MLS Preseason Power Rankings: Sizing Up the League Entering Year 25
MLS's landmark 25th season kicks off this Saturday, when D.C. United hosts the Colorado Rapids. The two originals may be starting things, but the focus will quickly shift to the new teams on the block, Nashville SC and Inter Miami. Both have had their share of off-field woes, both have some intriguing pieces that they'll put on the field and both don't have far to look back for blueprints on how expansion clubs can either thrive or struggle in Year 1.
LAFC and Atlanta United are the recent models for success, while FC Cincinnati and Minnesota United endured some dubious-record-setting woes as they got off the ground, and that's the scale on which the two new clubs will be judged.
Elsewhere, the Seattle Sounders enter as the league's reigning champion, while a host of new faces–and many coming by way of Liga MX–look to find glory in a new setting.
Five clubs have already begun to play the games that count, with LAFC, Atlanta, Seattle, NYCFC and Montreal engaged in Concacaf Champions League, but the rest will follow soon enough.
Here's how the league shapes up entering the 2020 campaign:
USA Today Sports (3)
1. LAFC
Last season: 21-4-9, 72 points; Supporters' Shield; Lost in Western Conference final
LAFC remains the team to beat, even if its record-setting 2019 didn't end with Carlos Vela hoisting the MLS Cup trophy. The club stockpiled more young, South American talent in the offseason, but it did lose two key players in the back from a team that posted the league's stingiest defensive record, which could prove to be the weakness in the club's Death Star.
LAFC sold center back rock Walker Zimmerman to Nashville and starting goalkeeper Tyler Miller to Minnesota, and while Dutch veteran Kenneth Vermeer has been brought in to replace the latter, it appears Bob Bradley will be going in-house to replace the former.
Nevertheless, questions of imbalance will likely be answered by an overwhelming midfield and attack, and a full year of Vela, Diego Rossi, Brian Rodriguez, Latif Blessing, Adama Diomande, Mark-Anthony Kaye and Eduard Atuesta should paper over any cracks there may appear to be in the back.
2. Atlanta United
Last season: 18-12-4, 58 points; Lost in Eastern Conference final
Atlanta spent much of last season ironing out the issues that appeared in Year 1 of the Frank de Boer era, wound up winning the U.S. Open Cup and came within a game of hosting MLS Cup for a second straight year. The 2018 champions have endured some big changes, losing the likes of Michael Parkhurst (retirement), Julian Gressel (D.C.), Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (Tijuana), Darlington Nagbe (Columbus) and Justin Meram (Salt Lake).
Those are some significant contributions that will have to be replaced, but with Josef Martinez, Ezequiel Barco and Pity Martinez back for another season together, Emerson Hyndman signed permanently and Fernando Meza brought in to pair with Miles Robinson at center back, the pieces are in place for another run.
3. Seattle Sounders
Last season: 16-10-8, 56 points; Won MLS Cup
The champs are back for what should be another strong season. Like with the other contenders, their season comes with questions. Roman Torres, Brad Smith, Kim Kee-Hee and Victor Rodriguez have all left, and that's 75% of the starting defense and the eventual game-winning goal scorer from MLS Cup.
The Sounders need Xavier Arreaga and new signing Yeimar Gomez Andrade to form a reliable tandem at center back and new DP Joao Paulo–who scored in his debut for the club in CCL–to become another attacking threat in order for more success to follow in 2020.
June and July could be trying months for Seattle, with the potential losses of Nicolas Lodeiro, Raul Ruidiaz and Arreaga for Copa America likely to force Brian Schmetzer to tap into his depth. One of those pieces is longtime Minnesota United star Miguel Ibarra, the one-time U.S. winger who is the quintessential Sounder-type signing of a talented player who could thrive in Seattle's setting.
4. LA Galaxy
Last season: 16-15-3, 51 points; Lost in Western Conference semifinals
The Chicharito Era begins for the Galaxy, who will have to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic's insane production and hope that another offseason of shuffling the deck in the back will result in an improved defense. Chicharito will score his share of goals, but matching Ibra's scoring rate isn't a realistic expectation.
Even if the Galaxy do piece together a comprehensive goal-scoring puzzle–and with Chicharito, Aleksandar Katai and a full season of Cristian Pavon, it stands to reason they will–it won't matter if the defensive side of things doesn't drastically get better. For all the headlines the club drummed up, LA had a negative goal differential last season. Argentine left back Emiliano Insua is the latest big swing, but Danilo Acosta is already lost for the next 7-9 months after tearing his ACL. The progression of U.S. international Julian Araujo at right back will be another area to watch.
5. Toronto FC
Last season: 13-10-11, 50 points; Lost in MLS Cup
Toronto had an inconsistent 2019, yet wound up being within a game of winning it all and returns a very capable team in 2020. Michael Bradley, brought back on a TAM deal and freeing up a DP spot so the club could sign Pablo Piatti, will be out until the summer after the much-criticized handling of his ankle injury, and that brings with it a number of questions given Bradley's continued importance to the team.
The Piatti-Alejandro Pozuelo-Jozy Altidore attacking trio could be quite dynamic, though, and if last season showed anything, it's that given a full season to mesh, TFC can figure things out.
6. NYCFC
Last season: 18-6-10, 64 points; Lost in Eastern Conference semifinals
Ronny Deila takes charge as the new coach of a team who returns effectively everyone who made a difference on the field en route to a first-place finish in the Eastern Conference during the regular season.
A full year of Heber–who looked spry and goal-hungry in the CCL first-leg win at San Carlos–should pay dividends. If the key components stay healthy and Deila's transition winds up being a smooth one, then NYCFC will compete for top billing in the conference again.
7. FC Dallas
Last season: 13-12-9, 48 points; Lost in first round of playoffs
FCD is back with its core of homegrown talents, and U.S. men's national team fans will surely watch closely as Reggie Cannon, Paxton Pomykal and Jesus Ferreira step into even bigger roles in 2020.
The summer arrival of Franco Jara will help fortify FCD's top needs area, though if Zdenek Ondrasek can replicate his late-season scoring binge over the first half of this season, then perhaps that area will turn into a strength, too.
Jerome Miron/USA Today Sports
8. Portland Timbers
Last season: 14-13-7, 49 points; Lost in first round of playoffs
The Timbers managed to bring fan-favorite and club legend Diego Valeri back after all, added another Chara to the midfield and loaded up in the attack with Jaroslaw Niezgoda and Felipe Mora. There are fewer questions up front than there are in the back, where newcomer Dario Zuparic will be counted on to be a steadying force.
This should, at the very least, be a playoff team again, with the potential for a deep run apparent under Giovanni Savarese.
9. Minnesota United
Last season: 15-11-8, 53 points; Lost in first round of playoffs
The Loons were vastly improved a season ago but still seem a marquee transaction or two away from truly competing with the league's best. Vito Mannone, winner of MLS's Goalkeeper of the Year honors, has been replaced by Miller, while all eyes are on Luis Amarilla to produce up top after the club moved on from Darwin Quintero and Angelo Rodriguez.
The club invested big in Ike Opara and Ozzie Alonso ahead of last season, and it paid off. They'll need more production from the central defender and midfield rocks to maintain their status as a contender in the West.
10. D.C. United
Last season: 13-10-11, 50 points; Lost in first round of playoffs
Gone are Wayne Rooney, Luciano Acosta and Lucas Rodriguez and Paul Arriola is effectively done for the season after tearing his ACL. So why the top-10 ranking? Edison Flores, Julian Gressel, Yamil Asad and Ola Kamara can still be quite prolific as an attacking unit. The problem is that it's not a very deep team–barring some unexpected immediate contributions from some young homegrown talents–and that one more key player having an off-year or suffering a long-term injury could result in a snowball effect. For now, D.C. gets the benefit of the doubt.
11. Philadelphia Union
Last season: 16-11-7, 55 points; Lost in Eastern Conference semifinals
The Union got over the playoff-win hump last season before bowing out to Atlanta, and that seems to be where the limitations on this team are–good enough to compete but probably in need of another dynamic move to be elite.
The club lost Haris Medunjanin, Marco Fabian and Auston Trusty but retained Jamiro Monteiro and Ilsinho and returns leading scorer Kacper Przybylko, which amounts to a net push. If Brenden Aaronson's maturation as the club's playmaker continues, then perhaps the Union can find itself in the mix atop the East again.
12. Real Salt Lake
Last season: 16-13-5, 53 points; Lost in Western Conference semifinals
Nick Rimando's retirement gives RSL unusual uncertainty in net, with MLS journeyman Zac MacMath and U.S. youth goalkeeper David Ochoa the top candidates to fill a massive void. There's another void in the attack, where Jefferson Savarino's production must be replaced.
There's still plenty of continuity, steel in midfield and defense and enough returning attacking pieces to keep things competitive and perhaps spring another top-three finish in what is shaping up to be a congested conference race.
13. San Jose Earthquakes
Last season: 13-16-5, 44 points; Missed playoffs
The bottom fell out for the Earthquakes as last season ended, with the club losing nine of its last 11 games amid a brutal schedule to go from near the top of the West to missing the playoffs entirely. Matias Almeyda made some incredible strides with the club, though, and there's reason to believe his methods will take hold even more in Year 2, which serves as a send-off for all-time MLS leading scorer Chris Wondolowski.
Darren Yamashita/USA Today Sports
14. New England Revolution
Last season: 11-11-12, 45 points; Lost in first round of playoffs
Will a full season of Bruce Arena–no matter Jermaine Jones's unfiltered thoughts on his coaching acumen–and Gustavo Bou and the addition of Polish DP Adam Buksa make the difference for the Revs? They eked into the postseason in 2019 and gave Atlanta United a scare in their one-off first round matchup and have the makings of a side primed for improvement in 2020.
15. Sporting Kansas City
Last season: 10-16-8, 38 points; Missed playoffs
For years, the gripe about Sporting KC has been its lack of a go-to, dynamic striker. Instead of trying to get creative with solutions, SKC went out and landed Mexican star Alan Pulido, who has the potential to challenge for a golden boot if things break the right way (and if his countryman, Vela, doesn't have another record-setting year). The new question mark resides in the back, where the aging Matt Besler and Graham Zusi return and are joined by new signings in Roberto Puncec and Winston Reid, who all are tasked with making sure SKC doesn't boast anything close to the unit that conceded 67 goals last season–a figure that was second-worst in the league.
16. Columbus Crew
Last season: 10-16-8, 38 points; Missed playoffs
The Crew stand to be much improved in Caleb Porter's second season in charge, having gone out and signed Lucas Zelarayan (for a club-record fee), Nagbe and Fanendo Adi, among others. The return of dynamic left back Milton Valenzuela from a long-term injury also serves as a key acquisition, of sorts. The club sent captain Wil Trapp to Miami and parted ways with Federico Higuain as the key departures but has the personnel to make up for it and them some.
17. New York Red Bulls
Last season: 14-14-6, 44 points; Lost in first round of playoffs
The Red Bulls have underwhelmed from a personnel standpoint, and even though their system has proven to be successful over the years, this winter has put their supporters' faith in that to the test. On the plus side, they brought back Josh Sims through at least June and did not have to endure another Kaku transfer saga. They'll need considerably more from Danish teen forward Mathias Jorgensen and their slew of in-house solutions, though, to keep the club in the playoff hunt and make the departures of Luis Robles and Bradley Wright-Phillips seem palatable.
18. Colorado Rapids
Last season: 12-16-6, 42 points; Missed playoffs
There was a lot to like about how the Rapids finished last season, winning five of their last seven games and somehow clawing their way to within playoff range before ultimately missing out. The club has a new attacking fulcrum in Younes Namli and made some astute intra-MLS moves in adding Trusty from Philadelphia and Nicolas Benezet from Toronto amid its roster churn, which also included Tim Howard's retirement. The club's makeup appears to be part-random, part-intriguing and it just might work.
19. Chicago Fire
Last season: 10-12-12, 42 points; Missed playoffs
Just about everything is new about the Fire, from their home stadium, to their logo and branding, to their manager and all the way down the roster. Raphael Wicky takes charge after an underwhelming showing with the USA at the U-17 World Cup, and he might need some time to piece together a squad with a new core. Bastian Schweinsteiger retired and Nemanja Nikolic, Nico Gaitan, Dax McCarty and Katai are all elsewhere.
The new DPs are Robert Beric, Gaston Gimenez and Ignacio Aliseda, and they'll join one of the key returning aspects, 2019 leading scorer C.J. Sapong, in trying to spark a new era for the club.
20. Vancouver Whitecaps
Last season: 8-16-10, 34 points; Missed playoffs
The Whitecaps overhauled everything a season ago and paid the price with some serious growing pains. A year later, they should be much improved, and adding Lucas Cavallini should give the club a go-to forward after its top scorer in 2019 was Fredy Montero–with eight goals. Only Cincinnati scored fewer goals and had a worse goal differential (by double, shockingly) than the West's worst team a year ago.
Craig Mitchelldyer/USA Today Sports
21. Houston Dynamo
Last season: 12-18-4, 40 points; Missed playoffs
All eyes are on Tab Ramos as he takes charge after a lengthy run as U.S. U-20 men's national team coach. He inherits a Houston team desperate to return to the league's upper echelon, though it didn't exactly go out and sign a host of names to go accomplish that.
Retaining Alberth Elis and Mauro Manotas and trading for Quintero to feature along with Christian Ramirez and Tomas Martinez gives Houston some quality options in the attack, but defensive reinforcements haven't really been brought in, which could make for a lopsided team that still finds itself in the mix for the final playoff berths in the West.
22. Orlando City
Last season: 9-15-10, 37 points; Missed playoffs
Will this be the year Orlando makes the playoffs? After five swings and misses, the club surely hopes so. The Lions brought manager Oscar Pareja back to MLS from Tijuana after his successful run with FC Dallas and signed Peruvian goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, who enters MLS as one of, if not the most, accomplished goalkeepers in the league.
The attack is still heavily reliant on Nani, Dom Dwyer, Tesho Akindele, Chris Mueller and Mauricio Pereyra, which doesn't exactly measure up favorably on paper with the league's best.
23. Montreal Impact
Last season: 12-17-5, 41 points; Missed playoffs
The biggest addition Montreal made is in the manager's dugout, where Thierry Henry returns to MLS as the latest coach of the club that loves to churn them out. Henry is the seventh manager since the Impact joined MLS in 2012, and he's not exactly playing with a full deck after Ignacio Piatti's winter departure.
A full year of Bojan Krkic, Lassi Lappalainen and Ballou Tabla and the signing of Romell Quioto gives Henry some tasty ingredients, and he's sure to be motivated to get it right after his Monaco stint went horribly wrong.
24. Inter Miami
Last season: N/A
Six years after David Beckham announced his intentions to bring an MLS team to Miami, the city's new club will finally take to the field. How successful it will be in Year 1 remains to be seen. One of its top signings, Julian Carranza, is already out for a few months with a foot injury, and, as of now, the club's marquee signings are limited to Mexican attacking star Rodolfo Pizarro.
There are good, MLS-tested pieces in place along with the potential for success, but the sum of the parts appears–on paper, anyhow–to be underwhelming compared to expectations.
25. Nashville SC
Last season: N/A
With Nashville's stadium situation finally–finally–sorted, the club can turn its focus fully to on-field matters. Trading for Zimmerman gives the club a defensive anchor, but compared to the top tier of MLS clubs, the star nucleus looks a little light. McCarty brings years of MLS know-how and grit to the midfield, but Hany Mukhtar, Randall Leal and David Accam have their work cut out to show this team can compete in a loaded Western Conference.
26. FC Cincinnati
Last season: 6-22-6, 24 points; Missed playoffs
FCC will be better after the signings it made, and chances are this ranking is a few spots too low. The additions of Siem de Jong, Jurgen Locadia and Yuya Kubo show a newfound level of ambition, and after 2019, there really is nowhere to go but up.
That said, the offseason turmoil surrounding now-ex-manager Ron Jans indicates a club whose structure is still hard to trust. Until it can prove otherwise, FCC starts at the bottom.
