Welcome to another edition of "Discuss," in which MLSsoccer.com editors debate the topics of the moment in MLS.
The preseason has kicked off in MLS this week, and with that comes an opportunity for some snap judgments on which teams have done the most to improve their lot in 2017 for the season ahead. So, this week's question is: Which MLS team has improved the most so far this offseason?
Armchair Analyst Matt Doyle, Senior Editor Nicholas Rosano, Senior Host & Producer Andrew Wiebe, New Media Editor Ben Baer and Contributors Sam Stejskal and Alicia Rodriguez weighed in:
Doyle: LA Galaxy
I tried to talk myself into a few others – David Accam could be a huge pick-up for Philly, RSL & NYCFC have both done really good work, etc. – but there's only one real choice here. Sigi's gone HAM all offseason and the Galaxy look set to go from worst to pretty, pretty good.
Stejskal: LA Galaxy
Adding Ola Kamara and Perry Kitchen and getting Sebastian Lletget back from the injury that wrecked his 2017 will be huge for this group, who also landed goalkeeper David Bingham and picked up several reinforcements in the back. We'll see how the new defenders fit in, but LA's front six is now good enough on its own that the Galaxy should return to the playoffs in 2018.
Baer: Atlanta United
BARCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Look, their two biggest additions (Ezequel Barco, Darlington Nagbe) are replacing two pretty good starters (Asad, Carmona) but the new guys are probably going to be an upgrade on the old guys. Let’s also not forgot that they appear to have solved their biggest hole (right back) with the signing of Franco Escobar and added quality depth at fullback and left wing in the form of Jose Hernandez, a promising Venezuelan import.
Wiebe: NYCFC
Everybody is going to say the Galaxy, and fair enough, but they also had the most room to improve given LA took MLS’s worst record on the chin in 2017. So instead of the obvious, I’m going with the team doing their damndest to go from good to great. That’d be NYCFC, who now go two deep with quality at every position after adding the top scorer (Jo Inge Berget) and defender (Anton Tinnerholm) for Allsvenskan champions Malmo on free transfers, grabbing young potential starters at right wing (Ismael Tajouri) and center back (Cedric Hountondji) and dropping serious cash on Paraguay U-20 starlet Jesus Medina. Oh, and they got Yangel Herrera back for full year on loan and Saad Abdul-Salaam for a player they were moving on from anyway. Patrick Vieira says this squad allows them to challenge for MLS Cup, and that’s what the silly season is ultimately all about.
Rodriguez: Vancouver Whitecaps FC
I think Andrew makes a really compelling case for NYCFC, and I also think a fresh approach and the quality of imports in San Jose brought in by Jesse Fioranelli means the Quakes can't be slept on, but I'm going for the Whitecaps here for one simple reason: In bringing in proven scorer Kei Kamara and young South American Anthony Blondell, they may have finally, finally addressed the perennial concern of where the goals will come from for the 'Caps. I think holding midfield remains a concern for them at this point (could new addition Doneil Henry be pushed up there?), but if Vancouver can address that, they shouldn't have any gaping holes in their squad any longer.
Rosano: San Jose Earthquakes
Those two teams all the way down I-5 might be grabbing all the headlines transfer-wise, but as someone who's spent a lot of his life watching the Quakes, it's hard not to be optimistic – or curious at the very least – about the direction they're headed. They've added a host of intriguing prospects and given their backline a much-needed overhaul. It's refreshing to finally see them commit to giving youngsters a chance, and it'll show in their play. They might not be ready to contend for MLS Cup, but we'll see a better San Jose team than last year – and one that'll better their brief playoff showing from 2017. And for posterity's sake, D.C. United are a No. 9 away and Philadelphia a No. 10 away from being serious contenders for this list – let's see how the rest of the transfer window shakes out.
