Three months will have passed since the 2015 MLS Cup final when the 2016 Major League Soccer campaign kicks off on Sunday, and plenty has happened in that time. North America’s top flight is set for another compelling season.
There have been managerial changes, big-name transfers and a number of exciting drafts and trades. MLS is among world football’s most difficult leagues to predict, but therein lies part of its charm. Here are five big questions ahead of the 2016 campaign.
Can Patrick Vieira adapt to the demands of MLS?
New York City FC certainly didn’t hang around in reacting to their expansion season, sacking head coach Jason Kreis despite the club charting a reasonable campaign. Patrick Vieira has now been planted as the satellite replacement by parent club Manchester City, becoming the highest profile appointment from outside the MLS circle since Ruud Gullit was named LA Galaxy boss.
But how will Vieira adapt to the complex and often alien ways of North American soccer? At a football level, the former Arsenal man must find a way to get the best from his star players. For instance, Andrea Pirlo only contributed two assists in 13 appearances last season, with fellow central midfielder Frank Lampard only averaging 0.7 key passes per match.
While NYC FC have largely managed to keep their squad together over the off-season, they have been left somewhat short at the back. Chris Wingert, Shay Facey and Josh Williams are all no longer at the club, with the trio among NYC FC’s most prolific clearers of the ball last season - Facey averaged 4.9 clearances per game, for example.
Do the Montreal Impact’s chances depend on Didier Drogba?
At one point it looked highly unlikely that Didier Drogba would return to MLS for a second season, with the Ivorian seemingly set on a return to Chelsea as part of Guus Hiddink’s coaching staff. However, he remained at the Montreal Impact and it’s just as well for Mauro Biello that he has. His side are utterly reliant on the 37-year-old.
Drogba hit an astonishing vein of form in MLS last season, scoring 12 times in just as many starts. He gave the Impact the attacking focal point that they had previously lacked, turning the Stade Saputo outfit into credible MLS Cup contenders. The Ivorian was an attacking force of nature, averaging 4.1 shots and winning 3.1 aerial duels per game.
But there remains a chance that Drogba could return to England when Chelsea appoint a permanent manager in the summer. In that instance, how hard would the Montreal Impact’s chances of building on their 2015 performance be hit?
How successful will the LA Galaxy’s reconstruction be?
Life without Landon Donovan wasn’t so bright for the LA Galaxy last season as they crashed out of the playoffs at the first opportunity. However, the Carson club have replenished their squad over the off-season, with Ashley Cole, Nigel De Jong and Jelle van Damme all signing for Bruce Arena’s team.
However, the Galaxy have also lost Omar Gonzalez and Juninho, robbing them of MLS nous and expertise. The former in particular will be missed, with Gonzalez averaging 5.9 interceptions per game last season, as well as 5.9 clearances. He was the base on which LA’s defensive line has been built over the past few years.
The Galaxy’s fortunes will also depend on whether they can make the most of the attacking partnership between Robbie Keane and Giovani Dos Santos. The Mexican made an impressive start at LA last season, averaging 2.3 shots on goal per game. Can he now become the player that defines the Carson club and their championship challenge?
Can Sebastian Giovinco replicate his 2015 achievements?
The Italian playmaker was so good last season it has been debated whether his 2015 campaign was the greatest ever performed by any individual in MLS history. Sebastian Giovinco certainly lived up to his billing as the Atomic Ant by carrying Toronto FC for much of the year.
Of course, he could only carry them as far as the first round of the playoffs, but can TFC now build on that and give Giovinco the kind of support he deserves? The Italian registered 22 goals and 13 assists in 34 appearances last term, making him the epitome of efficiency with an average of only 18.8 overall passes per game, 1.8 of them key passes.
Greg Vanney has focussed his off-season efforts in finding a new defensive line to give Giovinco and his attacking teammates - Jozy Altidore for example - some kind of platform, with Clint Irwin, Steven Beitashour and Drew Moor all joining. TFC look in good shape, but can Giovinco possibly match his 2015 feats?
Are the New York Red Bulls now the epitome of stability?
The New York Red Bulls were once a by-word for uncertainty in MLS circles, with the Harrison franchise perpetually failing to live up to their shimmering, big-money, big-name potential. That was before they lifted two Supporters’ Shields in the space of just three years, though.
Under Jesse Marsch, the Red Bulls were the picture of consistency last term, with American duo Sacha Kljestan and Dax McCarty excelling in MLS’ most effective midfield unit. With eight goals and 10 assists over the course of 2015, the former became New York’s attacking spark through the middle, with McCarty - who averaged 3.3 tackles and 2.8 interceptions per match - the enforcer. They were the perfect pair.
For the third successive season, the Red Bulls have managed to keep together the bulk of their squad, with Marsch and those upstairs at Red Bull Arena focussing on shrewder transfer investment, rather than competing with NYC FC for the shirt-shifters. It’s a ploy that has worked so far - but will it work again?
Who are your favourites to lift the 2016 MLS Cup? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
