year-old striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is on the brink of moving from Manchester United to LA Galaxy in MLS. The Galaxy have been long-term contenders to land the services of Ibrahimovic, a Swedish soccer icon who has scored more than 400 goals during a prolific, trophy-laden career. He has won domestic league titles in five different countries, leading the attack for the likes of Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Barcelona, Paris-St. Germain and Manchester United over the last decade and a half.

11. Toyota Tour

From 12:30-2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sporting KC fans of all ages are welcome to attend the first stop of the 2018 Toyota Tour at Molle Toyota in Kansas City, Missouri (601 W. 103rd St.). Supporters will have photograph opportunities with the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy and club mascot Blue, and all in attendance will have a chance to win a "Blue Carpet" VIP experience, including a season-long valet parking pass and tickets to Sporting KC home matches on May 5 vs. Colorado Rapids and June 23 vs. Houston Dynamo.

Games to Watch (March 23-24, 2018)