MLS Preseason Power Rankings

The 2019 MLS season is upon us, with more teams than ever taking part. So. here are the 2019 Power Rankings before anything has got going. Let the madness ensue.

MLS Opening Kick is March 2, 2019. Defending champion Atlanta United, Sporting KC, Houston Dynamo and Toronto FC all begin CONCACAF Champions League play this week. It is time for a full review of the offseason and a prediction power rankings based on expectations for the 2019 MLS season.

This first look at the MLS hierarchy for the 2019 season looks at offseason moves and future expectations. Some teams made incremental upgrades, some stood pat, while others moved a whole bunch of parts to wind up with a roster arguably more disjointed than the last.

The usual suspects of well-run organizations will top the rankings, while newcomer to the league FC Cincinnati must start from the bottom, but at least they now have a chance to prove their worth. What must each team do to have a season considered successful? Has each team done enough to fulfil the expectations of their fans? Read along for a comprehensive review of each team.

24 through 20

24. FC Cincinnati

Last Season: FC Cincinnati was a USL club.

Incoming: The whole team, basically. Sure, a few USL holdovers, but now on MLS contracts.

This being their inaugural season, there is only so much that can be known about FC Cincinnati at this stage. Going by reports from The Athletic, coach Alan Coch has settled on a 3-5-2 formation. The personnel is yet to be decided, but some preseason media reports highlight some trends. It seems the competition for spots is a touch more intense than a usual MLS preseason, due to the expansion status. Even the keeper job is a four-man competition with less than two weeks until MLS opening kick-off.

This squad is heavy on center-backs, so Coch is leaning into that strength with the 3-5-2. Having Greg Garza capable of playing up to five positions will also be a great asset. It also helps to get the FC Cincinnati forwards in their preferred spots.

Fanendo Adi was signed to much fanfare and will be expected to lead the team from the front. Kekuta Manneh and Darren Mattocks will fight for the other forward spot and provide a spell for Adi.

It will be up to Fatai Alashe and Roland Lamah to run the channels and slip in behind defenses. Victor Ulloa, Allan Cruz, and Emmanuel Ledesma will pull the strings from deeper in midfield. Greg Garza, Kendall Watson, and Alvas Powell are first choice defensive options for any competitive MLS squad.

Season Expectations: Do not finish with a points total lower than any of the other newer MLS clubs. Beat the Columbus Crew and pay for a new billboard on the interstate. Show that the club is serious about the U.S. Open Cup in years when a Supporters’ Shield is unlikely.

Enjoy the first goal, the first foul call gone wrong, and the many other firsts that come with joining MLS as an expansion side. Enjoy the celebrations that occur because FC Cincinnati exist. Enjoy the rivalry with the Crew. Just enjoy it.

23. Orlando City

Last Season: 8-22-4  — 28 points  — 11th Eastern Conference

Incoming: F – Tesho Akindele, D – Joao Moutinho, GK – Greg Ranjitsingh, D – Kyle Smith, M – Sebastian Mendez, D – Danilo Acosta, F – Benji Michel, D – Alex De John, F – Santiago Patiño, D – Ruan

Departing: GK – Joe Bendik, M – Richie Laryea, D – Chris Schuler, D – Jonathan Spector, D – Scott Sutter, D – Donny Toia, M – Jose Villarreal, GK – Earl Edwards Jr., D/M – Victor “PC” Giro, D – Mohamed El-Munir, D – Amro Tarek, M – Tony Rocha, M – Yoshimar Yotun, F – Stefano Pinho, D – RJ Allen

A true fan of MLS reading along this far knows the Orlando City Soccer Club….

The fans feel like this offseason has left the Lions with a roster that will once again leave them on the outside looking in when it comes to the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs, which is all that anyone has cared about for years if wearing OCSC Purple.

Former Manchester United winger Nani is close to a Designated Player deal. If the roster mechanisms of MLS can be manipulated just enough, Nani will join Josue Colman, Dom Dwyer, and Sacha Kljestan as the four largest wage bills. While the rest of MLS is tending towards younger Designated Players, OCSC has two sage old MLS vets and an almost 33-year-old speedster as its core. Perhaps his leadership and nose for goal will translate as well as the other Manchester United vet to join the MLS Eastern Conference. But will that formula translate into a playoff appearance?

Season Expectations: Playoffs. Or Bust. Again. Hope the team show some spunk and wins a dozen games. Hope the loyal fans do not mutiny if this new team takes time to get a string of results. Hope Atlanta United do not set any more records while playing Orlando City.

22. San Jose Earthquakes

Last Season: 4 -21-9  — 21 points  — 12th Western Conference

Incoming: M – Judson, F – Cristian Espinoza, D – Marcos Lopez, M – Siad Haji, GK – Daniel Vega, F – Cade Cowell

Departing: D – Yeferson Quintana, M – Jahmir Hyka, M – Chris Wehan, F – Danny Musovski, F – Mohamed Thiaw, F – Dominic Oduro

San Jose has a proud history that the owners and fans want to be revived immediately with a winning team. Matias Almeyda has been charged with instilling a swagger in the style of play and getting results in the process. Avaya Stadium is a gem that should be hosting playoff games and ownership had to loosen the purse strings to appease the base.

Andrew Tarbell must perform early and often to keep the starting gig between the pipes. Daniel Vega could win the job before opening kick and no one would be surprised. Harold Cumming, Joel Quiberg, Guram Kashia, and Nick Lima will log a majority of minutes in defense.

Judson and Vako will be the dueling one-named midfielders. Tommy Thompson may finally get some serious minutes. Magnus Eriksson and Florian Jungwirth will be the players keeping Thompson, Jackson Yueill and others on the bench.

Until Chris Wondolowski scores his record-breaking goal, no other forward matters. If the midfield cannot find a way to get some balls in the box for a classic Wondo banger, however, this team is in trouble.

Season Expectations: The World’s Longest Outdoor Bar has reasons to drink both positively, because Almeyda institutes a style of play easier on the eyes, and negative, because the results will not match the free-flowing action on the field. If all else fails, just have Chris Wondolowski break the scoring record at home.

21. Minnesota United

Last Season:  11-20-3 — 36 points — 10th Western Conference

Incoming: M – Jan Gregus, M – Osvaldo Alonso, GK – Dayne St. Clair, D – Romain Metanire, D – Ike Opara, GK – Vito Mannone

Departing: D – Marc Burch, M – Ibson, GK – Matt Lampson, M – Fernando Bob, D – Jerome Thiesson, M – Collen Warner, D – Bertrand Owundi Eko’o, M – Frantz Pangop, GK – Alex Kapp, M – Harrison Heath, M – Johan Venegas, M – Maximiano, M – Alexi Gomez

After a couple years of slow growth, it was time to clear the decks and go with a more bold approach. Minnesota United made some big moves this offseason, buying high on players that previous MLS clubs were selling on for little to nothing.

Vito Mannone has come in to push Bobby Shuttlesworth to the reserve keeper spot. Francisco Calvo, Ike Opara, and incoming French international Romain Metanire will try to even out the goal differential problems of the Loons’ recent seasons at the back.

Meanwhile, new Designated Player Jan Gregus will attract attention allowing Darwin Quintero even more freedom to roam the attacking third. With these new options, Miguel Ibarra could perhaps re-establish himself as a USMNT option by providing quality possession and service. Ibarra used to be the star for the USL version of Minnesota United. No longer does he need to feel game-changer expectation; he can let the game come to him nd then just make quality decisions going foward. Simplifying the game now could let both Miguel and Romario Ibarra shine.

Season Expectations:  Osvaldo Alonso and Ike Opara were brought in to christen the new stadium with a playoff berth. Unless the variance of lady luck tips the scales just so, and a summer signing comes in on fire, the Loons likely fall short.

20. New England Revolution

Last Season: 10-13-11 — 41 points — 8th Eastern Conference

Incoming: M – Nicolas Firmino, D – Edgar Castillo, F – Juan Fernando Caicedo, M – Tajon Buchanan, F – Justin Rennicks, F – Carles Gil

Departing: D – Chris Tierney, D – Claude Dielna, M – Guillermo Hauche, F – Femi Hollinger-Janzen, M – Cristian Machado, D – Nicolas Samayoa, M/D – Mark Segbers, M – Kelyn Rowe

Brad Friedel’s first season was tumultuous. He cleared decks of anyone deemed too egotistical or philosophically indifferent to buy into his intense ways and was eager to implement his own style. It didn’t really work.

The first thing Friedel did was decide to give the gloves to Matt Turner and that arrangement looks likely to continue. Edgar Castillo was a creative hub from the wing-back position last year in Colorado and will be deployed in a similar manner in New England. His vision, passing and range should take some pressure away from what was a congested midfield last year.

Luis Caicedo, Diego Fagundez, Cristian Penilla, and Wilfried Zahibo will provide the midfield energy, pace, and passing. That is a solid four-deep depth chart to keep rotations and legs fresh. Becoming tactically stale was just one way this team beat itself. Line-ups that create frustrations for your own team should be avoided but Freidel was married to his tactics far too often. Cristian Penilla, Teal Bunbury, Juan Agudelo, Juan Fernando Caicedo and Carles Gil will have to pick spots to improvise to keep teams off balance.

Season Expectations: Brad Friedel runs everyone out of town, and out of excuses for a middling team. In boxing terms, this team is no tomato can, but little more than an entry level gatekeeper.