MLS 2018: It's finally here.
The dawn of the new season is upon us, and with league action kicking off this weekend, we're beyond ready. So what topics are everyone going to be talking and thinking about the most over the next nine months?
We asked Armchair Analyst Matthew Doyle, Senior Producer & Host Andrew Wiebe Senior Editors Arielle Castillo, Benjamin Couch and Nick Rosano and contributors Charles Boehm and Alicia Rodriguez, national writer Sam Stejskal, and columnist and ex-MLS player Bobby Warshaw this question:
What is one storyline you’ll be watching for (or are excited to see unfold) in 2018?
BOEHM: As with every season, I hope to see each team pursue and display their own unique identities both on and off the field, from their tactics and style to their club culture to their relationship with their communities and even their stadium and kits. MLS' best and most beloved organizations – and right now Toronto and Seattle are at the top of that list – tend to be distinctive in this regard, and should be models for others to follow. Down with cookie-cutter teams!
CASTILLO: I don't have any obscure answers, just two storylines to which I am particularly looking forward. First, I'm ready for the redemption of the LA Galaxy – I want to think last year was a fluke, and that between their offseason rebuild and the new gang in town, they'll come back with a bigger chip on their shoulder than before. Second, I'm similarly looking forward to the previously wounded Lions in Orlando roaring back. Their depth and roster certainly impresses on paper, and if they don't wind up making a deep playoffs run, something will have gone very, very wrong.
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COUCH:The action! We’re going to look back at this offseason’s Targeted Allocation Money injection – and especially that discretionary option – as a watershed moment for the league. The talent depth is climbing QUICK, whether it’s incoming, developing or ready to make the leap. Sometimes all three! Get hype.
ROSANO: Quick piece of MLS trivia here: Gary Smith is still only foreign coach that has still won MLS Cup (with Colorado in 2010) without North American coaching experience prior to taking his current job. I'm curious to see if that changes this year. Patrick Vieira at New York City FC and Tata Martino in Atlanta would seem to be the front-runners to buck the trend of domestic coaching success. Chicago's Veljko Paunovic (who did spend a season in the league as a player) seems to be an outside shot with Mikael Stahre (San Jose) a potential dark horse.
RODRIGUEZ: I'm looking forward to seeing the opening of two more stadiums this season in MLS. Having the two teams come from opposite ends of the spectrum, between expansion side LAFC starting their home slate in a brand-new stadium, and 1996 original D.C. United getting a new home after more than two decades of RFK "charm," makes it even cooler. Road trips in MLS may not be easy, but it does seem like these new venues rejuvenate not only the local fans but also those looking for a weekend getaway. Oh, and I bet they'll look pretty great on TV, too.
STEJSKAL: It's less a story than an accounting mechanism, but I'm so interested to see how the new TAM impacts MLS. The December influx of discretionary TAM is already having so many different side-effects, but the biggest might be how it allows teams to add serious, game-changing talent while retaining their existing cores. That means we're going to see some big-money players coming off the bench this year. That'll create a novel problem for a few MLS coaches: How to manage a million-dollar reserve. The teams that handle it well will thrive. Those that don't could have their locker rooms – and seasons – blow up.
WARSHAW: I want to see more personality from players, both on and off the field. Fans often decide what game to turn on based on seeing specific players (or even just players they know rather than players they’ve never heard of). The more players give real interviews and release authentic emotions and show they are regular people, the more fans will be able to cheer for and connect with them.
WIEBE: Which clubs hit and which missed on TAM and DP signings? In other words, whose scouting network and dexterity in the transfer market paid off most this winter? In the age of TAM, that’s the difference between the basement, a playoff berth and MLS Cup contention.
