MLS Season Preview: Will Toronto FC end its playoff drought?
After an extra-long low season as a result of FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Major League Soccer’s twenty seventh marketing campaign kicks off with 14 video games throughout Canada and the United States this weekend.
Canadian groups CF Montreal, Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps will all be in motion, whereas the LA Galaxy and LAFC sq. off in a particular version of the El Tráfico derby on the Rose Bowl, the place they may break the league’s single-game attendance document (74,479 confirmed up at Bank of America Stadium for Charlotte FC’s inaugural residence match in opposition to the Galaxy final 12 months).
Here’s what else you could know concerning the 2023 MLS common season.
New playoff format
The MLS playoffs will look lots completely different this 12 months, because the league introduced on Tuesday the growth of the post-season from 14 to 18 groups.
The prime seven groups in every of the Eastern and Western Conferences clinch playoff berths, whereas the eighth and ninth seeds will face off in a one-game wild-card match from Oct. 25-26. The winners of each wild-card video games transfer on to the primary spherical, now made up of best-of-three collection (quite than single elimination contests).
In the best-of-three, no video games can finish in attracts. If a match is tied on the finish of regulation time, it’ll go straight to a penalty shootout. The first group to win two matches will advance to the convention semifinals.
Both the convention semifinals and finals will stay one-legged affairs. The highest remaining seed will host the MLS Cup Final on Dec. 9, as has been the case since 2012. All of those video games will go to half-hour of additional time, adopted by a penalty shootout (if obligatory) if they’re tied after 90 minutes of regulation time.
An low season of main modifications at CF Montreal
Last 12 months was a exceptional marketing campaign for CF Montreal after it completed tenth within the Eastern Conference in 2021. Led by coach of the 12 months candidate Wilfried Nancy, Montreal pushed the Philadelphia Union for first place within the Eastern Conference proper till the final day of the 2022 season, in the end ending simply two factors again. With 63 objectives, Montreal additionally had the third-best assault within the East and gained 11 of 15 video games (with only one loss) to shut out the common season.
But lots has modified for Montreal since a disappointing residence loss to New York City FC within the Eastern Conference semifinals, with numerous key gamers leaving for brand spanking new golf equipment. Alistair Johnston was bought to Scottish membership Celtic, and fellow Canadian Ismaël Koné transferred to English facet Watford. American Djordje Mihailovic was purchased by Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar. Argentine midfielder Joaquín Torres was traded to the Philadelphia Union. Canadian defender Karifa Yao didn’t have his contract choice picked up and is now with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Off the sector, there have been points. Nancy ended up leaving to take over as coach of the Columbus Crew after reportedly falling out with Montreal proprietor Joey Saputo. Veteran striker Kei Kamara was late to report back to pre-season camp and has been vocal about wanting to go away, and even introduced on Twitter that he wished to be traded.
New coach Hernán Losada nonetheless has eight starters from final 12 months’s group, so all isn’t misplaced, and it’s not like he has to start out from scratch. But the continuing Kamara affair, the bitterness over the character of Nancy’s departure and the roster turnover may result in extra off-the-field drama if the group doesn’t hit the bottom working below Losada.
Toronto FC appears to be like to finish playoff drought
Toronto FC had the second-worst defence in MLS in 2022 when it coughed up 66 objectives, tying the franchise document it set the earlier 12 months. It additionally didn’t make the playoffs for the primary time in back-to-back years since 2013 and 2014.
Club administration was very busy this low season, signing a brand new U.S. worldwide goalkeeper Sean Johnson, centre backs Matt Hedges (a former MLS defender of the 12 months) and Sigurd Rosted, and left fullback Raoul Petretta. It’s an nearly totally new beginning again 5 for Toronto, with Canadian proper fullback Richie Laryea the lone holdover from final season. If TFC goes to qualify for the playoffs for the primary time in three years, they have to cease leaking objectives and turn into a a lot tighter defensive unit.
TFC’s beginning 11 appears to be like strong on paper, highlighted by Italian Designated Players Federico Bernardeshci and Lorenzo Insigne, who mixed for 14 objectives and 5 assists in 24 league appearances after they each arrived final summer time. But questions stay concerning the energy of the group’s bench and whether or not it has the depth to be aggressive this season.
Can Vancouver Whitecaps rebound below Vanni Sartini?
Things seemed grim for the Vancouver Whitecaps when Vanni Sartini took over as interim coach after the firing of Marc Dos Santos in the summertime of 2021. At the time, Vancouver was in final place within the Western Conference desk and seemed like a positive guess to overlook the playoffs for a fourth straight 12 months. The group abruptly got here collectively below Sartini, profitable seven of its final 14 video games (with simply two losses) to qualify for the playoffs.
The membership rewarded Sartini by making his appointment everlasting within the low season. Whatever magic the Italian supervisor wielded to get his group into the playoffs appeared to have disappeared final 12 months. Although the Whitecaps gained the 2022 Canadian Championship, they stumbled in MLS, ending a disappointing ninth within the Western Conference and had one of many league’s worst defensive data (with 57 objectives in opposition to). All of which raised questions on whether or not Sartini was the proper man for the job.
Sartini stays in cost because the 2023 season kicks off, however one wonders for a way lengthy. He’s extremely in style with the fan base resulting from his jovial nature and shows of exuberance on the touchline. But if the Whitecaps wrestle early on within the season, it’ll be fascinating to see if administration would make a training change.
There have been notable participant departures this low season. Canadian ahead Lucas Cavallini didn’t have his contract renewed after failing to fulfill goal-scoring expectations. Also gone are fullback Jake Nerwinski (now with St. Louis City SC) and midfielder Michael Baldisimo (who joined the San Jose Earthquakes).
There have additionally been some high quality additions. Venezuelan ahead Sergio Córdova ought to be capable to rating the objectives that Cavallini couldn’t, and Uruguayan centre again Mathías Laborda will likely be seemed upon to assist anchor the again line.
St. Louis City SC welcomed into the fold
It’s not simply the MLS playoffs which have expanded for 2023 – so has the league with the addition of its newest growth group. St. Louis City SC makes its MLS debut on Saturday at Austin FC because the league expands to 29 groups. St. Louis will play its first residence sport at its model new CITYPARK Stadium on March 4, when it hosts Charlotte FC, which joined the league final 12 months.
Brazilian ahead Klaus and German midfielder Eduard Löwen, the group’s two designated gamers, have European membership expertise and will likely be seemed upon to information the growth outfit by means of its maiden season in MLS.
The roster additionally options defender Kyle Hiebert, a 25-year-old native of La Salle, Man., who beforehand performed with the growth membership’s reserve group, St. Louis City SC 2.
Team to look at: Philadelphia Union
Philadelphia was the category of the Eastern Conference final 12 months, topping the desk with a stellar 19-5-10 document and ending second place within the general league standings. Andre Blake was named MLS goalkeeper of the 12 months, Jacob Glesnes took residence the highest defender honour, and Jim Curtin was voted the league’s greatest coach. The Union had extra gamers on the MLS Best XI than another group: Blake and Glesnes, in addition to defender Kai Wagner and midfielder Dániel Gazdag.
The Union didn’t decelerate within the playoffs, breezing previous the New York Red Bulls, FC Cincinnati and defending champions New York City FC in fast succession. From there, Philadelphia duked it out with LAFC in one of many all-time best MLS Cup finals, dropping a heartbreaking penalty shootout.
After coming so shut in 2022, the Union must be thought-about one of many pre-season favourites in 2023, as Curtin has saved the core of final 12 months’s group in place.
Player to look at: Dániel Gazdag
The Philadelphia Union midfielder completed in a tie for second within the scoring race final season with 22 objectives, including a powerful 10 assists. Yet, the Hungarian worldwide wasn’t even named among the many 5 finalists for the league’s MVP award. Gazdag was among the best two-way midfielders in MLS final season and appears set to construct upon his breakout marketing campaign.
John Molinaro is without doubt one of the main soccer journalists in Canada, having coated the sport for over 20 years for a number of media shops, together with Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is at the moment the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a web site devoted to in-depth protection of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic may be discovered right here.
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