Sporting KC Weekly Schedule: Sept. 5-11, 2016

All times CT, subject to change

After a weekend off during FIFA's international window, Sporting Kansas City (11-12-5, 38 points) returns to action Friday when the club hosts rivals Houston Dynamo (5-11,10, 25 points) at Children's Mercy Park. The match will kick off at 7 p.m. CT with three hours of live television coverage on 38 The Spot beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT, while UniMas will televise the match nationally in Spanish. Listeners can also follow the action on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish), with 810 WHB airing The Final Whistle: Sporting KC Postgame Show immediately after the game. Fifth-place Sporting KC is six points clear in the playoff race and 13 points ahead of last-place Houston, whose postseason hopes hang by a thread. A limited number of tickets for the Western Conference clash are still available at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.

Sporting Kansas City's Matt Besler and Graham Zusi both started and played 90 minutes as the United States Men's National Team defeated St. Vincent and the Grenadines 6-0 on Friday to move a step closer to advancing for the Hexagonal, CONCACAF's final round of World Cup qualifying. The U.S. MNT can secure progression to the Hex on Tuesday when the team finishes the semifinal round of qualifying against Trinidad and Tobago at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on FS1 and UniMas. A win would see the Americans finish atop Group C, while a draw would seal second place behind current leaders Trinidad and Tobago.

The Swope Park Rangers (10-10-6, 36 points) split a pair of home games last week, defeating San Antonio FC 2-1 on Wednesday before taking a 2-0 loss to Rio Grande Valley FC on Saturday. The club wraps up a five-game homestand Saturday when Tulsa Roughnecks FC visits Children's Mercy Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and tickets can be secured for as low as $12 at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL. The Rangers are currently in seventh place in the USL Western Conference, with the top eight teams advancing to the playoffs after the 30-game regular season concludes Sept. 24.

A new episode of the Sporting KC Show on Sports Radio 810 WHB will air live Tuesday at 7 p.m. CT at No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District. Hosts Nate Bukaty and Carter Augustine will discuss the United States' important World Cup qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago and look ahead to another weekend of action in MLS and the USL. Supporters are encouraged to attend No Other Pub for the U.S. MNT watch party as Besler and Zusi look to lead the U.S. to the Hexagonal.

Sporting Kansas City supporters can print or save this flier on their smartphones and visit any Kansas City area Chipotle on Wednesday to ensure that 50 percent of all sales benefit The Victory Project, the club's philanthropic initiative that unites players and fans to help children fight cancer and other illnesses. In conjunction with the campaign, Jacob Peterson will appear at the Chipotle in Prairie Village (6920 Mission Rd.) and Kevin Ellis will appear at the Chipotle in Overland Park (7040 W. 135th St.) from 4-5:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday for a meet and greet with fans, including autograph and photo opportunities.

The Victory Project blood drive will be held in the Ameritas Shield Club at Children's Mercy Park on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donors will receive a "Bleed Sporting Blue" t-shirt, a tour of the Sporting KC locker room and lunch courtesy of Papa John's pizza. Walk-ins are welcome and registration is open using the sponsor code 'TheVictoryProject' at www.redcrossblood.org. The blood drive will include Sporting KC player appearances from Diego Rubio, Alec Kann, Justin Mapp and Lawrence Olum between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. CT.

The Sporting Kansas City Academy kicks off its 2016-17 U.S. Soccer Development Academy season this weekend as the U-16s and U-18s face doubleheaders in the state of Texas. Sporting KC first visits Texans SC Houston at Burroughs Park in Tomball, with the U-18s in action at 10 a.m. CT and the U-16s following at 12:30 p.m. CT. Sunday features a tripleheader against Texas Rush at Bear Branch Soccer Complex in The Woodlands, with the U-18s, U-16s and U-14s kicking off at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. CT, respectively. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for live updates throughout the 2016-17 USSDA season.

Sporting KC players will appear at two public events on Saturday afternoon. Defenders Kevin Ellis and Ike Opara will appear at the Children's Mercy STAR Power Program from 1-2:30 p.m. CT at the KC Live! Block in the Power & Light District (50 East 13th St.). The Children's Mercy STAR Power Program is a community outreach initiative that provides classroom-based educaiton and resources for Kansas City-area schools. Click here to learn more.

In addition, defender Seth Sinovic will appear at the Sprint Family Fun Day on Saturday from noon to 1:30 p.m. CT for autographs and photo opportunities in the Power & Light District. Admission is free for all ages as children can enjoy bounce houses, sports games, live music and more.

Sporting Kansas City fans are invited to join the fight against cancer on Sunday for the BIGGSteps Toward Cancer Prevention 10K, 5K, Fun Run and Kids Dash. The event will take place at the University of Kansas Edwards Campus in Overland Park, Kansas (127th and Quivira Rd.), with registration running from 7-8 a.m. CT before runs begin at 8:30 a.m. Registration is also open online at www.biggsteps.org.

On Sunday afternoon, Sporting Kansas City's Paulo Nagamura, Diego Rubio, Nuno Coelho and Lawrence Olum will be at Fat Brain Toys' Day of Play at Prairiefire in Overland Park, Kansas. (5601 W. 135th St.) from 3-5 p.m. CT. Each player will be available for autographs and photo opportunities with fans.

Supporters can visit SportingKC.com/gailsharley and enter for a chance to win a brand new Sporting KC-branded Harley-Davidson Street 500 motorcycle and tickets to the club's regular season finale vs. San Jose Earthquakes on Oct. 23.

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.