MLS 2019 Season Thread

forevrared

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Pre-season is in full swing and we're a few weeks away from the start of the season. Give us a brief season preview for your club.

---------------------------

Big changes in Atlanta.

Josef Martinez has signed a new long-term deal and declared Atlanta 'his Barcelona or Real Madrid'. Almiron has left for Newcastle and Pity Martinez arrived to take his spot. Frank De Boer has come in for Tata Martino. Darlington Nagbe wants out to reunite with Caleb Porter in Columbus. Boca Juniors is rumored to be sniffing around Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and we replaced Greg Garza with Brek Shea (ugh).

We definitively played better with Nagbe than without him last year - especially when it seemed like we were faltering down the stretch. I hope we can keep him, or at very least recoup the hefty fee we paid Portland for him. The only player I'd want in a trade would probably be Will Trapp, and that's not going to happen. IMO, Nagbe comes away looking a bit unprofessional in nearly refusing to play for anyone but his college coach. If he does go, I suspect we'll have a lot of Remedi and Larentowicz in behind Pity/Barco.

I've not seen much new news on the potential Boca move for LGP, who is criminally underrated around the league, but the signing of Florentin Pogba and impressive play of Miles Robinson in pre-season has our defense looking deeper than it did last season. I suspect we'll play 3 at the back a fair bit more under De Boer, and a starting 3 of LGP/Pogba/Parkhurst looks very strong. Brek Shea should provide a bit of experience on the left side, but I suspect George Bello will see more and more playtime.

I'd like to think that even with the turnover, the team will be good enough to repeat, but it'll all depend on how well De Boer adapts and what he's able to get out of the side.
 

SportingCP96

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Atlanta are clear favorited for the cup in my opinion their squad got better. My NY Red Bulls are exactly the same team as the season before only one signing so far Jorgenson from OD in Denmark. He is an 18 year old kid who was banging in goals for their second team and reserves so hopefully he can adapt because we only have one good striker in BWP. As for my ambitions I think we can reach the playoffs but will fall short per usual.
 

forevrared

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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019...s-europe-should-look-mls-more-miguel-almirons

Wayne Rooney said:
WASHINGTON — On the eve of his first season-opener match for D.C. United, Wayne Rooneyapproaches his first full season in MLS as an even bigger believer in the league than when he first arrived.

He need only point to his former home, the English Premier League, as Exhibit A.

“I don’t know if any of [you] watched the Newcastle game the other day,” Rooney said during Tuesday's press conference at Audi Field, referencing the performance Saturday of former Atlanta United creator Miguel Almiron.

“Almiron went in and he was the best player on the pitch by a mile,” said Rooney, whose team face Atlanta to open the 2019 campaign on Sunday (6 pm ET | ESPN - full TV & streaming info). “I think that’s great for this league to have players going over, to England, to Spain wherever they go and to perform. [It] will give fans around the world and in Europe maybe a different opinion on MLS.”

Before D.C.’s departure to Florida for their preseason, Rooney expressed his belief that the Black-and-Red should aim to contend for the 2019 MLS Cup. But he also stressed Tuesday that’s more a reflection of what he thinks of D.C.’s growth as a club, rather than the competition it will face in the Eastern Conference and beyond.

“I respect the league of course because I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,” Rooney said. “I think the standard of play maybe took me by surprise a little bit with the amount of quality there is in the league.”
I suppose it's all stuff you would expect him to say, but hopefully the league's reputation continues to grow.
 

Samid

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Atlanta couldn't host a CL knockout game at their home venue because of a monster truck event. Never change, America.
 

SoCross

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How are Zlatan and Rooney perceived over there now?
 

SportingCP96

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Orlando are shambolic. Oh poor Nani......
 

SportingCP96

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NYC and Orlando are playing " who can defend worst at the moment":lol:
 

Normandy

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Torrent has been a disaster since joining New York City. Be surprised if he lasts the season.

Decent fight back from Orlando but they cannot afford another season of conceding bucket loads of goals.
 

Loublaze

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Pre-season is in full swing and we're a few weeks away from the start of the season. Give us a brief season preview for your club.

---------------------------

Big changes in Atlanta.

Josef Martinez has signed a new long-term deal and declared Atlanta 'his Barcelona or Real Madrid'. Almiron has left for Newcastle and Pity Martinez arrived to take his spot. Frank De Boer has come in for Tata Martino. Darlington Nagbe wants out to reunite with Caleb Porter in Columbus. Boca Juniors is rumored to be sniffing around Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and we replaced Greg Garza with Brek Shea (ugh).

We definitively played better with Nagbe than without him last year - especially when it seemed like we were faltering down the stretch. I hope we can keep him, or at very least recoup the hefty fee we paid Portland for him. The only player I'd want in a trade would probably be Will Trapp, and that's not going to happen. IMO, Nagbe comes away looking a bit unprofessional in nearly refusing to play for anyone but his college coach. If he does go, I suspect we'll have a lot of Remedi and Larentowicz in behind Pity/Barco.

I've not seen much new news on the potential Boca move for LGP, who is criminally underrated around the league, but the signing of Florentin Pogba and impressive play of Miles Robinson in pre-season has our defense looking deeper than it did last season. I suspect we'll play 3 at the back a fair bit more under De Boer, and a starting 3 of LGP/Pogba/Parkhurst looks very strong. Brek Shea should provide a bit of experience on the left side, but I suspect George Bello will see more and more playtime.

I'd like to think that even with the turnover, the team will be good enough to repeat, but it'll all depend on how well De Boer adapts and what he's able to get out of the side.
LGP is talented but he reminds me too much of Rojo with his lapses in concentration and bad decision making at times. He's never been consistent enough for me. He wouldn't be a miss if he left IMO but at the same time im not saying he must leave. He could look good in that back three you suggested though, with Pogba bringing more maturity and steel to the back line and Parkhurst bringing his expected composure and reassurance. Im excited to see what Pity Martinez brings to AU. He looked good in preseason. Are you from Atlanta? I can't remember if we engaged in last season's MLS thread.
 
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mazhar13

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I'm so glad TFC were able to start their season off with a win. I'm also glad that the back 3 made a return to our setup. We never looked as good in any other formation.

Moor still shows that he's our best defender, and Ciman looked more comfortable in a back 3. Bradley flourished with less defensive responsibilities in the midfield, whilst Osorio wilted under the pressure in his more attacking role. DeLeon was a great pickup for us and looked quite good, and even Hamilton wasn't too bad playing up front.

Let's hope we stick to this setup. It brings the best out of everyone in our lineup.
 

Loublaze

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Atlanta couldn't host a CL knockout game at their home venue because of a monster truck event. Never change, America.
Meh. Fifth third served its purpose well as our (essentially) second home. Too much is being made of this online. The quarterfinal fixtures are much more attractive anyway.
 

Normandy

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Professional performance against a poor San Jose side. We were poor initially but got into the game and deserved the win. Garde managed the game brilliantly!

Fair play to everyone on the pitch. Worked their nuts off for the win.
 

forevrared

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LGP is talented but he reminds me too much of Rojo with his lapses in concentration and bad decision making at times. He's never been consistent enough for me. He wouldn't be a miss if he left IMO but at the same time im not saying he must leave. He could look good in that back three you suggested though, with Pogba bringing more maturity and steel to the back line and Parkhurst bringing his expected composure and reassurance. Im excited to see what Pity Martinez brings to AU. He looked good in preseason. Are you from Atlanta? I can't remember if we engaged in last season's MLS thread.
I think comparing him to Rojo is more than fair. I just think his combination of athleticism, determination, and skill set him apart from other MLS centerbacks, even for his faults (which I thought he improved on his second season).

Also, very impressed by the team taking care of business against Herediano in the CCL -- 4-0 to overturn a 1-3 deficit from the first leg. Early statement game for De Boer.

Originally I'm from Statesboro, but lived between Savannah & Atlanta before moving out west. First Braves game was in 1992 and have religiously supported all Atlanta teams since (except the Thrashers because I couldn't make myself care about hockey). I went to a few Silverbacks games in Chamblee but have only made it back for one Atlanta United match in person - against Colorado at Bobby Dodd. Pretty stoked for the boys to come out to LAFC this season.
 

Loublaze

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I think comparing him to Rojo is more than fair. I just think his combination of athleticism, determination, and skill set him apart from other MLS centerbacks, even for his faults (which I thought he improved on his second season).

Also, very impressed by the team taking care of business against Herediano in the CCL -- 4-0 to overturn a 1-3 deficit from the first leg. Early statement game for De Boer.

Originally I'm from Statesboro, but lived between Savannah & Atlanta before moving out west. First Braves game was in 1992 and have religiously supported all Atlanta teams since (except the Thrashers because I couldn't make myself care about hockey). I went to a few Silverbacks games in Chamblee but have only made it back for one Atlanta United match in person - against Colorado at Bobby Dodd. Pretty stoked for the boys to come out to LAFC this season.
I have two sisters in LA funny enough. I went to a Thrashers game once, I can't remember who they played but they were humiliated at Phillips arena. I've only seen the Braves once at Turner Park in 2001. The LAFC game should be interesting. We thrashed them last season and im sure they'll be looking for revenge. Its also interesting in the sense that LAFC are attempting to basically be a carbon copy of AU in their recruitment and playing style. You should have a blast
 

RedDevilCanuck

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So toronto signs Alejandro Pozuelo from Genk.

Never heard him and never seen him play. Supposedly has great vision and can score.

I hope he is a great player but this all seems so underwhelming.

From giovinco to this guy. And to have him join after our champions league games just pisses me off.

Hearing that Nani joined Orlando pisses me off even more. He is the type of player we should go for. He should age well with his slim and muscular build and quick feet.

I hope this Genk player can play but I'm skeptical as he couldn't hack it at Swansea and the Belgian league ain't great.
 

mazhar13

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So toronto signs Alejandro Pozuelo from Genk.

Never heard him and never seen him play. Supposedly has great vision and can score.

I hope he is a great player but this all seems so underwhelming.

From giovinco to this guy. And to have him join after our champions league games just pisses me off.

Hearing that Nani joined Orlando pisses me off even more. He is the type of player we should go for. He should age well with his slim and muscular build and quick feet.

I hope this Genk player can play but I'm skeptical as he couldn't hack it at Swansea and the Belgian league ain't great.
To be fair, Victor Vazquez also played in Belgium before playing in Mexico. He then struggled badly at Mexico becoming coming into TFC and flourishing. I wouldn't write off Pozuelo just yet. At worst, we have a Vazquez replacement: someone who can offer some creativity in the final third. It was quite obvious that Osorio couldn't offer any of that let alone Delgado and Bradley. With Pozuelo, at least we'll have some central threat.
 

SportingCP96

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Excited for the Red Bulls game tomorrow and for the home opener which I will be attending as well.
 

poleglass red

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So toronto signs Alejandro Pozuelo from Genk.

Never heard him and never seen him play. Supposedly has great vision and can score.

I hope he is a great player but this all seems so underwhelming.

From giovinco to this guy. And to have him join after our champions league games just pisses me off.

Hearing that Nani joined Orlando pisses me off even more. He is the type of player we should go for. He should age well with his slim and muscular build and quick feet.

I hope this Genk player can play but I'm skeptical as he couldn't hack it at Swansea and the Belgian league ain't great.
I'm quietly optimistic for this season. Losing Seba and Vasquez was huge. Seba I wasn't surprised by but the Vasquez one shocked me. His creativity was the final piece of the jigsaw for us. Pozuelo will come in and add creativity, and I think can be even better player than Vasquez. With Jozy still to come back and hopefully stay fit, we will be in good shape. Still need some help in attack I feel and maybe we can use some TAM to address that. Don't get too hung up about Pozuelo not succeeding in PL, Jozy and Wright Phillips were hardly successes in PL and they've done pretty well in mls. Have faith bud, I think we will be thereabouts this season. Ciman once he settles negates the need for Bradley to be last man back to pick the ball up from our keeper. Him playing slightly forward as he did v Philly and scored 2. Remember he played a similiar role in Holland that season where he bagged a hatful of goals. Its not a perfect preseason by any means but not as bad as many fans are making it. I was at the supporters meeting recently and many feel the same way you do, but hopefully that 1st result appeases them slightly.
 
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mazhar13

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not sure I understand your point here. You don't rate him or you don't think he can get back from his one major injury he's had since joining in 2015
I think he's just bantering with you.

Ultimately, I hope that we use our allocation draft to get us a solid forward option. We badly need one after not getting Janson and missing out on Menendez. We also lack overall depth in the midfield, and I guess Vanney is looking at Fraser and Chapman to step up. I really don't know if Chapman will be capable enough, but I hope that this opportunity motivates him to step up.
 

poleglass red

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I think he's just bantering with you.

Ultimately, I hope that we use our allocation draft to get us a solid forward option. We badly need one after not getting Janson and missing out on Menendez. We also lack overall depth in the midfield, and I guess Vanney is looking at Fraser and Chapman to step up. I really don't know if Chapman will be capable enough, but I hope that this opportunity motivates him to step up.
what formation do you want. Vanney says publicly he wants 4-3-3 but we don't have the personnel for that esp in attacking wide areas. Unless we pick up legit wingers he might have to review that. 3-5-2 would work for me. I like Auro, thinks he an excellent attacking as a wing back, but I find his positioning very poor as a full back. He and Morrow as wing backs would give us the attacking width we'd need. I think if Vanney is adamant he wants 4-3-3 and he doesn't get any more players, he might be tempted to play Oso on the wing and I don't feel he's great there.
 

mazhar13

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what formation do you want. Vanney says publicly he wants 4-3-3 but we don't have the personnel for that esp in attacking wide areas. Unless we pick up legit wingers he might have to review that. 3-5-2 would work for me. I like Auro, thinks he an excellent attacking as a wing back, but I find his positioning very poor as a full back. He and Morrow as wing backs would give us the attacking width we'd need. I think if Vanney is adamant he wants 4-3-3 and he doesn't get any more players, he might be tempted to play Oso on the wing and I don't feel he's great there.
We are not at our best with any formation other than 3-5-2. Our full backs are defensively shambolic, and our defenders lack protection from others. A 3-5-2 solves all of those issues whilst a back 4 setup (4-4-2/4-3-3) will set us up for failure unless we park the bus. The reasons for that are that we lack creativity in the midfield, wingers to stretch the pitch, and protection for our defenders. A 4-3-3 also exposes Bradley's defensive limitations and his lack of playmaking ability. On top of that, Vanney seems to set us up similar to City even though we have nowhere near City's quality.

3-5-2 was what took us far into the MLS Cup in 2017. We should stick with that and use a 4-4-2 in certain matches where we need to park the bus.
 

poleglass red

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Telfer getting sent on loan by TFC. He's a squad player who would have been back up on the left hand side. They must have someone lined up to come in, hopefully their South American scouting trips have located a left winger.
 

mazhar13

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Telfer getting sent on loan by TFC. He's a squad player who would have been back up on the left hand side. They must have someone lined up to come in, hopefully their South American scouting trips have located a left winger.
Honestly, even if we didn't, he looks out of place in MLS. He only had one impactful game throughout the season (against Will Johnson at full back). The rest of the time, he was found out with his lack of skill and footballing nous. There's a reason Guyot put him up front for TFC II at the start of last season.

I expect Telfer to be sold to York 9 at the end of his loan term unless we have another injury-ridden spell.
 

SportingCP96

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Atlanta United DO NOT look good and FDB seems to not have a clue. It is still early and maybe they are adapting but the 3-4-3 does not seem to be working and he needs to learn to adapt. As of now though lots of warning signs. FDB has failed in his past 2 teams and I feel he might feel the pressure.
 

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Atlanta United DO NOT look good and FDB seems to not have a clue. It is still early and maybe they are adapting but the 3-4-3 does not seem to be working and he needs to learn to adapt. As of now though lots of warning signs. FDB has failed in his past 2 teams and I feel he might feel the pressure.
Atlanta will need to adapt to his style. I am expecting an average season for them with a strong finish if they give him time and it works out.

Although honestly I don't know why Atlanta went with him. de Boer and Martino are two contrasting managers in style and personality. The former's tactics seem to isolate Martinez too much and they look spineless in possession. It does sound like Palace all over again: Change when it wasn't needed or backed from the get go.
 

poleglass red

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any chance Atlanta takes Greg Van Der Wiel from TFC, ex Ajax, knows the Ajax style FDB wants to play. FDB doesn't seem to rate Villalba, maybe we thrown some cash and Van Der Wiel at them . Brek Shea at full back for them is an issue, Van Der Wiel could slot right in there. Probably not, I wouldn't if I was Atlanta but here's hoping.
 

mazhar13

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any chance Atlanta takes Greg Van Der Wiel from TFC, ex Ajax, knows the Ajax style FDB wants to play. FDB doesn't seem to rate Villalba, maybe we thrown some cash and Van Der Wiel at them . Brek Shea at full back for them is an issue, Van Der Wiel could slot right in there. Probably not, I wouldn't if I was Atlanta but here's hoping.
Villalba for van der Wiel sounds like a great deal to me. I'll take that in a heartbeat.

On a side note, I'm actually surprised that they took Brek Shea. He looks horrible and shouldn't be starting for Atlanta.
 

poleglass red

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TFC gets the better player. Would be a dumb move by Atlanta.
no doubt TFC would get the better deal. These stubborn managers who stick to their preferred style, they sometimes want players who know their system. Both are pupils of that 4-3-3 Ajax style that De Boer so wants to play, and it's obvious that Shea isn't so he might see it as an upgrade in that regard. Wishful hoping on my behalf
 

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no doubt TFC would get the better deal. These stubborn managers who stick to their preferred style, they sometimes want players who know their system. Both are pupils of that 4-3-3 Ajax style that De Boer so wants to play, and it's obvious that Shea isn't so he might see it as an upgrade in that regard. Wishful hoping on my behalf
I dont see Josef scoring as many goals as he did last year either because of this and especially if someone like Villaba would leave.
 

mazhar13

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TFC gets the better player. Would be a dumb move by Atlanta.
Hiring de Boer is starting to look like the dumb move that I thought it was, too, so I'm just hoping that it continues. :angel:

Seriously speaking, though, de Boer doesn't know what to do with his full backs. He started Mikey Ambrose there to no avail. Now, he's moved onto Gressel. On both occasions, though, Brek Shea was the one constant for them. He's their weakest link at this point, so replacing him with someone better would help. This is where the van der Wiel trade would make sense.

van der Wiel would play on the right; Gressel on the left. We'd demand Villalba in the trade, a player who's quality but doesn't start regularly. Both teams win in this respect.
 

Loublaze

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FDB is going with the LVG approach to the Dutch 'total' football style of old, possession obsession without the explosiveness in attack. I thought he'd have tweaked this old template but no. Its going to be a long season. His appointment came as a surprise for me, I thought Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa or former Argentina manager Jorge Sampaoli were forerunners.

Bielsa would've been the best choice IMO since he loves to attack and he had a big influence on Tata's tactics. FDB needs to succeed here to keep his managerial career alive. Im sure Ajax have some position waiting for him to fall back on, in some other capacity.
 

Loublaze

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Looks like he's going to cave in and bring the explosiveness back. Hope it lasts, some managers tend to gravitate back to systems that are hard wired in them.

https://www.ajc.com/sports/changes-may-coming-atlanta-united-offense/x8bPM0y7JvWGepvMG4sHGM/

“It doesn’t matter if you have 70, 30 percent of possession, if you don’t create chances,” de Boer said. “We have to do more. We talked to the players and the team on how we can improve that. I think we’ve made a big step forward.”
 

SportingCP96

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NY Red Bulls :lol:
I been said Armas is a Terrible coach. He just carried on whet marche did last season was hard to feck up because they were in a groove. He needs to go soon. 4 goals in 10 minutes? Feck outta here.
 

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De Boer has completely killed Atlanta. They're a complete mess tactically, they've no idea what they're supposed to be doing.