Starting XI: Flustered in Foxborough

Starting XI is a biweekly series on SportingKC.com that highlights 11 of the biggest storylines and news updates from Sporting Kansas City, MLS and soccer around the globe. Click here to visit the Starting XI archive.

Sporting KC’s seven-game unbeaten run was snapped following a 1-0 loss to the New England Revolution on Saturday in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Forward Teal Bunbury scored in the 44th minute to separate the sides and hand Western Conference leaders Sporting KC (5-2-2, 17 points) their fourth straight road loss at Gillette Stadium.

New England (4-2-2, 14 points) jumped to third place in the East with the victory as Manager Peter Vermes’ men suffered defeat for the first time since falling on March 4 in their season opener. Despite the setback, Sporting KC ends the month of April four points clear at the top of the Western Conference table.

2. Fan Forum

Sporting KC CEO & President Jake Reid, captain Matt Besler, winger Johnny Russell and homegrown forward Daniel Salloi will participate in the Sporting KC Fan Forum on Tuesday at No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District, giving supporters of all ages the opportunity to interact first-hand with club representatives. The event will see Reid, Besler, Russell and Salloi answer questions and engage with fans in attendance, making for an interactive and open-ended conversation. The Fan Forum will begin at 6 p.m. CT inside No Other Pub, and attendance is free for a limited number of fans who RSVP at SportingKC.com/forum.

3. Cinco de Mayo

Still occupying first place in the Western Conference, Sporting KC returns to Children's Mercy Park this Saturday to host the Colorado Rapids at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets for the Cinco de Mayo showdown are available at SeatGeek.com, and the first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a Matt Besler bobblehead courtesy of match sponsor Mainstreet Credit Union.

FOX Sports Kansas City and FOX Sports Midwest Plus will air three hours of live coverage on Saturday beginning at 7 p.m. CT. Local radio broadcasts will air on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM (Spanish), while the Sporting KC Uphoria app will provide live updates. The match will also stream live on FOX Sports GO for viewers within the FOX Sports KC/Midwest footprint and on ESPN+ across the rest of the United States. Immediately afterward, The Final Whistle postgame show will air on 810 WHB.

4. Day at the Zoo

Soccer fans and animal lovers of all ages are welcome to attend the fourth annual Sporting KC Day at the Zoo on Sunday at the Kansas City Zoo in Swope Park (6800 Zoo Dr., Kansas City, Mo.). Sporting KC players Tim Melia, Diego Rubio, Johnny Russell and Graham Zusi will lead the fun-filled day at one of the premier zoos in the region, playing soccer with sea lions, painting with elephants and signing autographs. In conjunction with the event, the Kansas City Zoo is offering $3 off the price of regular admission to guests that wear Sporting KC apparel.

5. Stalemate at CMP

The Swope Park Rangers (3-1-3, 12 points) settled for a 1-1 draw with rivals Saint Louis FC (3-1-3, 12 points) on Saturday at Children's Mercy Park. SPR forward Hadji Barry gave the host the lead after just three minutes, but Kansas native Kyle Greig bagged an 88th-minute equalizer to split the points in a competitive battle that produced seven total yellow cards.

Head coach Paulo Nagamura' men will hit the road next Saturday for the first of three straight away games, battling OKC Energy FC (1-6-0, 3 points) at Taft Stadium in Oklahoma City. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT and the match will stream live on ESPN+.

6. Drama and Controversy

Week 9 of the MLS campaign was highlighted by a pair of dramatic matches on Saturday. Toronto FC, just three days removed from a heartbreaking penalty kick defeat to Chivas de Guadalajara in the Concacaf Champions League finals, was seconds away from making a victorious return to MLS before veteran Alan Gordon came off the bench to salvage the Chicago Fire a 2-2 draw at BMO Field. In Saturday's nightcap, VAR was employed on three separate occasions as the New York Red Bulls posted a controversial 3-2 victory over a muffed LA Galaxy side at StubHub Center.

7. Tough Go in Tulsa

The Sporting KC Academy faced FC Dallas in a U.S. Soccer Development Academy tripleheader Saturday on the campus of the University of Tulsa. The U-17s earned a 0-0 draw against their MLS counterparts, while the U-15s fell 4-1 and the U-19s lost 4-1. With more than a month of the regular season still to play, the Sporting KC U-17s and U-19s both occupy third place in the Central Conference's Frontier Division, the last automatic qualifying slot for the Development Academy Playoffs in June.

8. Decisive Second Legs

Two teams will punch their respective tickets to the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final this week. The prestigious tournament continues Tuesday and Wednesday with decisive second legs in the semifinal series between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich as well as Roma and Liverpool, both kicking off at 1:45 p.m. CT on FS1. Liverpool takes a 5-2 aggregate lead to Rome on Tuesday, while two-time defending champion Real Madrid owns a 2-1 aggregate advantage ahead of Wednesday's home game against Bayern Munich. The 2018 final will take place on May 26 at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine.

9. Looking for MLS Live?

The new ESPN+ now serves as the home for Major League Soccer's out-of-market streaming package and the USL's official streaming subscription service in the U.S. ESPN+ is available to fans for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year, featuring live sports and ESPN content in addition to MLS and USL matches.

10. Pick Your

Fans can predict the Sporting KC starting XI at SportingKC.com/kslottery for the chance to win four field-level tickets to a future Sporting KC home match in the Kansas Lottery Patio Seats, including a halftime recognition on the stadium videoboard and UMB Field Club access during the match, consisting of all-inclusive food and beverage.

11. Good Samaritans

Sporting KC and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City are teaming up 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. The Samaritan and a limited number of guests will receive a behind the scenes VIP experience with a wide variety of all-inclusive perks. Supporters can nominate members of their community to be the next Blue KC Sporting Samaritan at SportingKC.com/bluekc.

Games to Watch (April 30 - May 3, 2018)