The biggest matches call for the brightest lights, thus propelling Major League Soccer onto the national stage this Sunday when a pair of conference championship first legs air live across the country.
The action begins at 4 p.m. CT on ESPN, WatchESPN and ESPN Deportes when Supporters' Shield winner New York Red Bulls visit star-studded Atlanta United FC in the Eastern Conference Championship at cavernous Mercedes-Benz Stadium, pitting the two most dominant teams during the 2018 regular season.
The evening nightcap will feature the Western Conference Championship tilt between top-seeded Sporting Kansas City and the No. 5 seed Portland Timbers at Providence Park in Portland. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT on FS1, FOX Deportes and FOX Sports GO, while local radio broadcasts will air in Kansas City on Sports Radio 810 WHB and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM.
Both conference championship series will be decided by aggregate goals, with return legs at Red Bull Arena and Children's Mercy Park taking place next Thursday, Nov. 29. Tickets for Sporting KC's final home match of the 2018 campaign, slated for 8:30 p.m. CT, are now on sale via SeatGeek.com.
Sporting KC are making their eighth conference championship appearance, having prevailed in three of their previous seven in club history. Manager Peter Vermes' side last reached this stage in 2013, when it defeated the Houston Dynamo to capture the conference crown before ousting Real Salt Lake to claim the club's second MLS Cup.
All Sporting KC supporters are invited to the official watch party for Sunday's road match at No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District (1370 Grand Blvd.). Watch party programming will begin Sunday at 6 p.m. CT, featuring an all-you-can eat buffet with burgers, wings, cheese curds and more, plus a long list of drink specials headlined by $6 Till Vodka cocktails available until the final whistle.
