The MLS year has started, lets talk about what teams to watch.  

Starting off with your Seattle Sounders who bought the new Brazilian striker Heber who was acquired from New York City FC. He had his very first start and goal during the Sounders game against the Colorado Rapids. On another note, we lost defender Jimmy Medranda on a free transfer. Based on our first two games, I think the Sounders will have a great year and will be top of the table. I was a bit skeptical after figuring out how little players were acquired during the off-season, but the first games (and the new striker Heber) speak otherwise. My one worry is how old our players are, this means more injuries and I don’t think that the Sounders are set up if we lose a couple players like last year. 

Next, we’re heading on over to Inter Miami CF. They lost Gonzalo Higuaín to retirement after last year, he was a player who played in some very big teams in Europe and came to Inter Miami to finish his career as a striker. Also, new Ukrainian center-back Serhiy Kryvtsov bought from Shakhtar Donetsk scored his first goal (and got his first start) in their dominated first game. He then went on to start in their other win against Philadelphia Union. On January 18, Inter Miami bought the attacking force Josef Martinez, who is sure to make a big impact on the play of Inter Miami. I think Inter Miami CF will be a strong mid-table team who you can’t dink it around but the top-table teams will be able to beat them.

 A new team has joined the MLS, and they have won both two games they played. St Louis City SC have been looking like a strong team and they came back from two-one (during their first game), to win the game three-two. They don’t have any notable signings or drops but they do have 17-year-old St Louis native Miguel Perez who was put on as a sub for the two games he played in. He made history when he became St Louis’s first ever home-grown player, “I can’t wait to see 20,000 people in the stadium,” says Miguel before St Louis’s season opener. For St Louis SC I think that they too will be a mid-table team, but this is really good considering they are a brand new team.

Now onto the finalist’s from the last MLS cup, Philadelphia Union. On January 1st officially sold Paxten Aaronson, an American soccer player to Eintracht Frankfurt. Philadelphia don’t have any notable new signings, but their squad is quite enough to talk about. They have a super young squad, this is really good for their year because younger players get less muscle injuries’. One of their strong player is Daniel Gazdag, last year he played in 36/38 games, scored 21 goals, and had nine assists! I think this year Daniel will be a key player in the midfield. Another one of their top players is Julien Carranza, he already scored two goals this year! Last year he played in 33/38 games, scored 15 goals, and had eight assists. This year I definitely think that the Union will be a top-table team and might be contenders for the MLS cup.

Last but certainly not least, last years MLS cup champions, LAFC. First of all I would like to salute to Gareth Bale, he was a speedy European winger who like Higuaín, came to LAFC to finish up his year. One of LAFC’s best players is their striker named Carlos Vela, this year he has 1 goal and 1 assist and was a key player last year. Definitely not new news but in case you did not know LAFC signed the defender Giorgio Chiellini in July and he scored the first goal for LAFC this year. You may be noticing a pattern in this but Giorgio came here to sum up his career as a soccer player. I think that this year LAFC will be a lower-top-table team, they will be super competitive, but I just don’t think at the tippy-top.

Based on how good all of these teams are looking I think that this will be a super competitive and excited year in the MLS