MLS
The new season starts this weekend with a full schedule of games. Our panel of writers give their verdict on the MVP, the champions, and the youngsters to watch
Friday 24 February 2023 at 10:00 GMT
I am most looking forward to…
newcomers St.Louis CITY. Finally a place with a proud football tradition gets its MLS CLUB, even if the big branding is a bit odd and AGGRESSIVE. A first-year playoff berth is certainly asking too much, but downtown stadium looks great…I mean, GREAT. TD
The redesigned Leagues Cup. For the first time, the Major League Soccer season ends July 15-August 20 for a World Cup-style tournament featuring 47 teams – all 29 from MLS and 18 from Liga MX – the three clubs for the Concacaf champions 2024 will qualify league. No doubt the NBA will be watching the action with the naked eye: it’s more or less the same idea they came up with to spice up their own meandering regular season.
MLS on Apple TV+. Call me an Apple fanboy (I’ve never lined up overnight for a new iPhone launch), but MLS’ new 10-year, $2.5 billion transfer deal could be fundamental to the league be. Not only are clubs now getting more money, but all matches are broadcast and presented to the same high standard – in 1080p! Additionally, MLS will now have the platform to create their own Welcome To Wrexham-like series with additional league-related content on Apple TV. Someone calls Rob and Ryan. GR
The Apple TV+ coverage. The move has flaws and caveats to my excitement, but the details of the coverage seem thorough and well thought out. Caveats aside, this major development in MLS broadcasting is going to be interesting. I like interesting. MS
Young player being scouted by European clubs…
Djordje Petrovic, New England Revolution. The Serbia international goalkeeper excelled after Matt Turner joined Arsenal last summer, conceding seven goals and saving four penalties in 21 appearances. The 6ft 4in, 23-year-old could join Turner in the Premier League later this year if he continues to impress. TD
Jack McGlynn, Philadelphia Union. After helping the USA book their spot at the U20 World Cup and 2024 Olympics with a outstanding performance The 19-year-old midfielder established himself as a fixture in Jim Curtin’s team at the Concacaf U20 Championship with his brilliant left foot during the tail end of Philadelphia’s charming 2022 campaign. Look for him to trace the transatlantic path of Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Mark McKenzie (Genk) and Auston Trusty (Birmingham City), all products of a Union academy system that has been growing beyond itself for years. BAG
John Tolkin, New York Red Bulls. He may have been a regular at Red Bulls for two seasons, but 2023 could see John Tolkin take another significant step forward. The 20-year-old made his USMNT debut earlier this year and has the advantage of already being in the Red Bull pipeline with Leipzig or Salzburg awaiting. GR
Cade Cowell, San Jose Earthquake. Cowell is already on foreign radar screens and at the top of that list, with Tolkin right behind him. With more MLS minutes and recent national team appearances, the excitement surrounding these two is only going to increase. MS
New England goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic could join former Revolution teammate Matt Turner in the Premier League if all goes well in 2023. Photo: Andrew Katsampes/ISI Photos/Getty Images
A bold prediction…
Apple and MLS are so excited about the ratings for the even bigger playoffs that the regular season is being rebranded for 2024 the “pre-postseason”. Well, MLS certainly needs to do something to keep interest going through the long summer because with a utterly ridiculous 18 of 29 teams qualifying for the postseason, regular season games are being devalued even more and it’s not clear why fans should care so much about everything that happens before September. TD
Sporting Kansas City is in the final of the MLS Cup. SKC plummeted to 12th in the Western Conference last year after topping the table in 2018 and 2020 and reaching the last four of the playoffs in 2021, but they were among the league’s best sides after Willy Agada’s arrival in July. It says here they’re picking up where they left off in 2023 before giving LAFC everything they can in the playoffs. BAG
Jim Curtin will not finish the season in Philadelphia. US Soccer is still looking for a new USMNT head coach. The longer they wait, the less likely Gregg Berhalter is to return, while Jesse Marsch appears determined to remain in club football. Meanwhile, Curtin – currently the top American coach in MLS – recently said he would leave the Philadelphia Union for the US national team, if only for the post of assistant coach. He would certainly take the top job and might be the best option. GR
Last year’s MLS Cup will be repeated. LAFC and Philadelphia Union meet again. This time they duel on the east coast. MS
Your MVP will…
Lorenzo Insigne, Toronto FC. He’ll turn 32 during the season, but MLS’s highest-paid player should live up to that $14 million salary. Six goals and two assists in just 11 league starts last year after joining from Napoli in July was a promising debut and if he leads Toronto to the playoffs his MVP credentials will be hard to ignore – unless he is outshined by his teammate and compatriot. Federico Bernardeschi, who has been even more productive after joining from Juventus in the second half of 2022. TD
Riqui Puig, LA Galaxy. Honestly, Riqui Puig shouldn’t be in MLS. He is a former Barcelona star who is just 23 years old and has shown his quality with a string of striking performances after joining Galaxy last season. Puig’s guile and technical prowess are unmatched in MLS, even with the likes of Insigne and Emanuel Reynoso. GR
Hany Mukhtar, Nashville SC. No player has ever won back-to-back MLS MVP trophies, while only one has won them more than once: Preki in 1997 and 2003. But there’s no good reason the 27-year-old attacking midfielder can’t be as successful at it Centerpiece of Nashville’s attack after last year’s banner campaign, in which he scored or assisted a staggering 65% of his team’s 52 goals. BAG
Evander, Portland Timbers. While most of the world was distracted by the World Cup in Qatar, the Timbers were busy signing a new designated player. The Brazilian is the most expensive signing in Timbers history and he looks more than convincing as 2023 MLS MVP. MS
Portland Timbers spent a club-record $10m to sign Brazilian midfielder Evander from Danish club FC Midtjylland. Photo Credit: Matthew Ashton/AMA/Getty Images
Eastern Conference playoff teams
Cincinnati, Columbus, Nashville, New England, New York Red Bulls, NYC FC, Orlando, Philadelphia, Toronto. TD
Philadelphia, NYC FC, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Orlando, Toronto, Montreal, New York Red Bulls, Columbus. BAG
Philadelphia, New York Red Bulls, Atlanta, Orlando, Cincinnati, Toronto, NYC FC, Nashville, Columbus. GR
Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Orlando, New York Red Bulls, Nashville, Atlanta, Columbus, Toronto, NYC FC. MS
Western Conference playoff teams
Austin, Dallas, Kansas City, LA Galaxy, LAFC, Portland, Salt Lake, Seattle, Vancouver. TD
Kansas City, LAFC, Austin, LA Galaxy, Seattle, Portland, Dallas, San Jose, Minnesota. BAG
LAFC, Kansas City, LA Galaxy, Dallas, Austin, Seattle, San Jose, Portland, Minnesota. GR
LAFC, Portland, Austin, LA Galaxy, Dallas, Seattle, Minnesota, Kansas City, Salt Lake. MS
Your MLS Cup champions will be…
PhiladelphiaUnion. After losing the MLS Cup and World Series in a matter of hours last November, and this month’s Super Bowl with a somehow simultaneously excruciating and mundane ending, there doesn’t seem to be a playoff format that could ease the city’s sporting plight — blissful stories . It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Union and LAFC in the finals again this year. With LAFC 2022 salvage expert Gareth Bale set to be on a golf course, Curtin’s side – the league’s best all-around team – may this time take the title they deserve. TD
PhiladelphiaUnion. They are all returning mainstays from a side that ranked first in goals scored, first in goals allowed and came within 90 seconds of their maiden MLS Cup – in a final being played in Los Angeles, not Philadelphia only because of the anomalous tie in Major League Soccer. Breaker rules (where total trump goal difference wins). As battered as Philly’s sports teams have been in the championship rounds over the past year, the Union’s talented roster (which even accounts for the departure of super-sub Cory Burke) and steady improvement under Curtin point to a long-awaited end for the city. wide cutting. BAG
Los Angeles F.C. There’s no reason to think LAFC won’t be a dominant force again. Carlos Vela is back, Jose Cifuentes is back and Aaron Long has joined from the Red Bulls. Bale isn’t back but that’s not such a big deal for a team that barely used the Welshman last season. Bale’s departure also means LAFC have an empty spot for a designated player in their back pocket that could be used to load up their team in the summer. GR
PhiladelphiaUnion. Consistent success is difficult in MLS. But Curtin’s program has proven dogged and determined. As the second-longest-serving manager in MLS, Curtin has had a steady climb to the top, lifting the Union their first Supporters’ Shield trophy in 2020. In 2021 they narrowly missed the MLS Cup. In 2022 they lost there. In 2023, all the main characters return in their best form. I think they will take everything. MS
{{#Ticker}}
{{top left}}
{{bottom left}}
{{top right}}
{{bottom right}}
{{#goalExceededMarkerPercentage}}{{/goalExceededMarkerPercentage}}{{/ticker}}
{{Headline}}
{{#paragraphs}}
{{.}}
{{/paragraphs}}{{highlightedText}}
{{#choiceCards}}{{/choiceCards}}We will contact you to remind you to contribute. Look for a message in your inbox in . If you have any questions about the post, please contact us.