Starting XI: Eleven Exercised

Starting XI, presented by Ford, 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 announced today that the club has exercised options on 11 players who will be returning for the 2018 season: Saad Abdul-Salaam, Kharlton Belmar, Amer Didic, Andrew Dykstra, Roger Espinoza, Tim Melia, James Musa, Ike Opara, Daniel Salloi, Colton Storm and Adrian Zendejas. They join the 14 players already under contract for 2018 to comprise the current 25-player squad.

In addition, forward Cameron Porter and defender Erik Palmer-Brown are no longer under contract with Sporting KC. The club has also not exercised contract options for forward Cameron Iwasa, midfielder Soni Mustivar, midfielder Kevin Oliveira and defender Tyler Pasher.

2. Deadline Day

Sporting KC isn't the only club announcing whose options they are picking up or declining this afternoon. Today's contract deadline applies to all clubs not still competing in the MLS Cup Playoffs, meaning there will be plenty of roster movement in the coming hours. Click here to stay posted on all the latest developments from across the league.

3. Cyber Monday

Even after a full-fledged Black Friday Kitman sale, the phenomenal deals keep coming at SportingStyle. In addition to receiving up to 50 percent off site-wide at MLSstore.com during Cyber Monday, Sporting KC fans can visit the SportingStyle Pop-In Store all week long for free jersey customization with the purchase of any full-price jersey. Supporters are welcome to shop in-store at the Boulevard Members Club inside Children's Mercy Park or email stylist@sportingkc.com to place an order by Saturday, Dec. 2. All orders over $50 will ship for free.

4. Decisive Second Legs

The champions of Major League Soccer's Eastern and Western Conferences will be crowned this week, solidifying the matchup for the 2017 MLS Cup on Saturday, Dec. 9. After battling to a scoreless draw last Tuesday, Toronto FC and Columbus Crew SC will meet north of the border this Wednesday to decide which team will host the league's championship match. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT on FS1. In the West, reigning champions Seattle Sounders FC are in cruise control after defeating the Houston Dynamo 2-0 in leg one. The return fixture will kick off in Seattle at 9:30 p.m. CT Thursday on ESPN.

5. Academy Duo Deployed

Two of Sporting KC's brightest Academy products have headed to the Sunshine State to join the United States U-17 Men's National Team for the Nike International Friendlies in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. Fifteen-year-olds Gianluca Busio and Mitch Eise are part of a 24-player roster assembled by head coach John Hackworth for the 2017 edition of the prestigious youth tournament. The USA will open the competition next Wednesday against England (6 p.m. CT) before facing Netherlands on Friday (6 p.m. CT) and Brazil on Sunday (4 p.m. CT). All tournament games will take place at Premier Sports Campus and stream live on ussoccer.com.

6. Texas Thanksgiving

The Sporting KC Academy U-15s spent Thanksgiving weekend competing against premier teams from across the globe at the 2017 Copa Rayados Internacional in The Woodlands, Texas. The fifth annual Copa Rayados featured elite academy sides from the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Netherlands, giving Sporting KC six matches over a five-day span. Participating in the U-15 Supergroup alongside 15 other heralded academies, Sporting KC punctuated its tournament appearance with a 5-2 victory over Houston Club Division on Saturday and a penalty shootout win over Mexican outfit Mineros de Zacatecas on Sunday.

7. Collision Course

A pair of Sporting KC Academy products are set to square off in the Elite Eight of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Division I Championship. Senior defender Matthew Lewis and the Fordham Rams will square off against freshman forward Zach Wright and the North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday with a berth in the Men's College Cup on the line. Lewis and Wright are the only former Sporting KC Academy players remaining in the field.

8. Vanney’s the Man

After leading Toronto FC to the Supporters' Shield title and the Canadian Championship, head coach Greg Vanney was named MLS Coach of the Year this afternoon. Under Vanney's guidance, Toronto set an all-time MLS record with 69 regular-season points, tied a league record with 20 wins, finished second in MLS history with a plus-37 goal difference and tied for second with 74 regular-season goals. The club is looking to become the first team in MLS history to win the domestic treble.

9. Rising Stahre

The San Jose Earthquakes on Friday named Mikael Stahre as the club's new head coach. The 42-year-old Stahre boasts 11 years of coaching experience in Europe, most recently leading BK Hacken in the Swedish top-flight Allsvenskan. Chris Leitch, who spent the final four months of the 2017 season as San Jose's head coach following the departure of Dominic Kinnear, respectively, will return to his role as the club's technical director.

10. Lewandowski Likes LA

Could one of the world's best strikers be on his way to MLS at some point in the future? According to the wife of Bayern Munich and Poland star Robert Lewandowski, the 29-year-old forward would like to end his playing career in Los Angeles. That would make the LA Galaxy and expansion club Los Angeles FC potential options for Lewandowski, who has bagged 90 Bundlesliga goals over the last three and a half seasons in addition to scoring 51 times for the Poland national team.

11. Messi’s New Deal

One of the greatest soccer players of all-time has pledged the next three seasons to FC Barcelona. Lionel Messi ended speculation about his immediate future by signing a new contract with the club through 2021. The new deal also raises Messi's buyout clause to a staggering $833 million, making him virtually unattainable via the transfer market.

Games to Watch (Nov. 28-30)