Forecating the '19 MLS season

TheAtlantaJournal-Constitution’sAtlantaUnited beat writer, Doug Roberson, predicts the order offifinish for the teams in theMLSfor the2019season. Seven teams from each conferencewillqualify for the playoffffffffffffs. EAST ■ AtlantaUnited (69 points last season): The reigning champs are the overwhelming favorite to repeat with a roster stackedwith talents such as JosefMartinez, Pity Martinez, Ezequiel Barco, Julian Gressel, Hector Villalba, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and Michael Parkhurst. ■ NewYork Red Bulls (71): Replacing TylerAdams is a huge challenge, but the Red Bulls went another direction by adding Danish striker Mathias Jorgensen toworkwith prolifific striker BradleyWright-Phillips. The defense is again anchored by Aaron Long, Tim Parker and Kemar Lawrence. ■ Philadelphia Union (50): No team in the East has done more to improve in the offffseason. Losing Borek Dockal was huge, but the team may have upgraded with Mexican standoutMarco Fabian. Working in amidfifield that will include Alejandro Bedoya and Haris Medunjanin, the Union should be fun towatch. Of course, the strikers will need to consistently produce. ■ D. C. United (51): They have strikerWayne Rooney. They have dynamicmidfifielder Luciano Acosta. They have newly signed winger Lucas Rodriguez. But they don’t have a stopper on defense and they don’t have depth. Should Rooney orAcosta suffffer injury or need a break, the season could unravel. ■ NYCFC (56): This prediction is also a gamble because this team was not only a tire fifire the last third of last season under DomeTorrent, it also lost striker David Villa andmidfifielderYangel Herrera in the offffseason. It vastly overpaid for striker Alexandru Mitrita. What it does have is its ridiculous home fifield, which is good for playoffff push. ■ Columbus (51): And then there’s Columbus, the metronome of MLS teams. It lost managerGregg Berhalter but replaced himwith Caleb Porter. That’s about it, but the team has enough talent to fifinish in at least seventh. ■ Montreal (46): Let’s see if Maxi Urruti can take the scoring load offff Ignacio Piatti. If so, Montreal could challenge for fifinal playoffff spot. BELOWTHEPLAYOFFLINE ■ Toronto (36): Howdo you replace 68 goals with the loss of Sebastian Giovinco? Jozy Altidore needs a strike partner to be effffective. Michael Bradley is not the same player he oncewas to the point that at times it looks like Toronto is playing with just 10men. ■ Orlando (28): A roster overhaul designed to improve play and chemistry was mercifully completed, but there still doesn’t seemto be enough to move into a playoffff spot. And adding Nani is a huge gamble in the locker room. ■ Chicago (32): Might be time to let this franchise go under and start anewsomewhere closer to Chicago, which will hopefully inspire the fan base. ■ Cincinnati (NA): They’ve spent money like madmen, sometimes doubling-up on the same positions in the back andmidfifield. Still no consistent goal-scorer. ■ NewEngland (41): It’s a shame that this franchise isn’t better. WEST ■ LAFC (57): LAFC only need to look at Atlanta United to seewhat an expansion team can accomplish in its second season. The team hasn’t addedmuch, while losing the overrated Marco Urena and Benny Feilhaber. ■ Portland (54): The teamis mostly intact after advancing to last year’s MLS Cup. Sometimes, not doing much is exactly the right thing and the Timbers are making good decisions. ■ Sporting KC (62): Gone are Ike Opara, Diego Rubio and Khiry Shelton. While the defense will still be solid, who will score the tough goals in the important games? Still enough talent to challenge LAFC in the West. ■ L.A. Galaxy (48): A full season of Zlatan Ibrahimovic means the single-season scoring record set last season by Josef Martinez could fall. It may need to because nothing has been done to fifix the defense. NewmanagerGuillermo Barros Schelotto has his work ahead of him. ■ Seattle (59): Seattle has also mostly stayed pat but did release inflfluential midfifielder Osvaldo Alonso. Whowill fifill in for ChadMarshall? Can a fifinally healthy JordanMorris do anything of consequence? ■ Real Salt Lake (49): This teamwas all over the map last season but fifinished strong in the playoffffs. It has a young core. Let’s see if it grows together. ■ Houston (38): Alberth Elis isn’t enough to carry the team, butMatias Vera pairedwith Elis could be fun. BELOWTHEPLAYOFFLINE ■ Dallas (57): They have a belief in the talented Homegrown players they continue to add because the team has unloadedmost of its attacking players aswell as manager Oscar Pareja. ■ SanJose (21): NewesteemedmanagerMatias Almeyda will need every bit of his knowledge because this roster doesn’t have enough talent to be consistently good. It will be fun towatch ChrisWondolowski fifinally break Landon Donovan’s scoring record, though. ■ Colorado (31): This teamwas horrible last season butmade numerous moves to improve up the middle by adding strikers Kei Kamara and Diego Rubio, midfifielders Feilhaber and Kelyn Rowe and fullback Keegan Rosenberry. It wouldn’t be surprising to see themfifinish seventh. ■ MinnesotaUnited (36): Adrian Heath has yet to lead anMLS team to the playoffffs, and I don’t see that changing now, despite the upgraded defense and a newstadium. ■ Vancouver (47): Amassive roster turnover for the Whitecaps and newmanagerMarco dos Santoswill mean a year of pain.