Every MLS Club’s New Year’s Resolution for 2021 Season
By Ivan Ornelas
Here’s a New Year’s resolution for every MLS club heading into 2021
2020 was simultaneously a year to remember and forget, but in any case, 2021 is just around the corner. Let’s take a moment to think about what the New Year’s resolution for each MLS club would be after enduring their most challenging season in many aspects.
Atlanta United: Sign another competent forward besides Josef Martinez
Ezequiel Barco is better off on the wings and Adam Jahn can be the starting striker if Atlanta United wants to be a respected team in the Eastern Conference next season.
Austin FC: Don’t be Atlanta or LAFC 2.0: forge your own path to success
Austin FC have accumulated excitement and goodwill among both their fanbase and MLS fans as a whole. While Atlanta and LAFC are the gold standards for this generation of expansion clubs, Austin should not be afraid to forge its own path and identity.
Chicago Fire: No more rebranding
Their new logo was…a choice, but it’ll take more than that to capture the attention. Chicago is stuck being “two years away from being two years away” and that could easily continue throughout 2021.
Colorado Rapids: Learn from their pandemic experience
Colorado was one of the most exciting teams at their heights, but they threw away their momentum with their outbreak situation. They have a young team brimming with potential and it’s on this organization to help them achieve their potential, similar to what the Union are doing.
Columbus Crew: Prove their MLS Cup win wasn’t a fluke
Cries of asterisks and “Covid Cup” will be frequent in 2021, but just focus on building on your success in 2020 and letting the results do the talking.
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DC United: Keep Ben Olsen in the rearview mirror
The first chapter post the Ben Olsen era may not be must-read material in MLS lore, but it’s a necessary step to get this rebuild underway.
FC Cincinnati: Win the Hell is Real Derby
It remains apparent that Cincy only have a limited amount of wins in them each year, so save one of them for your newly crowned MLS Champions rivals to give your fans SOMETHING to cheer about.
FC Dallas: Sell another academy player for $5 million
Reggie Cannon had barely gotten through TSA security en route to Portugal while his replacement Bryan Reynolds began getting linked to Europe as well. There’s a good chance a kid we haven’t heard of it will be the next big sale for Dallas.
Houston Dynamo: Sign a non-Central or South American that’ll improve the squad
Houston Dynamo have been underachieving for much of their existence since their most recent MLS Cup appearance in 2012, but imagine where they’d be without contributions from the likes of Alberth Elis or Mauro Manotas. Both are gone, so perhaps try something new?
Inter Miami: Find a way to bring back 2018 World Cup Blaise Matuidi
As of now, Matuidi is more likely to be categorized with the Steven Gerrard group of European legend MLS imports than David Beckham. For Miami’s sake, that needs to change soon.
LAFC: Beat the Seattle Sounders in the playoffs
The Sounders remain the LAFC’s white whale, and with the Western Conference likely to go through the Emerald club once again, LAFC have to find a way to overcome them when it counts.
LA Galaxy: Realize they don’t have a divine right to success
Javier Hernandez hasn’t hit the ground running and LA Galaxy finished a measly 10th in the Western Conference. This is a “what have you done for me lately” sport and Galaxy have their work cut out for them to right the ship.
Minnesota United: Use the word “underdog” less frequently
The Loons are officially too good to be considered an underdog, so that narrative should be retired in 2021 (but it probably won’t be).
Montreal Impact: Find the receipt for Saphir Taider
Other than Bojan, the Impact lacks a creative spark that Taider gave them and without that spark they will be a relatively harmless team in 2021.
Nashville SC: Find a more reliable source of goals than Walker Zimmerman
Walker Zimmerman is a great MLS player, but besides Real Madrid, not a lot of clubs have much success when their center back is one of their main source of goals.
New England Revolution: Convince Bruce Arena that he isn’t Bill Belichick
You can count on Bruce Arena to have confidence in his abilities as a coach regardless of how his club is doing, but even after a good run in last season’s MLS Cup Playoffs, he needs to realize he may only be the third-best professional sports coach in New England.
New York City FC: Take real steps to find a non-baseball stadium
We get it, New York City doesn’t have a lot of space left and you make a lot of New Jersey jokes toward the Red Bulls. But please make plans to ditch Yankees Stadium early in 2021.
New York Red Bulls: Build around Kaku
2020 was one of the worst seasons for NYRB in terms of on-field performance as they usually do very well in the Eastern Conference. Kaku is still their biggest creative spark and under their new manager Gerhard Struber who has experience with RB Salzburg and Wolfsberger, that can be the key for a quick turnaround.
Orlando City SC: Make sure Rodrigo Schlegel’s penalty heroics are a one-time thing
While Schlegel provided one of the most memorable MLS moments of 2020, Pedro Gallese is one of the best goalkeepers in the league, and alongside Nani is the key to the Lions’ success.
Philadelphia Union: Win a trophy before Mark McKenzie follows Brenden Aaronson to Europe
The Union have one season left tops with McKenzie barring an unfortunate circumstance, so make the most of it.
Portland Timbers: Win something else besides the “COVID Cup”
Winning the MLS is Back Tournament is an achievement that shouldn’t be scoffed at, but it inevitably will be. Use that as motivation to carry on.
Real Salt Lake: Accept that Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando aren’t coming back
The end of an era, along with the behavior of a former staff member, will force Real Salt Lake to make further changes to remain relevant in 2021.
San Jose Earthquakes: Make Chris Wondolowski’s final season one to remember
The Quakes’ front office has been notoriously quiet in the transfer front, but whatever they do, they owe it to Chris Wondolowski to give him a good 2021 season following last season’s return to the playoffs.
Seattle Sounders: MLS Cup or Bust
Victims of their own success? When your Twitter account reminds everyone of their self-imposed lofty standards, it’s on your organization to live up to them and bounce back from the MLS Cup Final defeat.
Sporting Kansas City: Capitalize on moments when you’re on top
They only have themselves to blame for their elimination to Minnesota United in the playoffs. Peter Vermes will ensure they stay competitive but they are looking to level up.
Toronto FC: Don’t get upset if Alejandro Pozuelo doesn’t win every MLS accolade
We get it, Pozuelo is great, but so is Nani, Carlos Velo, and Nicolas Lodeiro. The competition for 2021’s MVP will be stiff and Pozuelo will get his dues but he is not the only star.
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Vancouver Whitecaps: Be more consistent like the other Cascadia Teams
Like many people in 2020, the Whitecaps experienced high highs and low lows. Stability has eluded them but they must find it to achieve progress.
Did I get your club’s resolution right or wrong? Let me know in the comments below!