Soccer 360 - CA (2020-03 & 2020-04)

2020 SEASON PREVIEW

GOLDEN 25TH. 2020 MLS

MARCO D'ONOFRIO PROVIDES A TEAM-BY-TEAM BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM THE 2020 MLS SEASON.

Atlanta United

2019 SEASON: 18-4-12, 58 points (Second

in the East, Conference finalists)

KEY ADDITIONS: Brooks Lennon (Real Salt

Lake), Mo Adams (Chicago Fire), Edgar

Castillo (NE Revolution), Fernando Meza

(Necaxa)

DEPARTURES: Julian Gressel (D.C. United),

Darlington Nagbe (Columbus), Justin

Meram (Real Salt Lake), Michael Parkhurst

(Retired)

Atlanta United will be disappointed with the

way they were eliminated from the playoffs

last year and will be eager to get back to

MLS Cup for the second time in three years.

They have the quality and depth to do it

with the likes of Josef Martinez and Pity

Martinez both returning. Atlanta United will

be a real force throughout the season.

Chicago Fire

2019 SEASON: 10-12-12, 42 points (Eighth

in the East, did not make playoffs)

KEY ADDITIONS: Robert Beric (St. Etienne),

Alvaro Medran (FA - Valencia), Elliot Collier

(Memphis 901)

DEPARTURES: Nico Gaitan (Lille), Nemanja

Nikolics (Fehervar), Aleksander Katai (LA

Galaxy), Dax McCarthy (Nashville), Bastian

Schweinsteiger (Retired)

An ambitious plan to re-brand and re-

market the club has officially started

as the team has moved back to Soldier

Field, where they played prior to their

move to Bridgeview. The club have a new

logo and a new squad as well with both

Schweinsteiger, Nemanja Nikoli, and captain

Dax McCarty all leaving town. It'll be a year

of transition for the Fire to say the least.

FC Cincinnati

2019 SEASON: 6-6-22, 24 points (Last in

the East, did not make playoffs)

KEY ADDITIONS: Jurgen Locadia

(Brighton), Yuya Kubo (Gent), Haris

Medunjanin (Philadelphia), Tom Pettersson

(Ostersund)

DEPARTURES: Leonardo Bertone (FC

Thun), Fanendo Adi (Columbus), Victor

Ulloa (Inter Miami), Alvas Powell (Inter

Miami)

No team in the entire league finished with

fewer points than FC Cincinnati, who played

their inaugural season in MLS last year. The

second year franchise still has a lot of work

to do though before competing with the

elite teams in MLS and will probably not

have much success in 2020 either. Dutch

tactician Ron Jans returns on the bench for

his first full season with the team after he

took over the reins in August last year.

Columbus Crew

2019 SEASON: 10-8-16, 38 points (Tenth in

the East, did not make playoffs)

KEY ADDITIONS: Lucas Zelarayan (Tigres),

Darlington Nagbe (Atlanta United), Vito

Wormgoor (SK Brann)

DEPARTURES: Will Trapp (Inter Miami),

David Guzman (Saprissa), Lalas Abubakar

(Colorado)

Caleb Porter is back for his second season

in charge of the Crew as he looks to guide

his team back into the playoffs after a

disappointing campaign last year. The

club have revamped their coaching squad

by bringing in the likes of Tim Hanley,

who has won three MLS Cups as part of

various coaching staffs. The team should

do better than last season, but still lack the

quality to be a threat in the difficult Eastern

Conference. They will likely be sitting on the

outside of the playoff picture once again.

Josef Martinez

Atlanta United FC

Robert Berić

Chicago Fire FC

Jimmy McLaughlin

FC Cincinnati

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Jordan Hamilton

Columbus Crew SC