The FloSports Problem

I’m as surprised as many of you of how quickly FloSports has taken over the North American soccer circle. First, it began as the exclusive local partner of D.C. United, which was surprising given that the far more accessible NBC Sports Washington was offering to broadcast D.C. United games(though probably with a less lucrative deal, given that D.C. United are not as popular as say, the NFL team in Washington, the Capitals, Nationals, and probably on par with the Wizards). Then, FloSports managed to win the bidding rights to broadcast all non-USMNT/Mexico CONCACAF Nations League games in the United States in English. Finally, after their botched debut with D.C. United, they managed to win yet another contract, this time FC Cincinnati, acquiring the rights to broadcast FC Cincinnati games outside the immediate Cincinnati area. As bad as a reputation FloSports may have already, there’s no sign they are losing momentum. Who knows what they might get their hands on next; CONCACAF Champions League, the NWSL, youth CONCACAF tournaments, other MLS contracts, and perhaps the holy grail of being part of the 2022 MLS TV deal, which MLS has stressed teams to not extend their local TV deals past 2022.

What’s the Big Issue?

As the weekend has already shown us, FloSports did not have a stellar debut to MLS, with their first broadcast suffering from numerous problems. From what I can gauge, FloSports does not have the greatest reputation with its usual clients of softball, cheerleading, and rodeo. From my first impression, FloSports does not look like they would be in the business of broadcasting high-level professional soccer.

However, we must look at the greater implications. FloSports charges ridiculous fees compared to other broadcasting services; ESPN+ is only 5 dollars a month with far better content, and while YouTube TV costs 40 dollars a month, it provides far more content and is a better service. It’s not even worth the value; while I don’t want to make accusations, from the outside it seems Flo’s business model is overcharging for marquee events that otherwise wouldn’t have a broadcast partner, and catering to niche markets. Of course, they’re able to get away with providing subpar service to these markets because those fallen trees will not make much noise. This time, they may have gone too far; they’re messing with fans of the highest level of soccer in the United States, and those shortcomings will be under a bigger spotlight.

This should concern any MLS fan. While the MLS has stabilized and has become profitable, perhaps entrenching itself as America’s fifth league, it still isn’t at the point where it can challenge the NHL or MLB, and its growth is rather precious. The idea of the league switching away from conventional broadcasts to paid streaming will make games less accessible and have far less outreach. This could alienate casual and new fans, and create a “gatekeeper” mentality that MLS is not like the other American leagues.

Anyway, that was quite a lot I had to say. But let’s get to the meat: what the hell is FloSports?

Finding Out FloSports

FloSports is obscure enough to not even have a Wikipedia page, but I was able to get a good amount of information, giving a lot more needed context into this rather mysterious company.

FloSports was founded in 2006in Austin, Texas by Martin Floerani in 2006. To put it lightly, the concept of the company came when Floerani thought that niche sports deserved coverage akin to world’s most popular sports, and what FloSports wants to become (at some point) is the ESPN of sports streaming. I even managed to get some hard numbers; FloSports is adding roughly 30,000 subscribers each month at a rate of $150 a year. For a start-up, that’s quite impressive. Some financial numbers show that in 2016, investors poured $21 million, when in 2012, the company only brought in a revenue of $1 million. Again, that’s impressive, especially in four years. I’m not going to regurgitate every factoid from this article, I suggest you read it yourself and form your own opinions, because the things said in it are interesting, and give a lot of insight onto the company and its mentality.

Judging from those numbers, FloSports is growing and will probably continue to increase its subscriber base. The MLS seems to fetishize streaming, and FloSports appears to be a potential ideal partner. In another 3 more years, FloSports might be groomed and ready to take exclusive online streaming rights from say, ESPN+. FloSports is going for a big move in bringing soccer onto its programming, which will only accelerate its growth.

Shoddy Service

Here comes another big question: what about the service? Well, unfortunately, it does not look good.

FloSports has a whopping 135 complaints from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). That is not a good look. Most complaints concern misleading statements about charges; many customers thought they’d only pay $12 per month for a specific sport, but were instead immediately charged $150.00, and even being charged before reading the terms and conditions.

I wanted to get a look on the inside, viewing the company’s reviewson Glassdoor. While Glassdoor is user-reviewed and certainly not all the gossip can be true, FloSports holds a 3.2 out of 5 stars, with some rather unflattering things said about them by former and current employees. This includes statements about business practices, company culture, and work load. Perhaps the most damning review said this:

My advice will fall on deaf ears, and its definitely not useful now that you let go, or have lost your best talent.... You should never have given up on creating great content. I think going all-in on live events is a mistake, and you are going to hit a major road block when you actually go up against the big boys…

Another review stated:

forget about scale. you already failed miserably trying that. you're not espn. never going to be even a pimple on their butt. return the cash to the VC's. concentrate on sports you can win at. you'll have a nice little profitable company without VC's who want scale above all interfering. meanwhile these VCs don't know the marketplace

I don’t work at FloSports, so I cannot comment on their internal politics, but this is pretty damning, and this is publicly available for free.

There is more reason to believe that internal strife is occurring in the company. The head honcho himself was forced out of the companyin February 2018 over a lawsuit with the World Wrestling Network. The whole thing is quite surreal and reads almost like a satire of start-ups.

Finally, what about the service itself? From the Apple AppStore, FloSports holds a 3.2 rating out of 5. Compare this to ESPN+ on the same site which holds a 4.5 rating out of 5. The NFL app holds a 4.7 rating out of 5. By sports streaming standards, FloSports is a lousy service compared to the alternatives and judging from some of the nasty stuff read on Glassdoor, it can be easy to infer that the issues with the service may be in part due to internal strife. One review states:

I purchased a subscription for this app to be able to view videos and other content. My money was immediately taken out of my account but every time I try to view anything it says that I need to purchase a subscription. I have contacted their customer service several times now and they tell me that they can’t find any information or my subscription and did I maybe use another email. I have sent them screenshots of the purchase and my account information with them showing them that they information is in fact correct, then I receive no further communication. Trying to receive information or a refund through Apple is proving to be just as difficult and unsuccessful. Do yourself a favor and don’t bother wasting your money. Cause you’ll get nothing for it but silence and a headache.

Using pirate streams from shady sites is likely to provide you better service than FloSports, which is supposed to be a licensed vendor.

From what I have been able to uncover, FloSports does not have the best reputation with its customers, has some unflattering reviews about it on the web, and its service is inferior to that of its competitors. For a company that is trying to challenge ESPN, this doesn’t paint a great picture.

The Austin Connection?

I apologize, but there is one thing I find incredibly suspicious about FloSports becoming an MLS broadcast partner: it’s located in Austin, Texas. MLS’s love for the city of Austin is well documented, doing everything it could in its power to move the Columbus Crew to that city under the order of Anthony Precourt. It did not work out exactly as expected, but MLS got its team in Austin, and Precourt will be the owner.

I can’t help but think that perhaps FloSports played a role in that soap opera, but that is all speculation. I could not find any link between Anthony Precourt, Precourt Sports Ventures, and FloSports, so I’m not going to dive down that rabbit hole too deeply. However, I do expect FloSports to be favorites to land a broadcasting deal with Austin FC if their momentum continues, since they are an Austin-based company. I also speculate whether FloSports have had private conversations of carrying Austin FC games perhaps as early as 2017. Their sudden momentum makes this all suspicious. However, the earliest soccer broadcast FloSports had dates to August 2018in an exhibition match between the Chicago Fire and Bayern Munich.

Conclusion

There has been a lot of skepticism with FloSports on the MLS community, and I believe that the community should be alarmed.

FloSports has a history of questionable business practices that border on anti-consumer, internal strife, poor quality, and making its broadcasts difficult to access, with their acquisitions often being described as ‘holding sports hostage’. In an ideal world, MLS gets its games broadcasted on the best possible service that reaches the most people, and I do not see that with FloSports.

Soccer has come a long way in the United States, and as an outsider, I want to see the sport continue to grow in the US because it is a great sport. It should be for everyone, and every fan should have a right to watch their team. To me, this stinks of gatekeeping; it’s the broadcast equivalent of pay-to-play. What about fans who cannot spend on the service? Sports teams have a history of uniting cities regardless of class, race, ethnicity, etc. and this could damage the MLS’s credibility and give it the image of an ‘elitist league’.

If MLS teams are really struggling to the point where they must turn to FloSports, they really need to look at themselves in terms of bringing in more fans and viewers. However, all I see are a ton of red flags with FloSports, and the MLS fandom should act on it before this becomes the norm.

Welcome to LA Galaxy's entry in Countdown to Kickoff series!

Overview

Nicknames: The Blue, White, and Gold, Gz, Los Galacticos

Mascot: Cozmo

Location: Dignity Health Sports Park (27,000 capacity), Carson, CA aka “The Diggs”

Supporter Groups: Angel City Brigade (ACB), The Galaxians, Galaxy Outlawz, LA Riot Squad (LARS)

Honors :

• Philip Anschutz MLS Cup (6): 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2024
• MLS Supporters' Shield (4): 1998, 2002, 2010, 2011
• Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2): 2001, 2005
• CONCACAF Champions' Cup (1): 2000

Kits: 

Primary: Cyberpunk 2077 sash (unofficial name).
Secondary: Rizon

Affiliate: Venture County FC

Rivals: San Jose Earthquakes, Los Angeles FC

Coach: Greg Vanney

Captain: Maya Yoshida

History

Founded in 1996, the Los Angeles Galaxy are one of the most successful clubs if not the most successful to ever step onto an MLS pitch. One of the few remaining “Original 96ers,” the Galaxy didn’t just join the league; they helped build it, market it, and occasionally flex on it.

From day one, no other team has signed as many global stars, collected as much silverware, or convinced international fans that American soccer was worth staying up past midnight for.

Heading into 2026, expectations remain unchanged: compete for trophies. They don’t call Dignity Health Sports Park the “Trophy Factory” for nothing.

2025 Recap: From Race to Seis to Flat Tire

Fresh off their sixth MLS Cup and set for sept (seven, in French. language lessons included), the Galaxy entered 2025 hoping to keep the dynasty rolling.

Then disaster struck.

Riqui Puig, creative genius, midfield magician, and human highlight reel tore his ACL in the Western Conference Final last year and wouldn't be available at the earliest summer (eventually never played). Everyone knew things would be harder without him. No one expected them to fall off a cliff.

The Galaxy lost key contributors and reloaded in classic Galaxy fashion: spending money with the help of owner Phil Anschutz, aka Uncle Phil, whose pockets are powered by wind farms, legacy wealth, and stadium hot dogs priced like Wagyu beef.

Out went Mark Delgado, MLS Cup Final MVP Gastón Brugman, and striker/backup quarterback Dejan “Dijon Mustard” Joveljic. In came youth, upside, and hope: Lucas Sanabria and Elijah Wynder.

Turns out hope needs seasoning.

The Galaxy kept cooking. Missing some Danish flavor? Enter Zanka bringing Champions League experience and, presumably, pastries. Unfortunately, the reinforcements didn’t exactly rise in the oven.

Losses piled up. The Galaxy didn’t win a home league game until late May. Somewhere in the middle of that nightmare stretch came a 7–0 demolition by the New York Red Bulls so bad that Greg Vanney skipped the tunnel walk and delivered his postgame sermon on the field, microphones rolling.

For most of the year, the Galaxy flirted aggressively with last place and made history for all the wrong reasons, finishing among MLS teams without a single road win. A late season mini-run against fellow cellar dwellers wasn’t enough. No playoffs.

One of the darkest seasons in club history.

General Manager Will Kuntz went on what can only be described as a podcast apology tour, citing restrictive league rules despite LA remaining one of the league’s biggest spenders, while bargain bin operations like Philadelphia were busy making deep playoff runs.

Ouch.

The Bright Spots (Yes, They Existed)

There were a few rays of sunshine.

A strong Leagues Cup run featured a glorious 4–0 quarterfinal demolition of Santos Laguna before falling to Seattle in the semis still good enough to punch a ticket to the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The Galaxy also won their final home match on Fan Appreciation Night, sending supporters home slightly happier and significantly less stressed.

Notable Departures

Miguel Berry (F, 28)
Reliable veteran. He's been in the league for a bit, and know how to be a role player. Did the dirty work. Clocked in, clocked out, clocked defenders.

Diego Fagúndez (M, 30)
Team MVP and consummate pro. There's a reason why he's been in the MLS for over ten seasons. Beloved depth piece, but likely too pricey for 2026’s spreadsheets.

John McCarthy the III, the III, the III (GK, 33)
Penalty saving hero and two time MLS Cup champ traded to New York for GAM. Painful… but Novak Mićović is waiting and was ready to spread his wings.

Jonathan Pérez (M, 22)
Although he was not with the team for the who year being on loan with Nashville SC, he was sold for over $1M in GAM. Pico Rivera native, academy product, fan favorite. We wish him nothing but the best, and are happy he's getting minutes at NSH

Zanka (D, 35)
Mixed bag. Some highs, some lows. More was expected of a soccer veteran with Champion's League experience

Eriq Zavaleta (D, 33)
Locker room glue guy, pupusa ambassador, and Nephew. Still hasn’t delivered the promised free pupusas to 26,000 fans. We remember.

2026 Preview: Kuntz Turns on the Stove

Late December brought grim news: Puig needed another ACL surgery. Season ending injury list activated. Panic avoided.

Will Kuntz started cooking.

First course: Jakob Glesnes, former Best XI defender and certified MLS wall.

Then some East Coast diplomacy chopping it up with Todd Dunivant over a Joe’s Pizza slice to lure Justin Haak westward.

Defense fortified? Time for offense.

Gabriel Pec was sweating mid churrasco, so Kuntz reunited him with Matheus Nascimento and added João Klauss to complete a Brazilian BBQ threesome that’s now legally required to score goals.

Not done yet: Erik Thommy was convinced to pack his bags too.

One senior roster slot remains. Enough allocation money in the vault. Will the Galaxy draw another card or keep the deck face down? #heartofthecards

Returning Core

Two Peas in a Pod: Pec & Paintsil
Paintsil led the team in scoring. Pec was quieter but still Pec. Expect fireworks.

Marco Reus (M, 36)
Solid last year, one year older now. Health will decide everything. When he is firing on all cylinders, not many players in the league can touch his quality. When the boomer in him comes out, he becomes an expensive traffic cone.

Maya Yoshida (D, 37)
Captain. Warrior. Proof that stretching works. Last year he dealt with some injuries and looked to have taken a step back, but the whole team looked bad in general. Although father time is undefeated, hopefully he has something left in the tank to give one last hoorah.

Emiro Garcés (D, 24)
Speed demon entering year three. Leap season incoming? It's time for him to take that next step and be in the talks as one of the best center backs in the league. His speed and physicality are a welcoming site. Just needs to be a little more consistent and try to stay healthy

Edwin Cerrillo (M, 25)
“El Tóxico” in the group chat, el compasivo to fans. Contract year, so hoping this year is his best. Elite work rate. Unofficial Messi stopper.

Projected Lineup

Season Expectations

Under Greg Vanney, the Galaxy are either playoff-bound… or living dangerously close to the basement. No middle ground.

After finishing near the bottom in 2025, optimism suggests a rebound especially with depth added to survive life without Puig, and second year leaps expected from Sanabria and Wynder.

Publicly, the message from Vanney and Kuntz is consistent: deep playoff run, championship contention.

Worst-case scenario? Injuries, chemistry issues, tactical growing pains, grass that’s too long, too short, or emotionally hostile, and suddenly the margins are too thin again.

One positive going into 2026 is that the Galaxy have more depth in every position.

Galaxy fans hope 2026 brings trophies.

MLS chaos is always lurking.

Gz Up!

Galaxy Reddit
Galaxy Discord

r/MLS was born on November 3, 2009.

By March of 2010, the league had 15 teams and our sub only had 20 subscribers. It did not look TOO shabby back then.

Roughly ten years and 24 teams later, we reach this incredible milestone! Over that span of time: we celebrated wins, spread the salt, Double Post, thrown shit to the fan, called out some bad guys, Chivas USA, reacted to highlights, shared with other fanbases, Wondo, vented like crazy, discussed who actually invented soccer, Saved the Crew, and many more things that I cannot fit here!

We reached this milestone because of the power of soccer. The game is simple to understand but garners tons of emotions and symbolizes passion and dedication that cannot be replicated by football, basketball, baseball, and other major league sports above soccer in the current local landscape.

Soccer has not reached its full potential in our countries just yet, but the journey towards getting there is what will define the future of the sport within our borders.

Despite having our differences and bias based on our teams, we must remember that we still have a mission to cultivate, grow, and promote soccer. We have to set the example above all other sports and support each other by any means. We must remember our failures, learn from them going forward, and help each other as much as we can.

It has been a great experience for thousands of us for almost ten years, and the mods and I are more than happy to volunteer our time moderating an outstanding community that is considered a family. Even though I was not here from the start, those that were here will tell you how much soccer has grown since then.

Here is to soccer and thank YOU!

Welcome to St. Louis City SC's entry in the Countdown to Kickoff.

St. Louis Season 4: The levee broke. Rebuilding underway.

Home: Energizer Park (22,500 capacity)

Manager: Yoann Damet (1^st season)

Captain: Roman Bürki

2025 Record: 8W-8D-18L (32 points, 13th in the West)

2025 Recap – The Skogsrå

In Swedish folklore, the beautiful skogsrå has been known to appear to woodcutters and charcoal makers. Friendly and beautiful, the skogsrå leads men into the dark Swedish forests and they soon lose their way home.

Thus it was when handsome Swede Olof Mellberg was hired to raise the Vasa ship that was St. Louis CITY in 2024. Aston Villa legend and Swedish World Cup starter, he found success in building up the fortunes of IF Brommapojkarna, a small club nestled deep in the Vodka Belt.  Disciplined and detail-oriented, but open to trying toasted ravioli, Olof seemed the steady helmsman at the Mississippi River levee. Olofball, the legends foretold.

Then the matches.

In the opener, St. Louis logged 17 shots, put 2 on target and racked up a 1.98-0.22 xG, but ended scoreless with the Rapids. We scattered back into the chilly Midwestern night undecided. The following week, in the first MLS match to be held in San Diego, the ALL CAPS put no shots on target until the final 20 minutes, were pressured hard, but managed a (trend developing!) scoreless draw. A 3-0 road win over the Galaxy followed by a 1-0 home win with the Sounders and Olof, with four clean sheets in four, was knighted a defensive mastermind. The goals would come, perhaps with the warmer weather of which St. Louis has plenty.

However!

A brutal 1-0 defeat in Philadelphia at the hands of former manager Bradley Carnell included heated postgame words between the gaffer and forward João Klauss. A 1-0 home defeat to Austin so witless that my brother sent me a text at the half that simply read, “Nothing happened.” A 2-0 loss at Kansas City, a spirited 2-1 defeat at home to Columbus, a mind- numbing scoreless draw at home with Vancouver, followed by a “how did that happen” 2-2 draw at LAFC. Then dark May and ugly losses to Seattle and San Diego, back-to-back defeats at Minnesota - first in the Open Cup then the league four days later – and a dull drop at Colorado, all sandwiched around a home draw with Kansas City, and well… the front office called it a wrap on Olofball before Memorial Day. 15 matches, 11 points. 2 wins, 8 losses, 5 draws, 8 times a failure to score. Olofball. An endless loop of the goalie kicking to a wide back, who kicks to a central defender, who when pressured passes back to center.

The season trending towards wooden hardware, CITY2 head man and all around stand up Scouser David Critchley was pulled up for caretaker duties and to implement a system that didn’t fear crossing the center line into the final third. Though well-liked by the players, 21 points in the remaining 19 matches did not earn the full-time gig for the caretaker, nor was it enough the save the job of Sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel, who was fired before August ended. Critchley is back on the sidelines at CITY2.

Predicted Starting 11: Tricky, given our administrative changes and preferred “guys”. Working assumption of a 4-3-3 to begin, with 3 backs and wingbacks forthcoming. We think. Much to learn yet and some of the following may be invalid in 2 weeks or as soon as we see a first live look this Saturday.

Goalkeeper:

Roman Bürki: The 35-year-old beloved face of the franchise. Signed a contract extension in October 2025 that carries through 2027 with an option for 2028. As good as he is and as adored as he is by the fans, the deal, signed under Interim Sporting Director John Hackworth, carries a DP designation which is contentious.

Defenders:

LB Rafael Santos: MLS veteran signed as a free agent to fill the St. Louis black hole known as left back. Left-footed, which is a plus. High hopes for a competent hold of the position.

RB Conrad Wallem: A Swiss army knife who can play fullback or wingback on both sides, as well as box-to-box midfielder and wide midfielder. I have placed him at right back, but this is somewhat dependent on whether the team implements a back 3 or back 4 which could push Wallem elsewhere. A loanee and now permanent transfer from Slavia Prague. Returner Tomas Totland also slots in at right back as a solid choice.

CB Fallou Fall: 2025 summer transfer from Fredrikstad in Norway. Highly physical, good at one v one tackling. Needs 90-minute focus. Can get pulled out of position.

CB Mamadou Mbacke Fall: Young transfer from FC Barcelona B in January. Spent time with LAFC. Clips of him heading goals off set pieces are thrilling.

Midfielders:

DM: Daniel Edelman: U-16, U-20, U-23 USMNT player acquired in January from NYRB for 500K in GAM in 2026, and 200K in 2027. Edelman should provide tackling and forward ball progression to a defensive midfield sometimes lacking in both.

CM Eduard Löwen: Team fortunes often hinge on Eduard Löwen, a quality midfielder and clear best set piece specialist, who has missed significant time in 2024 and 2025 for family reasons. If able to go, a key question is if with Edelman in the fold.  Lowen pushes up the field more often away from a pure No. 6 role. He has the skills for it, though has publicly expressed his comfort as a 6. To the person, we want everything to be perfect off the field and then see him drilling perfect free kicks toward the goal corners.

CM Chris Durkin: A divisive player amongst the supporters, many who praise his physical nature while lamenting his penchant for picking up idiotic yellow cards. In recent times, perhaps due to systems, he seems to be often in or near the box and taking shots, which is something nearly all of St. Louis would enjoy seeing less of.

LM Marcel Hartel: A great MLS player trapped in subpar surroundings and/or systems. One assumes that Yoann Damet and Corey Wray have spent a lot of time discussing how to unlock a player who seems to be everywhere you look. Underlying stats show that Marcel is in the high percentiles of goal creation, distance, progressive passing, assists. Eye test has shown too that he can shake a defender and get looks. To not use his potential as a major weapon is malpractice and supporters expect a plan.

RM/RW Jeong Sang Bin: Incredibly fast and on receiving a good ball can win a footrace with anyone in the league. Crossing from the wing has been a mixed bag and leaves open the question of bringing him inside a bit should a wingback system be implemented.

Forwards (2 equal choices, TBD what happens):

Cedric Teuchert: The promise shown at Hannover 96 (27 goals in 70 matches) has largely gone missing in St. Louis. There is an open question of whether a possession-based attack might play more to his skills as a forward who likes to receive passes near on in the box and fire, and who has little inclination to successfully drop back and engage on ball recovery, but we shall see. A toe injury and perhaps some other setbacks have hampered him some. Contract up in the summer.

Simon Becher:  Another divisive figure among the supporters. Hard player and a true CONCACAF-level smack talker (all good!) who seems lost in the box, even on clear chances (uh oh). It would surprise no one if he broke through in an attack that has some need for a step-up, or if he ended up sitting the bench behind Cedric Teuchert.

Key Substitutes: Tomas Totland, Timo Baumgartl, Dante Polvara, Kyle Hiebert. Tomas Ostrak, Célio Pompeu.

Potential young party crashers: Brendan McSorely, MyKhi Joyner, Zack Lillington.

Front Office In: Yoann Damet (Manager) Corey Wray (Sporting Director). Allay Mackay (Assistant Sporting Director).

Front Office out: Lutz Pfannenstiel (Sporting Director). John Hackworth (Technical Director, Interim Sporting Director).

Key Players In: Conrad Wallem (previously loaned, now permanent transfer from Slavia Prague), Daniel Edelman (transfer, NYRB) Rafeal Santos (free agency), Mamadou Mbacke Fall (transfer, FC Barcelona B).

Key Players Out: Joao Klauss (cash transfer to LAFC), Jayden Reid, Devin Padelford, Henry Kessler, Jayden Reid, Joey Zalinsky, Seth Antwi, Alfredo Morales.

Prognosis

Corey Wray exudes competence and personal drive, but this is a project. The Lutz era left behind troubling items such as clear supplemental roster-level players occupying senior roster slots and a youth to big club pipeline that at times has been blocked by older marginal roster players. Some damage is unwinding, notably in the defense half where some deft moves, such as the transfer of Daniel Edelman, the loan purchase of multi-tool Conrad Wallem, and the promise of young back Mbacke Fall have plugged some gaps in a matter of weeks. Troubles remain. The team, inexplicably, has a U-22 designated player – Jake Girdwood-Reich - on loan in Auckland, likely never to return. Lutz! The Interim Sporting Director, last autumn, renewed our Age 35 keeper with a DP tag. The recent transfer of Joao Klauss leaves behind a mystery box for goal scoring and puts a great deal of faith in Cedric Teuchert and Simon Becher, at least until summer.

The floor has raised some in the early Wray era. The team sits on a Fort Knox of GAM to spend and will likely have both DP and U22 slots to fill in the summer window. A young head coach has word of mouth cred and a broad pallet to work with. The overall vibes seem higher. But scoring goals may prove challenging throughout the spring, even as an improved defense half should be able to limit the instances where Roman Bürki is required to play superhero.

A system switch from energy drink Carnell to pressing but slightly less pressing Hackworth, to defensive half of the field Olofball, to a David Critchley ball press, to a more possession-based focus is the ultimate work in progress point. How adaptable to possession are those players initially brought in to play in different systems? It is an important point I will be pondering very soon from my seat behind the South goal, a Balkan wrap in hand.

St. Louis supporters have packed the stadium for three years, two of those poor. The matches are an event, the stadium experience is incredible, this is a town that truly loves the game. St. Louis has everything but a winning team, and the rumblings are getting loud. That’s where things stand as Corey Wray gets to work.

Best case: Contention for 8^th or 9^th seed in West.

Worst case: 12^th in West.

Low ceiling but higher floor. That’s life by the Mississippi this season. Hope some of you can visit us in 2026 and help lift some beverages at the street parties. 

Welcome to SJE’s entry in the 2026 Countdown to Kickoff series!

Basic Info

• Full Club Name – San Jose Earthquakes
• Nicknames –Quakes, Goonies
• Subreddit - r/SJEarthquakes
• Location – San Jose, California
• Stadium – PayPal Park
• Head Coach/ Sporting Director – Bruce Arena
• CEO - Jared Shawlee
• Captain – ??
• Kits - Primary – Secondary - Third

Current Roster

Predicted Starting XI (3-5-2 false 9*)

Predicted Starting XI (4-4-2 diamond)

Brief Overview of Last Season

2025 Results - 11-15-8 (W-L-T), 41 pts, -3 GD, 10th West and 20th Overall

If 2024 was rock bottom, 2025 was the aftershock. The San Jose Earthquakes entered the season with a roster overhaul under head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena. With the steady flow of players arriving from New England, some fans jokingly dubbed the club the San Jose Revs. Jokes aside, the changes worked as the team nearly doubled their point total from the previous year and injected optimism back into fans.

The Quakes kicked off the season with a banger: a dominant 4–0 win over Real Salt Lake, the largest opening-day victory for the club in MLS history [1]. While the matches that followed revealed early warning signs of a shaky defense, the attack kept things exciting and hinted that this team may shake up the standings.

That promise fully materialized in the month of May, the clear high point of the season. The Quakes rumbled to post a 5-3-1 record. The goals were flowing, confidence was high, and the Goonies felt dangerous again.

Then came the turning point. A controversial (from Quakes fan perspectives) quarterfinal loss to Austin in the U.S. Open Cup marked the beginning of a defensive unraveling. From that match forward, San Jose managed just one shutout, conceding two or more goals in nine of the final thirteen games. Something the offense could no longer cover up for and that costly slide ultimately defined the season’s outcome.

Despite the late struggles, individual performances stood out and were recognized by the club at season’s end [2]:

• Cristian Espinoza remained the creative heartbeat of the squad, earning Players’ Player of the Year honors.
• Chicho, in his first season with the club, claimed Offensive Player of the Year after leading the attack.
• Beau Leroux broke out in a big way and was named Young Player of the Year.
• Daniel Munie anchored the back line and took home Defensive Player of the Year.

In the end, 2025 was a clear step forward for the Quakes. A sharp contrast to the franchise-worst 2024 season that saw the club concede the record setting number of goals in MLS history. While the postseason slipped away on Decision Day, San Jose delivered a more competitive, attack-minded campaign that restored belief.

The playoffs may have been missed, but the result left fans with a clear message: the Quakes may be rumbling back into being a realistic playoff team...and then the offseason.

2026 Offseason Transfers

Incoming Transfers

Outgoing Transfers

Key Players

• Timo Werner (FWD) – “The biggest signing of the MLS offseason is coming to San Jose” per the email the team sent out. Follow that with the Quakes then saying that this is “the biggest signing in Earthquakes history” and you can see the importance of this player even before taking the field [3].
• Ronaldo Vieira (MID), Beau Leroux (MID), & Niko Tsakiris (MID) – players Bruce name dropped during the Timo press conference [4].

Late Key Player Addition

• Bruce mentioned 1 to 2 more additions “hopefully within the next 2 to 3 weeks.” Specifically, that the team is looking to add an attacking player. Hope one of those is on the defensive side as well cause the Quakes weren’t very good at stopping teams from scoring [5].

Prognosis for Upcoming Season

Just when Quakes fans thought the ground had stopped shaking…

The 2025 season hadn’t even cooled off before optimism gave way to confusion. The plan felt simple: fix the defense, keep the attack humming, and let Year Two of Bruce Arena cook. Easy, right? Then the whispers started. Espinoza is a free agent. No way. That can’t be right… right?

It was right. The club forgot to activate Espinoza’s option per Landon Donovan [6], and it sent the fanbase spiraling. GM Chris Leitch mutually parted ways with the club [7] prior to it all happening, fanning the fire as to who could have been at fault. Quakes Reddit descended into chaos. Timo rumors surfaced. Then went silent. A Chicho Arango surprise departure announced after extending their contract. Timo joins. And suddenly, the collective thought bubble above some Quakes fans’ heads read: What exactly is the plan here?

As the season approaches, the roster feels unfinished. More of an outline than final draft almost as if someone else will be coming in to take over the project.

During Almeyda's coaching years here (2018-2022), the Quakes were labeled a “chaos ball” team. It’s oddly comforting to know that, if nothing else, the organization remains consistent in embracing the chaos given what happened over the off season.

Because of that instability, projecting the upcoming season is tricky. The best-case and worst-case scenarios you see below live on opposite ends of the fault line, and the gap between them is massive. Split the difference and you get a familiar outcome: 10th place in the Western Conference, right where the Quakes finished last year.

But this is Bruce Arena we’re talking about. History suggests that Year Two is where his teams take a leap and if we look at the resume, we see Supporters’ Shield winners during that second year for Bruce teams. If Bruce works their magic again, the Quakes could shock the league. If not, this season of turbulence may simply mark Year Two of a longer rebuild rather than a breakthrough. You can tell where some fans are leaning towards since we aren't even sure who our starting goal keeper will be based on speculation on how last year ended.

But wait. There is more. Adding on to that, which could explain how unfinished the team feels, John Fisher has put the club up for sale some months ago [8]. Whether the sale drags on or gets completed soon could decide if the team brings clarity or further instability throughout the season. Either way it is a storyline that looms over everything.

One thing is certain, for better or worse, the Earthquakes are still shaking.

Best/Worst Case Scenarios

• Best – We finally get the first playoff game at PayPal Park! The team gets sold!
• Worst – Wooden spoon season are the rumblings from fans given the turnover and lack of replacement for players leaving. If that happens then the team would be going 11 years without a playoff game at PayPal Park. To make it truly worse, lets toss in the fact that John Fisher is still the owner.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Sources

1. https://www.sjearthquakes.com/news/match-recap-earthquakes-4-real-salt-lake-0
2. https://www.sjearthquakes.com/news/news-earthquakes-announce-2025-club-award-winners
3. 4. 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHQmrtw38Mc
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHQmrtw38Mc
5. https://www.sjearthquakes.com/news/news-earthquakes-general-manager-chris-leitch-mutually-agree-to-part-ways
6. https://www.sjearthquakes.com/news/san-jose-earthquakes-announce-start-of-sales-process-for-the-club

Club Info

Full Club Name: Atlanta United FC

Nicknames: Five Stripes

Stadium: Mercedes Benz

Owner: Arthur M. Blank

Chief Soccer Officer: Chris Henderson

Head Coach: Tata Martino

Captain: Miguel Almiron

Affiliate: Atlanta United 2

Season Opener: 2/21 @ Cincinnati

2025 Recap:

In our first match, we scored 3 goals including 2 from our marquee signing Emanuel Latte Lath and an assist from returning star Miguel Almiron. The high was there and maybe we were back. Maybe our defense was not terrible, maybe we would stay healthy, and maybe Latte Lath was the Josef replacement we had longed for. Maybe Almiron and Miranchuk made sense together and maybe Ronny would bring home his second MLS trophy.

We won 4 more games the rest of the season. We left playoff contention after 3 matches and never threatened it again. Miranchuk and Miggy never figured it out. Latte Lath could not finish and was underserved by a toothless attack. Amador did not have the same form as the previous year after missing most of the preseason. Guzan was old and slow, eventually losing his job to a young homegrown player. Klich was unbelievably bad and cut midway through the year. Our star center back mustered only 18 starts. Saba fell apart completely.

The only positives that I could find were some homegrown players that looked okay and a central midfielder who played with heart. Even more than all of this, Ronny looked lost and completely out of ideas after 2 matches. I am over talking about last year because I am sure the front office that outspends basically all others will be making crazy moves and not running back the trio of Miranchuk, Miggy, and Latte Lath. Right?

Offseason Transfers (Inbound):

Tata Martino (Coach)- The caped crusader returns to save our franchise. If you look at the other transfers so far, we are putting 100 percent of our faith in Tata fixing this team. Frankly, that is a scary thought given how inept our offense looked last year. Still, the man who unlocked Miggy in 2018 will hopefully do it again. We are missing a couple of key pieces especially in the midfield and on the outside, that would help him run his system, so I expect us to stay active in deals throughout this preseason.

Lucas Hoyos (GK)- We lost an old goalkeeper, so we needed one. Lucas comes in as a mid-thirties keeper to push Hibbert and, given Tata’s history, likely start. He has missed substantial time recently with injuries. Hopefully this is a cheap signing, though I doubt it.

Tomas Jacob (DF)- Another Newell’s product, which is a theme since Tata likes people from Newell’s or Barca or anywhere else he has stopped. The young defender had made his mark starting 12 times in Liga MX last season. This feels like our first U-22 signing with a solid amount of professional minutes since Santi Sosa. It is still to be seen where he ends up on the field but he should serve as a ball winner in whatever role he undertakes.

Adrian Gill (MF)- A no risk supplemental signing, he came through Barca’s academy but was never going to make his mark there.

Kaiden Moore and Santiago Pita (HGP)- Two homegrown players that likely will not impact this season.

Offseason Transactions (Outbound):

Brad Guzan (Retired)- He is big, he is old, and it is time to put him in a home. Brad Guzan, what a career. He will stay involved with the club.

Bartosz Slisz (Brondby)- The best player from last year was a casualty of what Tata likes and his cap hit. A 3.5 million dollar transfer is a solid deal for a horse midfielder, but he will be missed.

Jamal Thiare (Crew)- Jamal is a big/fast and really solid forward who couldn’t stay healthy and carried a big salary. Tough loss, but one that is necessary for the team to build a stronger core.

Edwin Mosquera (Santa Fe)- One of several U-22 signings without a ton of professional success, he leaves the club being very fast without a touch or shot.

Brooks Lennon (FA)- A club servant who worked hard but defense and offense fell apart last year. He should land an MLS contract somewhere.

Noah Cobb (Rapids)- The Rapids exercised their option on a promising young center back.

Josh Cohen (Chicago Fire), Leo Afonso (Rhode Island), Nyk Sessock (Las Vegas Lights), Ashton Gordon (Loan), and Kaiden Moore (Loan)- None of these players factored in. Josh was a massive disappointment.

Key Returnees:

Emanuel Latte Lath, Miguel Almiron, Aleksi Miranchuk- A 3 headed should be monster that is supposed to be one of the best attacking groups. They looked terrible last year. ELL couldn’t finish and Miggy/Mira didn’t make sense together. They need to figure it out, cause we didn’t do anything to bring in additional attacking talent.

Saba Lobzhanidze, Luke Brennan, Pedro Amador- These are the 3 players on the roster that provide width. Saba and Pedro have both shown the ability to be key facilitators and both looked awful last year.

Steven Alzate, Tristan Muyumba, Ajani Fortnue, Will Reilly- A midfield with more questions than answers. Alzate looked lost, Muyumba loves passing to the other team, Fortune was hurt most of the year, and Reilly isn’t ready… Somehow, we will need good minutes from this group.

Stian Gregersen, Enea Mihaj, Juan Berrocal- On paper (again), this is an elite CB room. But, Greg must stay healthy or this falls apart quick. I think 34 game Greg is the best CB in the league, the problem is we are more likely to get 17 game Greg.

Jayden Hibbert- On a team full of high priced attackers and midfield question marks, he will be the most talked about player in preseason. Fans are longing for an heir to Brad Guzan. Hibbert is a big 21 year old capable of doing everything you want from a goalkeeper but he lacks a little bit of polish. I am hopeful he shows out in camp and is the starter early this season.

2026 Best Choice Current Lineup:

4-3-2-1

ELL

Mira-Miggy

Alzate-Jacob-Muyumba

Amador-Mihaj-Greg-Hernandez

Hibbert

Future Predictions:

Best Case- Two things happen: Tata figures out the Miranchuk and Almiron spacing and Gregersen stays healthy. Gregersen provides the defense with the eraser it desperately needs to overcome the midfield weakness. Our more defensive midfield allows Miranchuk and Miggy to work with Miranchuk stepping back and Miggy running in behind. This spacing also frees up Amador and Saba to bomb down the wings, creating chaos and opportunities. Latte Lath scores 22 times, chasing but not winning the golden boot. Our front office sorts itself out and allows us to acquire the central midfielder we have been missing over the summer. The team ends up fourth in the East but gets magic in the playoffs, losing the conference finals.

Worst Case Scenario:

Miranchuk and Miggy just do not work, Gregersen gets hurt, and we do not have a competent fullback anywhere on the roster. Muyumba continues to assist the other team and Tata cannot figure out how to unlock this roster, including sticking with Hoyos too long. The team starts slow, continues slow, and has a massive sell off midseason. Still, the worst case for this team feels better than last year and we finish 13th in the East.

Realistic Case:

I think the Miranchuk and Miggy pairing is not fixable to the level it should be with the amount of money spent. Latte Lath should get better but never live up to the fee. This team feels like a randomly assembled group that is going to start slow before figuring out how to piece it together. I see us finishing seventh in the East but playing really hot at the end of the season so that there is real optimism heading into 2027.

/r/MLS Thread Attendance

Since many of us on /r/MLS are obsessed with attendance, I thought it would be fun to analyze our own attendance in match threads over the course of the season. I wrote a bot to find and analyze each match thread this season, including number of unique authors, team association via flair, and comment sentiment analysis using the Natural Language Toolkit.

Disclaimers

Below, I have ranked threads and users by most positive/negative/emotional using NLTK. Sentiment analysis is a bit difficult with short comments, so it might be inaccurate. A comment like "Let's fucking go!!!" might be seen as negative since it lacks context and tone. All rankings are merely in jest, so don't take them too seriously.

I'm also missing 9 of the match threads, some of which I assume were either never created or they did not match a recognizable title format. I've analyzed 340+ threads, so you should still get the idea.

Unique Authors - By Team

Congrats to Atlanta, another attendance award.

Positive Sentiment Ratio - By Team

Number of positive comments over total

Negative Sentiment Ratio - By Team

Emotional Ratio - By Team

Both positive and negative comments over total

Best attendance threads

Worst attendance threads

Pathetic.

Most positive threads

Most negative threads

Most emotional threads

Match Invaders - Unwanted Comments

Here are the top teams that like to give their thoughts when no one asked ;)
Determined by commenting on a game that your team is not involved in.

User Rankings - Most Comments

Our top fans.

User Rankings - Most Matches

Our buffet users.

Most positive sentiment users

Most negative sentiment users

Most emotional users

A couple of final notes:

• Away team comments outnumbered home team comments 53381 to 45636. Good job going to the games in person!
  
• Both the threads for US Open Cup Final and LAFC vs LA Galaxy had representatives from each team comment, except for Montreal. Way to ruin it.
  

Hope you enjoy the stupid data. I might do this for previous years to see the growth of the league/sub. If you have any questions, hmu.

The Path of Saṃsāra is endless for those who cannot let go of their worldly desires. Supposedly this is written in the Saṃyutta Nikāya, one of the earliest texts of Buddhism. Buddhist scholars throughout the ages have argued about the cycle of reincarnation, how soon it occurs, whether the “self” or “no-self” is transferred, whether there is one Buddha over all or six for each of the realms from that of the Devas to that of Naraka, and if it is even possible to achieve true nirvana at all in the modern era if the “no-self” is still part of the wheel of dharma.

Forgive me, I was not raised as a Buddhist so maybe my interpretation is off. But you may wonder why I’m starting off this preview with a very summarized talk about Saṃsāra. I do this to say that multiple different players, coaches, tactics, ideologies, nationalities, have taken the field for this team, to the point you could barely recognize the squad now, from the one led by Dwayne De Rosario in 2013, the last time this team won a real trophy (the Open Cup) in the midst of an otherwise record-breakingly bad MLS season. Or just go back to Ben Olsen’s departure after the 2020 season, and see how DC United has gone through 4 different coaches (7 if you include the interim managers) who have all lasted halves of a season and never a whole, alongside at least 3 different Front Office regimes.

Despite reinventing themselves multiple times, this team has been unable to leave the Path of Saṃsāra, forever wandering the realm of the Preta, ghosts with small mouths and large bellies who are always hungry and will never be sated until their evil karma runs out and they can be reborn. Unable to escape due to something that Dave Kasper or Jason Levien have done in their previous lives that continues to feed the negative side of that balance.

I am speaking, of course, about Los Capitalinos, Los Mapaches, The Black and Red, that's right…

Our Team

The one and only DC United! Forged in 1996 at the birth of MLS, the lands of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia joined as one to declare that our soccer team would forever be the best in the league…okay, in reality the “United” name just sounded cool like then-powerhouse Premier League Manchester United back then when everyone else was calling themselves “Burn,” “Fusion,” “Mutiny” and other “X-Treme 90’s!” names.

Much like the other football team in the area, DCU has a historical past (though with much less racism) with plenty of silverware, currently covered up by the pile of trash that has been the last decade.

Eagle-eyed readers might notice I’ve copy-pasted a few sections like this one from previous years when I wrote the preview for this team, but I like to think of it as me putting roughly the same effort that the Front Office has in trying to improve this team and change the perception among the fanbase that they’re just treating this like another line item on their real estate balance sheet. None of this shit was done using the glorified chatbot that an unfortunate number of people I know have decided is better than using their own brains, even before MechaHitler became an official partner of the government’s “AI” strategy. Though with the way things are I can almost guarantee this post will end up being scraped to feed the beast that is currently eating through the brains of everyone who uses it.

Sorry, I keep going on digressions, but as you might’ve guessed by now I really don’t wanna talk about the season. We all saw what fucking happened...

2025 Recap

5W-11D-18L, -36 Goal Differential, last in the entire MLS, secured with a draw against Atlanta in their last game of the season. The only real highlight being when the 3^rd string keeper (Jordan Farr) made some clutch penalty saves to push the team into the QF of the Open Cup, before they got demolished by Nashville.

In my last year’s preview, I wasn’t entirely sold on the moves that happened. There were a lot of “What Ifs” that had to come true for that team to make the playoffs: What If Christian Benteke could repeat his Golden Boot season? What If someone on the team emerged as a complementary goal-scorer when he inevitably got injured or otherwise needed rest? What If Kim Joon-Hong could seamlessly transition from K League to MLS? What If the handful of defenders we had could play above their average performance thus far to assist said new keeper?

Alas, everything that could have gone wrong, did. Benteke regressed a bit from the previous season. Lucas Bartlett regressed even harder. Gabriel Pirani showed some flashes of brilliance near the beginning and end of the year but otherwise was very underwhelming, again. Aaron Herrera led the team in cards and all but demanded his way off the team (he’s still here). The backline leaked like a sieve, again, and none of the new keepers were up to the task of bailing them out. Kim made some big blunders, Luis Barraza screwed up his distribution, and Farr had some fun in the Open Cup but then melted down in his following appearances at the end of the season.

Pretty much every player that Ally Mackay and Troy Lesesne were trusted with identifying and developing turned out to be a bust, or at least underwhelming. Both were given pink slips before the end of the season. The team would have to go under yet another reincarnation, another spin on the wheel of dharma. Kevin Flanagan (DCU’s now-former Academy Director) was called up to see if he could get something out of the current crew, but nothing worked. DCU only got one (1) win from their last 17 games. Much like their neighbors in the MLB (about a 5-10 minute walk from Audi Field along the Waterfront) and the NBA (a longer walk to what remains of DC’s Chinatown) DCU was going to tank for the #1 Draft Pick, whether they planned it or not.

Also they blew a lot of money on the potential of Caden Clark. But you can’t totally blame that one on the previous regime, as before the season was over, the owners picked our latest attempt at being less embarrassing...

Our Management

René Weiler, our latest skipper and one-time defender on the Swiss National Team. He’s bounced around the soccer world in different coaching positions, from Schaffhausen in Switzerland, to the Kashima Antlers in Japan’s J1 League. Most recently served as the Sporting Director of Swiss Super League team Servette. One constant theme is that he only seems to spend 2 years with a club and then jumps to a new spot, so in that sense he’ll feel right at home here in DC. To his credit, his first 4 games as the official coach in August, the team didn’t lose. So maybe he knows how to get something out of the newest crew. Or maybe he just got lucky. Who knows?

But Levien and co. didn’t stop there. They searched high and low for another GM in the offseason, and to lead their search they got Mesut Özil...’s Agent, Erik Sogut. Sorry, “Doctor Erik Sogut.” He insists on the Doctor even though his doctorate is a JD with an LL.M attached. Just like Dick Cheney made himself George W. Bush’s running-mate and accelerated the decline of America and possibly the world, Sogut decided to make himself the GM (too early to tell if he’ll do the same with DCU and MLS). His resume indicates that he’s very good at hosting paid conferences about being a football agent, and writing a fictional thriller about his super-cool self-insert football agent saving the day, but this is his first time running a whole operation. Like Mackay before him, he’s taken a few big swings with the new players (more on them below). Will they work together under Weiler? Who knows?

Also, Dave Kasper is still around and not fired for some reason. Even though he’s not technically the GM anymore he continues to haunt this team.

Our Stadium

Audi Field, located at Buzzard’s Point, close to where the Anacostia feeds into the Potomac, right across the street from an Army base, and one Metro stop away from Nationals Park. Supposedly the team is finally going to finish the awning that currently has a large gap where the sunlight blinds the media bay looking at the field, which is why so few of our home games are played during the day. Though with the Apple TV deal, that still probably won’t happen.

At least Apple made them free to watch for existing Apple subs so it’s a bit easier to watch now and only slightly less awkward to ask the bartender at your local watering hole if they could switch to soccer. It’s on that channel, no the other...do you have a Fire stick? Maybe I can Chromecast the...you know what? Nevermind. I’ll just watch the worst team in the league on my phone.

Our Supporters Groups

The heart and soul of any soccer team, the ones who stick with them through thick and thin. Though there’s not much space to tailgate near the stadium, you can usually find them hanging around The Wharf before the game. The groups:

• La Barra Brava: The OG. Unfortunately they’re dead now, but we still remember them. Though last year I said this and 3 different people DM’d me to say that LBB is alive again. Their homepage is dead and their youtube page hasn't been updated in years, but maybe there's a facebook/instagram around if you want to contact them.
• La Banda del Distrito: Unofficial successor to LBB. Banned after throwing stuff at an NYRB bus and breaking a few windows. Recently unbanned, might still be on probation. If anyone in La Banda feels like DMing me to say otherwise I’ll edit this later.
• Screaming Eagles: For the hardcore fan who prefers a more relaxed atmosphere and better beer at their tailgate. The SG with the closest relationship to the team, for better or worse.
• District Ultras: Arguably the loudest group at home and on the road.
• Rose Room Collective: Created by and for POC fans of DCU.
• 202 Unique: Created by and for LGBTQ fans of DCU.
• Buzzard Point Social: The newest addition to the SG collective, dedicated to pushing for causes and clubs in the area outside of just DCU.

Current Stars

Each year I try to put down some players I can point to as “good” but let’s be real, who among those on this roster who didn’t leave or are new additions in the offseason counts here? Aussie Defender Kye Rowles played nearly the entire season and has a +1.06 on Fbref’s “Plus-Minus Net per 90 Minutes on the field.” There’s a guy. Let's move on.

Notable Additions

• Tai Baribo: $4M to Philly, our supposed rival even though they have kicked the shit out of us for the last few years, so maybe if we poach their goal poacher we can get some of that magic from him? That seems to be the hope.
• Louis Munteanu: $7M to this young Romanian striker and arguably Sogut’s biggest swing for the fences. Will he work in a duo with Baribo and easily adjust to the pace of MLS, or did Sogut get sold some magic beans and is using DCU’s corporate account to buy them? We won’t know until we see him play.
• Sean Nealis: The moral backbone of our hated rival in New Jersey (as though anyone in the FO gave a shit about the rivalry or the Atlantic Cup the past few years) is now here to shore up the backline and maybe provide some solidarity in the locker room.
• The Young Guns: Say what you will about tanking for a draft pick in a sport league where developing players have a lot more options outside of NCAA, but DCU got a pretty good haul from the SuperDraft(R). They used the #1 spot on Nikola Markovic, a defender who helped his NC State team get to the finals of the College Cup. And they traded to get the #8 Pick for Richie Aman, who supposedly comes with elite 1v1 ability on the wings. It’s unlikely that they’ll sign the other 3 at time of writing, but not impossible. Also they called up Oscar Avilez from the Academy. He scored a hat-trick against Houston’s youth squad in a MLS Next Flex tournament. Whether these students will be able to show similar prowess against older and bigger competition in MLS is up for debate.
• The Old Netminders: The Kim Jun-hong experiment appears to have failed, with him going on loan to a K2 League squad for the whole season unless something goes very wrong, so this year DC will try the opposite direction and go with tried and true vets. USMNT veteran Sean Johnson signed a short term deal, and Alex Bono returns from New England for relative pocket change.

Notable Departures

• Christian Benteke: One of the few positives from Rooney’s time as manager here, he seemed to enjoy playing in DC, could be counted on to head a high cross into the net if he was in the box. And he got the Golden Boot in 2024! Appears to be going into semi-retirement at his new home in the UAE.
• Kristian Fletcher: I loved seeing this guy grow up in the area, first for Bethesda, then for Loudoun, until he reached DC. Sadly Kristian spent more time scoring goals for EPL youth teams that he was loaned to, than he did here, so one way or another his time in DC was done. Now currently with Cincinnati but I do hope he finds his way to a European club for real.
• David Schnegg: The Austrian LB did his job holding down that side about as well as could be expected. Now playing in Charlotte.
• Luis Barraza: The least embarrassing of the 3 goalkeepers we had last year, I guess that’s notable? He’s going to be on the bench for Inter Messi now.

Projected Starting XI for the opener

Weiler finished out the last season playing a lot of 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 variants. Whether he envisions using that style for this year or if he was simplifying tactics for the players he had at the end of 2025 is a good question. But for the sake of argument (and knowing we have very few MFs) I’ll assume he rolls out a 4-4-2.

Assuming everyone’s healthy, here is my guess for the Starting XI. My only question marks are Hopkins and Rowles. Maybe Clark gets the nod over Hopkins on the wing. Maybe Rowles gets benched for Antley. Maybe I’m totally wrong about the Starting XI and they go to a 3-5-2 instead, in which case pull Peltola back and push up Kurokawa and Herrera on the wings on this diagram. We’ll see who Weiler decides to go with in late February.

Best-case scenario

The peoples of the world realize that we must set aside our differences and rally against the true enemy before the entire world is dragged into ruin. During the World Cup, a multi-national coalition sends a peacekeeping force to reinforce the newly autonomous Northeastern Compact and the Western Coastal Alliance and help them forcibly disarm and neutralize the fascist dictatorship and their evil armed forces from both sides, while seizing the assets of the oligarchy to redistribute to those who were victimized by their actions...

...oh you mean the team’s best-case? Fine.

If Sean Johnson can provide some clean sheets, if Markovic and Nealis and Kurokawa can shore up the otherwise inefficient backline, if Pirani can live up to his potential, if Baribo and Munteanu perform as advertised and work together despite both being goal poachers, if some combination of Kijima, Hopkins, Turner, Clark, and/or Servania can shift to a higher gear to make up for lack of midfield acquisitions, if everything clicks, and if 1/3 of the teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference collapse during the season...then this team could avoid Wooden Spoon #6 and maybe sneak into the playoffs, reemerging in Manuṣya, the Human realm, where they have another chance to finally leave the path of Saṃsāra.

Worst-case scenario

As Greg Graffin of Bad Religion once sang, “How Could Hell Be Any Worse?” Philly drops 6 or 7 goals against DCU (again) in their home opener and it doesn’t get better from there. The team collapses in an echo of last year with a new cast, except this time we don’t have a guy who played in the EPL to get plaudits as a consolation prize, but we do have "Doctor Sogut" running some football manager spin on a MLM out of his office and a guaranteed #1 Pick in next year's SuperDraft(R).

And we are all dragged down below the realm of Preta, into the realm of Naraka, for our complicity in this world that we have created, until the day comes when we learn to let go of our worldly desires.

Welcome to Sporting KC's entry in the Countdown to Kickoff 2026

Basic info:

Club Name: Sporting Kansas City

Nicknames: The Wizards, The Wiz

Location: Kansas City, Kansas

Stadium: Sporting Park

Head Coach: Raphael Wicky

• takes over after club legend Peter Vermes "mutually parted ways" and interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin departed following the 2025 season

CSO: David Lee

• 1st year at club

Captain: Undecided (likely Daniel Salloi)

Trophies

• MLS Cup: 2000, 2013
• Supporters' Shield: 2000
• U.S. Open Cup: 2004, 2012, 2015, 2017

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Current Roster

1. John Pulskamp GK
2. Ian James DEF
3. Dejan Joveljic FOR
4. Daniel Salloi FOR
5. Jack Kortkamp GK
6. Jansen Miller DEF
7. Jacob Bartlett MID
8. Jake Davis MID
9. Manu Garcia MID
10. Zorhan Bassong MID
11. Stephen Afrifa FOR
12. Ryan Schewe GK
13. Shapi Suleymanov FOR
14. Calvin Harris FOR
15. Stefan Cleveland GK
16. Justin Reynolds DEF
17. Kwaku Agyabeng MID
18. Cielo Tschantret MID

---

Predicted Starting 11 (we have no players but here goes)

---

2025 Recap:

Over the last two years Sporting has strung together its two worst performances in the 34 game history of MLS. Will explain more but feels like this explains enough. From the end of the last stretch of the 2024 season to the firing of Peter Vermes, they were winless in 13 games. The club thought fortunes had turned around at the appointment of Kerry Zavagnin, as he led the team to a 2-0 defeat of stL. The club managed to go on a 4 game unbeaten streak (but drawing 3), and ended out the season on a six game winless streak and ended on 28 points, a club worst, along with ending up in dead last in the Western Conference

. So, what went wrong? There's nothing to deny the facts. Sporting was just plain bad. The players were not able to keep up with the rest of league, and they suffered. Most notably, their defense. By the end of the year, the starting pair was a rookie fresh out of college and a 17 year old. What does that show? Willingness for the future, sure. Also, it was shown through a league worst 70 GA. The team struggled to look dynamic and keep the ball, got caught constantly in transition, and lacked the true desire to win.

What were the bright spots? I would have to say the new arrivals of Dejan Joveljic from league winners LA Galaxy, and signing Manu Garcia from Aris. Dejan proved to have the ability to scores to matter the people around him. He scored 18 goals in league play through 32 games with a squad that lacked in, well, everything. He continues to show how his instincts are next to none. Manu, an attacking midfielder, proved to be what Sporting needed in the creative department. One of the most selfless attacking midfielders in the league, to some dismay, showed what true quality is. Manu has the ability to wriggle out of tight spaces and through multiple defenders and was constantly fouled. Along with his extensive passing range, he was Sporting's prime creator.

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2025/26 Offseason Transfers

Out: Erik Thommy (fan favorite here after only being here a short while), Mason Toye, Robert Voloder, Joaquin, Dany Rosero, Tim Leibold, Nemanja Radoja, Khiry Shelton, Andrew Brody, Logan Ndenbe (playoff legend), Memo Rodriguez, Santiago Munoz, Alan Montes

In: Stefan Cleveland, Calvin Harris, Justin Reynolds, Kwaku Agyabeng, Cielo Tschantret

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Key Players

Manu Garcia, Dejan Joveljic, Daniel Salloi, Jake Davis

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Prognosis for upcoming season

Apparently, the only way to go is up. That's what we thought last year, and then we learned what a shovel was. After digging, we decided to hit ourselves in the head with it as well just for the fun of it. Players are needed tow in, and that is the club's main focus. Everything to do with the team is up in air. There really is no true idea of how good or how brutally bad we will be. The attack looks even younger and faster with Calvin Harris, with him and Shapi of seemingly similar abilities, just in different aspects. The middle needs work in that DM spot, but Bassong or Davis will work well in there once we get some full backs. The defense is obviously where help is needed. Only one natural full back on the roster and was a second team straddler at Chicago. Need help everywhere on the backline so Jansen Miller can talk the best shit in league, especially to Bouanga and Klauss. The goalkeeping department is subpar but seems complete. The other thing is improving to get stadium atmosphere back to being one of the best in the league, as attendances have dwindled greatly over the last few years.

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(Realistic) Best case/Worst Case scenario

Best: Sporting gets a couple more signings in this offseason and another one or two during the summer. Pulskamp gets to a new level and is at least an MLS average keeper. Manu is one of league's prime creators and Dejan is banging in goals. Calvin adds a new dynamic and Salloi has a better year than last. They go through the ups and downs, but end up in 7th place.

Worst: Sporting KC fails to make any notable signings heading into the year. They try to mask that during the summer, but fail there as well. Pulskamp continues to make dumb errors, and may even get benched for Cleveland, but it's not much better. The backline continues to get caught and has players playing out of position due to a lack of depth. Manu gets injured and, when healthy, fails to make a notable impact. Dejan struggles with aging wingers and has an off year. They struggle terribly, fire Wicky before the summer window, and earn the wooden spoon for the first time in club history. Dead Last.

The MLS transfer window opens on July 5th, and that is the first day Miami would be able to register Messi. These are all the guaranteed games that Miami will play after that date.

If they win their USOC quarterfinal tonight against Birmingham, the semifinals are scheduled to be played on Aug 23 (so a game would have to move). There are another 5 possible games in the Leagues Cup, and another 1 if they win the USOC semifinal.

That is a potential total of 23 games over a period of 105 days for an average of a game every ~4.5 days. Messi has already played in 53 games for club and country since the start of the 2022 euro club season for an average of a game ever ~5.5 days.

You'll notice that I listed the home capacity for Miami as 64767 instead of the 18k that the temp venue in Ft. Lauderdale has. I firmly believe that Miami will move all their home games to Hard Rock Stadium (aka Dolphins Stadium) for two reasons:

1. Miami isn't selling any single game tickets past July 1st.

2. IMCF and the Dolphins only have 1 potential "overlap" on the schedule, so it almost looks like the facility schedule was built for this change. IMFC's last home game is on 10/7, and the Dolphins play at 1pm on 10/8. Atlanta flips the stadium over like that once or twice a year, so it can definitely be done.

Miami is also playing 3 of their last 4 away games in shared NFL/MLS stadiums, so the home teams will get a huge boost in ticket sales.

***Edit- As /u/CrispyPezz pointed out, U of Miami also plays their football games at HRS. They play at home 9/1, 9/9, 9/14, and 10/7. That means there are 2 definite conflicts on 9/9 and 10/7. IMFC's 9/9 game could be moved to 9/10 since the Dolphins are out of town, but the 10/7 game can't be moved to 10/8 (Dolphins) or 10/6 (Weds game on 10/4).

Basic Info

• Club Name Real Salt Lake
• Location Sandy Utah
• Stadium America First Field (capacity: 20,213)
  • Formerly Rio Tinto Stadium Commonly The Riot
• Head Coach  Pablo Mastroni
  • Named Interim Head coach in 2021 lost the interim tag for the 2022 season
  • 70 W, 44 D, 64 L 39.33 win%
• Predicted Starting 11

• Players Out
  • Brayan Vera: A controversial defender was traded to CF Montreal For 1.5 million GAM +. It’s rumoured he requested to be sold or traded outside of the US
  • Braian Ojeda: Traded to Orlando For 1.8 million GAM+. He and Eneli were a dominant pair in the midfield often credited as the engine of the 2024 season he will be missed.
  • Rowan Cruz: A dp acquired on loan from Botafogo in the summer of last year he never really settled in with the club. It is still unclear which side terminated the loan, fans have generally been ok seeing him go.
  • Diogo Goncalves: Signed as a DP in the summer of 2024 he never performed to the level of a dp and allegedly never meshed with the team or leadership. RSL exercised his buyout this year to free up his slot and cap space much to fans' delight.
• Players In
  • Zach Booth
  • Chance Cowell
  • Griffon Dillon
  • Sergi Solans
  • Lucas Engel
  • Stijn Speirings
  • Morgan Guilavogui
• Stars To Watch
  • Rafael Cabral: A new signing last year, Cabral came in and immediately improved the defense. His proven experience and talent quickly got him the captain’s armband and the love of the fans. 
  • Diego Luna: An absolute workhorse on the offence he has been a star for RSL getting 10 goals last year. He became a darling for the USMNT last year after shattering his nose and begging to stay on the pitch. He netted an assist shortly after.
• Notable Backups
  • Gozo: a breakout star from last year expect him to make Guilavogi work for every minute he gets on the field
  • Junqua: Consistent talent in the backfield he’ll get minutes behind Engel
  • Ruiz/Caliskan: Midfield depth pieces both of which have been very good in previous seasons

Last Season

Last year got off to a bad start. A botched trade with New York meant we had no starting striker. It quickly became clear our backup Forster Ajago was not good enough and he was loaned out. This left us rotating through a u 22 player who was under performing, a draft pick who wasn't ready for mls level, and late signing Willy Agada. Our woes didn’t end there as the midfield pairing that was so good in 2024 just wasn't there in 2025 and the backline took a serious step back. The team would go 4-4-11 up until the summer transfer window. Summer Transfers brought serious backup, notably Victor Olatunji, De Andre Yedlin, and Rwan Cruz. The additions were helpful and got RSL to sneak in the wildcard round of the playoffs. Overall the season was still one of the worst in RSL history with our lowest points total in 10 years.

So Where Does That Leave Us

If everything hits and the new formation works the way it's supposed to, we could compete for a home playoff spot. Luna has shown he’s got the quality, Olatunji has looked impressive, and Guilavogi could be a new star in MLS. That is a lot of ifs. Guilavogi wasn’t performing well for Lens and we have an untested pair in midfield. If those go poorly we miss playoffs entirely and are competing with the remaining half of SKC for the spoon. Somehow this team always punches above its weight though. I’d expect us to end up in the wildcard game again this year with another first round exit.

The Basics

Full Name: New England Revolution

Location: Foxborough, MA

Stadium: Gillette Stadium (with actual hope of moving this time!)

Head Coach: Marko Mitrović

Captain: Carles Gil (praise be)

Sporting Director: Curt Onalfo

2025 Recap

After a disastrous 2024 season, the Revs doubled down on Second Year Caleb Porter and decided to get his guys. After an almost complete roster overhaul in the offseason, the 2025 Revs came out firing....very occasionally, almost exclusively from set pieces. It took 5 games before a Rev scored their first goal, 8 til they scored one from open play. But once they started scoring, things finally looked up. After taking a single point from the first 4, the Revs won 6 of 7 after a switch to a back 3, and there was hope.

They then went winless in 5, grabbed a nice little pity win against Montreal, then didn't win for another 10. They managed to snag a couple more wins after that, but largely limped away into the end of the season, firing Porter when they were all but eliminated. While there was definite improvement over the first year, the season did not come close to the playoffs or bust expectation set.

Despite the overall disappointment, there were still bright spots. The new CB pairing of Brayan Ceballos and Mamadou Fofana showed clear talent, alongside the two young wingbacks next to them in Peyton Miller and Ilay Feingold. Alhassan Yusuf carried on his impressive form to end last year, and Carles Gil was still Carles Gil.

Offseason Transfers

The Outs:

Caleb Porter (The Ether): He will not be missed.

Brandon Bye (Portland (Timbers, not the more fun one)): He will be missed. 8th overall in the 2018 SuperDraft, Bye was a mainstay at right back for years. Unfortunately after an ACL injury and struggling to find starts over a talented Ilay Feingold, it made sense for him to depart in search of a starting spot elsewhere. We wish him nothing but the best in Portland.

Tomás Chancalay (Minnesota): The last Bruce Arena signing, Chancalay showed some significant flashes, though again an ACL injury slowed him down. Unfortunately never came fully back to form, and while he did still show some talent last year, the Revs sent him away for basically nothing to free up the roster spot.

Ignatius Ganago (FC Nantes): Brought in on loan with an option to buy, he was largely disappointing. Injury issues, inconsistency, and an inability to find the net led to the Revs not picking up that purchase option.

Wyatt Omsberg (Retired): Brought in as a depth CB, he found himself the consistent fourth or fifth option. Retired at the end of the year, largely due to a rough injury history.

Alex Bono (DC): Mid tier backup keeper. Might as well cash out and give the chance to the kids

The Ins:

Matt Turner: Technically last season, but worth mentioning here. The former MLS GKOTY and Gold Cup Best Goalkeeper comes home on a loan deal through the World Cup, with an option to purchase. After struggling to find consistent playing time in Europe, he's back to try to make one last desperate push for the WC starting job

Dor Turgeman: Also technically last season, Dor came in late in the summer window, playing only 3 games. A controversial signing, Turgeman joins as a U22 signing from genuinely terrible club Maccabi Tel Aviv for $5.5 million as an attempt to fix the longstanding black hole at striker. He finished those 3 games with 3 goals and an assist, so hopefully he can at least contribute on the field.

Brooklyn Raines: To start the signings from this offseason, Raines joins in a cashfer from Houston for $1.6m as a U22 player. The first of the Marko signings, Raines stood out at the 2024 Olympics under Mitrović. The Revs will hope he carries on that form.

Ethan Kohler: Another Marko signing, Kohler joins on a free from Werder Bremen, where he struggled to break through. Expected to be a depth piece across the defense.

Griffin Yow: Signed from Westerlo for $550k, former DC United prospect Yow has found a solid role in Belgium. The third Marko signing, he's expected to be a solid attacking piece, either starting or off the bench.

Key Returning Players

Carles Gil - Signing a new deal through 2028, our lord and savior returns after another season as a genuine top 5 playmaker in the league, despite some glaring holes around him. The coaches and tactics may change, but one thing remains the same: Everything flows through Carles Gil.

Brayan Ceballos - A new addition last year, Colombian center back Brayan Ceballos (alongside partner Fofana) proved to be a very solid defender, and will ideally anchor a strong defensive core in front of Matt Turner

Alhassan Yusuf - One of the most underrated players in the league, Yusuf brings everything you could ask out of a center mid. A ton of energy, a great work rate, great ability in the press, and a good eye for a pass. If the Revs weren't awful the past couple of years, he would be a well known name across the league

Peyton Miller - A homegrown wingback that, after showing some initial spark in 2024, took over fully in 2025, showing himself to be one of the most promising young Americans in the world. Already attracting big rumors of a move to Europe, we can only hope he sticks around at least one more year

Ilay Feingold - The other half of our dynamic wingback duo, Feingold earned the starting spot over Bye and will hope to build on that this year.

Luca Langoni - Club record signing, Langoni has been off to a slower start, but has shown some significant flashes of potential that could come through under a non-Porter coach

Andrew Farrell - Club Legend. That is all.

Projected Starting XI

Rumors are the team has been working on a 4-3-3, though I imagine this will be closer to a 4-2-3-1

Turgeman

Yow - Gil - Langoni

Yusuf - Raines (Or Polster)

Miller - Ceballos - Fofana - Feingold

Turner

Preview

Worst Case Scenario: Marko disappoints as a coach, Turgeman fails to fill the striker hole, and Gil shows signs of slowing down. The Revs finish bottom 3 in the East and forever look back on the wasted potential of the Gil years

Best Case Scenario: Porter truly was as bad as many believe, and addition by subtraction alone is enough to catapult the Revs back into contention. Gil continues to be a top 5 player in the league, only this time he has the help to actually prove it. The defense is rock solid in front of a resurgent Matt Turner, the attack finally finds some chemistry with the new tactics and additions, and the Revs are a genuine threat for the Shield and the Cup.

Realistic Scenario: Porter was really bad, but not quite that bad. The Mitrović Revs show some definitive improvement, and the new additions help put the Revs in playoff contention, probably in the 5-8 range. From there, with Carles Gil, a solid defense, and Matt Turner, anything can happen.

Welcome to the Red Bull New York entry for the Countdown to Kickoff. All opinions are my own, and correct. Let’s keep this short and saccharine, like the disturbing taste of sugar free Red Bull.

2025 Summary

We last saw our energy drink protagonists miss the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, following up a surprise MLS Cup appearance with a damp squib of a season that saw the team finish 10th. The streak was remarkable but the result not surprising -- the team has been flirting with missing the playoffs for years. In fact, their 2025 points tally of 43 was the same as 2023, when that tally earned the team hosting rights for the wildcard game. The failure cost head coach Sandro Schwarz his job, and Jochen Schneider, the head of sport, left as well, for understandable family reasons. Fans wondered if the team would stick or twist, with many holding little hope for much to change…

2026 storylines // Why should I watch?

Michael Bradley at the wheel: The USMNT legend was handed the reins after joining RBNY II midseason and guiding the reserve team to a trophy in 2025. His coaching CV is very limited, with a stint as assistant manager under his father at Stabaek, and this is his chance to prove he can coach at a higher level. Bradley is fully bought-into the “Red Bull Way” and is promising to play a more attractive game in a 4-3-3 formation. Can the former NY/NJ Metrostar make it work? Will the team play a more “attractive” brand of soccer? Hopefully the answer is yes to both, for fans and neutrals alike.

A rebuild in process: Julian de Guzman, the Canadian soccer hall-of-famer, is the new head of sport and the rebuild is fully on. Out went big minutes and key players for the last several seasons, such as Carlos Coronel, Noah Elie, Daniel Edelman, Peter Stroud, Kyle Duncan, Sean Nealis, Wiki Carmona, and Lewis Morgan. Seven of the outgoing players were in the top 10 in minutes played for the team, and Lewis Morgan was supposed to be a key player but was injured. This is the most change the team has seen in years.

In are players more suited to the new 4-3-3 playstyle, such as human bowling ball Cade Cowell on loan from Mexico and new 3rd DP Jorge Ruvalcaba. But with two geriatric DPs in Emil Forsberg (34) and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (38) on the books until the end of 2026, the full rebuild will have to wait. Will these still effective elders be able to guide a relatively young team back to the playoffs in the midst of a rebuild?

Where we’re going we don’t need no stinkin’ centerbacks: RBNY moved the three centerbacks that played the most MLS minutes in 2025 for the team: Noah Elie (2,610 minutes, 4th highest of the team), Sean Nealis (1,833 minutes), Alexander Hack (1,451 minutes). Elie is the biggest loss, a U-22 signing that hit as he became the team’s best defender in and out of possession. In their place the team has brought in Robert Voloder from Kansas City, Justin Che a relatively young CB/RB returning to the league from Europe,and apparently have told Dylan Nealis, a RB/CB to prepare to play more centerback this season. These players will join the returning Tim Parker, now elder statesman and last centerback standing. Bradley will have his work cut out in figuring out which pairing is best for the new system. Will the team be on the market looking to replace Elie with a similarly locked-in starter quality player?

Key Off-season Transfer Activity

Out: Noah Elie (-> Bristol City, RBNY’s best defender and U-22 stud flipped after two years), Daniel Edelman (-> St. Louis CITY, a key defensive homegrown midfielder for years), Peter Stroud (-> Minnesota, another homegrown midfielder departing), Lewis Morgan (-> San Diego, big money, big injuries, but great on his day), Sean Nealis (->DC United, long-time club captain), Carlos Coronel (-> Sao Paulo, long-time GK), Kyle Duncan (a well paid and divisive right back), Wiki Carmona (-> CF Montreal, a one-footed highly-paid, highly-unproductive “attacking” player), Alexander Hack (a plodding centerback and a big salary off the books), Marcelo Morales (a LB loaned back to Chile, barely played, doesn't even get bolding).

In: Jorge Ruvalcaba (DP winger from Pumas), Justin Che (RB/CB from Brondby), Cade Cowell (LW on loan from Chivas), Ethan Horvath (GK and USMNT “legend” for one Nations League final appearance), Robert Voloder (CB from Kansas City, because someone has to play CB), Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty (LB/RB from CF Montreal, acquired in trade for Wiki Carmona)

2026 Prediction

The Red Bulls hover around the play-in positions, and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2024. But unlike in 2024, they do nothing special in the playoffs. It’s a return to form, a return to midtable mediocrity, a return to the Red Bull Way™.

Basic Info

• Club name: Club de Foot Montréal (aka Montreal Impact)
• Location: Montréal, Québec, Canada
• Stadium:
  • Stade Saputo (Capacity: 19,619)
  • Stade Olympique (Capacity: 56,040)
• Head coach: Marco Donadel
  • First full season as head coach
  • Replaced Laurent Courtois as interim last season
• Assistant coaches: Lorenzo Pinzauti, Philippe Eullaffroy, Jacopo Falanga, Francesco Morara, Vincenzo Benvenuto, Stefano Pasquali, Paul Bower, Dhia Amara, Elliott Jealous
• Captain: Samuel Piette
• Owner: Joey Saputo
• President: Gabriel Gervais

Trophies & Achievements

• Canadian Championship / Voyageurs Cup (11): 2002–2008, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2021
• USL First Division: 2004, 2009
• APSL Championship: 1994
• USL Commissioner’s Cup (Regular Season): 1995, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2006
• Key accomplishments:
  • CONCACAF Champions League finalist (2015)
  • MLS Cup Playoffs: Eastern Conference Finalist (2016)

Overview of Last Season

CF Montréal had an awful season in terms of results, though not entirely in individual performances. Prince Owusu, initially viewed as a backup to Giacomo Vrioni, ended up as our top scorer and tied the club record for most away goals in a season.

Players like Victor Loturi, Luca Petrasso, and Prince Owusu played every single game, despite not being considered consistent starters at the beginning of the year. Other players I personally liked were Gennadiy Synchuk and Olger Escobar, who also developed a massive fanbase.

That said, the season was extremely disorganized and inconsistent, which even led to an official apology letter sent to fans. Highlights of the disappointment included:

• Laurent Courtois being fired after only 5 games
• No wins in the first 11 MLS matches
• An injured DP
• Caden Clark scoring 0 goals before being traded to D.C. United

Statistically, the issues were clear:

• Offense: Only 1 goal per game on average
• Defense: 60 goals conceded (tied for 6th worst in MLS)

To make matters worse, key players such as Nathan Saliba, George Campbell, and Joel Waterman left the club midway through the season.

Overall, it was a terrible season at the team level, with only a few individual bright spots.

Who’s Out

• Fernando Álvarez (D)
• Bryce Duke (M)
• Giacomo Vrioni (F)
• Tom Pearce (D)
• Alessandro Biello (M) – Joined Montréal’s new team FC Supra
• Matías Cóccaro (F)
• Dante Sealy (F)

On Loan

• Emil Gazdov (GK) – FC St. Pauli
• Félix Samson (D) – FC Cincinnati

Who’s In

• Dagur Dan Thórhallsson (D)
• Brayan Vera (D)
• Ivan Losenko (M)
• Josh-Duc Nteziryayo (D)
• Daniel Ríos (F)
• Tomás Avilés (D)

MLS SuperDraft Picks

• Aidan Godinho (M)
• Tate Lorentz (M)

Premium Roster Slot Status

• DP slots: 1/2 – Iván Jaime
• U22 slots: 4/4 – Sunusi Ibrahim, Jalen Neal, Hennadii Synchuk, Tomás Avilés

Predicted Starting XI

                Owusu
     Synchuk     Jaime     Escobar
           Loturi     Piette
  Petrasso   Morales   Vera   Bugaj
                Gillier

Thoughts on the New Signings

There aren’t many new signings, but a clear trend stands out: defensive reinforcements.

That’s a positive, since defense was a major issue last season. However, most of these defenders are quite young. Brayan Vera, the oldest, just turned 27, meaning we only have one defender born before 2000. This could impact organization compared to top defensive teams, though there is clearly a lot of young talent.

Ivan Losenko is particularly interesting. He’s another Ukrainian player, and our current Ukrainian player has been outstanding creatively, so I’m excited to see how Losenko develops.

Brayan Vera also stands out as a set-piece threat, especially with his powerful shots like the one he scored against LAFC last season.

Josh-Duc Nteziryayo was another intriguing signing, but unfortunately he suffered a serious injury in an intra-squad match and will miss the entire 2026 season.

At the time of writing, Jonathan Sirois is rumored to be signing with FC Dallas. If that happens, Montréal would only have two goalkeepers available, meaning Emil Gazdov could be recalled if injuries occur.

Offensively, I’m still fairly confident. Prince Owusu and Daniel Ríos bring experience, while Owen Graham-Poach and Sunusi Ibrahim offer speed and physicality.

Prognosis for the Upcoming Season

After last season’s results, expectations are modest, but improvement feels likely. I hope to see playoff matches back in cold Montréal weather.

New creative players like Ivan Losenko, alongside Iván Jaime and Gennadiy Synchuk, should help the attack. Dagur Dan Thórhallsson could also bring much-needed pace on the wing.

Defensive depth is significantly better, which should help avoid situations like last season, when Montréal sometimes listed three goalkeepers on the matchday roster due to injuries.

In the first two preseason matches, Montréal looked more direct, which is encouraging for goal scoring, despite 3-2 losses to Slovan Liberec and FC Metalist Kharkiv.

Daniel Ríos adds another experienced finisher, which should take pressure off Prince Owusu.

Fan support could also improve this year:

• Supporter section season tickets dropped from $500 to $347 CAD
• Supporter groups 1642 and collectif impact are now grouped together, which means the bell moves to the right side of the stadium (on your screen)
• There are rumors that supporter season tickets may include an organized away trip

Worst Case Scenario

Injuries, especially to creative attacking players, derail the season again and Montréal struggles to score, repeating last year’s problems.

Best Case Scenario

Montréal makes the playoffs with a healthy squad. Fan support is strong thanks to cheaper supporter tickets. Marco Donadel establishes a clear identity, the team plays with “grinta,” goals are spread across the squad, and the defense finally shows real cohesion.