The 25th Season of MLS is here!

With two new teams coming into the league, new record signings and a brand new anthem (composed by the renowned Hans Zimmer), a new season of Major League Soccer is set to start this very Saturday. What are the most exciting bits of the upcoming year in the MLS and who should we keep our eyes on?

David Beckham’s Inter Miami could shine brightest

Inter is not the only newcomer in the league, but surely they stole all the spotlight from the guys in Nashville, thanks to the amazing squad they built so far. They are now the third most valuable team in the league (behind Atlanta and Los Angeles FC), with $44 million, says transfermarkt.com.

Diego Alonso is one of the best coaches in the competition, if not the best, and he proved it by previously winning twice the CONCACAF Champions League. 

While everybody expected from Inter to sign a big name from Europe as a Designated Player, they opted for two 19-year old Argentinians: Mattias Pellegrini and Julian Carranza. The most impressive transfer they made is the signing of Rodolfo Pizarro, the former playmaker of Mexican champions, Monterrey.

Everybody expects great results from David Beckham’s team and I am sure they will live up to the expectations. The start could be a rough one, though, as they will face four top opponents in the first four games. 

An exciting new approach in the transfers area

The Major League Soccer got us used to adding many European super-stars to its portfolio after every transfer window. It didn’t happen this time. Most of the teams in the U.S. filled their DP (designated player) positions with South-American players or young European prospects.

We mentioned Inter Miami’s transfers above, but they are not the only ones to look for value in different places. Seattle bought the Brazilian Joao Paulo as a DP, while Sporting Kansas City acquired the reigning Liga MX scoring champion, Alan Pulido.

On the same note, Chicago Fire signed Slovenian Robert Beric from St. Etienne and Ignacio Aliseda, a 19-year-old winger from Argentina.

Legends leaving the U.S. stage

Yes, we all think of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney, but there are some other stars to have left the league before the start of this season too. Bastian Schweinsteiger will no longer be part of the Chicago Fire roster, while his former teammate Nico Gaitan moved to Lille in Ligue 1. Romain Alessandrini’s contract with LA Galaxy hasn’t been renewed, so the French will leave Schelotto’s squad. 

Tim Howard has retired, so that means Colorado Rapids will have to rely on Clint Irwin in goal. Ignacio Piatti, Montreal Impact’s top man also left the club coached by the legendary Thierry Henry, after scoring 66 goals and delivering 35 assists in 135 appearances for the Canadians.

I am sure we’re going to miss the action that the above-mentioned brought to the table, but I also feel like the quality of the game will be taken to another level this year. We’ll be monitoring all the action in the league for the whole season so stay tuned for more insights from the 25th Season of Major League Soccer!

Nicu Vădan Quality Assurance