However, given the current state of the team, is the Union ready for the phenom?
Usually, the questions are reversed. A 14-year-old kid should be the one in question about making his pro debut. However, the Philadelphia Union is currently in a nosedive identity crisis.
At the moment, it needs to be asked if the Union is ready to provide growth to its once-in-a-lifetime talent.
Sullivan is the Real Deal
While the Aaronsons, Brenden, and Paxton set the standard for Union homegrown stars, Cavan Sullivan is on another level. At 14 years old, Sullivan was primed to be headed to European giants Manchester City. It was a shocking turn of events when Sullivan decided to stay home with his brother.
All that it took was the largest homegrown deal ever given in the history of the sport in this country. Sullivan is the real deal and has proven it in his rise through the Union’s academy system. After leading the Union Academy to multiple trophies, Sullivan will look to add to the Union’s thin trophy case before he heads off to stardom overseas.
The Union Are a Hot Mess
The Union’s current state is not pretty. For the first time in 12 years, it has suffered three consecutive home losses. The cushion the club had built early in the season has not only dissipated, but the Union now finds itself far off the top of the table.
However, the most concerning part of the poor form is the fact the team’s former stars have regressed ahead of schedule. Jacob Glesnes has been a shell of his former self, while Jack Elliot and Damion Lowe have not been up to par in picking up the slack. Andre Blake has been unable to play most of the games due to injury. Simultaneously, Jose Martinez has been well below his standards. All of the regression on the defensive side of the ball has anchored the Union in 2024. While the offense has been putting together some of the best strings of attack fans have seen, it hasn’t mattered, as opposing teams can score at will against the club.
Consequentially, regression is not the only culprit. While the Union has slid backward, the rest of the league has sprung forward. Union’s management refusal to invest substantial money into the club at its peak is starting to be the club’s downfall. The Union, as always, is missing that superstar who can take over the game by himself.
The biggest concern about Sullivan right now is if the first team is the right spot for him. As of right now, the answer may be no. Given the comments from players, coaches, and fans, there is a lot of tension in all phases of the club. It cannot be best for Sullivan to just get thrown into the fire.
However, once the dust starts to settle and the Union has a clear path forward, whether that path be a rebuild or continue pushing this core for a trophy, then Sullivan should start to break in. The timeline on the Union’s current path is unknown. If the summer transfer window comes and the Union is still tail spinning, perhaps the transfer of Julian Carranza will mark the start of a rebuild for the Union.
Nonetheless, the Union doesn’t have forever to figure it out. Once Sullivan turns 18, he is off to Manchester. While Sullivan will likely start slowly breaking into the first team this year, he has to be a focal point by no later than the start of next season. Not only do the coaches need to do right by Sullivan, but ownership needs to invest in him to spur his growth further.
The Union cannot mess up with Cavan Sullivan. While it is nearly impossible to do with his talent, the entire world is now watching. If the Union can successfully grow Cavan into the next phase of his game and push him to superstardom, the phone stays open for future talent. Other teams will look deeper into the Union’s academy for investing. On the other side, if the Union messes this up, not only will teams think twice before investing in the Union’s academy, but younger players will think twice as well.
At the end of the day, the Union has to sort out their form at the top level before Cavan Sullivan sniffs an MLS game.
Cavan Sullivan might not be able to save the current state of the Union, but he absolutely could be the face of the new era of the Philadelphia Union.
After suffering their first loss of the 2024 MLS Season, Philadelphia Union players and fans shared their frustrations. However, do some comments from players show a divided locker room?
The Union did something last Saturday that is very rare. They lost at home while at full strength. While it ultimately took a superb strike from Real Salt Lake to take all 3 points, it didn’t improve the taste in Union players’ mouths.
Reeling from their first defeat of the season, Union players seemed more verbally frustrated than we have seen in years past. Is there a divide forming in the Union locker room or are the frustrations boiling over from a lack of results?
Union Leadership Most Vocally Frustrated
Union players were more vocal after Saturday’s loss than we have seen in a while. Most notably, longtime captain Alejandro Bedoya had stern words to share with the media post-match.
“I’m glad you guys (in the media) took longer to get here because I had to cool my head a bit. But yeah, I’m freaking pissed man. We should never be losing this type of game at home. I mean, honestly, two big, big, freaking chances that we should be putting away in the box, that we should be finishing. So that’s disappointing that we don’t score those chances.”
Now, it is not uncommon for Ale Bedoya to be fired up and passionate about his Union team. However, this is the first time we have seen him point out a distinct portion of the Union’s play to criticize. That being, of course, the inconsistent play of Mikael Uhre. Certainly when the Union fan base has been shouting the same frustrations at a certain Union forward for years.
Bedoya would never point out Uhre in such a manner, nor should be. However, Uhre missed an absolute sitter from 3 yards out that proved to cost the Union. The captain has the right to be frustrated and his comments were likely made to fire up his team. The culture will be fine as long as Bedoya is in the Union locker room. It remains to be seen if it will wake up Union attackers to bust out of their funk.
Andre Blake
The other player venting his frustrations was the Union’s second-in-line captain, Andre Blake. Blake is not one to show much emotion to the media. However, post-match Saturday Blake seemed unusually frustrated. Blake’s frustrations are more pointed towards his health rather than the team’s form. As reported by Jose Nunez, Blake had the following to say post-match when asked about his health:
“I don’t want to talk about it, to be honest. It has been a tough start for me but I am hanging in there”
The longtime Union goalkeeper has had a rough 2024 season in terms of staying healthy. Simultaneously, Blake let a fairly easy goal in during Saturday’s loss to RSL. Blake is reasonably frustrated and still dealing with lingering injuries. However, his demeanor seems lower than in past seasons. Another sign that perhaps frustrations within the Union locker room as a whole are growing.
The Season is Not Over
Perhaps the most intriguing part of Union leadership venting their frustration so vocally is that the Union is still in a fine place. While the Union currently sits 7th in the East, the club still has 2 games in hand over everyone. Win those two games and they are right back to the top of the conference. However, the Union players know the margin for error this season is thin.
The Union has had the same core players for about 4 seasons now. Perhaps that fact makes the recent comments from club leadership more of an eyecatcher. Considering we have not heard such strong language from the team like this before.
This season is still young and the Union can still fight for the top of the east. However, the fact frustrations are getting out so early shows that the Union locker room may not be as strong as in years past.
Despite the Philadelphia Union’s new identity, one thing has stayed the same.
The Union can never be counted out.
As the last remaining unbeaten team in MLS, how long can the Union keep escaping defeat?
It is never pretty, but the Union continues to grab results from losing positions. This time, the club went to Atlanta and escaped with an exciting 2-2 draw. If it wasn’t for a questionable offsides call on a Mikael Uhre goal, the Union would have left with all 3 points.
Now, 7 games into the MLS season, the Union is 3rd in the Eastern Conference. The club also holds a game in hand over 2nd place NYRB. As well as 2 games in handover 1st place Inter Miami. Perhaps the most impressive feat is the Union have been on the road for 5 of their 7 MLS games. Counter in their, albeit rough, time in the CONCACAF Champions League, Union fans can’t have much to complain about.
The biggest concern currently is the Union’s new up-and-down identity. The Union used to smash and grab a goal for a 1-0 victory. Now, if the Union wants any points, they have to score at least twice a game. Fortunately, the Union offense has clicked more than it has in a long time, with the second most goals in the East. However, clean sheets have been increasingly harder to come by.
Clear Schedule and Clear Minds
It was just about a month ago, and the Union’s season had already felt over. A 6-0 embarrassment in Mexico had fans concerned for 2024. However, it seems the result has woken up the Union players. Simultaneously, it also opened up their schedule.
For the first time in perhaps 3 seasons, the Union has just 1 competition to worry about. That is the MLS campaign. The Union is out of CCC, is not participating in the US Open Cup, and may not take this summer’s Leagues Cup very seriously. This is the first time in a long time the Union can go full focus on MLS for the entire season.
The clear schedule will hopefully lighten the burden on players’ legs. Especially with a team as shorthanded as the Union. Now, the summer will still be a tough stretch as the Union will lose key players, but the hot start will hopefully soften the burden.
The Concerns Still Lay Ahead
Every point the Union can steal will matter this season. This is especially true for the rough stretch of starting the season on the road for 5 of 7 games. The fact of the matter is that the Union needs to keep pace with the Eastern Conference powerhouses while they are still in full force. International competitions will have the Union shorthanded multiple times throughout the summer. Unfortunately, the Union may also stand to lose star forward Julian Carranza in the summer transfer window.
These facts are why the Union must stay hot as long as they can. This Union roster is as thin as it has ever been. Any injury or departure could throw a wrench into the Union’s title hopes. However, the current Union team is still a top team in MLS and could make another run for the top of the Eastern Conference. The margin for error is razor-thin for this Union team.
This makes their hot start even more crucial.
It also makes it even more impressive, given the rough start to 2024.
After a 6-0 thrashing from Pachuca, the vibes around the Philadelphia Union are in the gutter. After refusing to invest in the roster and fans, it begs an important question. If ownership doesn’t care, why should fans?
Blame the packed schedule or blame the conditions in Mexico, it does not matter. Losing 6-0 on the international stage can’t happen. In the words of Jim Curtin, it was an embarrassment to the Union and MLS.
While the Union’s schedule is open now, it does not mean the road gets any better. It is going to be a long 2024 season. Unfortunately, a terrible season may be what the Union brought upon themselves.
How Bad Could It Be?
While we are just 1 month into the season, there has not been much to cheer about. They are winless in MLS, have given up 15 goals in 6 games, and have no depth at any position. Unfortunately, the Union’s opponents are improving and the Union is staying the same.
The landscape of MLS is changing and improving. While Lionel Messi’s arrival ensured that, other clubs were not scared to change with it. Teams like Portland, Colorado, and Chicago are making 10+ million-dollar bids for players. The Union’s biggest incoming transfer is still 2.7 million dollars. The club will not survive in MLS anymore with their philosophy. The writing is already on the wall as the Union is outgunned every time they reach big stages.
There could be a silver lining: if you told a Union fan in 2014, that in 10 years the Union would have a Supporters Shield and MLS Cup appearance, I am sure any fan would be ecstatic. However, the story of how we got here leaves a sour taste in the mouth. The Union was 90 seconds from holding the MLS Cup. Unfortunately, from then on, the Union decided they did not need to improve.
Who Holds the Most Blame?
Jay Sugarman
The biggest culprit is Union majority owner Jay Sugarman. Union ownership is fine where the team is. Sugarman has been in the negative view of Union fans for a long time. Things got easier when the club was doing well but his cheapness is coming back to bite him. There have been no significant improvements to the roster or the experience for fans. Pricing is going up and the quality is going down.
This is more of a business to make money from for Sugarman than anything else. Despite hiking up stadium and season ticket prices, none of that added revenue is being reinvested into the team on the field. However, there is a giant complex next door now to make sure he can host tournaments. Also, we can’t forget about the big DELCO sign.
In all seriousness, the WSFS complex is a great thing for the community. Unfortunately, it won’t matter to the Union when the stadium starts to empty. Fans have every right to be furious at ownership. Seeing the price of tickets, concessions, and memorabilia skyrocket is infuriating. Add to it the fact that money is not being invested to make the team better.
Jay Sugarman has not changed his ways during his tenure. He likely will not until fans cohesively make their voices heard. Unfortunately, the only way to do that is to hurt his pockets.
Jim Curtin/Ernst Tanner
Union head coach Jim Curtin and sporting director Ernst Tanner should not get massively blamed for the state of the Union roster. However, despite being handcuffed by their budget, the two are not completely blameless.
For Ernst Tanner, his diamonds in the rough aren’t coming in like they used to. While he did pluck studs like Kai Wagner and Jose Martinez out of nothing, he is accruing more misses than hits. He finally got to spend a decent sum of money and brought in Miakel Uhre. Uhre has not been awful but has not lived up to the expectations. Now, his lack of any level of move in the offseason has left the Union fighting for their lives without any depth.
Now, for Jim Curtin. Jim Curtin is a great coach who will likely move on to better things soon. He does not deserve a massive amount of blame. However, his shortcomings have hurt the club as well. Curtin has a history of not using subs and not giving players many chances. Now, we are not at practice. Some players may just not fit in correctly. Last year, we saw it with Perea and Torress. However, it seems Curtin does not give many opportunities to prove it in the game.
Of course, if a player wants game minutes they have to earn it in practice. However, the Union spent a million dollars to bring in Tai Baribo. Baribo is yet to feature for the Union this season. Did Ernst Tanner completely miss on Baribo? Or is Curtin not giving him a full chance to earn his spot?
Nonetheless, the Union is struggling to find its identity in the new era of MLS. Spending at the bottom of the league worked in the past, but it will not anymore.
The Future Will Tell All
As stated before, we are just 1 month into the 2024 season. While the Union stares down the barrel of losing top players in the summer, perhaps they can pull it together. Unfortunately, fans have every right to be upset and concerned as the Union core is declining while everyone else is getting better.
The real test of how much ownership cares will come in the summer. The Union likely stands to lose Julian Carranza. Will the checkbook finally be opened to make a big splash? Union fans will likely even accept just some reliable depth moves.
Nonetheless, the sense is fans are growing tired of the same old Union moments. This is a defining year in the club’s history. Whether they decide to grow what they have built over the last 5 years or let it dwindle due to a lack of care and reinvestment to the fans.
The Union is having another quiet offseason. While some moves have been made, there have been no needle-moving arrivals. Should the Union be trying to win with the same roster for the third consecutive season or is Ernst Tanner delaying the inevitable?
The Philadelphia Union has been a top team in MLS for 4 years now. With the 2024 season upon us, the club will not change its roster philosophy much. The Union is running it back with a similar roster for another year.
While this is a roster that has an MLS Cup appearance, as well as multiple semifinal appearances in continental tournaments, they have fallen short at every term. Given that record, should the Union’s aim be to run it back?
Minimal Roster Changes
Unfortunately, Union fans have had to sit on the side as other MLS teams announced exciting new signings. However, the Union wasn’t completely quiet.
The club did lock in a surprising return for left-back Kai Wagner. Additionally, Ernst Tanner made signings for future depth that would likely start the season on Union 2.
The most recent news is the Union has locked in a 1-year deal for long-time Union captain Alejandro Bedoya to return to the club. This comes just a few months after a reported falling out between Tanner and Bedoya, causing blowback from the fans.
This will very likely be Bedoya’s final year with the club. While Bedoya will add to his club record of 247 caps, the writing has been on the wall for a while that his playtime should be dwindling. Bedoya has found himself unavailable at key points of the last few seasons due to nagging injuries. One of the few roster changes we may see is Bedoya taking a step back. Whether as a 60-minute a game player or a full transition to the bench.
Is Running Back the Correct Philosophy?
Unfortunately, the Union’s “golden era” is starting to be known for falling short. The Union has fallen short in MLS Cup, CONCACAF Champions Cup, and now Leagues Cup. From those teams, there have been minimal changes and additions to the team. Who is to say 2024 won’t be more of the same?
Now, the sport bounces differently every time. Without Gareth Bale, the Union have a star above their crest. If an offsides call was made in last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinal, maybe the Union would have eliminated the Supporters Shield winners in FC Cincinnati. The fact of the matter is the Union has been so close to glory, that it isn’t insane to try to get to the promised land with its roster.
However, the argument for that is a strong one. That is MLS is getting better. The best example is the league now houses Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suarez. While yes, Inter Miami is on their own pay scale, other MLS teams have grown past their fear of spending money on transfers. Other MLS teams are finding ways around MLS’ roster restrictions. Meanwhile, the Union are hoping the roset core that was built in 2021 can finally achieve success in 2024.
It is safe to say, fans of the club are unsure. This season is a huge question mark, and likely the last chance for this Union core to add to the Union’s shallow trophy case.
“It’s just been tough to get a rhythm,” Brenden Aaronson says. “And I think that’s everything for a footballer — it’s just finding your rhythm and confidence.”
“Tough” is a word Aaronson uses a lot right now, which is not surprising in the circumstances.
It is Thursday afternoon, less than 48 hours after Union Berlin were knocked out of the DFB Pokal by Stuttgart, condemning them to an 11th straight defeat in all competitions. On Saturday, against Eintracht Frankfurt, that losing streak was extended to 12 matches, leaving Union third from bottom in the Bundesliga.
For Aaronson, who joined Union on a season-long loan in the summer on the back of suffering relegation from the Premier League with Leeds United, it must feel like a never-ending cycle of misery.
In fact, the 23-year-old could be forgiven for saying he’d rather not talk about any of it — whether that be Union Berlin, relegation with Leeds or losing matches.
Instead, Aaronson offers a warm handshake, pulls up a chair in one of the sponsor’s suites at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, Union’s home in the east of Berlin, and answers every question.
Aaronson talks about a loss of confidence at the end of last season, about being told by his coach that he was putting too much pressure on himself, about hitting the gym to build his strength, about how proud he felt representing the USMNT at the World Cup finals, about letting the fans down at Elland Road, about still loving Leeds, about ignoring social media, and about Union Berlin’s incredible supporters.
More than anything, Aaronson talks about refusing to allow what has happened since moving to Leeds for £25million ($30.8m) from Red Bull Salzburg last year define him and about his determination to use the remainder of this season to turn things around at Union Berlin (who The Athletic has been embedded with this season) both for the club and for himself.
“It’s like I always say, the show must go on,” Aaronson adds, reflecting on his recent disappointments.
“You have to pick your head up.
“I like to look at videos of guys speaking about the downs in their career. I think (Wilfried) Zaha said something recently about when he was at Manchester United and he wasn’t going to let his failure at Man United destroy his career.”
Aaronson smiles briefly.
“I feel like, mentally, I’ve grown so much,” he adds. “I could maybe be more negative in a situation like this, but I feel really positive. I feel like I’m still trying things on the pitch and just waiting for my chance again to show that I can play.”
Darmstadt, August 26, 2023
It is the second match of the Bundesliga season and Union are leading 1-0 when Aaronson is shown a second yellow card.
Despite playing with 10 men for 70 minutes, Union went on to win the game 4-1, but news of Aaronson’s dismissal (which seemed incredibly harsh) caused a stir on social media.
A stir is being polite. A Twitter pile-on would be a better description after Leeds United fans — and clearly not all of them feel this way — peppered Union’s account with messages.
Union decided enough was enough and posted a message of their own.
“Brenden Aaronson is a superbly skilled footballer and a young man who doesn’t deserve any of the s*** being thrown at him here. Keep it to your own sites, please.”
Aaronson looks surprised when that tweet is read out to him two months later. He didn’t know about it at the time and, until now, nobody has mentioned it to him.
Jacob Sweetman, one of Union’s media staff, is sitting in on our interview and was responsible for posting that message.
Aaronson looks across the room at Sweetman. “Thanks for defending me,” he says, his voice quiet and sincere. “I appreciate that.”
A frustrated Aaronson after his red card, following which he was defended by the club (Jörg Halisch/Getty Images)
Social media can be a brutal place at times and it is easy to understand why Aaronson and so many other professional footballers these days choose to ignore what is posted on there. It feels as though there is more to lose than gain by reading what everyone thinks of you, especially for a young player who has become a lightning rod for criticism.
“The good things and the bad things I don’t want to know about — I don’t care,” Aaronson says. “All I care about is my dad’s opinion, my agent’s opinion, and my inner circle and, of course, the coach.”
“Aaronson has shown glimpses of skill and nobody behind the scenes at Leeds has anything but warm words for a young player who one staff member described as the ‘ideal son-in-law’, adding that he stays after training every day to rehearse set pieces and finishing. The staff member added, however, that the emotional toll of the season has weighed heavily on his shoulders and he has, at times, overthought matters as confidence ebbed away from his play.”
Aaronson listens to that extract, which is taken from an article that was published by The Athletic in May, when Leeds were on the brink of relegation from the Premier League and the post-mortem was already underway at Elland Road.
The “ideal son-in-law” reference prompts Aaronson to chuckle. As for the wider sentiment, he nods in agreement.
“I would say that’s a fair quote,” Aaronson replies. “The glimpses, I think, are true. I think I showed in the first half of the season why I was proud of the way I played. And I think everybody in my inner circle was thinking that I might have a little bit of a harder time getting used to the league. The first couple of games, I played really well and then I had some other good games in there, too.”
Aaronson pauses for a moment. “At the end, it was really tough, confidence-wise, to go out there. I didn’t feel like I was playing my best. I feel like I was letting my team-mates down, I felt like I was letting the fanbase down at times.
“You’re thinking all the time. You’re not just playing. And I think when I’m playing my best is when I’m enjoying the game and I’m in a flow state. There’s no thinking, there’s just playing and just doing what I feel and that creative side comes out when I’m in the flow.
“Even this season, I feel like I’ve had many times where I’ve been in the flow, but the goals and assists just haven’t popped in yet. But they will.
“I think that’s kind of like what the season was like for a lot of the guys (at Leeds). It wasn’t just me.”
Aaronson felt he started positively but later lost confidence at Leeds (Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
When things were going wrong at Leeds, Aaronson’s response was to stay out after training and practise even harder. Another bag of footballs, another shooting session.
Away from the pitch, he was preoccupied with football, too, especially his stats — he finished the season with one goal and three assists in the Premier League.
“You’re driving yourself crazy about scoring and assisting, then it starts to take over your mind and that’s all you care about,” Aaronson explains. “So then the other things, like the (general) play, starts to go down because you want to score so bad, you wanna assist so bad.
“I remember talking to Jesse (Marsch, the former Leeds coach) about it. He was like, ‘You’re putting way too much pressure on yourself. You’re so focused on it all the time, about scoring goals and getting assists, that you’re not letting yourself just play’.”
Perhaps all of that is to be expected. Aaronson, after all, was only 21 years old when he signed for Leeds — for a fee that, he says, never bothered him, but arguably raised expectations among the fanbase to an unrealistic level.
Looking back, it was a chaotic season for Leeds full stop. The team was led by four different managers — Marsch, the then-under-23 coach Michael Skubala, Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce — and Leeds registered only three Premier League victories after the season resumed in December following the World Cup in Qatar.
For Aaronson, who came off the bench in all four of the USMNT matches in Qatar, the biggest sporting event on the planet passed by in a blur.
“I’m proud to be an American and to represent my country in the World Cup is the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my life. To have my family name on the back, it was honestly a dream come true,” he says.
“But when I look back, it feels like it’s a fever dream because it just went by like this (clicks his fingers). And then I’m flying (out of Qatar), I had three days off after the World Cup and then I was back in Leeds, already getting ready for the next Prem game.”
Last season was relentless in that respect. Aaronson started every Premier League game until Nottingham Forest away in February, when he somehow made the substitutes’ bench despite spending the lead-up to the match in hospital with appendicitis.
“I was watching the (San Francisco) 49ers (on TV) because I’m a 49ers fan and just going to bed like a normal night and then all of a sudden I wake up and I’m rolling in pain because I have appendicitis,” he explains. “The next thing I know, I’m going to the hospital and I’m in for three days. They were deciding whether or not I should take it out. They said I could. But they said that if I don’t, then you can just take medication and it will be better. It was just a crazy time. I came out of the hospital, trained one day and then was in the squad for the next game.”
That desire to carry on playing is typical of Aaronson. Whatever criticism is thrown at him, he could never be accused of not trying his best — something his father ingrained in him from a young age, when Aaronson would return to pre-season with a demand to win the bleep test (a continuous running exercise that measures fitness levels).
A natural athlete, Aaronson covers a phenomenal amount of ground in matches, pressing and chasing down lost causes, as he demonstrated when he forced the Chelsea ’keeper Edouard Mendy into a mistake early last season, leading to the midfielder’s only goal for Leeds.
But there were questions around other aspects of Aaronson’s game at Leeds, in particular his physicality and whether he was strong enough to play in the Premier League.
Aaronson knows this topic well. He has been here before — probably more times than he cares to remember.
When he was coming through the academy at Philadelphia Union, Aaronson’s size — he was a late developer and much smaller than the players he was up against — threatened to hold him back. “You have no idea the therapy sessions in that car,” Rusty, Aaronson’s father, told The Athletic two years ago.
Aaronson says his body is not naturally a “Prem-type” player but believes he adapted (Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
That backdrop leaves you wondering whether Aaronson will roll his eyes when the topic is brought up again now, but that’s not his style at all.
Instead, he responds candidly when asked what he thinks about the idea that, physically, it may have been too big an adjustment to expect him to go straight from the Austrian Bundesliga to the intensity of playing every week in the Premier League.
“I think that it’s fair,” Aaronson says. “I have a body type that’s not, I guess, a Prem-type player. I’m not the biggest, I’m not the most physical. But I disagree that I think that it makes the biggest difference. If you look at the best players in the world, (Andres) Iniesta, Xavi, (Luka) Modric, they’re strong guys, but they’re not like Virgil van Dijk.
“I think since that last year I’ve gotten stronger because I’ve been in the weight room a lot more. I work on it every day. I try to get stronger every single day. But I think that I learned a lot more because I’ve always been the smallest one. So I’ve always had to be between the lines and be smart.
“Also, during parts of the season last year, I was trying to draw fouls around the box and people thought, ‘Oh, he’s going down too easy’. But that was just me trying to get fouls. So it’s a little bit of both. But I think I can definitely get stronger.”
Relegation was a collective failure at Leeds — the owners, board, coaches and players all have to take some level of responsibility — but every person will have dealt with the experience in their own way.
For Aaronson, who had come from a totally different culture at Salzburg and Philadelphia, last season sounds like it was a shock to the system.
“I think going through something like that and being as young as… I mean, I’ve never been in a situation like that in my life. I came from Philadelphia Union, then I was in Salzburg; we won everything in Salzburg. I was never used to losing. Even in my MLS career, we were always winning.
“I came to Leeds and it was just different.
“But I think that at the end of the season when you get relegated… you just feel like you’ve let a lot of people down.”
There were three scenarios for Aaronson in the summer: stay with Leeds in the Championship, go out on loan or move permanently.
A clause in Aaronson’s contract — and he was one of many players at Leeds in this position — enabled him to join another club on loan provided his salary was covered in full.
Union Berlin, who had finished fourth in the Bundesliga and qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history, were quick to show interest — at a time when Leeds were without a coach and going through a period of upheaval behind the scenes. On the face of it, Aaronson and Union’s style of play felt like a good fit.
“As soon as the season was over, Union came in, probably three days after (Leeds) being relegated,” Aaronson explains. “Right away, they wanted me. And as a player, feeling wanted is probably the biggest thing in where you wanna go.
“That’s another reason why I went to Leeds — they wanted me really bad. From that January when Marcelo (Bielsa) was there, to when Jesse came, they stayed in contact.”
Aaronson is under contract with Leeds for another three years after this season. Could he return and play for them again?
“For sure, it’s possible. It’s not done and dusted or anything like that,” Aaronson says. “I love the club. I love the guys that I was there with, the connections I made. It was just tough the way it ended.
“I felt like this was the best decision that I could make — playing in the Bundesliga and playing in the Champions League — to help my career and get me better. So that’s why I made the decision.”
Aaronson’s affection for Leeds comes across as genuine. From his point of view, there is no friction or ill-feeling because of how last season played out. In fact, the only time he looks mildly annoyed during this interview is when a question is asked about the aftermath of relegation and the clear sense that a section of the Leeds fanbase had turned against the U.S. influx at Leeds, bearing in mind Marsch has previously been coach and Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie played alongside Aaronson last season.
Was Aaronson aware of any of that tension?
“No, I didn’t hear anything about it,” he replies. “Excuse my language, but I don’t give a s***. It doesn’t bother me. I don’t really care what other people say. I don’t care if it was an American thing or anything like that. It’s just noise.”
Aaronson was part of an American influx at Leeds (Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Aaronson, in short, was focused solely on what happened on the pitch at Leeds and nothing has changed now. He is still in touch with his former team-mates and delighted to see that Leeds, who are third in the Championship, are on the up again.
“I try to stay in contact with all of the players as best I can,” he says. “I texted Cry (Crysencio Summerville) the other day for his birthday. I see a lot of guys doing great there right now, so I’m really happy for them. I don’t have any bitter thoughts or anything like that because I just pride myself on being as positive as I can and rooting for my friends and the team I played for last year. It looks like it’s clicking right now and it’s awesome to see.”
Unfortunately, it’s a different story at Union. A landmark season that promised so much has unravelled in a way that nobody could have imagined. The narrow Champions League defeats against Real Madrid and Braga felt particularly cruel — Union conceded 94th-minute goals in both games — but the club’s domestic form is alarming.
Aaronson’s game time has been limited until now — five starts and 416 minutes across 12 appearances. On Saturday, he briefly came up against his younger brother, Paxten, who was brought on in the closing minutes for Eintracht Frankfurt; a proud moment for the Aaronson family and a storyline that would have been celebrated far more on another day, but not when Union were 3-0 down.
It is hard to escape the feeling that Aaronson and Union, who face Napoli away in the Champions League tonight (Wednesday), both need a little bit of luck and one of those moments in front of goal on which a whole season can turn.
The header Aaronson nodded agonisingly wide in the 85th minute against Braga, when the game was tied 2-2, springs to mind.
“That’s kind of been the story for me so far, as I’ve had a lot of good chances, but I just haven’t converted yet,” Aaronson says. “I’m working on my finishing every day, I wanna get better. But that’s what happens as a footballer; you’re going through things like this and you just have to keep telling yourself, ‘I know I can score goals’, and they’ll come.”
That Aaronson neither looks nor sounds downbeat says much about both his mentality and the way Union operate as a football club. There is disappointment but not panic, where the club’s president has given his unequivocal backing to the coach Urs Fischer. As for the Union fans, their support of the team is unconditional.
“Unconditional is the perfect word,” Aaronson says. “It’s unbelievable. You try to say as a footballer sometimes that you’re not focused on outside things, like the fans or stuff like that, but when they’re behind you all the time, that is for sure a positive.”
As the interview draws to a close, Aaronson thinks about the days and weeks ahead, the exciting fixtures on the horizon — Napoli, Braga and Real Madrid in the Champions League — and the opportunities to change the narrative rather than dwell on the past.
“There’s not a lot of doom and gloom,” Aaronson adds. “You have so much time in the season left, so it’s not the end of the world. We have so many amazing games coming up.
“For me, I know that I’m going to continue to work hard day in and day out to get into the team, into a rhythm and, like I said, the flow.
Philadelphia Union striker Cory Burke, left, celebrates his goal in the second half of the 2022 … [+] Eastern Conference Final against New York City FC last Sunday.
Getty Images
If you follow MLS regularly, you know the league has one of the strongest home field advantages in North American pro sports and in global club soccer. And if past history is to be believed, that advantage grows even larger in the MLS Cup final.
Well, sort of.
Home teams have won at least 48% of MLS regular season and playoff matches (after 90 minutes plus stoppage time) in every 34-game season played since 2012, with the percentage rising above 50% in several of those years.
Entering Saturday’s MLS Cup final between hosts LAFC and the visiting Philadelphia Union, 2022 home teams have a 49% win rate, with another 25% of matches finishing level after 90 minutes.
Yet since the league switched to an MLS Cup format where the higher remaining seed hosts the final, the away team in the final has pulled off only one regulation victory in 13 tries. This includes the last 11 MLS Cup finals, as well as the 1997 and 2002 games, in which D.C. United and the New England Revolution, respectively, reached finals they were already selected to host as the “neutral” site.
However, when you add games decided in overtime or penalties, the road team has lifted the cup on four of those 13 occasions, a trend that could be of particular use to bettors or producers of the 6 o’clock news in Philadelphia. The 2002 LA Galaxy won their MLS Cup in New England on a golden goal; The Seattle Sounders in 2016 and New York City FC last year both required penalties.
Home teams have also required extra time on two occasions, making home teams’ 90-minute record 7-1-5 (W-L-D) in those 13 games. Those seven wins in 13 games is statistically similar to the winning rate of home teams in MLS overall. And you might expect it to be a little higher, since the better regular season performer is nearly always the home team in MLS Cup (the lone exception being New England in 2002).
So maybe it’s not home field advantage overall that is greater in the MLS Cup so much as home field momentum. Away teams appear to have just as much of a chance as they always do so long as they’re tied or in the lead. But if they go behind, they can lose their grip on the game more quickly.
There’s two points of evidence for this. The first is there have been more 90-minute home wins by two goals in MLS Cup (five) than by one goal (two). The second is that only one away MLS Cup final team has ever leveled after falling behind — when New England’s Chris Tierney scored in the 79th minute of the 2014 final against the LA Galaxy. (The Galaxy won in extra time on Robbie Keane’s 111th-minute winner.)
The good news for the Union is they might be better equipped than most to lift a trophy in those road conditions, for a couple reasons.
Firstly, there is usually at least a small gap in regular season performance between the higher seeded MLS Cup host and lower seeded visitor. But in this case, the Union are literally having to travel across the continent for the game because MLS uses total wins as its first tiebreaker in the standings. In other leagues that use goal-differential as the first tiebreak, the Union would be hosting after both teams finished with 67 points.
Secondly, it’s the Union who have been the more likely to play from the early lead this season. They’ve entered halftime with a lead in 18 of 36 regular season and playoff games. By contrast, LAFC have held a first-half lead on only nine of 36 occasions, and even at home the Black & Gold have led only six out of 19 times at half.
The opening round of the 2022 MLS Cup playoffs lacked some of the drama we’ve come to expect from the postseason; after all, there was only one upset. Nevertheless, we were still treated to two penalty shootouts, some raucous crowds in Austin and Montreal and a table set for an appetizing final four.
So, with the conference semifinals kicking off on Thursday, ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, Kyle Bonagura, Dan Hajducky and Austin Lindberg preview the matchups, predicting which clubs will be moving on to the final four and which players will join the league’s other 20 clubs already watching the playoff drama unfold from the comfort of their living rooms.
FC Cincinnati weren’t just bad during their first three years of existence in Major League Soccer. They almost redefined how spectacular a team can get everything wrong, from an on-field perspective, as it entered the league. It came at a time when first-year success had become common and several, replicable blueprints for success had been established around the league. So when things spiraled out of control, the club took a step back, looked around and finally decided to ask itself: What has worked?
And there it was, one state over: the Philadelphia Union. Cincinnati appointed longtime Union executive Chris Albright as their general manager, he hired Union assistant coach Pat Noonan as head coach and … voila, here are Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference semifinals (after beating the New York Red Bulls in the first round), ready to play spoiler to the Union after their historically dominant 2022 season.
That’s an oversimplification, of course, but the speed in which Cincinnati turned things around speaks to the importance of a front office and coaching staff that has experience in the league. Only the wins tiebreaker prevented Philadelphia from winning the Supporters’ Shield during a season in which they were the best team by almost every way to measure it. With the league’s best defense, the Union should be considered heavy favorites Thursday night at home, where they didn’t lose during the regular season. However, there is something to be said about familiarity as an equalizer, so it will be interesting to see what tactical wrinkles Noonan rolls out. — Bonagura
Predictions:
FCC have done well to change the trajectory of the organization, but the Union seem to be a bridge too far, and should prevail over their former apprentices in Cincinnati GM Chris Albright and manager Pat Noonan. — Carlisle
The Union were the best team in the league during the regular season (certainly during the second half), have a historically dominant defense and were undefeated at home. There is no logic in picking against them. — Bonagura
Sure, I’ve said I was a sucker for an underdog, but that Pollyanna notion has an expiration date when Philadelphia is on the opposing half. The Union allowed only 26 goals all season. Twenty-six! Their plus-46 goal differential was the second-best tally in a decade. Andre Blake, who’ll win his record third MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award, is an MVP finalist. The Union and Blake’s storybook season doesn’t end with the Orange and Blue. — Hajducky
The most prolific attack in MLS, the stingiest defense in the league, an MLS-best goal differential nearly twice as good as their nearest rivals, Philadelphia just have too many ways in which they can beat opponents. — Lindberg
NYCFC are the defending champions, they’ve won five in a row, and they looked back to their best in their Round One win over Inter Miami CF at Citi Field on Monday night. And yet, they still look like a long shot to beat Montreal at Stade Saputo on Sunday.
CFM have lost just once in their past 16 games, dating to the middle of July. In that stretch, they’ve earned 36 points (plus a playoff win) from 45 available. For context, Supporters’ Shield winners LAFC and level-on-points Philadelphia took 27 and 34 points, respectively, over the same stretch.
In the two meetings between the Bronx Blues and Montreal this season, it’s the former who took four points but the latter who outplayed their opponents in each game. The Quebecois won the xG battle, 3.2 to 1.99 — despite the aggregate scoreline reading 4-1 in favor of NYCFC — they outshot their rivals 26-15 and outchanced them 16-13.
This is a Montreal team that, if not for the glitz and glamor of LAFC or the model-franchise designation of Philadelphia, would be the talk of MLS in these playoffs. — Lindberg
Predictions:
The Blues seemed to regain some of their championship swagger in eliminating Inter Miami, but Montreal’s consistency means they rarely get flustered, and with Ismael Kone, Djordje Mihailovic and the ageless Kei Kamara clicking, CFM should get the win. — Carlisle
Neither team has lost in more than a month and both looked the part in decisive first-round wins, but Montreal get the edge playing at home. — Bonagura
It’s a testament to how good NYCFC are, top to bottom, that they lost 2021 Golden Boot winner Valentin Castellanos to Girona and still made the conference semis. But New York stumbled to the playoffs, winning only four MLS matches from Aug. 6 to season’s end. The offensive trio of Montreal’s Romell Quioto, Kamara and Mihailovic — each with at least nine goals and six assists — will be too much for the Bronx Blues. — Hajducky
Since the middle of July, Montreal have lost just once, demonstrating consistently impressive play, contrasted against NYCFC’s stretch of one win in ten that preceded their current five-game winning streak. CFM may lack the pedigree and glamor signings, but it’s been one of the best teams — in the truest sense of the word — in MLS all season. — Lindberg
Plenty has changed since LAFC defeated the LA Galaxy 3-2 on July 8. The Galaxy’s midfield has been completely revamped with the additions of Ricard Puig and Gaston Brugman, and Martin Caceres has been brought in to stabilize the back. LAFC haven’t been idle either, bringing in six new players, including Gareth Bale, Giorgio Chiellini and Denis Bouanga.
The new arrivals didn’t quite have the desired effect for LAFC, who endured a 1-4-1 stretch before righting themselves late in the campaign. But while the Black and Gold are largely playing the same, the Galaxy look a different outfit, with the additions of Puig and Brugman having a ripple effect on the rest of the lineup. Douglas Costa can stick to the wing instead of shouldering the creative burden that now belongs to Puig. As a result, the Galaxy’s possession and passing have improved, as has their finishing.
So what does this all mean for Thursday’s Western Conference semifinal? It means a battle royale in the center of the park, with LAFC’s Ilie Sanchez, along with Jose Cifuentes and Kellyn Acosta, tasked with stopping Puig, Brugman and Marky Delgado. Whichever team prevails in that area will then be able to feed their potent frontline, that being Bouanga, Carlos Vela and Cristian Arango for LAFC with Costa, Samuel Grandsir and Javier Hernandez for the Galaxy. — Carlisle
Predictions:
The Galaxy seem to be jelling at the right time, especially with Puig and Brugman operating in midfield. That makes for another Supporters’ Shield winner to fall short of an MLS Cup double. — Carlisle
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Sebastian Salazar and Herculez Gomez predict the winner of LAFC vs. LA Galaxy in the MLS Cup playoffs.
The Black and Gold fixed something that wasn’t broken by adding Bale, Chiellini and DPs Bouanga and Cristian Tello during the regular season. The moves all made sense on paper, but it hasn’t worked out according to plan. Meanwhile, the Galaxy turned things around in the second half and appear to be peaking at the right time. LAFC are on notice, but talent should still win the day. — Bonagura
Another conference semifinals El Trafico, the first since 2019. Does the Supporters’ Shield curse — only seven winners have also won an MLS Cup — rear its ugly head? Or do LAFC finally hoist the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy? It’s LAFC’s — and Carlos Vela’s — year. — Hajducky
In the 11 games since Puig’s arrival, the Galaxy have been playing at a 1.81 points-per-game pace, a level of play that extrapolated across a full season would’ve made them a No. 2 seed in the West. Meanwhile, LAFC have lost five of their past nine. — Lindberg
Only two teams in MLS scored more goals than Austin in 2022. Only one conceded fewer than Dallas. This is a classic power-vs.-power matchup, and it’s going to be interesting to see how Nico Estevez organizes his FCD side to try to contain the Texas capital club.
In the Round One shootout win over RSL, Austin got little in the way of chance creation from attackers Maximiliano Urruti, Ethan Finlay, Diego Fagundez, Moussa Djitte and Emiliano Rigoni, which suggests that Dallas could match up favorably. However, that would ignore MVP candidate Sebastian Driussi, who scored both the Verde‘s goals in that win, on top of the 22 he netted in the regular season, and has a knack for running into pockets of space and conjuring opportunities from deeper starting positions.
No one in MLS has figured out Driussi. Whoever lines up at the base of midfield for Dallas, be it Facundo Quignon or Edwin Cerrillo, they’re going to have their hands full shadowing the 26-year-old River Plate academy graduate.
To sweeten an already appetizing pot is the atmosphere in Q2 Stadium. It was loud and rowdy in the city’s first-ever professional playoff game, now add the tension that will arise from Dallas supporters driving 200 miles to the south for a postseason Texan derby. And with Formula One in town for the U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday (1:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ABC), fan excitement won’t be higher anywhere in the world than it will be in Austin. — Lindberg
Predictions:
There isn’t much separating the two teams in this all-Texas matchup, but in Driussi, the Verde have just a smidgen more quality, and that should prove to be enough to get Austin the victory. — Carlisle
This should be an incredible atmosphere at Q2. In fact, maybe one of the best MLS has ever had in the state for this Texas derby. Austin is the pick based on their explosive offense, despite FC Dallas owning the best defensive goal-scoring record in Western Conference this season. — Bonagura
Last time, I said the MLS Cup playoffs might be a fitting farewell to Jesus Ferreira before he gets poached by a European club. Well, Ferreira won the Young Player of the Year award on Tuesday, and everything seems to be bouncing right just weeks from Qatar. Austin beat LAFC 4-1 in late August and then won only once the rest of the season, allowing twice as many as they scored in that span. The ingredients are there for something spectacular for Dallas. — Hajducky
As hypnotic as Driussi’s play is, Dallas’ organization and their deep and variable attack will present Austin with problems that Josh Wolff will struggle to solve. — Lindberg
The curtain has come down on the 2022 MLS regular season, with 14 teams now preparing to contest the MLS Cup playoffs and another 14 waiting to watch them from home. There will be sides in both of those camps that likely are surprised to find themselves in the positions they occupy, for better or worse; such has been the unpredictable-as-ever nature of this campaign.
Few could’ve predicted Austin FC would be near the top of the Western Conference after a ho-hum inaugural season, while the New England Revolution following up a record-setting 2021 by missing the playoffs would’ve been met with similarly long odds eight months ago. That LAFC and the Philadelphia Union fought over the Supporters’ Shield all season, that was perhaps less surprising.
To definitively explain how these teams performed in 2022, ESPN asked Jeff Carlisle, Kyle Bonagura, Bill Connelly, Cesar Hernandez and Austin Lindberg to think back to the start of the year, consider each team’s expectations and deliver a final letter grade for all 28 sides.
Record: 10W-10D-14L Standing: 40 points, 11th in the East Grade: F
Based on points, Atlanta wasn’t the worst team in MLS, but considering the fact that its payroll of $21 million was the highest in MLS, combined with the fact that it finished 23rd out of 28 teams in the full league table, a failing grade is appropriate.
Sure, the numbers provided by the MLSPA don’t paint a complete picture. Season-ending injuries to the likes of defender Miles Robinson, midfielder Ozzie Alonso and goalkeeper Brad Guzan didn’t help. Neither did the continued drama surrounding striker Josef Martinez, but there was still enough talent on this team to at least get into the playoffs, and the Five Stripes didn’t get it done. The 2023 campaign is shaping up to be a put up or shut up year for manager Gonzalo Pineda. — Carlisle
Record: 16W-8D-10L Standing: 56 points, 2nd in West Grade: A-
FiveThirtyEight gave them a 31% chance of making the playoffs before the season and listed them as one of six teams with a less than 1% chance of winning the MLS Cup. But their early play was so strong that they had all but locked up a playoff spot by July, and now only LAFC, Philadelphia and Montreal have demonstrably better title odds.
They wobbled over the final month, losing five of their last 10, and we’ll see what legs they have left for the playoffs, especially in defense. But they’re here. Sebastian Driussi finished with 22 goals and seven assists in a possible MVP season, Diego Fagundez had six goals and 15 assists, and all in all, Austin FC enjoyed a miraculous second season. — Connelly
Record: 13W-3D-18L Standing: 42 points, 9th in East Grade: B+
They were top-3 in attendance, and thanks to a late hot streak they weren’t eliminated from the playoff race until the final week of their debut season. (And they pulled that off with an interim coach, Christian Lattanzio leading the way for more than half the season.) That is a success story in and of itself.
In the end, they just didn’t have enough firepower. They were 21st in goals scored — only Karol Swiderski hit double digits for the season — and opponents attempted far more shots than they did. But you can see the makings of a proper possession club here, and it will be interesting to see how they attempt to build on that this coming offseason. — Connelly
Record: 10W-9D-15L Standing: 39 points, 12th in East Grade: C-
There was a significant amount to feel positive about in the Windy City in 2022. Xherdan Shaqiri accumulated 18 direct goal contributions in his first season in the league, 18-year-old Gabriel Slonina emerged as one of the brightest goalkeeping prospects in recent memory (and subsequently sealed a transfer to Chelsea in the process), and 18-year-old forward Jhon Duran‘s debut campaign was so impressive (eight goals and three assists in just 1,274 minutes) that he earned a senior call-up with Colombia.
And yet, despite all that momentum, the Fire still finished 12th in the Eastern Conference and were eliminated from playoff contention with two matchdays left in the regular season. If Chicago’s reward for their promise in 2022 is the transfer fee generated by Slonina’s exit (and potentially Duran’s, too, with Chelsea and Liverpool credited with interest), then it’s hard to escape the conclusion that the club is facing another season of rebuilding in 2023. — Lindberg
Record: 12W-13D-9L Standing: 49 points, 5th in East Grade: A+
Qualifying for the playoffs for the very first time after spending the previous three seasons with the worst record in MLS? Not bad from FCC. It took until Decision Day and a result over bottom-of-the-table D.C. United, but Cincinnati made a statement with a 5-2 victory in the final weekend of the regular season.
The rebuild project under general manager Chris Albright and head coach Pat Noonan has undoubtedly been a success in 2022. They may not last long in the playoffs with their fragile defense, but they’ll be fun to watch if attack-minded players such as Brandon Vazquez, Luciano Acosta and Brenner continue to step up. — Hernandez
Record: 11W-10D-13L Standing: 43 points, 10th in West Grade: C-
A year after topping the Western Conference with 61 points, the Rapids swiftly fell back into obscurity. Only one team in the conference (San Jose) allowed more than the 57 goals conceded by Colorado, which gave up just 35 a year ago.
At the most basic level, the regression is easy to understand. Over the last year-plus, the Rapids have lost midfielders Kellyn Acosta and Cole Bassett and defenders Sam Vines and Auston Trusty without coming close to replacing them with players at the same level. The most high-profile acquisition was striker Gyasi Zardes, who in 26 matches scored nine goals. However, the Rapids won just twice in his first 11 appearances, which derailed the season by the middle of the summer. — Bonagura
Record: 10W-16D-8L Standing: 46 points, 8th in East Grade: C-
Is this a good time to bring up the fact that head coach Caleb Porter said, “I’d bet my house” on Columbus making the playoffs?
Needing at least a tie on Decision Day to earn a playoff spot after failing to qualify last year, the Crew tripped over themselves once again through a 2-1 loss to Orlando. The defeat, which featured a second half game winner for Orlando from Facundo Torres, felt indicative of a Columbus squad that has become accustomed to closing out games all season.
Questions will need to be answered by Porter, who often found himself stuck in draws and narrow results. Over the past year, it’s difficult to say that much progress has been made by the players or the coach. — Hernandez
Record: 7W-6D-21L Standing: 27 points, 14th in East Grade: F
The District was a case study in Murphy’s Law in 2022. Paul Arriola was transferred to Dallas, where he enjoyed a career year; Julian Gressel was shipped to Vancouver, where his rate of a direct goal contribution every 346 minutes was slashed to one every 220; manager Hernan Losada was fired; new coach Wayne Rooney finished the year with a 2W-3D-8L record; and star forward Taxi Fountas is being investigated for using a racial slur in a loss to Miami last month.
This was a season when D.C. were meant to establish themselves as postseason contenders. Little more than seven months after the campaign began, it’s hard to name a club further away from contention. — Lindberg
Record: 14W-11D-9L Standing: 53 points, 3rd in West Grade: B+
In his first season with the club, manager Nico Estevez has been decisive in the efforts that have helped Dallas return to the playoffs after missing out in 2021. With only 37 goals allowed all season and important saves from Maarten Paes, Dallas’ defensive prowess was influential in their top-third finish in the Western Conference table.
Which isn’t to say that their frontline should be ignored. Twenty-one-year-old USMNT striker Jesus Ferreira was one of the best in the league with his 18 goals and six assists. In support, others such as Paul Arriola, Alan Velasco and Sebastian Lletget also stepped up in crucial moments. — Hernandez
Record: 10W-6D-18L Standing: 36 points, 13th in West Grade: D
The growing pains of a new era? Even with majority owner Ted Segal taking charge since 2021 through front-office hirings (including a first-ever role for a technical director) and the marquee signing of Mexican international Hector Herrera, nobody was able to halt a dismal run of form that led to a failure to qualify for the playoffs and the firing of head coach Paulo Nagamura.
Nagamura’s replacement will be tasked with not only finding the right combination to work with Herrera, but also reviving a team that hasn’t earned a playoff invitation since 2017.
Record: 14W-6D-14L Standing: 48 points, 6th in East Grade: B
Inter woke up! After finishing 10th and 11th in the East, respectively, in their first two seasons of existence, Phil Neville’s squad looked well on the way to making it three straight playoff-free years before turning on the jets. After August 1, they generated more points than any MLS team besides Montreal, nearly succumbing to a late-August funk but rallying — thanks in part to one last hot streak from retiring striker Gonzalo Higuain — to snare the No. 6 seed in the Eastern playoffs.
This is neither a young nor particularly creative team, but making the postseason was the goal and they did so. — Connelly
Record: 21W-4D-9L Standing: 67 points, 1st in West Grade: A
After compiling an 18-4-3 record, LAFC’s procession to the Supporters’ Shield took a minor detour at one point. But a 1-4-1 stretch run raised all kinds of questions, such as if adding the likes of Gareth Bale, Denis Bouanga and Giorgio Chiellini might have unsettled the squad with the playoffs approaching. Philadelphia, all of a sudden, was in with a shout of catching the Black-and-Gold, but timely wins against Houston and Portland allowed LAFC to finish with a kick and claim the Shield.
Considering that this side missed the playoffs last year and underwent a considerable overhaul in terms of personnel, it’s an impressive accomplishment for the club and first-year manager Steve Cherundolo. Now the MLS Cup beckons. — Carlisle
Record: 14W-8D-12L Standing: 50 points, 4th in West Grade: B
What a second half of the year for the Galaxy. At the All-Star break point, they were floundering in ninth place in the Western Conference, with the postseason not worth discussing. Since then, the conversation has changed. Los Angeles rose all the way to fourth in the conference to earn a home playoff game (Nashville, Oct. 15) and are very much among the contenders to win the whole thing.
A lot of that turnaround has be credited to the acquisition of Riqui Puig. In his 10 appearances (9 starts), the Galaxy is 4-5-1 and he contributed eight goal contributions (3 goals, 5 assists). In the 22 games prior to Puig’s arrival this season, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez had 11 goal contributions (10 goals, 1 assist) and averaged 0.5 goals per 90 minutes. In the 10 games after Puig arrived, Chicharito’s production took off. He averaged 0.91 goals per 90 minutes and had nearly as many goal contributions (8 goals, 1 assist) in fewer than half as many games. — Bonagura
Record: 14W-6D-14L Standing: 48 points, 6th in West Grade: B-
There was no more up-and-down team in MLS in 2022 than the Loons. From May to the end of June, Minnesota lost seven of 10 games — including a U.S. Open Cup round-of-16 defeat to third-tier Union Omaha — before following that up with a stretch of nine wins in their next 12, only to finish the campaign by losing five of their last seven. In the end, this was a team that did just enough to sneak into the playoffs.
Injuries undoubtedly played a role: Hassani Dotson played 630 minutes before he was lost for the season to a torn ACL, Romain Metanire featured for just 22 minutes as he rehabbed a series of hamstring injuries, and Bakaye Dibassy missed the final seven matches of the season (and won’t be available for the playoffs) after suffering a ruptured quadriceps tendon. However, the Loons had the fourth-oldest squad in MLS in 2022, and their young players have done little to suggest they’re ready to take this team to the next level. — Lindberg
Record: 20W-5D-9L Standing: 65 points, 2nd in East Grade: A
Behold, the power of continuity. Montreal came into 2022 having missed the (full-season) playoffs every year since 2016 and only made a couple of real offseason moves (and kept manager Wilfried Nancy), but they enter the playoffs with the East’s No. 2 seed and the third-best title odds thanks to a couple of prolific veterans (Romell Quioto and Kei Kamara combined for 24 goals and 13 assists) and a breakout season for 2021 addition Djordje Mihailovic (nine goals and six assists from 57 chances created).
In short, their front office was patient, and the patience paid off. — Connelly
Record: 13W-11D-10L Standing: 50 points, 5th in West Grade: C+
After finishing third in the West in 2021, Nashville flirted seriously with the idea of missing the playoffs, but what they lacked in general watchability – it’s not much of an exaggeration to say that every Nashville match this year was a 1-1 draw — they made up for in resilience. A six-match unbeaten streak in August and September assured them of a fifth playoff bid in five tries. Still, the defense grew leakier and the team got older, and they will head into the offseason with more questions than they had a year ago.
Unless there’s a deep playoff run coming, this season was a step backward. — Connelly
Record: 10W-12D-12L Standing: 42 points, 10th in East Grade: F
We’ll let head coach Bruce Arena summarize the 2022 season for the Revs: “I’m not going to miss it.”
One year after setting MLS’ single-season points record and lifting their first-ever Supporters’ Shield, New England faltered in 2022 with a spot outside of the playoffs and a dramatic collapse in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. Although the expectation wasn’t to hit the same heights of 2021 (especially with the exits of Tajon Buchanan, Matt Turner and Adam Buksa to Europe), qualifying for the playoffs was the minimum goal.
Things didn’t go as planned either through injuries and the additions of veterans such as Sebastian Lletget, Jozy Altidore and Omar Gonzalez. Over the summer, Lletget was transferred to FC Dallas, while Altidore went on loan to Liga MX’s Puebla. As for Gonzalez, he was never able to establish a starting role. — Hernandez
Record: 16W-7D-11L Standing: 55 points, 3rd in East Grade: C+
As June beckoned, the reigning MLS Cup champions seemed to be making a solid push toward a repeat. On June 1, NYCFC was actually a point ahead of Philly, but then manager Ronny Deila left for Standard Liege, reigning Golden Boot winner Taty Castellanos was loaned to Girona, and things began to go wobbly They’ve gone just 7-7-5 since. Not awful, but not great either, and NYCCFC seemed to lose the high-pressing ethos that Deila instituted.
A three-game winning streak to end the season hints that things are improving under Nick Cushing, but the playoffs will be the ultimate judge of NYCFC’s season. — Carlisle
Record: 15W-8D-11L Standing: 53 points, 4th in East Grade: B+
The Red Bulls needed goals in 2022 if they were to have any chance of returning to their status as consistent Eastern Conference contenders. Striker Patryk Klimala registered just five this year, falling short of the impact expected of the Young DP signing from Celtic, but Lewis Morgan has been a revelation in New York, scoring 14 times in league play from the wing since his big-money arrival from Inter Miami in the offseason. As such, the Red Bulls saw their goals-for record improve from just 39 in 2021 (only three teams in the conference were worse) to 48 this season (sixth best).
This is a much improved team over last year, as evidenced by earning a Round One playoff contest at home, and Morgan’s emergence has a lot to do with that. Just imagine how dangerous Gerhard Struber’s side would be with some genuine productivity from the No. 9 position. — Lindberg
Record: 14W-6D-14L Standing: 48 points, 7th in East Grade: C+
The Lions remain one of the league’s enigmas. They broke through to win the U.S. Open Cup and also snuck into the playoffs on the last day of the season. Given that success and failure is largely playoff qualification-based, the tendency will be to look at the season as a positive. But looked at another way, Orlando finished seventh in a 14-team conference, basically midtable.
Given the money spent on the likes of Facundo Torres and Ivan Angulo, more was expected of an attack that ranked tied for 21st in the league with 44 goals scored. The minus-9 goal differential speaks to a lack of consistency on the defensive side of the ball as well. With a playoff spot secure, Oscar Pareja looks set to continue as manager, but plenty of questions need to be asked in terms of addressing the team’s weaknesses during the offseason. — Carlisle
Record: 19W-10D-5L Standing: 67 points, 1st in East Grade: A
The Union finished the year level on points with LAFC and only lost out on winning the Supporters’ Shield by virtue of having two fewer wins. From another vantage point, it’s easy to make the case the Union were the most dominant team in the league this year and had one of the best regular seasons in league history.
Their plus-46 goal differential was 18 better than LAFC this year and stands as the second-best mark in MLS history, behind only LAFC in 2019 (48). They led the league in goals scored (72), had the fewest goals conceded (26) and were the only team in the league to go unbeaten at home. Daniel Gazdag (22 goals) finished one shy of the Golden Boot and combined with Julian Carranza (14 goals) to finish as the top goal-scoring duo (tied with FC Cincinnati’s Brandon Vazquez and Brenner).
For all the Union accomplished, though, the only way to ensure a lasting place in history is to add an MLS Cup-size exclamation point. — Bonagura
Record: 11W-13D-10L Standing: 46 points, 8th in West Grade: D+
The Portland Timbers’ prominent role in Sally Yates’ report into systemic abuse in women’s soccer has deservedly overshadowed anything the team has done on the field in recent weeks. Not that there was much on the field to write home about: All Portland needed on Decision Day was a point against Real Salt Lake to ensure a place in the postseason. Instead, they came out disinterested and were outplayed in a 3-1 loss that saw the host jump out to a 3-0 lead before a late consolation goal.
It sets up an offseason in which the most important questions will be asked about Merritt Paulson’s future as owner, rather than how the Timbers will rebuild following a rare playoff miss. — Bonagura
Record: 12W-11D-11L Standing: 47 points, 7th in West Grade: C+
Let’s make sense of this: RSL lost longtime designated player Albert Rusnak in the offseason to Seattle and star midfielder Damir Kreilach appeared in just five games due to injury. Yet, the club still finished in seventh place, the same spot it did the prior season when it made a run to the Western Conference finals.
RSL beat Portland 3-1 on Decision Day to earn the final playoff spot and while that’s not exactly a conventional formula for postseason success, last year’s run should inspire some confidence that lightning can be captured in a bottle once again. No other playoff team scored fewer goals than Salt Lake, which outscored only four teams during the regular season. RSL also managed only 16 goals on the road, which doesn’t bode well for its trip to Austin, an offensive juggernaut. — Bonagura
Record: 8W-11D-15L Standing: 35 points, 14th in West Grade: D
The decision to keep Matias Almeyda as manager to start the season still looms large, though the 1.32 points per game the team has earned under Alex Covelo since then reveals that this side was always a borderline playoff team at best. A defense that conceded a whopping 67 goals, worst in the league, made it was even more of an uphill climb. Now this is new manager Luchi Gonzalez’s problem.
A trio of defenders — Carlos Akapo, Rodrigues and Miguel Trauco — have been brought in to start the defensive rebuild, but there’s frankly not enough data yet to determine if it will work. A space-covering holding midfielder is still needed. The attack looks in good shape with Jeremy Ebobisse, Cristian Espinoza and Jamiro Monteiro. Cade Cowell has promise, as does 17-year-old Niko Tsakiris, but 2023 has the makings of another “trying to sneak into playoffs vibe.” — Carlisle
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Herculez Gomez debates which team has had the worst MLS season out of Atlanta and Seattle.
Record: 12W-5D-17L Standing: 41 points, 11th in West Grade: C-
This grade very much takes into consideration that the Sounders claimed the CONCACAF Champions League. It was the first time in two decades that an MLS side reached the continental promised land, and the first since a home-and-away was used in the knockout rounds, but Seattle paid for it in the long run.
Joao Paulo went down in the CCL final with a torn ACL. His replacement, Obed Vargas, later suffered a long-term back injury as well. Emotional leader Cristian Roldan underwent surgery, and influential forward Raul Ruidiaz logged just 1,306 league minutes. And so it went. The Sounders could never quite get going and failed to make the postseason for the first time in 14 seasons.
Now the question looms large: Can Seattle rebound? The roster seems locked up for next year too, with its complement of DPs already in place. It will amount to a tricky job for president of soccer Garth Lagerwey and manager Brian Schmetzer. That said, if everyone can just heal up, the talent is definitely there. — Carlisle
Record: 11W-7D-16L Standing: 40 points, 12th in West Grade: D+
Despite having a promising end to the season with just two losses in their last 10 games, very few will be content with how 2022 went for SKC. Hit by major setbacks through two lengthy injuries for DPs Alan Pulido and Gadi Kinda, head coach Peter Vermes and his roster never found much-needed rhythm until August and were subsequently left out of this season’s playoffs.
They have the potential to bounce back in 2023 — keep an eye on goal scorer William Agada next year — but some serious roster questions will need to be asked during the winter offseason. — Hernandez
Record: 9W-7D-18L Standing: 34 points, 13th in East Grade: D
Giving your rivals a five-month head start is rarely a recipe for success, yet that’s essentially what Toronto did in 2022. From the starting XI that opened the season in Dallas, just four names remained in the XI that hosted Miami little more than a week ago. The Reds averaged a point a game before the secondary transfer window opened, when the likes of Lorenzo Insigne, Federico Bernardeschi, Mark-Anthony Kaye and four others arrived, leaving the team in a position to need a points-per-game pace of 2.27 after the window closed if they were to make it into the playoffs. For context, Supporters’ Shield-winning LAFC averaged 2.03 PPG all season.
Maybe the 2022 season was an acclimation period for new coach Bob Bradley and his stable of star signings, and Toronto will put it all together for an almighty run in 2023. If not, this year’s D grade will look a lot worse. — Lindberg
Record: 12W-7D-15L Standing: 43 points, 9th in West Grade: D+
The Caps were six points worse off in 2022 than they were in 2021, when they made a surprise run to the MLS Cup playoffs. They also scored five fewer goals — the third-worst goals-for metric in the league — despite having another season to work together while adding coveted wide creator Julian Gressel.
There is an argument to be made that Vancouver even being in the playoff conversation on Decision Day was a mirage. Only Wooden Spoon winners D.C. United boasted a worse goal differential than the Whitecaps’ minus-17. It’s another offseason of “back to the drawing board” in British Columbia. — Lindberg
FCC have done well to change the trajectory of the organization, but the Union seem to be a bridge too far, and should prevail over their former apprentices in Cincinnati GM Chris Albright and manager Pat Noonan. — Carlisle
The Black and Gold fixed something that wasn’t broken by adding Bale, Chiellini and DPs Bouanga and 
