espite the loss of
coach Tata Martino,
who is now in charge
of Mexico’s national
side, and Paraguayan
playmaker Miguel
Almiron to Newcastle United, defending
champions Atlanta United are the front
runners to win the 2019 MLS Cup.
While the departure of Almiron will
obviously hurt, the blow is softened
by the $27million Atlanta received
from the Premier League side and
the arrival of Gonzalo “Pity” Martinez,
from Libertadores Cup winners River
Plate, who was South America’s player
of the year in 2018.
The man brought in to replace
Martino and to lead a largely Latino
team is Dutch coach Frank De Boer,
which is an interesting appointment
considering European bosses have
never really flourished in MLS.
Atlanta’s biggest challengers this term
could be Los Angeles FC. Coached
by former USA boss Bob Bradley, they
finished third in the Western Conference
last year, which was a remarkable
achievement for an expansion team.
A lively, attractive side, they can also
count plenty of goals, with Mexican
striker Carlos Vela and his UruguayanAtlanta still the
team to beat
Champions sell Almiron but sign Martinez
partner Diego Rossi returning this year.
New York Red Bulls could mount a
challenge. A solid, if unspectacular side,
they have a reputation of being a team
who regularly make the play-offs but fail
to advance to the Final. This year they will
have to make do without 20-year-old
midfielder Tyler Adams who has joined
Bundesliga club RB Leipzig.
Portland Timbers, last year’s losing
finalists, must also be added to the list
of possible challengers.
Under Giovanni Savarese, who is the
brightest of the younger MLS coaches,
Timbers are basically a Latin team, and
with 10 of last year’s starters returning
they have been looking for just one
reinforcement: a striker. Their chief target
is reportedly 21-year-old Ezequiel Ponce,
an Argentinian who is currently on loan at
AEK in Greece from Roma.
DC United fans will have been
pleased that negotiations with Paris
Saint-Germain over the sale of
Argentinian playmaker Luciano Acosta
broke down. He will now stay and resume
the very productive partnership with
Wayne Rooney that propelled the club
into the play-offs last time out.
LA Galaxy, miffed at being upstaged
by newcomers Los Angeles FC, have a
new coach in Guillermo Barros Schelotto,
who took Boca Juniors to last year’s
Libertadores Cup Final. Despite some
spectacular goals from the flamboyantCoaches...the men in
charge of MLS 2019D
USA
PAUL GARDNER