Yes, another USL season is upon us, and yes, I think the Independence will make the playoffs again. But several teams have strengthened since the final kick of the 2017 season, and with the addition of NASL teams and talent, it’s likely to be the best year of soccer we’ve ever seen in the Eastern Conference.

Will that make it competitive? Or will some teams run away from the rest? Let’s find out by diving right into how I think things will go in the East.

I’ll start my explanation at the bottom of the table.

There are few teams that I would say stand very little chance of making the playoffs. Those teams would be Atlanta United 2, Toronto FC II, Penn FC, and NYRBII.

The two in this group that could surprise are Penn FC and NYRBII.

The artist formerly known as Harrisburg, RIP City Islanders, rebranded in the offseason and are essentially an expansion club. They could continue to struggle as they have in the past… or they could surprise everyone, as they’ve retooled with eight former NASL players.

The Baby Bulls seem to be a wildcard every season, winning the entire thing a few years ago and knocking the Battery out last year. So, like any MLS reserve squad, they are hard to gauge. At the start of this season, they will be two years removed from that championship season. To put them at 13 might seem like I’m drastically underestimating the talent pool they seem to infinitely draw from, but we just can’t know for sure.

On to the next tier of teams.

Last year, the race for the last two playoff spots was a close one: Just four points separated FC Cincinnati in sixth place from Orlando City B in ninth. The general consensus is that this year will be even more competitive, so by default, some good teams will have to miss the playoffs.

Those teams that I think will just miss out on the playoffs are Richmond, North Carolina, Ottawa, and Bethlehem. Each of these teams have upgraded in some ways, but the talent in the East has increased tremendously, and I’m not sure they’ve kept up.

Both Ottawa and Bethlehem could easily outperform my rankings here.

Ottawa will be bringing back ten players this season but will be overhauling their coaching staff. As I mentioned in yesterday’s Independence preview, the Fury brought in Nikola Popovic who took the Swope Park Rangers to the USL Cup Final last season. He will be bringing in a scheme that will look to control the possession of the ball and press their opponent. Another interesting note about their team is that it will be comprised of more than 50% Canadian players.

In Bethlehem, the Philadelphia Union’s USL squad had a few key contributors make the leap to the MLS squad, but they also made one of the more splashy additions. Forward Brandon Allen was a huge part of NYRBII’s championship in 2016: He scored 21 goals in 32 games played that season and was given the honor of All-League First Team. Before being loaned to Minnesota United last year, he appeared for NYRBII in 15 games and scored nine goals.

Allen’s stint in Minnesota was a curious one. He saw the field for a grand total of nine minutes. To say he’ll be playing with a chip on his shoulder would be an understatement.

And I know Raleigh fans will disagree here, but I just don’t think North Carolina FC has retooled adequately upon switching leagues. And Richmond’s success might depend entirely on Dane Kelly’s presence there. If he returns to DC United, they’ll struggle. If he stays in Richmond, they could easily break into the top eight.

On to eight through five, where we find two darlings of the Carolinas in Charleston and Charlotte. The other two teams are two new additions to the USL in 2018, Nashville SC and Indy Eleven. Can a Romario-less Charleston and a Enzo-lacking Charlotte still compete in the ultra-competitive USL East? I think they certainly can… because of a few factors.

Charleston will be replacing not only Romario Williams but also Heviel Cordoves, Justin Portillo, Maikel Chang, and Forrest Lasso. My reasoning for ranking them as high as I have is a simple one: They will be bringing back a decent portion of their 2017 roster (which I think is being underappreciated). The other reason I believe they will compete this year is simply history. They’ve consistently been able to compete in the USL and replace talent and have been a strong organization for quite some time.

And so begins my biased opinion on why I think Charlotte, even without Enzo, could have their best season in history. I wrestled with ranking Charlotte in the top four but decided to damper my optimism given how strong I believe the top four will be. The amount of changes in the roster originally had me terrified. Seeing Lewis Hilton, Austin Yearwood, and Callum Ross go elsewhere had me fearful that the team had little to no money to sign quality players.

As the offseason progressed those fears slowly went away. The team has added a good group of guys with various success. Two notable signings have been NASL veterans Greg Jordan and Kevan George who have been brought in to bolster the central midfield. A few other marque signings both possess unique world class experience. Jungsoo Lee, who plays center back, was a part of South Korea’s 2010 World Cup roster. The other is Swiss international Kay Voser who has previously played in the UEFA Champions League.

I’ll admit I might need to reel in expectations for this team, but I feel very strongly that this is the best team the Independence have put together. The players that we brought back coupled with the vast experience the team has brought to Charlotte make me much more comfortable as a fan. The Independence could even surprise everyone and host a playoff game. Sure, they’ve lost Enzo to the Rapids, but I think an Enzo-lacking Independence might make the attack more balanced and thus less easily stifled.

Finally, we’ve reached the top of the mountain. These teams are all on another level when it comes to bankrolls, and they aren’t afraid to show it. I would be shocked if the top three didn’t finish Tampa Bay, Louisville, and Cincinnati.

The only team I see potentially shaking up that group would be Pittsburgh. Personally, I’m really high on both Bob Lilley and the roster he’s assembled.

Even though Louisville might not have gone out and splashed cash, I don’t believe they needed to. The culture they’ve built around Coach James O’Connor would be silly to bet against. Not to mention, they have the competitive advantage of playing on a baseball field that will continue this year.

Cincinnati’s spending caught the eye of the entire league and for good reason. They were able to entice three of the Carolinas best players in Nazmi Albadawi, Lance Laing, and Forrest Lasso to join the Ohio MLS hopeful. My only reservation for this team is a pretty big one: I’m curious to see if the different pieces will mesh together, and if potential egos will buy into the team mentality. The expectations have somehow risen even higher for FC Cincinnati. Will they be able to reach the lofty goals they’ve set for themselves?

And finally, I believe Tampa Bay will win the Eastern Conference. They did a good mixture of what Cincinnati did in bringing in quality players while keeping a large portion of their roster like Louisville. The sneakiest addition they made was Jochen Graf; I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he went for double digits in goals this year. They also added Charlotte’s 2017 keeper Cody Mizell, who we all know is a goal-saving machine. If this team blends well, as I think they will, and can win on the road I believe they’ll run away with the Eastern Conference title.

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