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.
1. Colorado Crush
Reduced to 10 men for the final 70 minutes on Saturday night, Sporting Kansas City suffered a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Rapids in a drama-filled battle at Children’s Mercy Park. Gerso Fernandes fired the hosts into a third-minute lead and a Tommy Smith own goal made it 2-0 just 11 minutes later, but Colorado gained a man advantage when Sporting captain Matt Besler was sent off for his second bookable offense in the 20th minute. The Rapids would eventually cash in, drawing level through former Sporting attackers Kei Kamara and Diego Rubio, before Smith atoned for his early blunder by nodding home the match-winner on 85 minutes.
2. Two on Tap
Sporting will now prepare for two Western Conference matches in the penultimate week of the 2019 MLS regular season. First up is a visit to regional rivals Minnesota United FC on Wednesday at the new Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT with three hours of live coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT on FOX Sports Kansas City Plus, FOX Sports Midwest Plus and FOX Sports GO.
3. No Other Watch Party
Fans of all ages are invited to the official watch party for Wednesday's match at No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District, featuring an all-inclusive buffet with bottomless domestic draft beers plus $4 Bud Light drafts, Corona bottles and Captain Morgan cocktails. No Other Pub will also conduct ticket giveaways for Sunday's match between Sporting and the Portland Timbers at Children's Mercy Park.
After battling Minnesota, Sporting will return to Children's Mercy Park on Sunday for the club's 2019 home finale versus Portland. Tickets for the 6:30 p.m. CT matchup remain available at SeatGeek.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL to secure a Family 4 Pack, consisting of four tickets, four Coca-Cola products, four bags of chips and four dinner entrees. The contest will air live on FOX Sports Kansas City, FOX Sports Midwest and FOX Sports GO.
On Sunday morning, SportingStyle will open matchday mobile orders for that evening's game. Fans will have the opportunity to place mobile orders through halftime by visiting SportingStyle.com, with pickup on the Toyota Plaza remaining open until after the match.
5. Pitch Black
Sporting will host the club’s 2019 Pitch Black awards celebration on Friday at Children’s Mercy Park. Pitch Black, presented by Audi, will see fans join Sporting players, coaches and partners for an evening of drinks, dining and live entertainment on the pitch. Fans can click here to vote for the 2019 Sporting Club Awards in the categories listed below. Voting will close on Wednesday night.
- Most Valuable Player, presented by Audi
- Offensive Player of the Year, presented by Ivy investments
- Defensive Player of the Year, presented by Firedoor Solutions
- Goal of the Year
6. FIFA Marathon
As part of September’s Kick Childhood Cancer program, eMLS is teaming up with MLS WORKS to host “24 Hours of FIFA 20” on Tuesday, the highly anticipated pre-release date for FIFA 20. The charity stream will feature several eMLS players, including Sporting representative SKC Cissé, who will engage the gaming community in the KCC campaign while also providing sneak peeks of FIFA 20 game play.
In conjunction with the FIFA 20 pre-release, Sporting and AT&T will host an interactive Play The Pros FIFA 20 Launch Event on Tuesday and Saturday. Both occasions will see fans test their FIFA skills against select Sporting players, with Tuesday's event taking place at the AT&T Store in Merriam (8801 Johnson Dr.) at 6 p.m. CT and Saturday's event unfolding at the AT&T Store at Corbin Park in Overland Park (6615 W. 135th St.) at 2 p.m. CT.
8. Online Auction
Supporters can participate in The Victory Project's online auction through Friday at 1 p.m. CT with a variety of autographed Sporting merchandise, framed memorabilia and VIP experiences up for bidding. All proceeds from the auction will benefit The Victory Project, the philanthropic arm of Sporting that helps children and families affected by pediatric cancer.
9. Rangers Rolling
The Swope Park Rangers claimed their first road victory of the season on Saturday, ousting Charlotte Independence by a 3-0 scoreline. Riding a three-game shutout streak, head coach Paulo Nagamura's side will remain on the road to face Loudoun United FC at 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday at Segra Field in Leesburg, Virginia. The USL Championship clash will stream live on ESPN Plus.
10. Tune In Tuesday
A new episode of The Sporting KC Show Podcast will debut Tuesday at 7 p.m. CT on Sports Radio 810 WHB with hosts Nate Bukaty, Aly Trost and Carter Augustine. The trio will hear from a Sporting guest, recap a busy weekend of MLS action and preview Sporting's upcoming matches against Minnesota and Portland.
11. Expansion Draft Details
The momentum continues for Major League Soccer’s 2020 expansion clubs Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC, as MLS announced last week that the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft will take place on Nov. 19. In addition, the 2019 MLS Expansion Priority Draft on Oct. 6 will kick off an intense final day of the regular season during MLSsoccer.com’s “Matchday Central: Decision Day presented by AT&T Pregame Show.”
The Expansion Draft provides an opportunity for Miami and Nashville to strengthen their MLS rosters by selecting up to five current players from other MLS teams. Each current MLS team may protect up to 12 rostered players (previously 11 in years past) from inclusion on the eligible players list. The complete list of players eligible for selection in the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft will be released on Saturday, Nov. 16.
