Five Things, presented by Keith + Associates Dentistry, is a weekly series on SportingKC.com that highlights the top storylines, players to watch and matchday programming ahead of each game throughout the season.
Following a narrow loss to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, Sporting Kansas City (10-14-7, 37 points) 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 (14-10-7, 49 points) 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. Listeners can also catch the action live on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM, with The Final Whistle postgame show immediately following on 810 WHB.
Without further ado, let's jump straight into what you must know about Wednesday's must-win contest.
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1. Keys to Survival
Sporting enter the penultimate week of the regular season with their club-record eight-year playoff streak hanging by a thread. With 37 points in the bag and three matches remaining, Sporting must win out to have any chance of breaking into the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs. They will also need some help along the way.
#MINvSKC is one of three Wednesday night fixtures that Sporting fans will want to keep an eye on, as the Portland Timbers and San Jose Earthquakes both play later that evening. In order for Sporting to preserve their playoff chances heading into Sunday's home finale against Portland, here's what needs to happen:
- Sporting must win at Minnesota United FC, AND
- Portland must lose or tie at home vs. New England, OR
San Jose must lose or tie at home vs. Philadelphia
To clarify, if Portland and San Jose both notch home wins, Sporting will be eliminated from playoff contention regardless of their result against the Loons.
At the end of the day, all Peter Vermes' men can do is aim to replicate their victory over Minnesota on Aug. 22. Three points, in any shape or form, are an absolute must.
2. Party at the Pub
With Sporting back on the road, supporters across the Kansas City region are invited to Wednesday watch parties at any of the club's official pub partners. Among them is No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District, serving as the flagship hub for Sporting in the heart of downtown at 1370 Grand Blvd.
From 6:30 p.m. CT until the final whistle, No Other Pub will offer an all-inclusive buffet with bottomless domestic draft beers and sodas plus $4 specials on Bud Light drafts, Corona bottles and Captain Morgan cocktails. No Other Pub will also conduct ticket giveaways for Sporting's home finale against the Portland Timbers on Sunday at Children's Mercy Park.
3. Captain's Out
Captain Matt Besler was sent off in Saturday's loss to the Colorado Rapids, which guarantees at least one change along the backline this time around. Botond Barath and Graham Smith are the likely pairing, as Andreu Fontas is ruled out with an Achilles injury. Defensive midfielder Ilie Sanchez is also a viable option, having played the final 70 minutes against Colorado alongside Barath in the heart of defense.
4. Allianz Elite
The Loons occupy third place in the Western Conference largely due to their stout form at the new Allianz Field. Minnesota boasts a 9-1-5 home record in league play and wield a 12-1-5 home mark in all competitions. Head coach Adrian Heath's side has outscored opponents 38-14 on home turf this season, including a 4-1 defeat of Sporting in the U.S. Open Cup Fourth Round on June 12.
5. The Victory Project Auction
In one of several initiatives tied to Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, The Victory Project launched its online auction Saturday night in conjunction with FOX Sports Kansas City's broadcast of the match between Sporting and Colorado.
For the second straight game, FOX Sports Kansas City crew Nate Bukaty, Matt Lawrence and Carter Augustine will point viewers to the limited-time auction, which features framed and autographed Sporting merchandise, VIP experiences and much more. Supporters can click here to bid on items through Friday at 1 p.m. CT.
