It's Week 1 time for MLS, so in the spirit of season predictions, it's time to make a fool of myself. These projected XIs come from injury news, preseason XIs, talking to people and general information, but they will in no way be perfect. There will be a ton of surprises this weekend.
Anyway. All lineups are right to left. We'll just run through the games in chronological order, starting with...
Saturday, February 29
D.C. United vs. Colorado Rapids
1 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada
D.C. United projected XI (4-2-3-1): Bill Hamid; Russell Canouse, Frederic Brilliant, Steve Birnbaum, Joseph Mora; Junior Moreno, Felipe; Julian Gressel, Edison Flores, Yamil Asad; Ola Kamara
Even without the injured Paul Arriola, a no-doubt-about-it starter and club leader, United's attacking group is strong. It's balanced, too, with all three having requisite quality to take over. The onus may lean a bit towards Edison Flores given his pedigree and price tag, though.
Colorado Rapids projected XI (4-2-3-1): Clint Irwin; Keegan Rosenberry, Lalas Abubakar, Drew Moor, Sam Vines; Jack Price, Kelyn Acosta; Andre Shinyashiki, Younes Namli, Sam Nicholson; Kei Kamara
Yep, that's 36-year-old Drew Moor starting ahead of Auston Trusty and no place on the wings for Jonathan Lewis. Combined, the two high-potential youngsters cost the Rapids up to $1.4 million in allocation money over the last year. Neither, though, have been with the starting group towards the end of preseason.
Also: No word yet on Nico Benezet's availability as he returned to training from a broken nose. If he's fit, he'll start.
Montreal Impact vs. New England Revolution
3 pm ET | TVAS, TSN4 in Canada; MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US
Montreal Impact projected XI (3-5-2): Evan Bush; Luis Binks, Joel Waterman, Karifa Yao; Zachary Brault-Guillard, Steeven Saba, Mathieu Choiniere, Saphir Taider, Ballou Tabla; Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Maxi Urruti
A roster already suffering some injuries, in a hugely transitional period under a new head coach who already made a few tactical shocks, all the while coming off a Wednesday night Concacaf Champions League game? ¯\(ツ)/¯
Tough ask for Thierry Henry's league debut at home.
New England Revolution projected XI (4-2-3-1): Matt Turner; Brandon Bye, Andrew Farrell, Henry Kessler, Alexander Buttner; Wilfried Zahibo, Scott Caldwell; Teal Bunbury, Gustavo Bou, Cristian Penilla; Adam Buksa
After starting all 34 games for the Revs last year, reigning MLS Newcomer of the Year Carles Gil has been ruled out of the club's season opener. The attack will be reshuffled and Teal Bunbury started the club's final preseason match, as did DeJuan Jones at left back in place of Alex Buttner.
Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy
3:30 pm ET | Twitter, Univision, TUDN in US; MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada
Houston Dynamo projected XI (4-3-3): Marko Maric; Jose Bizama, Kiki Struna, Maynor Figueroa, Adam Lundkvist; Matias Vera, Boniek Garcia, Tomas Martinez; Niko Hansen, Mauro Manotas, Memo Rodriguez
Darwin Quintero has been missing for a few preseason games while it looks like Alberth Elis will also miss the game due to injury, though nothing official on either.
LA Galaxy projected XI (4-3-3): David Bingham; Rolf Feltscher, Giancarlo Gonzalez, Daniel Steres, Emiliano Insua; Perry Kitchen, Joe Corona, Sebastian Lletget; Aleksandar Katai, Chicharito, Cristian Pavon
Jonathan dos Santos will miss the Galaxy's season opener, the club's heartbeat in midfield. Elsewhere, the club still have yet to bring another center back as expected, too. Still time before the primary transfer window deadline.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Toronto FC
5:30 pm ET | TSN 4/5 in Canada; MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US
San Jose Earthquakes projected XI (4-4-2): Daniel Vega; Thommy Thompson, Florian Jungwirth, Oswaldo Alanis, Nick Lima; Cristian Espinoza, Judson, Jackson Yueill, Vako; Danny Hoesen, Chris Wondolowski
Preseason information has been treated like state secrets for the San Jose Earthquakes this winter, but my man Matt Doyle has said a few times the club have tinkered with a 4-4-2 in friendlies and that seems to make sense to me.
Toronto FC projected XI (4-3-3): Quinten Westberg; Richie Laryea, Omar Gonzalez, Chris Mavinga, Justin Morrow; Liam Fraser, Marky Delgado, Jonathan Osorio; Nick DeLeon, Jozy Altidore, Alejandro Pozuelo
Jozy Altidore sat out of the club's final two preseason games, but the man set to wear the captain's armband in Michael Bradley's absence could be good to go on Saturday. Fellow DP Pablo Piatti, though, is out.
FC Dallas vs. Philadelphia Union
6 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada
FC Dallas projected XI (4-3-3): Jesse Gonzalez; Reggie Cannon, Matt Hedges, Reto Ziegler, Ryan Hollingshead; Thiago Santos, Edwin Cerrillo, Jesus Ferreira; Michael Barrios, Zdenek Ondrasek, Fafa Picault
The statuses of Paxton Pomykal, Jesus Ferreira and Brandon Servania are undetermined, with each carrying knocks this preseason. Keep an eye on that towards kick off. Head coach Luchi Gonzalez also has more than a few options in attack.
Philadelphia Union projected XI (4-4-2 diamond): Andre Blake; Raymon Gaddis, Jack Elliott, Mark McKenzie, Matthew Real; Matej Oravec, Alejandro Bedoya, Jamiro Monteiro, Brenden Aaronson; Sergio Santos, Kacper Przybylko
Heading into 2020 pushing the throttle even more on the high-energy, high-pressing 4-4-2 diamond, Philly get their first chance against a possession-based FC Dallas. Breakout left back Kai Wagner is out, while new signings Matej Oravec and Jose Andres Martinez battle to start at No. 6 after Haris Medunjanin's departure.
Orlando City SC vs. Real Salt Lake
6 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada
Orlando City SC projected XI (4-2-3-1): Pedro Gallese; Ruan, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, Kamal Miller; Sebastian Mendez, Junior Urso; Benji Michel, Mauricio Pereyra, Chris Mueller; Tesho Akindele
With Dom Dwyer out, Tesho Akindele looks likely to get the nod up top after being reunited with former FC Dallas boss Oscar Pareja. New signings Pedro Gallese, Antonio Carlos and Junior Urso have played key roles all winter, with the trio starting the club's preseason finale.
Lastly: Nani is suspended (shoutout Gavin Ewbank for the catch) for aggressive behavior toward a match official in the club's Decision Day 5-2 loss to Chicago Fire FC last season. He'll also miss Orlando's second game of the season.
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Zach Macmath; Aaron Herrera, Nedum Onuoha, Justen Glad, Donny Toia; Kyle Beckerman, Damir Kreilach; Corey Baird, Albert Rusnak, Justin Meram; Giuseppe Rossi
A lot of intrigue around the RSL starting XI this weekend. Will new young DP Jeizon Ramirez start? What about veteran attacking additions Justin Meram and Giuseppe Rossi?
Nashville SC vs. Atlanta United
8 pm ET | FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports App in US; TSN4 in Canada
Nashville SC projected XI (4-2-3-1): Joe Willis; Eric Miller, Walker Zimmerman, Dave Romney, Daniel Lovitz; Dax McCarty, Anibal Godoy; Randall Leal, Hany Mukhtar, David Accam; Daniel Rios
What will Gary Smith's starting XI for Nashville's inaugural MLS match look like? The defense and base of midfield picks themselves, while Randall Leal and Hany Mukhtar are two players the team will lean on for creativity. Derrick Jones has gotten a good amount of run as the third midfielder, pushing Mukhtar wide, but David Accam would be a more attacking option for the club's first match.
Also: The club have three options up top, none of which are the obvious starter. Who gets first chance to get hot between Daniel Rios, Dom Badji and Abu Danladi?
Atlanta United projected XI (3-4-2-1): Brad Guzan; Franco Escobar, Fernando Meza, George Campbell; Mo Adams, Jeff Larentowicz, Luiz Fernando, Anton Walkes; Pity Martinez, Ezequiel Barco; Josef Martinez
Another CCL club, it's a mystery what Atlanta will look like on Saturday, particularly given injuries and visa frustrations. They don't have available enough players to fully rotate their squad. But would it be wise to push Josef Martinez, Pity Martinez and others to start a third game in 10 days right after preseason-- do they have a choice?
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Sporting KC
10:30 pm ET | TSN4 in Canada; MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US
Vancouver Whitecaps projected XI (4-2-3-1): Maxime Crepeau; Jake Nerwinski, Jasser Khmiri, Derek Cornelius, Ali Adnan; Russell Teibert, Hwang In-beom, Cristian Dajome, Yordy Reyna, David Milinkovic; Lucas Cavallini
After another offseason rebuild, the Whitecaps expect a few key winter signings make their debut, like DP forward Lucas Cavallini, who has been on fire this preseason. Leonard Owusu was signed to be a long-term solution in the club's midfield, but only arrived with the club this week so is likely unavailable.
Sporting KC projected XI (4-3-3): Tim Melia; Graham Zusi, Roberto Puncec, Matt Besler, Luis Martins; Ilie Sanchez, Roger Espinoza, Gadi Kinda; Gerso, Alan Pulido, Johnny Russell
Speaking of DP forwards, SKC's club-record signing Alan Pulido expects to debut opposite the Whitecaps' record signing. The midfield and attack are deep once again, though Felipe Gutierrez has been carrying a knock this preseason, opening the door for others. Both Gadi Kinda and Gianluca Busio have impressed in preseason, expect one of them to start.
Sunday, March 1
Columbus Crew SC vs. NYCFC
12:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada
Columbus Crew projected XI (4-2-3-1): Eloy Room; Harrison Afful, Jonathan Mensah, Vito Wormgoor, Milton Valenzuela; Artur, Darlington Nagbe; Luis Diaz, Lucas Zelarayan, Pedro Santos; Gyasi Zardes
The Crew were rolling through preseason with a defined XI and a deep squad, the dark horse darlings of the league kick off their 2020 campaign against NYCFC. Not too many question marks for the squad in Week 1.
NYCFC projected XI (4-3-3): Sean Johnson; Anton Tinnerholm, Maxime Chanot, Alex Callens, Ronald Matarrita; Alex Ring, James Sands, Keaton Parks; Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, Heber, Gary Mackay-Steven
Rotation or no rotation? Head coach Ronny Deila said they won't fully rotate, while forward Heber sat Leg 2 of their CCL victory on Wednesday so he'll be fresh. It might be a full-strength NYCFC team to kick things off on Sunday.
New York Red Bulls vs. FC Cincinnati
1 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada
New York Red Bulls projected XI (4-2-3-1): Ryan Meara; Kyle Duncan, Tim Parker, Aaron Long, Patrick Seagrist; Sean Davis, Cristian Casseres; Josh Sims, Kaku, Daniel Royer; Brian White
With some familiar faces departed, the Red Bulls head into 2020 leaning on their build from within ethos perhaps more than ever. Ryan Meara vs. David Jensen in goal is a battle to watch, as is Homegrown John Tolkin vs. SuperDraft first round pick Patrick Seagrist at left back.
FC Cincinnati projected XI (4-3-3): Spencer Richey; Mathieu Deplagne, Tom Pettersson, Kendall Waston, Greg Garza; Haris Medunjanin, Allan Cruz, Frankie Amaya; Yuya Kubo, Jurgen Locadia, Kekuta Manneh
It's a new-look FCC for 2020, but not all the new faces will debut. Siem de Jong is definitely unavailable as he is gone to get his visa, while Jurgen Locadia is a big ol' question mark for the same reason. He still hasn't returned, so his status is TBD. I'll be optimistic and put him in there. If not, there's Brandon Vazquez.
Seattle Sounders vs. Chicago Fire FC
3 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN in US; MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada
Seattle Sounders projected XI (4-2-3-1): Stefan Cleveland; Alex Roldan, Shane O'Neil, Xavier Arreaga, Nouhou; Jordy Delem, Danny Leyva; Handwalla Bwana, Harry Shipp, Miguel Ibarra; Justin Dhillon
So, Garth Lagerwey said the Sounders were going to play the kids in MLS to kick off the season as they chase CCL. The good news? They have a deep squad. Bad news, of course, is Gustav Svensson and Nico Lodeiro missed both legs of the CCL matchup. Elsewhere: They're a bit thin at center back and still haven't signed Sam Rogers to a Homegrown deal yet.
Chicago Fire FC projected XI (4-2-3-1): Kenneth Kronholm; Brandt Bronico, Johan Kappelhof, Francisco Calvo, Jonathan Bornstein; Mauricio Pineda, Michael Azira; Przemyslaw Frankowski, Djordje Mihailovic, Alvaro Medran; Robert Beric
The Fire's best XI is going to be a fluid situation for a bit, as Raphael Wicky and the players get to know each other a bit more, and as some of the bigger signings get their visas and are eligible to debut. Don't expect DPs Gaston Gimenez or Ignacio Aliseda in Week 1.
LAFC vs. Inter Miami CF
5:30 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN in US; MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada
LAFC projected XI (4-3-3): Kenneth Vermeer; Tristan Blackmon, Eddie Segura, Jordan Harvey, Mohamed El-Munir; Francisco Ginella, Jose Cifuentes, Bryce Duke; Brian Rodriguez, Adrien Perez, Carlos Vela
Another CCL club, it remains to be seen how LAFC navigates their first MLS game three days after playing in the CCL. Adrien Perez could get the start up top with Bradley Wright-Phillips still nursing an injury.
Inter Miami projected Xi (4-2-3-1): Luis Robles; Dylan Nealis, Roman Torres, Nico Figal, Ben Sweat; Wil Trapp, Victor Ulloa; Matias Pellegrini, Rodolfo Pizarro, Lewis Morgan; Robbie Robinson
Inter Miami's highly anticipated inaugural starting XI in MLS. Though they closely guarded friendly information this preseason, their strongest XI has come into focus. The question marks come up top, with Julian Carranza injured, and on the wing opposite Matias Pellegrini. Rodolfo Pizarro could shift wide to allow Lee Nguyen into the lineup.
Portland Timbers vs. Minnesota United FC
7:30 pm ET | FS1, FOX Deportes in US, FOX Sports App in US; MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada
Portland Timbers projected XI (4-2-3-1): Steve Clark; Jorge Moreira, Larrys Mabiala, Dario Zuparic, Jorge Villafaña; Cristhian Paredes, Diego Chara; Yimmi Chara, Diego Valeri, Sebastian Blanco; Felipe Mora
After a big offseason in which the Timbers brought in two DPs (Jaroslaw Niezgoda and Yimmi Chara) as well as a new TAM forward (Joseph Mora) while re-signing Jeremy Ebobisse and Diego Valeri to new contracts, competitions for places up front is hotter than ever. It's a bit more straightforward in week 1, with Ebobisse and Niezgoda slowly coming on after injuries this preseason.
Minnesota United projected XI (4-2-3-1): Tyler Miller; Romain Metanire, Michael Boxall, Ike Opara, Chase Gasper; Jan Gregus, Osvaldo Alonso; Ethan Finlay, Kevin Molino, Robin Lod; Luis Amarilla
Speaking of teams with attacking competition, the Loons head into 2020 with a new-look attack, headlined by Luis Amarilla. The forward promised 25 goals this year and looks to have the nod over Mason Toye at the moment, while young DP Thomas Chacon isn't fair behind the trio underneath the forward.
