Top 10 story lines to watch during the 2020 Major League Soccer season
Major League Soccer kicks off its 25th season this weekend, and Sunday’s ESPN doubleheader features Cup champion Seattle Sounders against the Chicago Fire at 3 p.m. followed by the game David Beckham and South Florida soccer fans have been waiting for six years — Inter Miami at Los Angeles FC at 5:30 p.m.
The busy MLS offseason included the departure of global stars Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and the addition of Mexican trio Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, Rodolfo Pizarro and Alan Pulido. There were major changes in New York and Columbus and, of course, the highly anticipated debuts of expansion clubs Nashville SC and Inter Miami.
As the milestone season gets under way, here are 10 story lines to keep an eye on:
Will LAFC dominate again?
Miami’s inaugural opponent happens to be the team that last year played the prettiest soccer, won the Supporters’ Shield for best regular-season record (21 wins, 9 ties, 4 losses) and easily won the Western Conference by 16 points. Mexican national team star Carlos Vela won the Golden Boot and league MVP with 34 goals in 34 games.
LAFC lost in the Western Conference final to eventual MLS Cup champion Seattle Sounders But under the direction of former U.S. national coach Bob Bradley, it is poised to be in the championship hunt again this season.
How will Mexican imports impact MLS?
MLS teams in Southern California, Texas and Chicago have always had passionate Mexican-American followers, but this year fans all over the league are paying attention with the arrival of Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez (L.A. Galaxy), Rodolfo Pizarro (Inter Miami) and Alan Pulido (Sporting KC). Those three players — plus 2019 league MVP Vela — have combined for more than 200 appearances with the Mexican national team. “Chicharito” joined the Galaxy after playing for Manchester United and Real Madrid and replaces Ibrahimovic as the famous face of the franchise. Inter Miami fans will get to see Pizarro vs. Vela on Sunday and Pizarro vs. “Chicharito” at home on March 14.
How will FC Cincinnati do in Year Two?
It was a disappointing debut season for FC Cincinnati, which finished in last place in the Eastern Conference with 24 points, 13 points behind Orlando City. The addition of Japanese midfielder Yuya Kubo and Dutch forward Jurgen Locadia, who played at PSV Eindhoven and in England, should help the offense. But the team has to deal with the unexpected departure of coach Ron Jans, who resigned last week after allegations he made racist comments.
Chicago Fire’s return to Soldier Field
The Chicago Fire, a once-dominant team that has lost its luster, is looking for a fresh start as it returns to Soldier Field. The club has a new owner, Joe Masueto, new coach, Raphael Wicky, and new sporting director, George Heitz. The Fire lost Bastian Schweinsteiger and Dax McCarty, but added Argentine midfielder Gaston Gimenez, 19-year-old Argentine Ignacio Aliseda, Robert Beric of Slovenia and Luka Stojanovic of Serbia. C.J. Sapong remains a charismatic team leader in the locker room.
Will the Crew live up to hype?
Watch for the Columbus Crew to be a dark horse in the East after major offseason moves. Argentine playmaker Lucas Zelarayan replaces countryman Federico Higuain. Ohio native Darlington Nagbe, one of the most skilled midfielders in the U.S. national team pool, is delighted to be playing closer to home.
The Crew ended an undefeated preseason with a 4-1 win over the Houston Dynamo in the Sun Cup. Gyasi Zardes scored two goals, Zelarayan had one and Jonathan Mensah had another. All four goals were scored in the first 23 minutes of the game. A preview of what’s to come? Time will tell.
Who will win El Trafico?
The crosstown rivalry between Los Angeles FC and Los Angeles Galaxy is fierce, but this year it will be particularly sizzling with the battle of Mexican national team stars Vela (LAFC) and “Chicharito” (Galaxy). Both players are among the most exciting in the league, and the Mexican fan base of both teams is huge, so “El Trafico” (The Traffic), as their derby is called, is must-see TV.
Can Seattle Sounders repeat?
The Sounders attack is just as potent as last year with the return of Uruguayan playmaker Nicolas Lodeiro, Peruvian striker Raul Ruidiaz and U.S. forward Jordan Morris. Newcomers include Colombian center back Yeimar Gomez Andrade and Brazilian midfielder Joao Paulo. The defense will miss defender Roman Torres, who left for Inter Miami, but Seattle has enough talent to replace him.
Thierry Henry ready to make an Impact
Former French superstar Thierry Henry takes over as coach with the Montreal Impact after struggling as manager with French team Monaco. His first order of business is figuring out how to replace Argentine midfielder Ignacio Piatti, who left for San Lorenzo after 135 appearances, 66 goals and 35 assists with the Impact. A key player is 26-year-old Haitian-American midfielder Steeven Saba, who played youth soccer at Weston Academy.
New starts for NYCFC, Red Bulls
Both New York teams have new looks this season. NYCFC, coming off its best season, has a new coach, Ronny Deila. The Red Bulls, after an early playoff exit, are looking for new team leaders after the departure of three team legends — goalkeeper Luis Robles (to Inter Miami), forward Bradley Wright-Phillips (LAFC) and Kemar Lawrence (Anderlecht). Despite the changes, NYCFC returns most of its roster from last year, and should make a deep playoff run. The Red Bulls are not deep but remain talented enough to be dangerous.
How will Inter Miami, Nashville SC do?
Finally, one of the biggest stories of the season is the addition of expansion teams Inter Miami and Nashville SC. Miami comes in with more splash because one of its owners is icon David Beckham, who this week appeared on the “Tonight Show,” “Good Morning America” and “The Today Show.”
Both new teams built rosters with a mix of MLS veterans and young talent. Nashville got 2019 MLS Defender of the Year runner-up Walker Zimmerman from LAFC. Miami got goalkeeper Robles from the Red Bulls, defender Torres from Seattle, midfielder Wil Trapp from the Crew and Lee Nguyen from LAFC.
The signing of Pizarro was huge for Inter Miami, which still has a Designated Player spot left and plans to use it on a striker from abroad, most likely during the summer transfer window. Both teams are expected to have growing pains, but playoff berths are possible. Their first matchup is May 3 at Nashville.
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 4:16 PM.