There has never been more interest in a single team ahead of a Major League Soccer season than there is right now in Inter Miami. Indeed, the focus is sharply on Lionel Messi and co. in South Florida as the Argentine legend embarks on his first full season in American soccer. There is genuine, palpable excitement.
Attention is also being paid to Los Angeles FC, New York City FC and FC Cincinnati, among other teams who have caught the imagination in recent times. There are, however, a number of faded franchises who have lost their way and are plotting a route back to relevancy. Could any of them made a comeback in 2024?
Chicago Fire
2023 was a season to forget for the Chicago Fire. While the club has made some ambitious moves – like signing Xherdan Shaqiri – in recent years, the team on the pitch has struggled for a prolonged period of time. Indeed, the Fire haven’t made the play-offs since 2017 and so ending that run is the primary priority this season.
Hugo Cuypers has arrived in the off-season as the most expensive signing in the club’s history with Chicago looking to address the lack of firepower they suffered from last year. USA international Kellyn Acosta has also turned up at Soldier Field, giving Frank Klopas another key piece in central midfield.
Colorado Rapids
2024 marks 14 years since the Colorado Rapids lifted MLS Cup for the first time and they have yet to even come close to matching that achievement in the time since. The Rapids finished bottom of the Western Conference last season, but have embraced a rebuild ahead of 2024 and hope that will push them up the standings.
Chris Armas has replaced Robin Fraser as head coach while USA internationals Zack Steffen, Djordje Mihailovic and Sam Vines have also arrived at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Colorado now have a very different squad to the one that flopped last year, but they need their new signings to find their feet quickly.
DC United
DC United were the original marquee franchise in MLS. Indeed, they won three of the first four MLS Cups in league history and were considered a dominant force for a long time. A lot has changed since then, though, with the Audi Field outfit currently at a low ebb having missed out on the play-offs for four straight seasons.
Some big changes have taken place at the club ahead of the 2024 season, though. Ally Mackay has arrived from Nashville to head up DC United’s front office and Troy Lesesne has been hired as head coach following a stint at the New York Red Bulls last year. New life has been breathed into the club, but they need a good number of their new signings to hit the ground running for DC United to climb the table.
LA Galaxy
While many predicted the LA Galaxy would be Western Conference contenders in 2023, they ultimately finished a lowly 13th and miss out entirely on the play-offs. This means the Carson club have failed to make the post-season in three of the last four seasons. Better is expected of the most successful franchise in MLS history in 2024.
In Riqui Puig, the Galaxy boast one of the most naturally talented players in the league, but they have so far failed to build around the former Barcelona playmaker. The LA Galaxy lack the solid foundation required to be a truly successful team in MLS and not a lot has changed over the off-season to suggest there will be a dramatic course correction any time soon.
Toronto FC
Last season couldn’t have been any more disastrous for Toronto FC. Despite boasting one of the biggest budgets in the league, they finished bottom of the Eastern Conference and parted ways with manager Bob Bradley. On top of things, Designated Players Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi failed to pull their weight and were a big part of the problem at BMO Field.
John Herdman is now in place as TFC’s new head coach, but the 48-year-old has never managed a club team before. What’s more, the squad overhaul that many expected at the end of last season hasn’t materialised – Insigne and Bernardeschi are both still at BMO Field despite reported efforts to move them on. Herdman will have to work with what he has to push TFC up the standings.
