League opens 28th season with innovative TV contract
The push toward the World Cup in 2026 begins now for Major League Soccer.
The league, entering its 28th season, has a new team in St. Louis City SC and a new media deal with Apple TV. This season will also feature an expanded Leagues Cup, which will involve all of the MLS and Liga MX teams for the first time.
The tournament is part of an increasing collaboration between MLS and Liga MX, with both leagues looking forward to the attention of the run-up to a World Cup hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was record-breaking, with 36 MLS players making national team rosters — double the representation in Russia in 2018.
LAFC is the defending MLS Cup champion and Supporters Shield winner. The team is loaded with talent, including Carlos Vela, Kellyn Acosta and Giorgio Chiellini, but top scorer Cristian “Chicho” Arango was sold to Pachuca in Mexico. Wales legend Gareth Bale, LAFC’s splashy signing last June, retired but not before he provided a memorable moment in the championship game with an equalizer late in extra time that sent the match to penalties and a victory over the Union.
“I think our first 11 is still pretty good, and we’re quite pleased with it. And we have a few very good players off the bench, we just don’t have as deep a bench as last season. So we’re focusing on staying healthy, and trying to manage a lot of games in a congested schedule this year,” LAFC second-year coach Steve Cherundolo said.
The Union, the Eastern Conference’s top finisher last season, didn’t make many huge moves in the offseason but lost key sub Cory Burke in free agency. The Union scored a leaguebest 72 goals and allowed just 26, fewest in MLS last season and a record for a 34-game season.
“It’s going to be hard to replicate what we did defensively last year, setting a record in goals-against, and then scoring as many goals as we did is certainly going to be a challenge, but this group will fight like hell for our fans and try to get back to that MLS Cup final,” coach Jim Curtin said.
HOW ABOUT THEM APPLE(S)
MLS kicked off a 10-year partnership with Apple with the launch of Season Pass on Apple TV+. Apple has made previous forays into sports streaming, but this is its first significant involvement with a league.
MLS will receive at least $250 million per season from Apple. The league averaged $90 million per season under its previous eight-year agreements with Fox, ESPN and Univision.
Oh, and for those who prefer watching games at the local pub or eatery, the league has a “commercial establishments” deal with DirectTV.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
St. Louis City joins MLS as the 29th club. City opens the season on the road at Austin but returns home to face Charlotte on March 4 at the team’s soccer-specific stadium, CITYPARK. The team’s first home match will be played before a sellout crowd of 22,500.
City named goalkeeper Roman Burki, who came from Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga, as its captain for the inaugural season.
“We want to play a fastpaced game. We want to keep it action packed, we want to really be working in the transition, we want to be working on the front foot, really bringing a lot of energy to the fans, hoping that they sit on the edge of their seats and not really get too comfortable, right?” coach Bradley Carnell said.
NEW(ISH) COACHES
One of the biggest coaching moves in the offseason was made by Wilfried Nancy, who left Montreal last season to take over the Columbus Crew after Caleb Porter was dismissed. Hernan Losada, who coached D.C. United in 2021 and part of 2022, took Nancy’s spot in Montreal.
Luchi Gonzalez returned from his duties as an assistant for the United States to join the San Jose Earthquakes. Gonzalez also coached with FC Dallas from 2018-21. Ben Olsen is another former MLS coach that has a new team this season. The long-time D.C. United coach is with Houston.
GOING BOWLING
Opening day features an El Trafico rivalry game between LAFC and the LA Galaxy at the Rose Bowl.
The match could break the league’s all-time attendance record for a standalone game, set last year when Charlotte drew 74,479 fans to its season opener.
“We’re looking forward to those games, they’re always fun, they’re always exciting, pretty intense. And I know our players, I know our group, and they’ll be ready,” Cherundolo said.