Concacaf Champions Cup returns
Three MLS teams take the field tonight in CCC action. St. Louis CITY SC host Houston Dynamo FC at 8 pm ET and Saprissa welcome Philadelphia Union at 10 pm ET as the first round continues.
MLS is Back tomorrow
TOMORROW. We made it, y’all. The season opens with Inter Miami CF hosting Real Salt Lake. Kickoff is set for 8 pm ET on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Miami transfer Gregore to Botafogo
Inter Miami CF have transferred midfielder Gregore to Brazilian Série A side Botafogo. Gregore, 29, served as Inter Miami's captain after arriving in 2021 from Bahia in his native Brazil.
New York City sign Serbian striker Mijatović
New York City FC have signed Serbian youth international striker Jovan Mijatović from Red Star Belgrade. Mijatović, 18, is under contract through the 2028 MLS season with an option for 2029. He will occupy a U22 Initiative roster slot and arrives for a reported $8.6 million transfer fee.
Houston sign Carrasquilla to new contract
Houston Dynamo FC have signed midfielder Coco Carrasquilla to a contract extension. The Panamanian international's new deal lasts through the 2025 MLS season with options for 2026-27. Carrasquilla, 25, is entering his fourth season with Houston after being acquired from Spanish second-division side FC Cartagena.
Awards predictions are here
The 2024 MLS season is here, starting the race to MLS Cup and the Supporters' Shield (among other trophies). Same goes for awards, such as being crowned the Landon Donovan MLS MVP or Golden Boot presented by Audi winner. To identify some start-of-year favorites, we asked MLS Season Pass talent to vote in our Season Preview Guide.
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Concacaf Champions Cup (also known as the artist formerly known as Concacaf Champions League) is back in earnest tonight. Vancouver have already been eliminated thanks to Tigres, but nine (9!!!) MLS teams remain thanks to the revamped format. That includes Inter Miami and Columbus, who both got a free pass to the Round of 16 after winning trophies last year.
That means seven MLS teams will compete in Round One over the next three days. We figured we would check in on them before their season officially begins and see how their CCC fate is shaking out.
We’ll start with the Union. Mostly because all we need to tell you is they’re essentially the exact same team as last year’s group that reached the CCL semifinals. There have been zero notable changes. That kind of continuity and experience should set them up to be off and running from day one in this competition. If they can take care of business against Saprissa and then beat a Pachuca side with a solid record so far in the Apertura, they should have a clear path back to the semifinals. Unfortunately, that’s where either Chivas or Club América will be waiting for them. Still, avoiding the big boys of Liga MX until the semifinals is a pretty sweet deal.
It’s not quite at the Union’s level, but the Revs also carry a decent bit of continuity into CCC. There are two big concerns, though. First, you have to wonder if the attack will be up to speed from the jump. Second, you have to wonder if new keeper Henrich Ravas is up to put in a Matt Turner or Djordje Petrovic-esque performance. Those could be big asks.
Their path to a deep run isn’t a gauntlet, though. They would avoid Liga MX and MLS teams until the quarterfinals if they keep winning. However, that’s when they’d need to win three straight against a Liga MX giant, a top-tier Liga MX or MLS side (maybe Philadelphia?) and whoever makes the final from the other side of the bracket. That’s a hard road to walk for a team trying to regroup quickly after a difficult end to 2023.
St. Louis get Houston to start the competition, have Columbus waiting for them in the next round and then get either Orlando or Tigres. Oof. But, hey, they also have a bunch of continuity, they’ve added two starting-caliber fullbacks and we all know MLS teams don’t handle a high press all that well at the start of the season. You never know, right?
Houston have that same path. To make matters worse, Héctor Herrera is injured and will reportedly miss an unknown amount of time to start the season. There’s a good argument that no one played a bigger role in their team’s success last season. Herrera took over 14% of his team’s touches in 2023, the highest mark in the league. It feels like Houston might need some time to ease into the year before they think about a CCC run. Then again, they tend to surprise people lately.
Great news: Orlando have an excellent starting XI and should be able to breeze past Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC in Round One. Bad news: Tigres are sitting there waiting for them in the Round of 16. If they win that, they’ll likely face the Crew. If they win that, they’ll face whoever comes out of the FC Cincinnati, CF Monterrey, Inter Miami triangle of death. Good soccer team. Bad draw.
Speaking of Cincy, they drew Jamaican side Cavalier in the Round of 32. They’ll be heavily favored. If they get by, it will set up a fascinating reunion for Cincy and former striker Brandon Vazquez, as the Garys take on Monterrey. That’s an incredibly difficult draw this early in the year, but last year’s Shield winners feel like one of the few teams in the region with enough juice to take down a Liga MX giant. They’re good enough to win the whole thing. Even with a few changes to last year’s starting XI.
Defending and Hany Mukhtar can take you a long way in knockout competition. Nashville didn’t stumble into the Leagues Cup final on accident last year. They have a gauntlet in front of them, though. If they get past Moca in the Round of 32, Inter Miami are on the other side. It’s the region’s best from the Round of 32 on. They’ll need a little extra to get by.
Ulloa retires after 13-year MLS career: Victor Ulloa has retired from professional soccer, the longtime MLS midfielder announced Sunday. Ulloa spent 13 seasons in MLS after initially joining FC Dallas as a homegrown player. He also had stops at FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF, contributing 6g/14a in 243 matches.
Miami loan Azcona to Las Vegas Lights: Inter Miami CF have loaned forward Edison Azcona to USL Championship side Las Vegas Lights through June 2024 with a purchase option. The 20-year-old Dominican Republic international has played in 10 MLS matches as a substitute (105 minutes) since joining the club as a homegrown player before the 2021 campaign.
- Wilfried Nancy (!!) wrote about what making MLS history reveals about life.
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- Charles Boehm wrote about Lionel Messi, Inter Miami and the task of becoming an MLS "superteam.”
- Here are five key Lionel Messi-centric dates to know in 2024.
Good luck out there. Get your mind right, it’s time to go.
