MLS 2022: NYCFC tries to run it back, while Lorenzo Insigne arrives with big expectations
Major League Soccer's 27th season is set to kick off with the Philadelphia Union hosting Minnesota United as part of a nine-game MLS slate on Saturday.
Reigning champion New York City FC, who qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, kicks off its title defense on Sunday in Southern California against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
MLS Cup has also been moved up, with the final set to be played on November 5 after the regular season concludes October 9.
What can we expect in 2022?
NYCFC trying to run it back
Very few teams have repeated as MLS Cup champions. It hasn’t happened since the Galaxy in 2011-12, but as long as 2021 Golden Boot winner Taty Castellanos is around, for however long that might be, NYCFC has to feel confident.
There are rumblings of Castellanos perhaps moving on in the summer, but Maxi Moralez still remains the focal piece of the offense and promising youngsters Thiago Andrade and Talles Magno will get a lot more shine this season. Defensively NYCFC remains solid and added 26-year-old Brazilian center back Thiago Martins to the fold as a Designated Player. Oh, and Sean Johnson is still in net. Ronny Deila’s squad should be one of the better teams in the East.
Life after Valeri for Timbers
Diego Valeri was the heart and soul in Portland, and filling the void after his departure for Lanus in his native Argentina is going to be tough. Key players like Sebastian Blanco and Diego Chara are still there, but can they still play those consistent, high-intensity roles?
The Timbers are going to need more players like Felipe Mora, Dairon Asprilla, Santiago Moreno and maybe even newcomer David Ayala to step up throughout the season. Portland fell just short of the Cup last year and is used to always being relevant in the chase, but that task seems a bit more daunting this season for coach Giovanni Savarese.
What’s going on in Charlotte?
Two weeks before kicking off their inaugural season, Charlotte FC coach Miguel Angel Ramirez made a shocking comment. When asked about what expectations should be, he told the media to wait a bit until the roster is fully filled out and said in Spanish “ahora estamos jodidos,” which translates, in polite terms, to “right now, we are screwed.”
Add that to the fact that they got into a fight in a so-called “friendly” vs. Columbus just days later, and it was quite an eventful preseason for the expansion team, for all the wrong reasons. Off to a rough start before even playing a real game.
Another shot at it for Arena’s Revs
Last year was so perfect in Foxboro ... until it wasn’t. Being bounced in the first game of the playoffs stings for a team that has aspirations of winning their first MLS Cup.
So what did coach Bruce Arena do? Went and got some of his former USMNT players like Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Lletget to help fill out the roster. The record-setting 2021 season was no fluke for the Supporters’ Shield winners, but Tajon Buchanan is now gone, Matt Turner is heading to Arsenal in the summer and Adam Buksa is also the subject of many trade rumors. The first half of the season suddenly becomes that much more important for the Revs, especially with chances of making a CCL run before the band splits up. 2021 MLS MVP Carles Gil will need to remain in top form in order for New England to be relevant in late October.
Welcome to LAFC 2.0
It’s a new era in Los Angeles after coach Bob Bradley left the club, with many unknowns. What we do know is it can’t get much worse than last year, right? Steve Cherundolo’s first head coaching gig is no small task, but he certainly has all the pieces at his disposal.
John Thorrington and the front office put together absurdly aggressive offseason, bringing in MLS veterans like Kellyn Acosta, Ilie Sanchez, Ryan Hollingshead and Franco Escobar. They also snagged one of the best goalkeepers in the league in Maxime Crepeau. Last season's MLS newcomer of the year Cristian "Chicho" Arango gets a full season to show his goal-scoring prowess and figures to be a candidate for the Golden Boot.
Carlos Vela’s contract status is the big question mark, but don’t forget LAFC still has an available DP slot they’ll likely fill in the summer.
Sounders still the standard
Despite being shocked by Real Salt Lake in the first round of the playoffs, Seattle remains the most balanced team in the league. As if the roster wasn’t already stacked enough from front to back, they went ahead and added Albert Rusnak to the mix, who was one of the top midfielders in MLS last year.
Unlike other teams, the Sounders aren’t dealing with too much turnover this season either. And they get to count on a fully healthy Jordan Morris. It’ll be more of the same in the Pacific Northwest for at least one team this campaign.
Can Austin FC be more than just alright, alright, alright?
Matthew McConaughey banged the drums, and the green neon lights at Q2 Stadium were pretty cool, but the on-field product was underwhelming for Austin FC. Inaugural seasons are tough, especially when you have to start it with eight road games. But this team has decent enough talent to win more than nine games and not be at the bottom of the standings.
To be successful, players like Sebastián Driussi and Moussa Djitté need to score or contribute to goals. Acquisitions like Jhojan Valencia, Ruben Gabrielsen and SuperDraft fifth overall pick Kipp Keller should be a huge boost for a defense eager to find structure. Brad Stuver was among the best goalkeepers in the league last season. The pieces are there for coach Josh Wolff and company to bounce back strong and make some noise.
Fresh start for Inter Miami
Blaise Matuidi and Rodolfo Pizarro are gone and certainly won’t be missed in South Florida. The team has brought in 12 players to commence a fresh slate, including DeAndre Yedlin and striker Leonardo Campana. According to coach Phil Neville, Gonzalo Higuain is in great shape and has embraced being a role model.
It’s basically a complete transformation that should only benefit Miami’s chances of competing. The fanbase has been waiting on a team that promised so much at its inception to finally deliver. Bold take: Don't be shocked if Inter sneaks into the playoffs.
5 can’t-miss MLS games on the schedule
Charlotte FC vs. LA Galaxy, March 5
The goal in the Queen City is to set a MLS regular-season attendance record, and they’ve reportedly sold over 65,000 tickets for the home opener at Bank of America Stadium. Even if they fall a little short of Atlanta United’s historic 72,548 mark, the energy surrounding the latest expansion club is going to be incredible for this game. Should be a memorable night for fans in North Carolina.
LA Galaxy vs. LAFC, April 9
When Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez signed in Los Angeles, a lot of the conversation was around how he would match up against crosstown rival and close friend Carlos Vela. Well, due to injuries and other factors, we have yet to see either of them at full strength the past two seasons. We still haven’t seen them face off against each other either. Might this finally be the El Trafico clash we have been anticipating since 2020?
Nashville SC vs. Philadelphia Union, May 1
The largest soccer-specific venue in North America is set to open with this match in what should be a sold-out crowd of 30,000. It might be a little bittersweet for Nashville, which only lost two games at its temporary home Nissan Stadium. They’ll surely look to open the league’s latest shiny new toy on that same page.
Toronto FC vs. New England Revolution, August 17
By mid-August Lorenzo Insigne should be settled in with his new team, just in time to host the reigning Supporters’ Shield winners. This match also offers a homecoming for Jozy Altidore, which he is admittedly looking forward to. And if that isn’t enough, Bruce Arena vs. new TFC boss Bob Bradley might be the best coaching matchup possible in MLS.
NYCFC vs. New York Red Bulls, September 17
Having a rivalry match this close to the end of the season is very intriguing. Imagine the defending champs hosting the Red Bulls in a game that can shape the Eastern Conference playoff push, or potentially deliver a fatal postseason blow one way or the other? That sounds like a good way to insert some life back into the Hudson River Derby. Might be the most exciting thing happening at Yankee Stadium in September anyway.
High-profile MLS newcomers
Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto FC from Napoli)
Toronto went from winning six games in 2021 to making one of the biggest signings in MLS history. The Italian superstar won’t join the club until the summer, but this is monumental in many ways. Just recently he showcased his skills on the world stage, helping lead Italy to the Euro 2020 title. He’s going to be the highest-paid player in the league by far, so the expectations will be through the roof. The faster Bob Bradley can get him accustomed to the league will help alleviate some of that pressure and those inevitable comparisons to Sebastian Giovinco.
Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire from Lyon)
Chicago has been irrelevant in MLS for far too long, and the hope is that Shaqiri can fix that. The Swiss winger is a natural game-changer who boasts world-class experience on the game’s biggest stages. He will certainly help sell tickets and spark interest, but will he have enough support from teammates to truly make the impact needed in the Windy City? This is going to be one heck of a ride.
Douglas Costa (LA Galaxy from Juventus)
The past few years haven’t been kind to Costa, but let’s not forget how talented of a player he is. He won trophies with some of the biggest clubs in the world, Juventus and Bayern Munich, and Los Angeles is desperately hoping he can bring that same luck with him stateside. The doubts are justified, especially because we’ve seen the Galaxy make big-name signings in the past that ultimately haven’t resulted in what they were looking for. Costa has a boom-or-bust feeling about him. If he and Chicharito can find a way to mesh, look out.
Thiago Almada (Atlanta United from Velez Sarsfield)
One thing Atlanta does is chase young South American prospects like Almada. The 20-year-old Argentine steps in to join the fast-paced attack that coach Gonzalo Pineda is trying to build around Josef Martinez and Luiz Araujo. His ability to push the ball forward in transition should boost the quality in the final third that has lacked lately for the Five Stripes. This signing can restore that 2018 feeling Atlanta is striving to rekindle.
Facundo Torres (Orlando City from Peñarol)
There was an exodus of attacking players in Orlando with Nani, Daryl Dike and Chris Mueller all moving on. Insert Torres, one of the most exciting South American prospects, who should make Oscar Pareja’s squad dynamic. The 21-year-old Uruguayan recorded 15 goals and 16 assists in 71 appearances for Peñarol, whom he helped lead to a title in 2021. He has also started to integrate with the national team as they look to punch their ticket to the World Cup. This will be his first chance at making a splash outside of Uruguay. Don’t be surprised if he’s in the race for MLS Newcomer of the Year.
Alan Velasco (FC Dallas from Independiente)
The 19-year-old Argentine reportedly passed up offers from European clubs and instead chose FC Dallas, which is calling it “the biggest signing in the history of the club.” instead. He is eager to learn and will join Paul Arriola and Jesus Ferreira and what can turn into a pretty dangerous attacking trio. The 5-foot-6 winger flourishes in 1-v-1 situations, is a great dribbler and has those attributes to become a headache for opposing defenders.
What MLS players and coaches are saying
Greg Vanney (LA Galaxy coach): “If we defend well, we’re gonna be a very difficult team to beat. The emphasis for us as a group is just continue to focus and be very mindful and attentive of that defending side because we have loads of options and talent on the attacking side.”
Phil Neville (Inter Miami coach): “We feel as an organization we're in a miles better place to reach the goals and achieve the things we want to do and create a culture like we want to do as an organization.”
Josef Martinez (Atlanta United forward): “You know me, my goal is always to win, it’s to win everything we can: Supporters’ Shield, Open Cup, MLS Cup. That's the goal and we're going to work as hard as we can to get there, and hopefully we'll be able to stay 100%, or very close to, healthy and achieve our goal.”
Bob Bradley (Toronto FC coach): “We have to implement ideas on how we want to play … If we establish good ideas as a team, then of course when a great player like Lorenzo arrives it’s really easy for him to step right in and take a leading role.”
Jozy Altidore (Revolution forward): “It's one of the best locker rooms I’ve been a part of in my career. It’s been a short time, but you can already see the professionalism. There's no egos. Everybody just wants to win and work. I'm excited to be a part of a group like this.”
Steve Cherundolo (LAFC coach): “We will see an energetic, lethal and a contributing Carlos Vela this season.”
