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ESPN FC   |   MLS   |   3/5/2015

20 Burning Questions

Ahead of Major League Soccer's 20th season, ESPN FC writers ask -- and answer -- a key question pertaining to each of the 20 participating clubs. From the defending champion LA Galaxy to first-year clubs Orlando City and New York City FC, this is a look at the fundamental storylines that could make or break the 2015 campaign.


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ESPN FC   |   MLS   |   3/5/2015

20 Burning Questions


Ahead of Major League Soccer's 20th season, ESPN FC writers ask -- and answer -- a key question pertaining to each of the 20 participating clubs. From the defending champion LA Galaxy to first-year clubs Orlando City and New York City FC, this is a look at the fundamental storylines that could make or break the 2015 campaign.





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Chicago Fire

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Will Chicago get back on track?

If it seems like a long time since Chicago was considered one of MLS's premier clubs, that's because it has been. Having made the postseason in 11 of their first 12 campaigns, in 2014 the Fire missed the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons.

Not surprisingly, second year coach Frank Yallop retooled his roster this winter, cutting loose veterans such as Gonzalo Segares and Bakary Soumare and bringing in pace and youth, most notably with the signings of strikers Kennedy Igboananike of Nigeria and David Accam of Ghana and a third designated player, Scotland's Shaun Maloney, to set them up. That might be enough to get the Fire back into the playoff hunt, if not quite the upper echelons of MLS.

by DOUG MCINTYRE

Colorado Rapids

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How does Marcelo Sarvas make Colorado better?

The Rapids are young, talented and maddeningly inconsistent. Their head coach, Pablo Mastroeni, is a novice who was unsure about taking the position as late as a few months before the 2014 season. Although fans might point to a lack of spending as the club's biggest problem, what the Rapids missed most in 2014 was experience and savvy in the form of a natural defensive midfielder.

New addition Marcelo Sarvas, who won two MLS Cup titles with the L.A. Galaxy, fits that description perfectly. Sarvas should help settle some of the selection issues Colorado faced last season and Mastroeni now has a name he can write in pen on the lineup sheet, no matter who else he chooses to man the midfield.

by JASON DAVIS

Columbus Crew

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Is Kei Kamara the answer to Columbus' striker problem?

For all the good Gregg Berhalter did in his first year as head coach in Columbus, he never possessed the one piece that might have put them over the top against the big boys in the Eastern Conference: a trustworthy lead striker. Enter Kei Kamara, the former Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City player who returns to MLS in 2015 after a sojourn to England's second division.

Is Kamara the answer? He's certainly an upgrade, and it stands to reason that if Federico Higuain plays at his usual level, Kamara might be the difference between Columbus merely making the playoffs and it contending for a berth in the MLS Cup final, which the Crew have not done since winning a championship back in 2008.

by JASON DAVIS

D.C. United

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Can D.C. United become consistent contenders?

Ben Olsen used the back end of a disastrous 2013 season to blood the young players who'd become the core of the successful 2014 side (augmented with strategic veterans in the offseason). Olsen and the D.C. technical staff showed a shrewd understanding of the possibilities as well as the limitations of forced parity. His reward was a record-breaking points swing and first place in the East.

The question is just how much flux the team will be in again this year. In an intriguing development, hot and cold Fabian Espindola is back as a designated player, but perhaps the key signing is the experienced versatile Markus Halsti. There's an argument that as goes his midfield partnership with Perry Kitchen, so will go D.C. this year.

by GRAHAM PARKER

FC Dallas

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Will Dallas' young core suffer from growing pains?

Oscar Pareja knows how to get the most out of young talent. After taking the Colorado Rapids to the playoffs in 2013, despite a roster beset by injury and full of inexperience, the Colombian coach did it again in a new locale with FC Dallas last year.

The club's success was built on a core of players all under the age of 25: Kellyn Acosta, Matt Hedges, Fabian Castillo, Moises Hernandez, Victor Ulloa and Walker Zimmerman, to name just a handful. If there's going to be a return to the postseason this year, Pareja will need to squeeze out an even higher level of play from that group, thanks in part to the migration of Houston and Sporting Kansas City to the West.

by JASON DAVIS

Houston Dynamo

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Can Houston's new coach succeed in MLS?

Here's what new Houston head coach Owen Coyle is up against as he makes the jump from Great Britain for a new frontier in Texas: a labyrinth of complicated roster rules, exhausting travel from one side of a continent to the other, questions of roster depth and the energy-sapping heat of a summer in Houston.

Can the former Bolton and Wigan boss translate his knowledge of the game to the North American league? It won't be easy, especially as the Dynamo jump over to the deeper Western Conference, where competition for playoff places is fierce. The general rule is that foreign coaches struggle to adapt to MLS. Whether Coyle can be the exception might determine the fortunes of the Dynamo in 2015.

by JASON DAVIS

LA Galaxy

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Is there life after Landon Donovan?

In a word, yes, though it may take a while for some of the new pieces to jell, as well as compensate for the loss of Marcelo Sarvas. Steven Gerrard will arrive in July, and his arrival is expected to galvanize the L.A. attack, though in a much different way than Landon Donovan did. While Donovan was lethal in transition, Gerrard's range of passing is expected to help pick apart opposition defenses.

Meanwhile, there is still reigning MVP Robbie Keane to contend with, and Gyasi Zardes continues to mature. Defensively, the Galaxy should be in fine shape, especially with Juninho still on the books as well as Omar Gonzalez and underrated defender A.J. DeLaGarza. Look for L.A. to contend again, though the early going may see some hiccups.

by JEFF CARLISLE

Montreal Impact

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Will stability help Montreal?

Something remarkable happened in Montreal this offseason: The Impact kept their coach. It's a radical new approach for owner Joey Saputo and his club, which had a new boss on the sidelines in each of its first three MLS seasons. Still, if Frank Klopas is to survive until the end of 2015, his team will have to improve dramatically.

The Impact finished dead last in the Eastern Conference last season, and they still haven't found someone who can fill the offensive void created by the retirement of Italian striker Marco Di Vaio, who scored 34 goals in 76 games from 2012-14. That means Klopas' task will be difficult, even with an extra playoff spot now available in the weakened East.

by DOUG MCINTYRE

New England Revolution

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Can New England go one step further?

Why not? Jay Heaps' side was the best in the league after August before falling in extra time to the L.A. Galaxy in MLS Cup. This year, they'll have midfield lynchpin Jermaine Jones from the beginning of the season. MVP candidate Lee Nguyen also returns, and so does former (and perhaps future) U.S. national team striker Juan Agudelo, who managed seven goals in 14 appearances for the Revs before heading to Europe following the 2013 season.

Add in the invaluable experience the Revs acquired on that run to the final and the fact that they're playing in a depleted Eastern Conference, and there's no reason New England can't finally have a soccer champion, too.

by DOUG MCINTYRE

New York City FC

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Will Jason Kreis take control of the NYCFC narrative?

When NYCFC played its first friendly against St Mirren, it was almost with a sense of relief that some longer standing MLS observers watched a recognizable Jason Kreis team take the field.
Crisp possession play by technical, hard-working players is a Kreis hallmark, yet the head coach had been in a holding pattern for so long since his appointment after the 2013 season.

The NYCFC story has threatened to run into soap opera territory at times in the past year, with the Frank Lampard and stadium situations both rumbling on and on. Now that the team is finally taking the field, the hope is that Kreis drags the focus back to his desired emphasis on the team as collective. Don't bet against him.

by GRAHAM PARKER

New York Red Bulls

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Will on and off-field moves pay dividends?

For many Red Bulls fans, no team decision is straightforward. It's another piece of evidence adding to speculation about whether the team's owners are cutting costs for a sale, initializing a streamlined long-term vision for the team, or just following a pattern of turning over personnel that appeared to be finally ending in the Mike Petke era.

New general manager Ali Curtis ended that era abruptly, of course, but every decision after Petke's sacking seems to tick a lot of boxes: Jesse Marsch has the makings of a strong technical coach, Felipe Martins and Sacha Kljestan are good creative additions to the midfield and Leo Stolz was a coup from the draft. Still, Curtis is on a short leash with the club's fan base.

by GRAHAM PARKER

Philadelphia Union

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Did Philadelphia do enough in the offseason?

After an offseason that saw the departures of Carlos Valdes, Amobi Okugo and Zac MacMath, along with eight others, Philadelphia fans are again wondering if their team had the worst offseason in MLS.

Defender Steven Vitoria, on loan from Benfica, and forward C.J. Sapong are the club's notable additions. Sapong has speed but has shown patchy evidence of his ability to consistently lead the line, and the giant Vitoria is certainly a credible building block for the 2015 team. But so far, the arrivals are underwhelming.

Jim Curtin did sterling work as an interim coach last season. Now officially installed as head coach on a permanent basis, it looks from the outside as though he's tasked with trying to coax a winning team out of an interim-looking squad.

by GRAHAM PARKER

Portland Timbers

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Has Portland finally sorted out its defense?

After finishing first in the Western Conference in 2013, the expectation was that the Timbers would be even stronger in 2014. Instead, Portland didn't even make the playoffs, and its leaky defense was largely to blame. Simply put, Caleb Porter has burned through more center backs than Spinal Tap did drummers. Norberto Paparatto, Pa Modou Kah and Mamadou Danso never got it going. Portland received some good performances from Liam Ridgewell, but he couldn't do it alone.

So Porter went out and acquired Nat Borchers from Real Salt Lake, a tough veteran defender who is also known for his organizational skills. With Alvas Powell and Jorge Villafana also showing progress, the signs are there that Portland will be a stingier outfit this season.

by JEFF CARLISLE

Real Salt Lake

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Can the new RSL pick up where the old RSL left off?

The times are indeed a'changing for Real Salt Lake. A year after head coach Jason Kreis departed for New York City FC, general manager Garth Lagerwey followed him out the door to take up the GM reins in Seattle. A huge chunk of the nucleus that made RSL consistent playoff qualifiers is gone now too, with Ned Grabavoy, Chris Wingert, and Nat Borchers departing in the offseason.

The return of Jamison Olave stems the tide a little bit, but this will be very different RSL side taking the field this year, handing second-year coach Jeff Cassar a huge challenge. Key contributors such as Javier Morales, Chris Schuler and Nick Rimando will need to find a way to raise their games, as will Luis Gil.

by JEFF CARLISLE

San Jose Earthquakes

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Can a returning coach revive San Jose?

Dominic Kinnear, who managed in San Jose before the club relocated to Houston in 2006, has made it clear that his return to the San Francisco Bay Area isn't about kicking back with his family. He wants to win, something the Quakes have done precious little of since winning the Supporters Shield in 2012. Kinnear has a tall task.

The roster is short on big names other than striker Chris Wondolowski, though the hope is that the other two Designated Players, midfielder Matias Perez Garcia and forward Innocent Emeghara, will deliver. Given that the Quakes scored just 35 goals last season, second-worst in MLS behind now-defunct Chivas USA, they'll need to. That and a healthy backline will help Kinnear return San Jose to winning ways.

by JEFF CARLISLE

Seattle Sounders

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Can Seattle finally break through to win MLS Cup?

After taking a step backward in 2013, Seattle enjoyed an excellent 2014, winning the U.S. Open Cup as well as the Supporters' Shield. However, after losing in the playoffs to its longtime nemesis, the L.A. Galaxy, nothing less than a league championship will do an doing that will require Seattle tightening up its defense.

The Sounders conceded 50 goals last season -- tied for the most among playoff teams. While English league veteran Tyrone Mears is probably a defensive upgrade over the departed DeAndre Yedlin, and Andres Correa has been brought in as well, there are still some questions up the spine of the team, where Zach Scott and Osvaldo Alonso underwent offseason surgery. Seattle will need both to get back to their best to take the next step.

by JEFF CARLISLE

Sporting Kansas City

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Does Kansas City have enough bodies to survive in the West?

After his side crashed out of the playoffs last year, weary-looking manager Peter Vermes remarked that, "We just ran out of bodies." It was certainly the prevailing impression watching Sporting KC down the stretch, as injuries, suspensions, World Cup hangovers and schedule pileups grounded their high-tempo pressing game to a halt. It was almost a mercy to see the 2013 champions depart in the Eastern conference wild-card game.

There are no Champions League distractions this year, but no let up on the schedule front either, with Sporting pushed from the Eastern Conference into the more competitive west. How new signing Luis Marin does in goal will be a big factor, but perhaps the biggest key is the return of Roger Espinoza, who was never quite replaced after his departure for Wigan.

by GRAHAM PARKER

Toronto FC

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Will Toronto finally make the playoffs?

That's not just the biggest question, it's the only one. Fortunately for long-suffering TFC fans, the answer is yes, this is the year Toronto FC will make its long-awaited playoff debut after a league record eight consecutive seasons on the outside. Captain Michael Bradley is healthy, and he should strike up instant chemistry with longtime U.S. teammate Jozy Altidore, a proven MLS goal scorer.

That's not to say the club doesn't still have issues, particularly on defense. But TFC's trump card could be a third 20-something designated player: 28-year-old Sebastian Giovinco, a diminutive (5-foot-5) Italian national team dynamo who arrives from Juventus with 42 Serie A goals on his resume.

by DOUG MCINTYRE

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

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Can Vancouver find a back-line configuration that works?

It has been awfully quiet in Colombia this winter, at least when it comes to the Vancouver Whitecaps and player acquisitions. While their Canadian counterparts in Toronto were making big-money moves, and their Cascadian rivals Seattle and Portland signed notable reinforcements, the 'Caps have been mostly content to fly under the radar.

Two signings -- Uruguayan loanee Diego Rodriguez and former Timber Pa Modou Kah -- represent the sum total of their defensive additions, which is strange, considering they lost Jay DeMerit, Andy O'Brien and Johnny Leveron from their center-back rotation, all of whom played significant minutes last season. Can some combination of Rodriguez, Kah, Kendall Waston and Christian Dean be good enough to get Vancouver back to the playoffs?

by JASON DAVIS

Orlando City FC

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Can Orlando make the playoffs?

Just two expansion teams have qualified for the postseason right out of the gate, but Orlando City has a realistic opportunity to buck the trend in 2015 for several reasons. For one, they have signed former Ballon d'Or winner Kaka, who's still just 32, and backed him up with proven MLS defenders Aurelien Collin and Amobi Okugo.

They'll also play in the historically weaker Eastern Conference, which was diluted further this offseason when Kansas City and Houston were sent to the west to make room for OCSC and fellow newbie New York City FC. Off the field, Orlando hasn't put a foot wrong, creating a stable environment that should allow coach Adrian Heath to squeeze the most out of his roster.

by DOUG MCINTYRE

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