Starting XI: Playoff preview in KC | MVP race in LA-NY | Spotlight on young guns

Welcome to Starting XI, our Friday rundown of what to watch for this weekend in MLS and beyond. And don't forget to get your Spanish-language fix with FutbolMLS.com.

Recommended musical pairing (per content researcher Ben Baer): "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen.

• Click HERE for the Week 29 TV schedule
• Click HERE for the current MLS standings

1. WHO'S NEXT: Actually, forget "who's next" – let's focus on "who's now," because that's the big difference between this year's 24 Under 24, presented by adidas, and previous versions. Thanks to the Homegrown initiative, the rise of Academies, the USL PRO affiliate agreement and better scouting of young players overseas, we're seeing more influential youngsters in MLS than ever before:

Yes, the players on this year's 24 Under 24 are marginally older than those on the original, 2010 list. But on average they've played twice the number of minutes as professionals, which means they're getting more experience at a younger age. That's real, tangible progress. – MATT DOYLE

2. BACK ON TRACK: Sporting KC are back to winning ways, but let’s be real: the New England Revolution, their opponents on Friday night (8 pm ET; NBCSN, NBCSports.com), are a step up from the opposition they've seen recently. Can Sporting carry some of that momentum into the stretch run, or will they revert to the kind of form that saw them lose four straight in late August and early September, including one to Lee Nguyen and the Revs? The possible absence of Aurelien Collin doesn’t help. – NICHOLAS ROSANO

3. GIVE YOUTH A CHANCE: The Vancouver Whitecaps pride themselves on developing talent, and they had an league-high four players in the 24 Under 24 rankings released this week. But it's time to unleash those talents if they want to make the playoffs. So why not start Erik Hurtado, Kekuta Manneh and Darren Mattocks all together? It's only happened once this year (a 0-0 draw vs. Montreal in the first game after the long World Cup break). Against Real Salt Lake on Saturday (7pm ET, TSN2) the 'Caps might benefit from fewer finesse playmakers (i.e., Mauro Rosales, Pedro Morales and Sebastian Fernandez) and more guys who want to go directly at goal. At the same time they'll prove they're really all in on the youth movement. – SIMON BORG

4. DOMO ARIGATO: Erick “Cubo” Torres played 40 consecutive league games for Chivas USA. He’s missed the last four, due to suspension and El Tri duty. Will it be a welcome sight to have him back on Saturday against the slumping Seattle Sounders (4 pm ET; MLS LIVE)? Absolutely. Scoring more than 60 percent of your team’s goals is the definition of a “one-man attack,” and the Goats have been hapless without him. Win or lose, if Cubo can get back on track and do the robot once again, at least a few smiles will crack around Chivas. – ALICIA RODRIGUEZ

5. UNDER THE RADAR: Tony Tchani came into the league with a lot of hype nearly five years ago, and now he's living up to it. Why'd it take him so long? A couple of pit stops on teams with unstable rosters didn't help, and neither did missing most of his second year to injury (watch the video below, and marvel at the fact that Beckham a) only got yellow, and b) actually argued the call). Tchani's been a two-way force lately for the Crew, and should have his way on Saturday (7:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE) against an Impact team likely missing a couple of keycontributors in central midfield. – MATT DOYLE

6. THE REPLACEMENTS: D.C. United are fresh off clinching a berth in the CCL quarterfinals and riding high on top of the Eastern Conference. The Philadelphia Union, meanwhile, are two points out of a playoff spot and desperately need points in Saturday's nationally televised match-up (3 pm ET; NBCSN). An injury to defender Ethan White may mean Amobi Okugo returns to the lineup. But unfortunately for the Union, United have attackers Chris Pontius and Eddie Johnsonback in the fold.  – NICHOLAS ROSANO

• READ: Okugo falls in 2014 "24 Under 24" rankings

7. AUTUMN WINDS: Fall is here and that means we get the return of early Saturday games up in Toronto. The Timbers, fresh off a demolition of Alpha United in CONCACAF Champions League action on Tuesday night, visit the Reds in yet another game with huge playoff implications (1 pm ET, MLSsoccer.com's Stream of the Week). Last week against Chivas USA, TFC's Michael Bradley moved to a more holding role after playing most of the season a little further up field. If he plays in that spot again it will put him in direct competition with one of the league's best players, Diego Valeri. The result of that battle will likely determine the result of the game.  – BEN BAER

8. TWEET OF THE WEEK: This new logo is (still) good for everything:

9. NOT A BASH BROTHER: It’s been 13 long years since any player in MLS accomplished what Robbie Keane is about to do. With more one more assist, the LA Galaxy striker will become just the third player in league history to score 15 goals and add 15 assists in the same season, joining the Miami Fusion’s Diego Serna (2001) and Dallas Burn’s Jason Kreis (1999). Even more impressive is that MLS has tightened its criteria for what qualifies as an assist since the league’s early days, but Keane’s accomplishment might not mean an MVP is mandatory. While Kreis became the first American to win the award in 1999, Serna finished behind teammate Alex Pineda Chacon two years later. Will Keane get lucky No. 15 when the Galaxy host the Red Bulls (8:30 pm ET; ESPN2), and if he does, will he get plowed over by Alan Gordon again? – NICK FIRCHAU

10. HANGOVER?: Usually a last place team has no reason to celebrate but on Wednesday that was not the case. With the Red Bulls unable to get a win in El Salvador, the Montreal Impact secured their place in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. With the absence of Ignacio Piatti and perhaps a little bit of a hangover after celebrating, you would think it would be an easy game at home for the surging Crew on Saturday night (7:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE). But take this into consideration, Montreal have not been shutout since August 2nd. And who knows maybe Jack McInerney will do this again after feeling slighted for being left the 24 Under 24 rankings.  – BEN BAER

11. THE WORLD'S SECOND-BEST REGISTA: Just a reminder that "Pirlo" is Italian for "Not as good as Xavi."– MATT DOYLE