Starting XI: Heart of a Champion

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.

The Swope Park Rangers will fight for championship glory tonight when they meet Louisville City FC in the 2017 USL Cup Final at Louisville Slugger Field. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. CT, airing live on ESPN U and SiriusXM FC.

The Rangers, who earned runners-up medals a year ago in the club’s inaugural season, now return to the USL Cup Final in historic fashion. SPR is the first side to reach back-to-back USL championships and have also become the first expansion team in the modern era of American men’s outdoor professional soccer to reach a league final in each of the squad’s first two seasons. Click here to catch up on SportingKC.com’s seven-part countdown to the USL Cup Final.

2. Monday Funday

All fans are welcome to the official watch party for tonight’s USL Cup Final at No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District (1370 Grand Blvd.). In conjunction with the match, No Other Pub will offer half-priced beer pitchers, sangria pitchers and Moscow Mule bowls beginning at 7 p.m. CT. All in attendance can also enter a raffle to win autographed Swope Park Rangers playoff T-shirts.

3. Last Call

Today is the last day for fans to vote for 2017 MLS Goal of the Year and Save of the Year, respectively. Ike Opara’s stunning bicycle kick in a 2-1 win over LA Galaxy on June 24 is up for AT&T Goal of the Year, while Tim Melia’s remarkable finger-tip stop in a 1-0 defeat of the Portland Timbers on April 15 is a Save of the Year candidate.

4. Daniel Debuts

Sporting KC forward Daniel Salloi earned his debut for the Hungary U-21 Men's National Team on Friday, starting and playing 75 minutes in a 2-2 draw against Sweden at Szusza Ferenc Stadion in Budapest. Salloi and the Magyars took a two-goal lead in the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier before Sweden struck late in either half to salvage a draw. The Hungary U-21s will continue their qualifying campaign Tuesday when they travel to face Cyprus at AEK Arena in Larnaca.

5. First Leg Lockdown

Two intercontinental World Cup playoffs kicked off Friday and Saturday with a pair of scoreless first legs. Honduras and Australia battled to a 0-0 stalemate in hostile San Pedro Sula, giving the Socceroos a slight edge ahead of Wednesday’s second leg in Sydney, Australia, which kicks off at 3 a.m. CT on beIN SPORTS. Similarly, New Zealand and Peru scraped to a 0-0 tie of their own in Wellington, a result that favors Peru heading into Wednesday’s return fixture at Estadio Nacional in Lima, Peru. The winners of each playoff will advance to the 2018 FIFA World Cup next summer.

6. Swedish Surprise

The dramatic playoff round of FIFA World Cup Qualifying in the UEFA region will conclude this week, giving World Cup berths to two more teams over the next two days. Sunday saw a pair of countries punch their tickets to Russia, as Switzerland edged Northern Ireland 1-0 on aggregate before Croatia ousted Greece 4-1 over two legs.

Today's decisive second leg pits four-time World Cup champion Italy against Sweden, which emerged as a 1-0 winner in Friday's first leg in Stockholm. Now the Swedes are tasked with finishing off the Italians at the raucous San Siro in Milan, with kickoff slated for 1:45 p.m. CT live on FS1. Tuesday's matchup will see Ireland host Denmark at Aviva Stadium in Dublin after the sides settled for a 0-0 draw on Saturday in Copenhagen. That game will be televised live on FS2.

7. Eye for the Future

The U.S. Men's National Team will play its final match of 2017 on Tuesday, facing Euro 2016 champion and third-ranked Portugal at Estádio Dr.Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria, Portugal. Kickoff is slated for 2:45 p.m. CT on FS1, UniMas and UDN. Interim head coach Dave Sarachan has comprised a youthful squad for the friendly, as more than half of the 21-player roster is under 25. On the opposite sideline, Cristiano Ronaldo has been omitted from Portugal's squad.

8. Zusi Sells Well

Sporting KC’s Graham Zusi came in at No. 25 on the list of the best-selling jerseys in MLS in 2017. Zusi was the lone Sporting KC representative on the list which was topped by Atlanta United FC midfielder Miguel Almiron. The World Cup veteran had a stellar campaign in 2017, his first as a full-time right back. Zusi started 23 regular season matches this season, contributed to 11 shutouts and tallied a team-best eight assists.

9. Expansion Update

The immediate future of Major League Soccer expansion has gained clarity over the last few days, with Cincinnati, Nashville and Miami showing forward movement in their bids to join the league. Potential ownership groups in 12 cities are vying for four MLS expansion slots, and the league is expected to announce the first two in December.

10. Delight for Dos Santos

Former Swope Park Rangers head coach Marc Dos Santos lifted the Soccer Bowl Trophy on Sunday as his San Francisco Deltas defeated the New York Cosmos 2-0 in the NASL Championship Final. Dos Santos was coaching in his third consecutive league final with an expansion team, having reached the 2015 NASL championship with Ottawa Fury and the 2016 USL Cup Final with the Rangers.

11. Boxing Day Bonanza

In celebration of a long-standing Boxing Day tradition, Sporting KC, the National World War I Museum and Memorial and The Soccer Lot will host The Truce 3v3 Soccer Tournament on Tuesday, Dec. 26. The fifth annual Truce Tournament will take place on scenic Liberty Hill with early bird pricing available to teams who sign up by Nov. 27. Recreational, Competitive and Beer divisions are available for entry, and all teams are guaranteed three games. Click here to register a team.

Games to Watch (Nov. 13-15)