Starting XI: Calm Before the Storm

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.

Top-seeded Sporting KC are off this weekend as the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs hit the brakes in light of November's FIFA international window. Manager Peter Vermes' side has nevertheless begun preparation for the two-legged Western Conference Championship, where they will face the No. 5 seed Portland Timbers.

Sporting KC will visit Portland in the first leg of the aggregate-goal series on Sunday, Nov. 25, at Providence Park. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT on FS1 and FOX Deportes. Vermes' men will then host the decisive second leg on Thursday, Nov. 29, at 8:30 p.m. CT. ESPN and ESPN Deportes will televise the game live from Children's Mercy Park.

Tickets for the second leg of the Western Conference Championship, Sporting KC's final home game of 2018, are now on sale to the general public at SeatGeek.com. Season Ticket Members who opted in for their playoff tickets will be messaged directly and can contact their Client Services Executive for questions and more information.

2. Johnny Come Lately

Sporting KC forward Johnny Russell has joined the Scotland Men’s National Team ahead of two pivotal matches in the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League. Russell and Scotland will conclude their UEFA Nations League group stage campaign during this month’s FIFA international window, visiting Albania on Saturday at Loro Borici Stadium in Shkoder before hosting Israel on Tuesday at Hampden Park in Glasgow. Both matches will kick off at 1:45 p.m. CT and stream live on ESPN+.

3. Lindsey's Lot

After finishing atop Group A with a perfect 5-0-0 record, Sporting KC defender Jaylin Lindsey and the United States U-20 Men’s National Team have advanced to the Qualification Stage of the 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship, where they will face Costa Rica on Friday and Honduras on Monday. The top two teams in the group will qualify for the 2018 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland, with the first-place finisher advancing to the Concacaf U-20 Championship final on Wednesday in Bradenton.

4. Barry Abroad

Swope Park Rangers forward Hadji Barry has joined the Guinea Men’s National Team for the first time in his career after being selected for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ivory Coast on Sunday at Stade 28 Septembre in the Guinean capital of Conarky. The match will kick off at 11 a.m. CT and air live on beIN SPORTS.

5. Prepping for Portland

Although not considered a full-blooded rivalry, Sporting KC and Portland have shared some memorable moments since the Timbers joined MLS in 2011. The infamous double post ordeal remains etched in the minds of everyone who watched the epic 2015 Knockout Round match unfold at Providence Park, not unlike Krisztian Nemeth’s jaw-dropping Goal of the Year from four weeks earlier at the same venue.

In preparation for the matchup, SportingKC.com has taken a pleasant trip down memory lane, taking a chronological look at Sporting KC’s five best wins, goals and Tim Melia saves against the Timbers.

6. Radio Rewind

With anticipation for the Western Conference Championship soaring higher and higher by the day, numerous members of Sporting KC have made radio appearances to discuss the Portland matchup and look back on a thrilling conference semifinal win over Real Salt Lake.

• Monday: Brad Evans joins 89.3 KCUR
• Tuesday: Matt Besler joins The Border Patrol on Sports Radio 810 WHB
• Tuesday: Seth Sinovic joins Fox Sports 910 in Phoenix
• Tuesday: Ilie Sanchez and Matt Lawrence on The Sporting KC Show Podcast
• Wednesday: Peter Vermes joins The Program on Sports Radio 810 WHB

7. Referees Assigned

The Professional Referee Organization (PRO) has released referee assignments for both legs of the Conference Championships in the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs. Sporting KC and Portland have received Robert Sibiga for leg one and Mark Geiger for leg two.

8. Yanks and Lions

The U.S. Men’s National Team will close out 2018 with a pair of games against perennial European powers, beginning with a showdown against England at Wembley Stadium this afternoon at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN2. The Americans will then face Italy in Belgium on Tuesday, kicking off at 1:45 p.m. CT on FS1.

Today's match will serve as a testimonial for D.C. United’s Wayne Rooney, England’s all-time leading scorer with 53 goals. Rooney last represented England in a 3-0 win over Scotland at Wembley on Nov. 11, 2016. The D.C. United forward was named to the 2018 MLS Best XI on Sunday after bagging 12 goals and seven assists for the Black-and-Red.

9. Exempt from Expansion Draft

Major League Soccer has announced the full calendar of offseason roster building events, highlighted by the 2018 MLS Expansion Draft on Tuesday, Dec. 11. FC Cincinnati begin MLS play in 2019 as a club in the Eastern Conference, and through the Expansion Draft will select five current MLS players to help shape the core of their inaugural roster.

Current MLS teams that had players selected by LAFC in the 2017 MLS Expansion Draft, including Sporting KC, will be exempt from the 2018 MLS Expansion Draft.

10. Down to Dallas

Three Sporting KC Academy teams will continue their Development Academy seasons this weekend in the Dallas metro area. The Sporting KC U-15s, U-17s and U-19s will face Solar SC in a Saturday tripleheader at University of Dallas Soccer Field before meeting the Dallas Texans in a Sunday tripleheader at Arlington Heights High School. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for live updates this weekend and throughout the year.

11. Bracket Busters

The 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship bracket was unveiled Monday with 48 teams aiming for a berth in this year's College Cup from Dec. 7-9 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Among the field are 11 Sporting KC Academy products representing eight different schools.

Games to Watch (Nov. 15-18, 2018)