MLSTest

MLS Eastern Conference – Season Preview 2019

The 2019 MLS campaign is nearly upon us, with a total of 24 teams taking part for the first time.

MLS has regularly expanded since the 2005 season and has ambitious plans to expand to 27 teams with the addition of Miami and Nashville in 2020 and will even expand to 28 teams by 2022.

Last season’s Eastern Conference was won by NY Red Bulls who took home the supporters shield after amassing a total of 71 points.

The Eastern conference also housed the MLS cup winner, Atlanta United who finished runners up in the league.

And finally, at the bottom end, Orlando City finished rock bottom with 28 points.

The Eastern conference now hosts a total of 12 teams, following the addition of FC Cincinnati, and it’s now a clean slate for every side so let’s see what each of them can expect this season.

 FC Cincinnati (Inaugural season): Last season – USL club.

This being their inaugural season, there is only so much that can be known about FC Cincinnati at this stage. Going by reports from The Athletic, coach Alan Coch has settled on a 3-5-2 formation.

Fanendo Adi was signed to much fanfare and will be expected to lead the team from the front. Kekuta Manneh and Darren Mattocks will fight for the other forward spot.

Prediction: 9th

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Atlanta United: Last season – 2nd (W,21), (D,6), (L,7)

Atlanta United opened their MLS trophy account by winning 2018 MLS Cup.

Tata Martino and Miguel Almiron have both departed, but the expectations of trophies remain for 2019. South American player of the year Pity Martinez and defender Florentin Pogba has added quality. Whilst Brek Shea has come in for depth.

Frank de Boer is likely the highest profile coach to ever feature in MLS and expectations will be extremely high for both competitive edge and style of play.

Atlanta’s top-quality midfield of Julian Gressel, Darlington Nagbe, and Eric Remedi return from the MLS Cup-winning side and Atlanta will be looking to continue with the lethal attack we witnessed last season.

Prediction: 1st

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Chicago Fire: Last season – 10th (W,8), (D,8), (L,18)

Off-field issues plagued the fire last season and fans are still awaiting the sale of the club to a person who cares about growing the team.

Whilst on the pitch, Chicago will be hoping that 31-year-old Nemanja Nikolic will continue to put the ball in the net this season.

The Hungarian, has scored 39 times in 65 games for the fire and was the only shining light last season.

It’s unlikely to see them reach the playoffs but with a consistent goal-scorer already in the squad, if they can remain compact at the back, they could surprise a few.

Prediction: 7th

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Columbus Crew: Last season – 5th (W,14), (D,9), (L,11)

Before we start, I’d just like to express my joy that the Crew were saved!

But where to they go from here? The man responsible for keeping the crew in a lot of games last season Zack Steffen is set to join Premier League outfit, Manchester City, and therefore Joe Bendik, who was part of the Orlando defence that conceded 74 goals last season has replaced him.

Gyassi Zardes is expected to lead the line now that he has been receiving some national team minutes. However, the lack of signings could leave them short.

The club will remain in Columbus and I think that’s all they will care about this season, but for those fans who were put through emotional distress last season, a place In the U.S. Open cup final would be just the medicine.

Prediction: 6th

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D.C. United: Last season – 4th (W,14), (D,9), (L,11)

Wayne Rooney virtually dragged DC United all the way to the play-offs single handily last season. Without his introduction, United probably would’ve finished bottom of the pile.

Rooney, who is 33-years-old, managed to play 20 games in less than 90 days and will need rotation. Darren Mattocks would’ve been the ideal replacement but joined newbies Cincinnati in the winter window.

Luciano Acosta, looked set for a surprise move to PSG in January but the deal fell through. His mentality could be questioned this season as his mind will be elsewhere as he hopes he gets a second chance at the European dream.

United will struggle this season, as Rooney will be unlikely to replicate his last season form.

Prediction: 8th

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New England: Last season – 8th (W,10), (D,11), (L,13)

Brad Friedel’s first season was tumultuous. He tried desperately to implement his own style. It didn’t really work.

New signing, Edgar Castillo was a creative hub from the wing-back position last year in Colorado. Known for his vision, passing and range and should take some pressure away from what was a congested midfield last year.

Prediction: 11th

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NY Red Bulls: Last season – 1st (W,22), (D,5), (L,7)

New York Red Bulls managed to get one over on favourites Atlanta to win the Supporters’ Shield last season, but despite that, head coach Chris Armas who took over mid-season was heavily criticised for abandoning the team’s pressing style in the playoffs.

Tyler Adams has moved on and will be a big miss, but with a new group, Armas is free to try some new ideas and tactics. Being more flexible as a team will help.

Fans will settle for no less than to compete for the Supporters’ Shield and go far in the Champions League, but they must avoid falling off a cliff just like Toronto did last season.

Prediction: 2nd

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Toronto FC: Last season – 9th (W,10), (D,6), (L,18)

After winning the MLS cup in 2017, Toronto were flying high and had potential to dominate the Eastern conference for a long time but as optimism was high for the 2018 campaign, Toronto completely fell off a cliff.

A focus was placed on the CONCACAF Champions League, and whilst there is no issue with prioritising competitions, their complete disregard for the domestic competition left them red-faced when Chivas lifted the trophy.

Most fans would be happy with a fourth-place finish this season as they look to re-gain the power they once had.

Michael Bradley only has one season left, and star man Sebastian Giovinco joined Al-Hilal FC.

Winning the Canadian Championship and earning the CONCACAF Champions League place is what will be prioritized this season.

Prediction: 5th

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Philadelphia Union: Last season – 6th (W,15), (D,5), (L,14)

The Union reached the U.S. Open cup final last season, but failed to beat Houston Dynamo, losing 3-0, in front of 16,000 fans.

They should be able to foster the pain felt from the defeat at the BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas.

And with a new club record signing Marco Fabian Eintracht Frankfurt adding some much-needed creativity they could have a great season, despite Borek Dockal leaving the club.

Prediction: 3rd

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Montreal Impact: Last season – 7th (W,14), (D,4), (L,16)

Last season the impact relied far too much on Ignacio Piatti. That needs to change if they are to make progress under Remi Garde in 2019.

Remi Garde needs a playing style that gets Piatti into more dangerous positions facing goal. Quincy Amarikwa had shown in flashes, but like most, could not find a link with Piatti frequently enough to draw attention and bend defences.

Another disappointing season awaits, in what will close the book on Garde’s time in Montreal.

Prediction: 10th

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NYC FC: Last season – 3rd (W,16), (D,8), (L,10)

It could be a tricky campaign for NYCFC. David Villa is slowing down and the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard are now long gone. For the city group, short sales will be down but they will be hoping they can beat rivals NY Red Bulls to the supporters Sheild this time around.

The biggest names joining New York City are Keaton parks and Alexandru Mitrita but they could just fall short in terms of quality.

Prediction: 4th

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Orlando City: Last season – 11th (W,8), (D,4), (L,22)

After failing to make the playoffs in each of the club’s first three seasons, 2018 was supposed to be different for Orlando City. The Lions had made a bunch of big moves, bringing in a successful MLS veteran in Sacha Kljestan and defender Lamine Sane was signed to help stabilize the defence.

The worst season in the club’s history, even experiencing a run of form which saw them collect just nine points from the final 25 games and saw them finish with the highest number of goals conceded in MLS history.

Jason Kreis was dismissed in June and his replacement, James O’Connor, didn’t fare much better.

In preparation for the new season, the lions have overhauled their entire defence after conceding 74 goals last term. The addition of Nani could add spark going forward but he can’t do it on his own.

Orlando have never been in the MLS cup and have no silverware to their name. They will be hoping for a better season but it’s likely that they will remain bottom of the pile.

Prediction: 12th

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