By Weston Irons and Nico Espinola Posted March 2, 2016
One of the toughest things to do in all of sports is to repeat as champions. This will be the case for the Timbers as they face a tough road through the Western Conference. The West will once again be the strength of the MLS with top teams like the Galaxy, Sounders, and FC Dallas making significant moves in the off-season.
LA Galaxy is probably the obvious pick and it is hard to discount them. Can Portland get through with a full season of the Argentinians and Nagbe? That’s about the Sounders and the addition of Morris but they lose Obafemi Martins. Plus, does anyone really have faith in Clint Dempsey?
Look at last year’s table, especially goals allowed and differential. The additions LA has made on defense very well could be what it needs to be a Cup-contending team again. After an abysmal season and a ninth-place finish in the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake will look to return to their winning ways with veteran players Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, and Nick Rimando. They have also regained defender Chris Wingert and forward Yura Movsisyan, players with whom the team won the Cup in 2009. The San Jose Earthquakes just missed out on the playoffs last year and will be back again with a vengeance. Chris Wondolowski will continue to be dominant after passing the 100-goal mark the previous season. Colorado finished last in the MLS in the 2015 season, and do not count on a better finish than that this year. Rumors are floating around of a Tim Howard move to the Rapids after completing his current season in the Premier League. The Houston Dynamo also finished towards the bottom of the table last year and will be hoping to just squeak into the playoffs, and that is at best. They have acquired a speedy and strong left-back in the form of Abdoulie Mansally who should add a bit to the squad. After being knocked out by the Red Bulls in the first round of the playoffs, Sporting KC returns with a very balanced and strong roster. Count on Sporting KC on being a dark house in the coming season. The Vancouver Whitecaps had a very successful 2015 campaign and will be itching to get back to the playoffs after making an early exit courtesy of the eventual champions, the Portland Timbers.
If you like what the Vegas oddsmakers are saying, then the New York Red Bulls are your choice. If they perform like they did last year they should make a good showing. However, they also have a tendency to underperform.
With a full season from its players, including Sebastian Giovinco the league MVP, Toronto will be a force to be reckoned with. The Red Bulls have made some good moves as well. Everyone in the East gives away goals like candy on Halloween. If Toronto can score at the same rate and make small improvements on defense they should easily finish in the top three. NYCFC and Orlando City are looking to make the playoffs in their second season after a somewhat disappointing inaugural season. NYCFC has three big names Frank Lampard, David Villa, and Andrea Pirlo, all world-class players when they were at the peak of their careers. NYCFC also features midfielder Kwadwo Poku and U.S. national team player, Mix Diskerud. Former Ballon d’Or winner, Ricardo Kaka, will captain Orlando City once again this year and will be a dominant presence in the midfield. Twenty-year-old, Cyle Larin, had a wonderful rookie season which earned him the MLS Rookie of the Year Award. He scored 17 goals in 27 appearances. Montreal Impact had a pretty good 2015 season in comparison to their previous years of low finishes. Their low point of the season was losing to Club America in the CONCACAF Champions League final but bounced back from it to have a solid season before losing to Columbus in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Didier Drogba will be their top player in 2016.
The season opens this weekend with a rematch of last year’s cup final as Columbus hosts the Timbers on March 6. Don’t miss out on what will be the beginning of another great football season.
