With just over a week remaining until Major League Soccer returns, the offseason shopping is mostly finished and we imagine how each of the league's 23 sides will lineup on the first weekend in March.
In other words, time to begin speculating who will be contenders, pretenders and bottom-enders.
With that in mind, we asked Armchair Analyst Matthew Doyle, Senior Editors Arielle Castillo and Benjamin Couch, Senior Host & Producer Andrew Wiebe, New Media Editor Ben Baer and Contributors Charles Boehm, Alicia Rodriguez, Sam Stejskal and Bobby Warshaw this question:
Who is better this season: the LA Galaxy or LAFC?
DOYLE: The Galaxy. They have depth and balance at every spot, though they need two things to happen. 1) Tomas Hilliard-Arce grabs a starting role and gives this team a dose of physicality at the back; and 2) the Dos Santos Bros. start looking and playing like DPs. I'm starting to bet more heavily on the first of those propositions than the second, to be totally honest.
CASTILLO: My official answer is that this is a setup, and I have no interest in getting caught up in the spray-paint wars. ... OK, in more seriousness, with LAFC's on-field game plan still shrouded in mystery, it's yet to be seen how they'll take on a hungry and rebuilt Galaxy.
COUCH: Sure the Galaxy seem on the upswing, but never bet against Bob. He’s done this before … and set the expansion standard. Could see this season developing much like Atlanta’s, with the second-half steamroller putting them in the playoff mix. And we all know what can happen from there.
WIEBE: The Galaxy are the safe bet after an offseason of much-needed moves while LAFC continue to put the puzzle together all the way up until opening day. How’s this for a prediction? Galaxy take more points overall, but the new boys have a better record from the All-Star game on.
Gio dos Santos and Carlos Vela on El Tri duty | Reuters
BAER: LAFC have made this one pretty easy, since I’m pretty sure they only have two center mids on their roster. They will likely add some soon but outside of their top 8 or so players, there are currently a lot of questions. The Galaxy rebuilt their team in the offseason, and while there are still some question marks, Sigi Schmid’s team should be much improved in 2018.
BOEHM: The Galaxy sure look like a markedly better team right now, but betting on them more or less requires one to bet on Sigi Schmid and the dos Santos brothers, who all have plenty to prove right now. Meanwhile, LAFC look about as finished as their stadium with opening day looming. I'll wager that neither LA team makes the playoffs.
RODRIGUEZ: I believe in Bob the Builder, although I admit LAFC don't have anything close to a full squad with the start of the season literally days away. But hey, maybe those future signings will round things out well and LAFC take the upper hand in year one.
STEJSKAL: Let's not overthink this: LAFC are shiny and new, but there's zero depth on that roster. They'll be exciting, but they'll have their expansion up and downs. The Galaxy still have some questions of their own (the backline is an unknown, the dos Santos bros must step up, etc.) but they're a far more complete team. They'll be better this year.
WARSHAW: I’d bet Galaxy finishes higher, but I’d also take the odds on LAFC making the playoffs. At the least, LAFC should be one of the most fun teams to watch. This version of Bob should be awesome.
