Sporting KC Weekly Schedule: March 20-26, 2017

Sporting Kansas City (1-0-2, 5 points) remained unbeaten and collected its first win of 2017 on Saturday, defeating the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 at Children's Mercy Park. With three weeks of the season now in the books, the club enters an international break as World Cup qualifiers across the globe take center stage. Manager Peter Vermes' men will return to the field on Friday, March 31 with a visit to defending Eastern Conference champion Toronto FC.

Sporting Kansas City's Matt Besler and Graham Zusi have joined the U.S. Men's National Team in California ahead of Friday's pivotal World Cup qualifying match against Sporting KC midfielder Roger Espinoza and Honduras. The match will kick off at 9:30 p.m. CT at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, with live broadcasts airing on FS1, UniMas and UDN.

The U.S. MNT is off to an 0-2-0 start in the Hexagonal, which serves as CONCACAF's final round of World Cup qualifying. The six competing nations will square off in a double-round robin that ends in October 2017, and the top three teams will advance to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The fourth-place finisher will face an Asian country in a two-legged playoff in November. Honduras currently occupies fourth place with a 1-1-0 record.

The Swope Park Rangers kick off their 2017 USL campaign on Saturday at Children's Mercy Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village. The Rangers, defending champions of the USL Western Conference, will host rivals OKC Energy FC at 7:30 p.m. CT to begin their 32-game regular season under first-year head coach Nikola Popovic. Energy FC, meanwhile, are led by head coach and former Sporting KC goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen. Tickets are available at SeatGeek.com and the match will stream live on SportingKC.com.

A new episode of the Sporting KC Show will air tonight at 6:45 p.m. CT on Sports Radio 810 WHB. Hosts Nate Bukaty, Carter Augustine and Jillian Carroll will recap Sporting KC's first victory of 2017 and look ahead to USA-Honduras and the Swope Park Rangers' home opener. Besler will join the show from San Jose, while Popovic will also be a guest. 

Supporters can use the Sporting KC Uphoria app to redeem a free, 48-oz. carton of Breyers ice cream at Kansas City area Price Chopper locations. The offer expires tonight at midnight and is available to fans who download the app and register a free account. Sporting KC Uphoria is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.

The Sporting KC Academy U-18s and U-16s resume action in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy on Saturday, facing Real Colorado in a doubleheader at Fort Hays State University Soccer Stadium in Hays, Kansas. The U-18s will kick off at noon CT before the U-16s play at 2:30 p.m. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for live updates throughout the season.

Sporting KC and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City are teaming up in 2017 to recognize Blue KC Sporting Samaritans, honoring students and teachers who make the Kansas City community a better place to live, work and play. Once a month, a Samaritan will be recognized on the pitch at Children's Mercy Park before a Sporting KC home game. Once a month, a Samaritan and up to three guests will receive a behind the scenes VIP experience, four tickets to the game, a parking pass and a $50 gift card redeemable for Sporting KC merchandise. Supporters can nominate members of their community to be the next Blue KC Sporting Samaritan at SportingKC.com/bluekc.

Single-game tickets for Sporting Kansas City’s home matches through July 6 are on sale to the general public at SeatGeek.com, the club’s new and official ticketing provider that allows supporters to buy, share and sell tickets easier than ever before. For more ticket information, call 888-4KC-GOAL.

For news, photos and instant updates throughout the 2017 season, follow Sporting KC on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat (sportingkc), and download the club’s official mobile app Sporting KC Uphoria on the App Store or Google Play.