This year's MLS Confidential focused on the players and their off-field pursuits. You'll enjoy the results. Brandon Loving

The 2019 Major League Soccer is cruising towards the halfway point and the annual All-Star Game, so what better time to see how the players are feeling about soccer in the U.S. and much, much more.

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As has become a tradition at ESPN, we asked MLS players during preseason and the early weeks of the 2019 campaign for their thoughts about some hot-button issues in the sport, collecting their answers for our fifth edition of MLS Confidential. This year, we went a step further: how do they spend time away from the pitch? What do they like to eat? Are they movie fans or do they prefer binge-watching TV shows? Which kits are their faves, and which teams do they hate going to play the most?

For the first time, all 24 MLS teams -- and 128 players -- put up responses as we compile the most comprehensive and colorful edition yet. Also of note: the illustrations are representations of the answers we received as all players provided answers on the condition of anonymity.

Previous editions: 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

Let's get into it.

DOWNTIME: How they relax away from the field

Being a pro athlete means you're constantly in the spotlight when you're at work, doing your job, but how do the stars of MLS spend their time when they're not on the clock?

1. How do you unwind after a win?

Drinks: 26 percent

Go home/hang with family: 24 percent

Celebrate with teammates/go out on the town: 24 percent

Go for a nice dinner: 16 percent

Relax/sleep/recover: 10 percent

What the players said:

"I usually can't sleep much [after a game] so I chill with my dog and watch some TV."

"I celebrate at home with my family: my kids really help put it all in perspective."

"Probably just go out and have a few drinks with teammates. Nothing crazy."

2. Do you have a secret Twitter account?

No: 92 percent

Yes: 3 percent

No comment: 2 percent

Don't use Twitter: 2 percent

I used to: >1 percent

Secret account elsewhere (e.g. Instagram): >1 percent

What the players said:

"Nope. I tweet what I want."

"I used to. We used to have them in the USL so we could tweet out funny observations, not to argue with anyone."

"Twitter, no, but Instagram, yes. It's just for friends."

"No. I don't need that. I'm pretty secure with who I am."

3. Date night or Netflix?

What the players said:

"Players are always inside chilling so it's nice to go out."

"Date night because when you become a dad, they are so rare."

"Netflix. Going out is expensive. I'm a low-key guy, it fits my personality."

"Netflix. It's more relaxing. Me and my fiancé can just hang out on the couch."

4. Fortnite or FIFA?

FIFA: 63 percent

Fortnite: 29 percent

Neither/no video games: 5 percent

Other game: 3 percent

What the players said:

"FIFA. I played Fortnite once and I died in about two seconds."

"Fortnite because I'm doing too much soccer already."

"FIFA. Fortnite is overrated."

"Fortnite because of the banter with the guys."

WORK MATTERS: MLS players on MLS

It's game day. That means focus, preparation and execution. How do the players get ready for the big game? How do they celebrate after a big win? Which road trips do they dread as soon as they see the schedule? And how does this generation feel about the revamped playoff format -- which boasts single-elimination games hosted by the higher seeds instead of a two-legged process -- and the age-old question of whether U.S. soccer can handle promotion and relegation?

1. Which away game do you dread the most, and why?

New England: 23 percent

Houston: 12 percent

Columbus: 11 percent

Real Salt Lake: 7 percent

Orlando: 5 percent

Kansas City: 4 percent

San Jose: 4 percent

Dallas: 4 percent

Montreal: 4 percent

Vancouver: 4 percent

New York (Red Bulls or NYCFC): 4 percent

Minnesota: 3 percent

Toronto: 3 percent

LA (Galaxy or LAFC): 3 percent

Don't have one/love all road games: 3 percent

Seattle: 2 percent

Colorado: 2 percent

Philadelphia: >1 percent

Atlanta: >1 percent

What the players said:

"The cross-country flights are pretty tough, but New England is the worst. The hotel is right next to the stadium and there's nothing else to do around there. The fans aren't the best, the field isn't the best. Just the whole package I guess."

"Columbus, dull city and black and gray all the time."

"Houston: it's a long trip, always hot there and downtown is a ghost town on weekends."

"NYCFC: Small pitch, not many fans, long ride to the stadium from the city."

"New England. Terrible turf. Tom Brady world. Trader Joes and Bass Pro Shops."

"RSL/Utah, because it wouldn't be a place I'd like to live. A friend living out here said it's boring unless you are really into the outdoors."

2. What are your pregame rituals or superstitions?

None/not really: 43 percent

Same meals/routines: 18 percent

Same clothing and/or same pattern of getting dressed: 17 percent

Same music: 8 percent

Too many to note: 6 percent

Other: 8 percent

What the players said:

"I always listen to the same two songs before I take the headphones off and shut the phone off. I have smaller ones too. After the team picture on the field I always come over to the equipment guy and get a sip of water, then sprint towards the fans to acknowledge them and then come back to the huddle. It's always the same. [What two songs?] 'Congratulations' and 'Goosebumps.'"

"None. I learned early on that if you start doing that, you'll go crazy trying to remember everything. I do walk with my right foot on the pitch first, but that's more out of habit."

"I'm not too superstitious. I like to keep with my routine but it's a loose routine. So as long as I'm doing the things around my routine, like my pregame meal at a certain time, if I can get some pasta before a game, but I'm not superstitious."

"I watch the same YouTube video before every game. Eden Hazard, the dribbling machine."

"If I score, I'll eat the exact same stuff and at the same time have coffee. If I don't score, I'll change it up."

"If we lose a game or I played poorly, I won't wear the same kit and socks again."

3. Who has the best kit in MLS?

LAFC: 26 percent

Atlanta: 16 percent

Sporting KC: 13 percent

Seattle: 11 percent

FC Cincinnati: 6 percent

Orlando: 5 percent

Vancouver: 5 percent

NYCFC: 5 percent

Portland: 4 percent

New York Red Bulls: 2 percent

LA Galaxy: 2 percent

Chicago: 2 percent

Montreal: 2 percent

Real Salt Lake: >1 percent

Chicago: >1 percent

DC United: >1 percent

Minnesota: >1 percent

Toronto FC: >1 percent

What the players said:

"Seattle. The black and pink is nice and tight."

"LAFC. I like the bad boy look. They always look like the bad boys of L.A., like the Raiders used to."

"Atlanta. They are sharp: can't go wrong with black and red."

"Atlanta, because I was there to help put that star on."

"Sporting KC. They always have something nice and clean."

"Love Orlando's all-purple kits."

"Cincinnati. I like the orange and blue. I think it's a good combo."

LAFC. I've always liked their jerseys. Simple and they have an impact."

4. New playoff format: love it or hate it?

Love it: 68 percent

Meh/don't care: 23 percent

Hate it: 9 percent

What the players said:

"Love it. I just feel like that the best teams over the course of the season should be rewarded with a one-off game at home in front of their fans. It also eliminates a lot of travel. I like the advantage for the higher-seeded team."

"There are positives and negatives. It makes for a long offseason. If you go to MLS Cup final, you still get proper time to rest. If you don't make the playoffs, it might be too long. I don't want to be off the field for that long."

"I don't like it. I think that home and away is important, so when you cut that short, I don't think you're going to get the best team necessarily winning."

"Like it. It speeds up the process and you need just four good games to win the championship. It gives opportunity to a team that wouldn't necessarily have a chance."

5. Would you like to see promotion/relegation in MLS?

What the players said:

"No. I just don't think it's feasible. I don't think an MLS team that gets relegated will be supported the way it needs to be supported. I think that the fan base isn't strong enough yet and ownership will lose too much money. I also don't think a USL team that comes up will be able to compete without spending a ton of money."

"It would never work. There's no infrastructure within the lower leagues. I think there's MLS teams that are still figuring things out, and it would just demolish the league entirely."

"If there are enough solid teams, yes. If we can get to 30 teams that average 15 thousand and above, 100 percent. But I wouldn't want to have 5,000 fans a game. I did it in Norway in the second division and those games are no fun to play in."

"No: It's too early for that in my opinion. I just think we can't afford to have a team like Atlanta or Seattle or Portland, a big-market team, get relegated and then have a team like Orange County come up. It would be ridiculous to play in front of 200 people at Orange County's USL stadium."

"No. I don't think U.S. Soccer is stable enough with the lower-level teams. I think if you look at how the USL played out last year, if a team like Red Bulls 2 won it, then you'd have an academy league playing in MLS."

"I just think the competition within the league and the Supporters' Shield race as the season winds down, some teams just tend to throw in the towel. And if there's promotion/relegation, the quality of games is still going to be high all the way through."

"Yes, 100 percent. I feel like it brings a lot more pressure. The competition will propel the sport even further in this country and the development. I think soccer should be more like the rest of the world in this country."