The 2013 MLS season ended in dramatic fashion, with Sporting Kansas City claiming the championship title on penalties against Real Salt Lake. It was a fitting conclusion for what had been one of the best seasons in the league’s history.
The off-season was a busy one, with a number of high profile signings and changes making headlines around the football world. Now the 2014 season kicks off on Saturday, but MLS can be a confusing and difficult league to keep track of for the uninitiated or casual fan. So with that in mind, here are five things to keep a look out for in MLS this year.
NEW ADDITIONS
As with any league, the eye at the start of the new season is drawn to the new additions. Toronto FC have made the two biggest signings of the off-season, signing Jermain Defoe in a £6 million transfer and USA international Michael Bradley, with Julio Cesar also joining on loan.
Elsewhere, DC United have tried to put last year’s dismal campaign behind them, with Fabian Espindola joining from the New York Red Bulls and Eddie Johnson signing as a Designated Player from the Seattle Sounders.
Maurice Edu has joined the Philadelphia Union from Stoke City on loan, with USA international Michael Parkhurst returning to MLS with the Columbus Crew. And the Portland Timbers have attempted to fill the one problem position in their team by signing Argentinean striker Gaston ‘Gasta’ Fernandez.
TORONTO FC
Not for the first time, all eyes are on Toronto FC. But this time it’s with the expectation of success, rather than spectacular, and often hilarious, failure.
The aforementioned signings of Bradley and Defoe are the clearest indications yet that the club’s owner, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, truly intend to transform Toronto FC into one of the league’s marquee franchises.
But the Canadian club has also made a number of lower profile, yet equally shrewd, signings, with Dwayne De Rosario, Jackson and Gilberto signing in the summer. And that’s not to mention the impressive loan capture of Brazilian international goalkeeper Cesar, as he looks to secure his place in his country’s World Cup team.
It’s no surprise that Toronto FC have focused on boosting their attack, considering their statistics in 2013. The Canadians averaged the second lowest shots per game (10.1) and the third lowest share of possession (46.3%) in the league last year.
At the back, only three teams conceded more goals than Toronto FC (who conceded 47 goals in 34 games) and that worry still persists. It could be where the ambitious rebuild project is found out.
NEW YORK RED BULLS
There’s something different about the New York Red Bulls. Upon his appointment as head coach last year Mike Petke vowed to change the culture of a club that had become big-spending underachievers since the Red Bulls rebrand in 2006. Petke has made good on that pledge, delivering the franchise’s first piece of silverware – the Supporters’ Shield.
In four of the last five seasons the team that finished top of the regular season standings has failed to make it to the MLS Cup final (LA Galaxy are the exception in 2011). However, the fluke wasn’t the Red Bulls winning the Supporters’ Shield, but rather the Red Bulls crashing out of the playoffs so early.
Sporting Director Andy Roxburgh’s attitude seems to be ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ because the Red Bulls have kept the majority of their 2013 squad together, with only Bobby Convey and Richard Eckersley coming in through trade. This is a noticeable change of tack for the Red Bulls, who had become known for constant off-season upheaval.
The strange thing about the Red Bulls in 2013 was that from a statistical standpoint they hardly stood out. They averaged only 11.9 shots per game and allowed a relatively high number of opposition shots on their goal (13.4 per game). But whatever Petke did, it worked. Will it work in 2014?
HOW WILL RSL COPE WITHOUT JASON KREIS?
2013 was a season of seconds for Real Salt Lake, who finished second in the Western Conference, second in the MLS Cup and second in the US Open Cup. The obvious question at Rio Tinto Stadium is: can they go one better in 2014?
If they are to do just that they will have to do it without Jason Kreis, who left RSL to become New York City FC head coach at the end last season.
The spine of RSL’s team has remained, even if Kreis hasn’t, with Nick Rimando, Nat Borchers, Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales and Alvaro Saborio still at the club for the new season.
Real Salt Lake boasted a higher average share of possession (55.1%) than any other team in MLS last season and had the second highest goal tally in the regular season (57 from 34 games). Can new manager Jeff Cassar build on the solid foundation that has been left for him or will Kreis’ departure hit RSL hard?
CLINT DEMPSEY
His return to MLS was heralded as a landmark moment for the league. Indeed, Dempsey is the highest paid player in the history of the division but so far he has yet to justify such a paycheck.
Dempsey has struggled for full fitness since joining the Seattle Sounders in August but has looked lethargic and frankly tired whenever he has taken the field for the Pacific Northwest team.
A winter loan to Fulham has done little to reinvigorate the USA captain, making five appearances for Fulham between January and March. He averaged just 1.6 shots and 0.2 key passes per game over that spell, failing to notch a goal or an assist.
With the World Cup on the horizon, the first few months of the new MLS season will be crucial for Dempsey.
What are the main things to look out for in MLS 2014 in your opinion? Let us know in the comments below
This content was brought to you in conjunction with Major League Soccer. VIsit www.mlssoccer.com for more stats, previews and analysis, and follow all the big games in-play with MLS Live.
