Sporting KC Weekly Schedule: October 10-16, 2016

All times CT, subject to change
Swope Soccer Village is located at 6310 Lewis Rd., Kansas City, MO

Sporting Kansas City (12-13-7) returns to action Sunday when they visit rivals Real Salt Lake (12-11-9, 45 points) in the Final Push to the Playoffs. Peter Vermes' men enter the penultimate week of the 2016 MLS regular season holding the sixth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the seventh-place Portland Timbers and and two points behind fourth-place Real Salt Lake.

Kickoff at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah is set for 4 p.m. CT as five Western Conference matches will be played simultaneously on Sunday afternoon. SKCTV and 38 The Spot will air three hours of live television coverage, while listeners can follow the game live on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish). 

No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District (1370 Grand Blvd.) will host an official watch party for the match, offering $7 specialty cocktails from Till Vodka. Sporting Kansas City is seeking a club-record sixth straight appearance in the MLS Cup Playoffs, which will begin Oct. 26-27 with two knockout round matches in either conference.

The Swope Park Rangers claimed a remarkable 2-1 extra time victory over Orange County Blues FC on Sunday, advancing to the Western Conference Finals of the USL Cup Playoffs. Winners of six straight games, the Rangers will now host Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 on Saturday with a spot in the USL Cup Final up for grabs. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT at Children's Mercy Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village, with tickets starting as low as $12 on Ticketmaster.com and a live stream on SportingKC.com. SPR Season Ticket Members can also secure their seats via Account Manager with season ticket pricing in effect for the USL Cup Playoffs.

Sporting KC defender Matt Besler has joined the United States Men's National Team for an international friendly vs. New Zealand at 7 p.m. CT Tuesday in Washington D.C. Kickoff at RFK Stadium is set for 7 p.m. CT with national television coverage on ESPN and UniMas.

A new episode of The Sporting KC Show on Sports Radio 810 WHB will air at 6 p.m. CT Tuesday (time subject to change). Hosts Nate Bukaty and Carter Augustine will preview the United States' friendly against New Zealand, look ahead to a crucial weekend in MLS and discuss the Swope Park Rangers' impressive run to the USL conference finals.

The Sporting KC Academy U-17s will host FC Dallas at 2 p.m. CT today in the 2016 Generation adidas Cup at Swope Soccer Village. Admission is free and open to the public as Sporting KC continues pool play in the Central Region against an FC Dallas side that won the U-16 USSDA national championship in July.

Four Sporting KC Academy teams will take the field this weekend. The U-18s and U-16s will continue their USSDA campaigns on Saturday in a doubleheader at Mohawk Soccer Complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma, facing Solar Chelsea SC (Dallas). Meanwhile, the Sporting KC U-13s and U-14s will participate in the USSDA Regional Showcase, running Friday through Sunday at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for updates this week and throughout the 2016-17 season.

Two Sporting KC players will make appearances at local Price Chopper locations from 4:30-6 p.m. CT on Thursday. Midfielder Benji Joya will be available for autographs and photo opportunities with fans at 9717 N. Ash Ave. in Kansas City, Missouri, while midfielder Justin Mapp will be at 7201 W. 151st St. in Overland Park, Kansas.

Sporting KC defender Jimmy Medranda will appear Saturday at the grand opening of the new Westlake Ace Hardware location at 7821 W. 151st St. in Overland Park, Kansas. Medranda will be available from 1-2:30 p.m. CT for autographs and photo opportunities with fans.

Sporting KC and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City have teamed up this season to recognize Blue KC Sporting Samaritans, honoring individuals who make the Kansas City community a better place to live. Once a month, a Samaritan will be recognized on the pitch at Children's Mercy Park before a Sporting KC home game. Supporters can nominate members of their community to be the next Blue KC Sporting Samaritan by sharing their first-person experience with the nominee at SportingKC.com/bluekc.

For news, photographs and instant updates throughout the 2016 season, follow Sporting Kansas City on its Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat (sportingkc) accounts and visit the club's social media page.