I’m most looking forward to...

Seeing FC Cincinnati be the biggest thing to hit the city since WKRP went off the air. And it’ll be fun to see the midwest steal the hipster northwest’s thunder for a year. BD

Rivalry Week. MLS can’t match the history of local derbies elsewhere in the world, but no other league comes close in hyping up these games with amazing monikers. Last year, Los Angeles Football Club and the LA Galaxy played the first three El Traficos, and this season we get the debut of Hell Is Real between new boys FC Cincinnati and the revived Columbus Crew. CF

Has there ever been so much to draw the eye ahead of an MLS season? How will Atlanta United evolve under Frank de Boer? What will a full year of Zlatan Ibrahimovic bring? Can Wayne Rooney carry his form over into 2019? How will the Matias Almeyda age pan out at San Jose? How will Toronto FC cope post-Sebastian Giovinco? Will FC Cincinnati sink or swim? What sort of impact will moving into Allianz Field have on Minnesota United? What about Nani at Orlando? There’s just so much! GR

The crowds at FC Cincinnati. They were absolutely insane in USL in 2018 (averaging 25,717 per game, higher than all but three MLS teams) and promise to be this year’s fan sensation, with all the debut-season hype and hoopla you can muster. SV

The Hell is Real rivalry. During their Cinderella US Open Cup run in 2017, FC Cincinnati packed 30,000 fans into Nippert Stadium for their match against the Crew. It felt like we would see the two in MLS soon. Columbus Crew’s relocation detour threatened the rivalry, but Hell is Real is back. JF



I’m least looking forward to…

The saber-rattling over a new collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA expires on 31 January 2020. Some US sports have figured how to get a new deal done without brinksmanship, but the soccer community has not yet reached that stage. BD

So many white secondary kits. More than half of the league’s 24 teams will be wearing change strips that can only charitably be touted as “clean” or “icy”. Whether this is an attempt to further NFL-ify MLS with a color-at-home, white-on-the-road dress code, or a result of Adidas coasting on its league-wide uniform contract, it’s an example of MLS’s single-entity structure stamping out creativity. CF

More talk about the CBA. If a new agreement isn’t reached, there could be a lockout. While the wellbeing and interests of players, particularly those lower on the ladder, need looking after, this is a decidedly unsexy, tedious topic. It won’t make SportsCenter. GR

The new-look playoff format. I totally get the league wanting to avoid the 40-day marathon of 2018, but 13 games for 14 teams in 23 days is a battle for survival, not of optimum quality. SV

The “business metrics” owners will complain about in advance of the 2020 CBA negotiations. While MLS players won a minor victory in 2015, it pales in comparison to the sums that owners are reaping. Nashville joins to the tune of a $150m expansion fee, and MLS now own a majority stake in the cash cow that is Soccer United Marketing. JF

FC Cincinnati will make their MLS debut this season. Photograph: University of Cincinnati



One bold prediction …

Costa Rica will defeat Mexico in the Gold Cup, Mexico will fire Tata Martino, and David Beckham’s Inter Miami will immediately hire him. BD

Once he breaks every MLS record, Zlatan Ibrahimovic will tear down the David Beckham statue outside Dignity Health Sports Park and erect one of his own. OK, it’s unlikely Zlatan will break every record, but with a full season as the focal point of the Galaxy attack, he’ll eclipse Josef Martínez’s 31 regular-season goals from a year ago. Expect No32 to come on an overhead kick from near midfield. CF

Greg Garza will modify his FC Cincinnati jersey to give it long sleeves. Adidas have done two things with their MLS designs this season - made every away jersey whiter than Donald Trump’s White House, and cut long sleeves from their offerings. This was tragic news for Garza, who was reportedly born in a long-sleeve soccer jersey. At some point this season, he will take matters into his own hands. GR

The league abandons plans for Miami after south Florida politics combine to make any kind of deal for a stadium untenable. Not only do Inter Miami face more legal challenges to their latest (fifth) proposed site, there’s no sign they can find a temporary home for 2020. MLS, after six fruitless years, says: “Enough”. SV

Zlatan scores 35 goals while LA Galaxy fail to make the playoffs. After rumors of another move, the eccentric striker decided to return to the floundering LA Galaxy where he’s been the only star to live up to expectations. JF

The MVP will be...

Wayne Rooney. Sure, he had some good luck last year by arriving just in time for DC United to play most of their games at home, but he’s clearly hungry for success in this league. BD

Raúl Ruidíaz. After years of slow starts and white-hot finishes, the Sounders look ready to put in a full season as Supporters’ Shield contenders. Ruidíaz, Seattle’s Peruvian center forward, will score tons of goals along the way and edge Ibrahimovic and Atlanta’s Pity Martínez for honors as the league’s best player in 2019. CF

Carlos Vela. On the basis of the first half of the 2018 season, the Mexican was MLS’s MVP. But post World Cup, Vela faded and disappointed in the playoffs. There is no World Cup this year and Vela will have a better chance of keeping his form consistent over the whole season. GR

Raul Ruidiaz. Backed by midfield trio Nicolas Lodeiro, Victor Rodriguez and a revitalized Jordan Morris, Ruidiaz is primed to turn a promising first half-season in MLS into a full year of goalscoring triumph. SV

Kaku. After a brilliant match in Champions League, the Red Bull star looks ready to return to the form that saw him register 14 assists last year. While overtures to Club America have soured some fans, there’s no doubting his skill. With a proper off-season and an eye towards Europe, look for Kaku to make a larger splash this year. JF



Eastern Conference playoff teams

Atlanta United, DC United, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia Union, Chicago Fire, New York City FC. BD

New York Red Bulls, Atlanta United, Philadelphia Union, New York City FC, DC United, Montreal Impact, Columbus Crew. CF

Atlanta United, New York Red Bulls, New York City FC, DC United, Columbus Crew, Philadelphia Union, Montreal Impact. GR

Atlanta United, New York Red Bulls, DC United, Philadelphia Union, New York City FC, Montreal Impact, Orlando City. SV

New York Red Bulls, Atlanta United, DC United, Columbus Crew, Montreal Impact, Philadelphia Union, FC Cincinnati. JF

Western Conference playoff teams

Los Angeles FC, Sporting Kansas City, FC Dallas, Seattle Sounders, Los Angeles Galaxy, Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps. BD

Seattle Sounders, Los Angeles FC, Sporting Kansas City, Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Portland Timbers, Minnesota United. CF

Sporting Kansas City, Los Angeles FC, Los Angeles Galaxy, FC Dallas, Seattle Sounders, Real Salt Lake, Portland Timbers. GR

Sporting Kansas City, Seattle Sounders, Los Angeles FC, Minnesota United, Houston Dynamo, Los Angeles Galaxy, Portland Timbers. SV

Seattle Sounders, Sporting Kansas City, Los Angeles FC, FC Dallas, Portland Timbers, Minnesota United, Real Salt Lake. JF

Your MLS Cup champions will be …

Sporting KC are many pundits’ picks for the title. Photograph: Tim Vizer/AFP/Getty Images

Sporting Kansas City. Unlucky to lose in conference finals last year, and Peter Vermes won’t let that happen again. BD

New York Red Bulls. They must replace midfielder Tyler Adams, who is currently bossing games in the Bundesliga, but a first-rate development system should make that possible. Following another full MLS campaign to get comfortable with ideas other than a fervent high press, the well-rounded Red Bulls, one of the league’s original clubs, will finally win their first MLS Cup. CF

Sporting Kansas City. I struggle to see a more balanced roster in MLS this season. Atlanta United will likely be a force again, but it’s difficult to truly know how they will react to the loss of Tata Martino and Miguel Almiron despite de Boer and Pity Martinez coming in. Sporting KC have, on the other hand, kept the same group of players together. If they have one weakness it is in the lack of a true No9. GR

Peter Vermes has built a roster loaded with attacking talent and deep enough to survive a full MLS schedule and Champions League campaign. SV

New York Red Bulls. After three Shield wins that led to playoff exits, an off-season defined by continuity will be crucial. The Red Bulls extended the contracts of their entire back four. Chris Armas will have a full season at the helm and Mathias Jorgensen’s arrival should relieve some scoring burden off Bradley-Wright-Phillips. The playoff changes play in the favor of the perennial top seeds. JF