Starting XI: Rose City 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.

A mouthwatering Western Conference matchup is on the cards Saturday as unbeaten Sporting Kansas City (2-0-3, 9 points) hits the road to battle the first-place Portland Timbers (4-1-1, 13 points) at Providence Park. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. CT with live coverage on FOX Sports Kansas City and FOX Sports Kansas City Plus, as well as ESPN 99.3 FM and La Grande 1340 AM. In addition, mobile users can watch the action on FOX Sports GO and receive live updates via Sporting KC Uphoria. For full TV listings, click here.

Saturday’s showdown in the Rose City pits the best offense versus the best defense in the early stages of the 2017 MLS campaign. Indeed, Portland leads the league with 16 goals scored, while no team has conceded fewer times than Sporting KC’s two. Defenders Matt Besler and Seth Sinovic discussed the challenge ahead with MLSsoccer.com’s Steve Brisendine, while The Oregonian’s Jamie Goldberg shared his thoughts on the fascinating clash of styles.

2. Watch With Friends

All supporters are welcome to attend the official #PORvSKC watch party Saturday night at No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District. Beginning at 9 p.m. CT, No Other Pub will offer 16-oz. Corona cans for $5 as well as an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring a nacho bar, pigs in a blanket, cheese curds, pretzels and queso.

3. Fantastic Four

Sporting KC announced on Tuesday the four nominees for this year’s Sporting Legends inductee: defender Nick Garcia, midfielder Diego Gutierrez, midfielder Mo Johnston and forward Josh Wolff. The 2017 inductee will be selected via fan voting and will be recognized as the newest Sporting Legend on May 17 when Sporting KC hosts defending MLS Cup champion Seattle Sounders FC at 7:30 p.m. CT. Click here to read more about the nominees and cast your vote.

4. Right Time

Sporting Kansas City’s road test at Orlando City SC will kick off at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 13, the club announced Tuesday. The interconference clash at the new Orlando City Stadium, originally scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT, was moved ahead 30 minutes to accommodate that evening’s nationally televised matchup between the Chicago Fire and Seattle Sounders FC at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

5. Showdown at Swope

A few hours before Sporting KC and Portland square off at Providence Park, the Swope Park Rangers (2-0-0, 6 points) play host in a huge showdown of their own when also-perfect Sacramento Republic FC (3-0-0, 9 points) visits Children’s Mercy Victory Field for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Swope Soccer Village. Tickets are available at SeatGeek.com and an Easter Egg Hunt will take place at 5:45 p.m. with multiple prizes up for grabs. The Rangers enter 2017 as the reigning USL Western Conference champions, while Sacramento finished atop last year’s regular season standings in the West.

6. Cup Consolation

The Sporting Kansas City Academy resumes its 2016-17 Generation adidas Cup campaign today at 1:30 p.m. CT against Toronto FC at Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco, Texas. After finishing in fourth place in Group B of the top-flight Champions Division — featuring the best U-17 teams from across the globe — Sporting KC will play two consolation matches to wrap up the tournament, facing Toronto this afternoon and an opponent yet to be determined on Saturday. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for live updates, and click here for a detailed Academy update.

7. Play for The Victory Project

The Victory Project will host its annual soccer clinic fundraiser on Tuesday, May 9 at Children’s Mercy Park from 6-7:30 p.m. CT, with registration is open to the first 100 kids aged 6-12 who register at VictoryKC.org. The clinic is $75 per child and all proceeds will go to The Victory Project, the philanthropic arm of Sporting Kansas City that unites players, staff and fans to help children battling cancer. Click here to register.

8. Drogba's Desert

The United Soccer League on Wednesday welcomed African soccer legend Didier Drogba as the newest member of Phoenix Rising FC. The celebrated striker, who joins a Phoenix side that also includes high-profile international signings Omar Bravo and Shaun Wright-Phillips, will also serve as a club executive with the hope of bringing a Major League Soccer team to Phoenix. The Swope Park Rangers will host Drogba and Phoenix on June 18 at Children’s Mercy Victory Field in Swope Soccer Village, and tickets can be purchased at SeatGeek.com.

9. CCL Clarity

According to Sports Illustrated’s Brian Straus, MLS and the U.S. Soccer Federation have determined how they will distribute bids to the revamped CONCACAF Champions League. CONCACAF changed the tournament format in January, eliminating the group stage in favor of a 16-team tournament that will be held every spring, with each matchup contested in a home-and-away, aggregate goal series.

All four American MLS clubs who earned CCL spots in 2016 will participate in the first edition of the revised competition in spring 2018. The four American clubs to participate in the 2019 CCL will be the 2017 and 2018 MLS Cup champions as well as the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Open Cup champions. From 2020 onward, the competition will revert to a normal qualifying format of taking the previous year’s MLS Cup champion, Open Cup champion, Supporters’ Shield winner and first-place finisher in the conference opposite the Shield winner. For further details, click here.

10. Europe's Finest

The 2016-17 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals kicked off Tuesday and Wednesday with opening legs in three different countries. Tuesday saw a resounding performance from Italian hosts Juventus, who steamrolled Barcelona 3-0. The following evening, Cristian Ronaldo bagged a brace to lead Real Madrid to a 2-1 win at Bayern Munich, 18-year-old French wunderkind Kylian Mbappe scored twice in Monaco’s 3-1 win at Borussia Dortmund, and Atletico Madrid nicked a 1-0 home victory over tournament Cinderella Leicester City. The decisive second legs in all four series will be played at 1:45 p.m. CT next Tuesday and Wednesday with live TV coverage on FS1 and FS2.

11. Dortmund Bus Bombed

Borussia Dortmund’s UEFA Champions League home game against Monaco was originally scheduled to take place Tuesday, but was delayed almost 24 hours after a bomb attack on Dortmund’s team bus Tuesday evening. Dortmund defender Marc Bartra was hit by shrapnel as three explosions hit the bus, subsequently requiring the player to have surgery on a broken bone in his wrist. German authorities arrested a suspected Islamic extremist on Wednesday during investigations. The unsettling development has caused clubs around Europe to go on high alert ahead of upcoming matches, with clubs like Manchester United performing “unprecedented” security operations to protect their players.

Games to Watch (April 14-17)