Starting XI 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.
1. Is 2017 the start of SKC 2.0?
A younger, faster and hungrier group heads to Arizona today for the start of preseason, according to Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes. Sam McDowell of the KC Star notes that four of the most high-profile offseason signings – Gerso Fernandes, Ilie Sanchez, Latif Blessing and Igor Juliao – have an average age of 23.