Preview: Sporting KC kicks off Desert Diamond Cup versus Colorado Rapids

Sporting Kansas City will battle the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday in the Desert Diamond Cup, a marquee preseason tournament that headlines the second phase of the club's 2017 preseason, presented by Children's Mercy.

Wednesday's match at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson will kick off at noon CT with live streams on SportingKC.com, FOXSportsGO.com and the FOX Sports GO app, giving supporters the opportunity to watch Sporting Kansas City live for the first time in 2017.

• LIVE STREAM: Sporting KC vs. Colorado Rapids

After a brief recuperation period in Kansas City, Sporting KC has returned to Arizona with a smaller preseason squad as the 2017 MLS campaign inches closer. Manager Peter Vermes' 29-man roster consists of the 27 players currently under contract as well as MLS SuperDraft selection Colton Storm and Swope Park Rangers center back Amer Didic.

The Desert Diamond Cup will likely see three Sporting Kansas City players make their 2017 preseason debuts. Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi return to their club after spending most of January with the U.S. Men's National Team, while forward Dom Dwyer — the team's top scorer in each of the last three years — moves closer to full fitness after recovering from offseason ankle surgery. Center back Matt Besler, who underwent the same ankle surgery as Dwyer in December, logged his first preseason action in last Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the New England Revolution.

Forward Diego Rubio remains Sporting Kansas City's lone long-term absentee. The Chilean forward has joined the side in Tucson as he continues rehabilitation from an ACL tear suffered last October. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Homegrown defender Erik Palmer-Brown is set to miss all four Desert Diamond Cup matches while he captains the U.S. U-20 Men's National Team at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Sporting Kansas City will seek its first preseason victory on Wednesday against Major League Soccer's surprise package of 2016. The Colorado Rapids nearly pulled off a worst-to-first swing last season, finishing two points below FC Dallas in the Supporters' Shield race after missing the playoffs in the two years prior.

Led by fourth-year head coach Pablo Mastroeni, the Rapids opened their 2017 preseason campaign with two matches against the PDL's Ventura County Fusion — a 1-1 draw on Feb. 4 and a 6-1 win on Feb. 8. Forward Dominique Badji scored twice over the two fixtures, while last year's breakout midfielder Marlon Hairston added a goal and two assists.

• Starting XI: Desert Diamond Debut

Still riding the waves of a successful 2016, Colorado made few roster changes during the offseason. The club added experience in striker Alan Gordon and youth in Manchester City academy product Bismark Adjei-Boateng, but parted ways with a slew of with veterans — namely Marco Pappa, Sebastien Le Toux and U.S. international Jermaine Jones.

The 2017 Desert Diamond Cup will unfold with pool play matches on Wednesday, Saturday and Feb. 22. The tournament will conclude on Saturday, Feb. 25 with placement matches featuring first place vs. second place, third vs. fourth, and fifth vs. sixth. Fans visiting Tucson can use promo code "SPORTING" to get 15 percent off tickets to Sporting KC's matches on Saturday and Feb. 25. Access VisitTucson.org for information on hotels, attractions, restaurants and more.

Sporting KC 2017 Desert Diamond Cup Schedule