1. A new challenger
Is there any team in MLS that gets less coverage than the Vancouver Whitecaps? That isn’t supposed to be a knock on the team itself, but it goes to show the lack of attention that they receive, especially considering their struggles in 2019 under new head coach, Marco dos Santos.
Vancouver do not have a true marquee player on the roster, especially with Lucas Cavallini staying at home. They are not flashy and not especially exciting. As a result, they do not play many games on primetime television, and the bitter rivalry between Seattle and Portland sees the Whitecaps become Cascadia’s third wheel.
That makes scouting Vancouver difficult. The Fire will have to take them seriously, of course, just as the LA Galaxy did not earlier this season, falling to a shock 1-0 defeat. The Fire will be the favorites to win, and they will need to keep pace with Seattle and San Jose.
The group as a whole will be a challenge. But the Chicago Fire have a chance, and for now, that is all they can ask for.