MLS 2021 Season preview
But LAFC, Columbus Crew and Seattle Sounders are among the teams to beat
Already one of the biggest leagues in the world, Major League Soccer expands to 27 teams for its 26th year which sees a return to a full schedule following an abridged 2020 season.
As well as welcoming a new club, Austin FC, there’s a rebrand in Montreal and new coaching hires across the league as clubs look to improve on and off the pitch. All eyes will be on returning stars Carlos Vela of Los Angeles FC and Atlanta United’s Josef Martinez, who missed the majority of the 2020 season through injury. Both have already etched their name in the MLS history books. In 2018, Martinez broke the record for goals scored in the regular season with 31, only for Vela to break it again in 2019, scoring 34.
The 14 goals scored by Vela’s team-mate Diego Rossi were enough to claim the Golden Boot in the truncated 2020 campaign, but despite LAFC regularly boasting some of the league’s outstanding players and winning the Supporters’ Shield in 2019, they are yet to taste MLS Cup success - something they will be hoping to put right.
Though Atlanta have Martinez back in the fold along with a highly-rated new manager - former Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze - there’s still a hesitance to predict success for them in 2021, but if everything clicks they could be a force to be reckoned with.
The trend of bringing South American
talent to the league has continued, with FC Cincinnati’s Brazilian marquee signing Brenner the most high profile thanks to the striker’s $13 million fee.
Other examples include Colombians Jader Obrian and Christian Mafla signing for dark horses FC Dallas and New England Revolution respectively, Atlanta adding Argentine midfielder Santiago Sosa, and their rivals Orlando City signing Alexandre Pato, a more familiar Brazilian name likely to replace Daryl Dike who’s impressing on loan at Barnsley in the English Championship.
Though Atlanta are considered Orlando’s main rivals, a new feud may emerge in Florida between Orlando and 2020 expansion side Inter Miami.
It was a really disappointing debut season for the Miami club part-owned by David Beckham, but changes have been made. Beckham is taking a more hands-on role, Phil Neville is the new head coach and Chris Henderson arrives as sporting director.
If Miami can reorganise in 2021, Gonzalo Higuain could crash the Martinez and Vela party in the scoring charts, while Scotsman Lewis Morgan will look to continue his good form and the signing of Brazilian midfielder Gregore could be key.
The most genuine MLS rivalry exists in the West between Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers. It’s a rivalry older
It was a really disappointing debut season for the Miami club part-owned by David Beckham, but changes have been made
than MLS itself, dating back to the clubs’ NASL meetings in the 1970s.
Portland tasted success last season in the MLS Is Back Tournament while Seattle lost out to Columbus Crew in the MLS Cup final. Both will have high expectations in 2021, as will last season’s Western Conference leaders Sporting Kansas City.
Newcomers Austin FC immediately joined the South American transfer trend, signing Argentine midfielder Tomas Pochettino. Though they are the lone expansion club, the teams who joined last year, Miami and Nashville SC, still have a newness about them as a result of last season’s shortened nature due to COVID and the subsequent lack of support in the stands.
COVID travel restrictions also mean the three Canadian teams will play their early home games in the US. Vancouver Whitecaps will share a stadium with Real Salt Lake; the team formerly known as Montreal Impact, who have rebranded to CF Montreal, will share with Miami; and regular challengers Toronto FC and their 2020 MLS MVP Alejandro Pozuelo begin in Orlando.
For last year’s Supporters’ Shield winners, Philadelphia Union, much will depend on how they cope without homegrown stars Mark McKenzie and Brenden Aaronson, whose performances earnt moves to Europe. Meanwhile, no team has won back-to-back MLS Cups since LA Galaxy in 2012. This is the task facing Columbus Crew, but the well-run Ohio club should be a force once again.
Galaxy remain one of the biggest names in the league despite poor showings in recent years, and will be hoping to live up to that name this year with former Toronto coach Greg Vanney at the helm, while over on the east coast the New York clubs, Red Bulls and City, cannot be underestimated.
With 27 teams and a diverse group of players, there’s potential for storylines and upsets across the continent, and the unpredictability of MLS remains one of its charms.