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It’s Decision Day week! And some teams are heading into Saturday with a ton on the line. Some teams are…not doing that…like at all. In fact, there’s nothing on the line for them. So, how’d they get here? And what’s next?Â
I figured we’d start our week off in typical Daily Kickoff fashion: By being a total bummer. Let’s take an abridged and broad look at what went wrong for our teams with nothing to play for. And what might be on the way as they try to turn things around in 2024. We’ll cover the East today and the West tomorrow.
How’d we get here?
D.C. United are a strange team to analyze this year. Christian Benteke and Mateusz Klich both put in very good but not outstanding seasons as DPs. By the underlying numbers, D.C. were a top-10 team in the league and one of the most unlucky. We’re not too far removed from the timeline where D.C. catch a few breaks and are a playoff team.
Still, there were clear issues. They were always something close to good, but never seemed to approach anything near elite. Then, of course, the team dismissed DP Taxi Fountas in early August after the league determined there were credible allegations he used prohibited and discriminatory language against another player. D.C. picked up one point per game in their final 10 games. Their underlying numbers dropped toward the middle of the pack in that span, but they still remained unlucky and were a couple of breaks from at least having hope on Decision Day.
All in all, it’s just another rough year in a growing string of rough years for D.C. Change of some kind is needed. But maybe not a complete overhaul. They pretty much just need to figure out how to get the ball to Ted Ku-DiPietro more and they’ll probably be fine. Or at least more entertaining.
What’s next?
Good news (on some level) about that whole change thing. It’s coming quickly. Wayne Rooney parted ways with D.C. immediately following their final game. They need a new manager, a new DP and a new general manager. Per The Athletic, Nashville SC assistant GM Ally Mackay and Columbus Crew assistant GM Issa Tall are frontrunners for that last position. They’re at least moving quickly on that front, and they’re looking in the right places. As soon as they get in the new GM, they can start reshaping the team and this roster. Hopefully, for D.C.’s sake, there’s a consistent vision across the board of how they want the team to play and what pieces are needed to get them there.
How’d we get here?
I firmly believe the Herons would have made the playoffs if it weren’t for two key injuries. Long before the craziness of this summer, midfielders Jean Mota and Gregore were sidelined for the majority of the season. Inter Miami were left scrambling for midfield replacements and, in the end, did just fine with Dixon Arroyo and Benjamin Cremaschi. But they simply weren’t as effective as they would have been with Mota and Gregore.
Throw in the facts forward Leo Campana didn’t see the field nearly as much as anyone hoped, Josef Martinez didn’t turn into 2018 Josef again and the back line struggled all season, and you have a good recipe for digging yourself a hole so deep even the greatest player of all time (and friends) couldn’t dig them out of it in the end. Injuries to the GOAT and one of those friends (Jordi Alba) didn’t help either.
What’s next?
I have good news though. Miami still have the greatest player of all time (and friends!), and they all get a much-needed break while the Herons continue to work on the roster. They should even get Gregore and Mota back and fully healthy by the time we reach next season. The Herons aren’t necessarily set for a huge offseason considering the current roster. But if they have any wiggle room to work before next season starts, then they have a ton of gravity to pull great players. They don’t need to do much, though they might do a whole lot anyway.
While they’re at it, they mostly need to sort things out defensively. A refreshed midfield (that now includes U22 Diego Gomez as well) will go a long way toward that, but there could be additional moves on the way to help solidify things. From there, the plan seems relatively straightforward. It will be a massive disappointment if they’re anything but one of the best teams in the league next season.
…Actually, wait, that’s too generous. If they aren’t the best team in MLS next season, it will be a massive disappointment. The biggest in the history of the league.
How’d we get here?
Oh man, where do we even start?
At the start of the year, it seemed from the outside like Toronto might be primed for a big season. On the inside, things were a whole entire mess.
In general, it’s not a bad idea to bank on players and managers taking a step forward in their second year in the league or their second year with a team. It takes time to establish culture and get comfortable. This year’s Toronto team will forever be held up as an example of what happens when absolutely none of that comes to fruition.
Bob Bradley’s second season in charge and Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi’s second year in MLS went as poorly as it possibly could have. On-field results tanked. Private infighting became public. And nothing broke their way.
What made it particularly disheartening is their offseason seemed excellent on paper. They addressed defensive issues by bringing in center back Matt Hedges and goalkeeper Sean Johnson. If they could just get Insigne and Bernardeschi firing on all cylinders and get the midfield playing at a decent level behind them, they could be a force. Yeah, there were depth concerns, but the starting XI seemed like it would be tough for any team to handle.
Again, absolutely none of that happened. Hedges didn’t even finish the year with the team. It could not have gone worse.
Your 2023 Wooden Spoon winners, folks.
What’s next?
Longtime Canadian national team manager John Herdman has taken over after Bob Bradley’s dismissal. He’s smartly avoided getting any 2023 on him up until this point and will take over in full after the season ends. From there, he’ll have to go about repairing what has appeared to be a fractured locker room and working with the front office and new GM Jason Hernandez to fix a roster that’s aging, lacking quality and getting nothing from its highest-paid player. There’s a long, long road ahead.
But it is MLS. And Toronto have a little more money in the bank than most teams. They aren’t doomed for 2024 by any means.
Inter Miami to visit China in November for international tour: Inter Miami CF are going international. The Herons will visit China this November for friendly matches against two Chinese Super League teams. Broadcast details and ticket information will be available in the coming weeks.
- Here’s how to watch Argentina and Peru.
- And the same for USA and Ghana.
Good luck out there. Do it all.
