Another season of Major League Soccer begins on Saturday as the American franchises battle it out for the title in a league that is getting better and better all the time. Some big players have been retained so we should be in for a great season.
Atlanta United set the standard last term and they will be aiming to make a successful defence of the title they won so strongly in front of their own fans, but there are a lot of sides beginning the season with the aim of winning the title.
Recent Winners
2018 – Atlanta United
2017 – Toronto FC
2016 – Seattle Sounders
2015 – Portland Timbers
2014 – Los Angeles Galaxy
2013 – Sporting Kansas City
2012 – Los Angeles Galaxy
2011 – Los Angeles Galaxy
2010 – Colorado Rapids
2009 – Real Salt Lake
The Champions
Atlanta United went into last season as the favourites to be crowned MLS champions and they justified that billing but it is a different Five Stripes side which will look to remain title holders this year. Tato Martino has been replaced as coach by Frank de Boer, who has plenty of prove, while star player Miguel Almiron has headed for Newcastle United in the English Premier League. He has been replaced by Pity Martinez. Keeping Josef Martinez is a big boost and if the NACL doesn’t take too much out of them then expect a bold title defence.
The Finalists
It was the Portland Timbers who came within a game of retaining the title but it wasn’t to be for the Western Conference outfit. They head into the season with high hopes and with Diego Valeri in situ they have one of the guaranteed stars of the league. There might be a lack of a potent central striker for the Timbers to deal with but they are regularly at the business end of the competition and it would be no surprise to see them involved deep in the postseason.
Best of the Rest
Seattle Sounders are regular challengers for the title these days and with the quality they have in attacking areas it would be a surprise if they are not in the mix once again this term. Raul Ruidiaz looks to be loaded with goals and Nicolas Lodeiro should give him the ammunition to produce the goods. It took a crazy finish to their playoff tie with Portland last season to deny them but barring anything like that here, the Sounders look a strong outfit.
Sporting Kansas City dominated the regular season in the Western Conference last season but a lack of goals found them out in the playoffs. If they have addressed that heading into this campaign then they are entitled to be involved deep in the mix come the latter end of the season. They are in the NACL though which could be to the detriment of their longevity in the MLS campaign.
Another side who were hoping to be featuring in the latter stages of the NACL were Toronto FC but they were knocked out by a team from Panama which probably highlights where they are at right now. They are 14/1 to win MLS this season but you can add another nought to that and I wouldn’t be interested in them. The loss of Sebastian Giovinco cannot be understated. A couple of key defenders have left too and I see another season of struggle for the Canadians.
New York
So what of the two New York teams? New York Red Bulls ended up with the Supporters Shield last season but that didn’t help them overcome a terrible record in the playoffs. They head into this season as the favourites to land the title but I don’t see any reason why they are going to fare any better in the playoffs. I’m sure they’ll get there but others look more convincing to me this term it has to be said.
The other New York team, New York City FC, are the interesting ones. Can they cope without David Villa who has left for Japan? Statistics will tell you that when he didn’t play last season that they went well but he was around the camp and having his influence even when he was injured. There is a real lack of a centre-forward for the Bronx outfit in my eyes and while Alexandru Mitrita is an eye catching signing, it comes in the area where they didn’t need anyone. I anticipate a campaign of struggle at Yankee Stadium.
Los Angeles
Will this be the year that the MLS title heads back to Los Angeles? It very well could be because they have two leading lights. LA Galaxy are traditionally the powerhouse of Major League Soccer and with Zlatan Ibrahimovic in their side they will surely be firing for glory this term. They are going to need an improvement on last season based on the fact that even with Zlatan they did not make the playoffs. With Gio dos Santos, Ashley Cole and Ola Kamara all moving on, I’m not sure where that improvement could come from.
It might be that Los Angeles FC offers up the best chance of a Hollywood ending to the campaign. They had an excellent first season in MLS but a lack of playoff experience might have been their undoing when Real Salt Lake turned them over in the postseason last term. Bob Bradley’s side play free flowing football and if they can just add an ounce more steel to their play then there is nothing to stop them launching a real assault on the title this season.
The New Boys
There are one new side in the league this season. Although FC Cincinnati are new to Major League Soccer, they are not a new team in the fact that they have been plying their trade in the lower level of American football so they shouldn’t have a bed in period like some new franchises have. Cincinnati have taken a number of good players in the draft and look to have a competitive squad. In a much weaker looking Eastern Conference this term, they have to be factored into the equation as potential winners.
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Outright Betting
I’ll take three teams this season. One is a main bet and two are slightly more speculative punts at massive prices which in truth are insultingly too big. My main bet comes from the side at Audi Field, DC United, for whom I’m expecting Wayne Rooney and Luciano Acosta to do some real damage. They were not helped by a crazy run of matches late on last season due to not being able to play a home match for months while Audi Field was being built not no side finished the regular season as well as them last term and if they can build on that even ever so slightly they have a right to be involved here. Chris McCann is a handy utility player to have picked up and I think DC have all the credentials to win the title this season.
The two big prices I can’t ignore are Minnesota United and Orlando City. It has been quite a dry time of things for Orlando since Kaka left the club but in Dom Dwyer they have one of the better scorers in MLS and in Nani they could very well have the best player in the competition at his best. They are 150/1 to win the title and while that might be beyond them, I don’t see seven better sides in the East than them so they should be in the postseason from where anything can happen. Minnesota United have always been an entertaining side to watch and now they have added some much needed defensive reinforcement so I’m expecting a significant improvement from them too. I’ll nibble at both at insane prices.
Top Goalscorer
I think there is merit in attacking this market and with Sky Bet paying three places I fancy Dom Dwyer could be worth a second look this season. He has had all kinds of injuries since he switched from Sporting Kansas City to Orlando City but there are signs he is over them and even in a terrible season for the Purple outfit last season he managed to bag 13 goals in 26 appearances in the league.
There have been early signs that Orlando are going to be a much more potent side this season if pre-season is anything to go by and that was before they added Nani to their ranks. In his time at SKC he bagged 22 goals in the 2014 season. If he goes at a goal every other game this term like last one he’ll be pushing 20 at the end of the season and that was enough for third place last season. He’s overpriced at 40/1.
Bets
Back DC United to win MLS 2019 (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 26.00 with Bet365 (1/2 1-2)
Back Minnesota United to win MLS 2019 (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 101.00 with Bet365 (1/2 1-2)
Back Orlando City to win MLS 2019 (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 151.00 with Bet365 (1/2 1-2)
Back D.Dwyer Top Goalscorer (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with Sky Bet (1/4 1-3)
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