Whitecaps exit CCC vs. Tigres
Vancouver Whitecaps FC have bowed out of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup after suffering a 3-0 loss Wednesday evening at Tigres UANL. The Leg 2 setback at El Volcán left Vancouver down 4-1 on aggregate vs. the Liga MX powerhouse side, having drawn 1-1 in Leg 1 last week on Canadian soil.
New kits
Charlotte unveiled the Carolina Kit, Portland the Nature Unites Kit, Sporting KC the Diamonds Our Forever jersey, Philadelphia the XV Kit, New York the Legacy Kit and New England the Boston Tea Party Kit.
Houston Dynamo's Quiñónes out for 2024 with knee injury
Houston Dynamo FC winger Nelson Quiñónes will miss the 2024 MLS season with a knee injury. The 21-year-old recently got injured while representing Colombia at the Conmbeol Pre-Olympic Tournament in Venezuela. Quiñones was coming off a breakout 2023 season with Houston where he tallied 4g/2a in 28 matches (19 starts).
Messi to start Inter Miami vs. Newell's Old Boys friendly
Lionel Messi will start for Inter Miami CF in Thursday’s friendly against boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys, head coach Gerardo Martino confirmed on the eve of their final preseason test (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass). "For us, it’s important for him to get in as many minutes as possible ahead of the beginning of the league," Tata told reporters Tuesday, shortly before Miami host Real Salt Lake on Feb. 21 to begin the 2024 MLS regular season (8 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
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We’re previewing all 29 teams over 10 days in as Daily Kickoff a style as we can. Yesterday we checked in on FC Cincinnati and St. Louis. Today, Nashville, Minnesota United and Portland. Yes, we know the rosters aren’t finalized yet. The rosters are never finalized.
2023 By The Numbers (per American Soccer Analysis)
Defense good. Attack fine. Hany great. It’s Nashville, I don’t know what else y’all want here.
I guess I’ll just add that new DP forward Sam Surridge didn’t inspire a ton of confidence after arriving midseason. His underlyings were fine though. His 0.38 xG/90 is a 71st percentile effort among forwards. That’s based on a small sample size, but it’s at least somewhat encouraging.
2024 Final Standing Range
Between fifth and 10th.
There’s a good argument that Nashville’s floor is far too high to even consider a year where they miss the playoffs. But there are genuine concerns, even if they should be excellent defensively yet again. And I’m not just talking about the typical “Is anyone going to do literally anything in attack besides Hany” concerns.
Losing Dax McCarty and Fafa Picault this offseason may not feel like massive moves, but both were solid depth pieces. McCarty became even more than that at times last season, especially during Nashville’s run to the Leagues Cup final. They’ve replaced him with U22 midfielder Dru Yearwood after a trade with New York and found new blood at winger by sending some GAM to LA to bring in Tyler Boyd. Both guys have high upside and Boyd feels like an upgrade, but it doesn’t feel like we’ve advanced too far past the status quo here.
As always, it will come down to whether or not Mukhtar gets any true support in attack. Yearwood and Boyd can help facilitate that of course, but all eyes are going to be on Surridge. After the Ake Loba disaster, Nashville need him to take a major step forward in 2024. Not solely for the obvious reasons, but because you never know what’s going to happen with a player like Mukhtar. If he decides he’s ready to head abroad (he’s out of contract after 2025) and his two DP partners in attack during his time with Nashville were Loba and an underperforming Surridge, then Nashville will have botched a window where they had one of the best players in league history in his prime.
Player of the People
Jacob Shaffelburg because hair.
This could all go pretty well if…
Surridge has a Mukhtar-esque year two, Boyd and Yearwood are clear upgrades and we get the Nashville from Leagues Cup for the majority of the season rather than the Nashville that couldn’t buy a goal after losing the final. That’s all within the realm of possibility.
2023 By The Numbers (per American Soccer Analysis)
The Loons had outstanding underlying numbers. They finished with the fourth-highest expected point total in the West and fourth-highest expected goals total in the league. That’s even with Bebelo Reynoso missing half the season.
But none of that matters because of one of the most frustrating stats of 2023: Minnesota won four home games. Four. Colorado and Toronto are the only other teams in the league who didn’t win at least six. Toronto, who had 22 points all season, won four home games. All Minnesota had to do is win one more home game and they would have been in the playoffs. I don’t know if I’ll get over it. Let’s just move on and say they really should try and win at home this year.
2024 Final Standing Range
Between fifth and 12th.
Yep, throw another Western Conference team on the pile. Who knows how any of this is going to sort itself out in the middle of the conference. But the Loons have a few things working against them as they try and claw their way to the top of the heap. Mainly the fact they don’t have a head coach. As of now, Cameron Knowles is Minnesota’s second interim manager since they fired Adrian Heath. It’s… a bit weird.
It’s not the end of the world, though. There’s no need to complicate the game model. The game model is, as always, get the ball to Reynoso and get out of the way. And because Reynoso is actually in preseason this year, they can just do that from the jump. He’ll even have decent help around him. Winger Bongokuhle Hlongwane put together what might have been the league’s most underrated season in 2023. Striker Teemu Pukki put up 0.87 goals per 90 over 1000 MLS minutes. And winger Robin Lod is back after a season-ending injury last May. They have firepower. Now they just need to harness it to win a home game.
Player of the People
Hlongwane rules and I need more people to start appreciating that. He finished in the 98th percentile in xG per 90 among attacking midfielders and wingers last season. He also finished in the 75th percentile or higher in tackles, interceptions, blocks, clearances and aerials won. You could make a fantastic statistical radar for Bongi that’s basically just one big circle.
This could all go pretty well if…
Knowles gives the keys to Reynoso and the Loons go from there. Maybe new center back Victor Eriksson gives them a lift. Maybe, with new chief soccer officer Khaled El-Ahmad in the building, they find their long-term manager and make a move or two in the summer to build on that. Maybe they actually win some home games.
2023 By The Numbers (per American Soccer Analysis)
They were incredibly average. The Timbers finished 15th in expected goals for and 13th in expected goals allowed, which put them 17th in expected goal differential and 16th in expected points. No team strived to make no impression like Portland.
2024 Final Standing Range
Between… [sigh]... y’all, I’m getting real tired of trying to predict the West. Let’s just say third to 13th and call it day.
I’m tired, but that honestly feels like the range for this team. They’re undergoing so much change and still have a ton of change on the way. It’s Feb. 15 and they still have two open DP spots. It’s almost not even worth talking about them until they fill those spots, but we only have so many teams left to preview.
Look, they’re either going to get those signings right and be a force in attack, or they’re going to miss and the rest of the group isn’t going to be strong enough to carry them out of their midness.
But, man, it is really intriguing to think about this team with a true DP-caliber No. 9 and a winger revolving around their current lone DP, Evander. If it happens, they should be solid at the back thanks in part to their two biggest signings of the offseason so far: center back Kamal Miller and goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau. Although we do need to note that starting left back Claudio Bravo will miss the first three months of the season after knee surgery.
Player of the People
Santiago Moreno is your classic “Man, he’s just one step away from being a star” kind of guy. He put up seven goals and eight assists in 2022 and followed it up with a three goal, nine assist season in 2023. He’s still just 23 and could be set to take that step this year. But that’s not why he’s a Player of the People. He’s a Player of the People because he’s constantly doing highlight-worthy things on the ball. The people demand to be entertained. Moreno obliges.
This could all go pretty well if…
It’s all on the two DPs. All of it.
Charlotte FC sign SuperDraft selections Smalls, Forbes: Charlotte FC have signed winger Tyger Smalls and defender Jahlane Forbes through the 2024 MLS season with club options for 2025-27. Both players were picked in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft – Smalls at No. 14 overall (first round) out of Loyola Marymount, then Forbes at No. 38 (second round) out of Wake Forest.
DC United sign defender Antley from Tampa Bay Rowdies: D.C. United have acquired defender Conner Antley from USL Championship side Tampa Bay Rowdies.The 28-year-old is under contract through the 2025 MLS season with an option for 2026.
- Matt Doyle picked out every Eastern Conference team's breakout player candidate in 2024.
- MLS Fantasy 2024 is live.
Good luck out there. Rely on the fans to make something great.
