Starting XI: The Way to San Jose

Starting XI, presented by StorageMart, 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 push to the playoffs continues Saturday when the club visits a longtime Western Conference foe in the San Jose Earthquakes. Kickoff is slated for 9:30 p.m. CT, with three hours of live coverage beginning at 9 p.m. CT on FOX Sports Kansas City, FOX Sports Midwest Plus and FOX Sports GO.

Manager Peter Vermes’ men have claimed five shutout wins over their last six games and approach Saturday’s fixture in the thick of an intriguing race for top spot in the West. San Jose, on the other hand, will embrace the spoiler role having become the first team to be mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

2. No Other Party

Just as Sporting KC continues its quest for a playoff berth, No Other Pub continues to be the club's home away from home. The premier venue in Kansas City's Power & Light District will host the official #SJvSKC watch party on Saturday night, offering $6 Till Vodka cocktails and an all-you-can-eat buffet with bottomless sodas or domestic draft beers. Specials will start at 9 p.m. and last through the final whistle. Watch party guests will also have the opportunity to enter raffles for a team-signed Sporting KC soccer ball, Till Vodka merchandise and No Other Pub gift cards.

3. Tight at the Top

The margin for error at the top of the Western Conference is slim. Sporting KC currently resides in second place on 48 points, a point behind leaders FC Dallas and two points ahead of LAFC. Not too far behind the top three are Real Salt Lake and Portland, tied on 44 points, and sixth-place Seattle on 41. The top two teams get Knockout Round byes, while seeds 3 and 4 will host a Knockout Round game on Oct. 31 or Nov. 1.

Sporting KC's tough remaining schedule puts impetus on the side to take maximum points against San Jose, especially with FC Dallas and LAFC playing at home to Columbus and New England, respectively, on Saturday night.

4. Lynchpin Lindsey

Sporting KC Homegrown defender Jaylin Lindsey started all three matches for the United States U-20 Men’s National Team in the U.S. Soccer U-20 Men’s Invitational at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Lindsey and the U.S. U-20s finished second behind the U.S. U-19s, claiming wins over Jamaica and Venezuela on either side of a 1-0 defeat to the U-19s. The Sporting KC right back logged 211 minutes over a five-day stretch from Friday to Tuesday as the U-20 national team, led by head coach Tab Ramos, continued preparations for the 2018 CONCACAF U-20 Championship in November.

5. I-70 Series

Led by head coach Paulo Nagamura, the Rangers (13-9-7, 46 points) will continue their five-game homestand at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday when they host rivals Saint Louis FC (11-8-10, 43 points) in a pivotal Western Conference clash at 4 p.m. CT. The game will stream live on ESPN+ and tickets are available via SeatGeek.com or at the stadium’s east box office on matchday. Winners of four straight matches, the Rangers are currently on course for a third straight playoff berth, having won the USL Western Conference title in each of their first two seasons of existence.

6. Adrian’s Acrobatics

Sporting KC goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas has earned a USL Save of the Week nomination for a stunning, acrobatic stop while playing for the Swope Park Rangers in a 1-0 victory over Fresno FC at Children's Mercy Park on Sunday afternoon. Voting at uslsoccer.com is open through Friday at 11 a.m. CT.

7. Ferguson to Florida

Sporting KC Academy defender Mitchell Ferguson has joined the United States U-16 Boys' National Team for a training camp that runs through Sept. 19 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Ferguson, 15, has earned his second selection to the U.S. U-16 national team, having previously competed at his first such camp in June. U.S. U-16 head coach Shaun Tsakiris (pictured above) has called up 36 players, all born in 2003, for the week-long program.

8. Radio Rewind

A new episode of The Sporting KC Show aired Tuesday night on Sports Radio 810 WHB with hosts Nate Bukaty and Carter Augustine, who welcomed a pair of soccer pundits to discuss multiple topics regarding club and country. Earlier in the week, Sporting KC captain Matt Besler joined The Border Patrol to preview Saturday's contest in San Jose.

9. All-Star in Orlando

The MLS All-Star Game presented by Target is coming to Orlando, Florida, in 2019. MLS announced its decision today in recognition of the city's vibrant soccer scene since Orlando City SC entered the league in 2015. The annual midsummer event will include nearly a week of festivities celebrating the sport and culture of soccer, culminating in a match between the league’s top players and a renowned international club. In recent years, the MLS All-Star opponents have included iconic international clubs Juventus (2018), Real Madrid (2017), Arsenal (2016) and Bayern Munich (2014).

10. Headliners

For the soccer fanatics seeking more MLS action on Saturday and Sunday, three league matches will be nationally televised this weekend. Click here for a rundown of each of the following games.

• Colorado Rapids vs. Atlanta United FC | 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday | Univision & Twitter
• D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls | Noon CT Sunday | ESPN
• Chicago Fire vs. Orlando City SC | 4 p.m. CT Sunday | FS1

11. Red Card Campaign

Sporting KC and Children’s Mercy have partnered to launch the anti-bullying initiative Red Card: Call It When You See It. The program will unite local communities in taking a stance to end bullying, one of the most significant social issues impacting children and teens nationwide.

The Red Card campaign sees Sporting KC and Children’s Mercy join together to create a provocative approach to build awareness and to empower youth and adults so they can help prevent and intervene in bullying. Inspiring individuals to “call it when they see it,” the initiative uses soccer’s red card as a figurative visual tool to highlight instances of bullying in schools and other public settings while also encouraging positive behavior. Visit RedCardKC.com for more information.

Games to Watch (Sept. 14-16, 2018)