Major League Soccer is set for an action packed 2015 with a couple new teams in tow. New York City FC and Orlando City SC are only making their league debuts, but figure to be immediate contenders. A couple of dark horses emerged in the offseason further up north in Vancouver and Toronto. All the while, perennial contenders Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders rule over the West.
With all the offseason moves, it’s time to explore the brand new landscape of MLS. Below, we give you everything you need to know heading into the 2015 MLS season. Once you have a grasp of the major players, catch our preview of the L.A. Galaxy vs. Chicago Fire season opener.
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2015 Major League Soccer Season Preview
Favorites – Los Angeles Galaxy, Seattle Sounders and New England Revolution
Los Angeles Galaxy are the most storied franchise in MLS history with a record five MLS Cups. Even with their talisman Landon Donovan hanging up his boots, the Galaxy still stand an excellent chance of defending their title. They’ll have last year’s top scorer Robbie Keane, who scored the 2014 MLS Cup-winning goal, leading the offensive charge.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]The addition of Steven Gerrard also ensures the Galaxy should not miss Donovan’s services. Granted, Gerrard will have to adjust to life stateside after spending his whole career at Liverpool. Returning with mostly the same roster as the 2014-winning side, the Galaxy are the favorites to win the cup this season at +400.
The Seattle Sounders (+600) could cause Los Angeles some problems in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins could put up a better offensive charge than last year’s. The devastating duo contributed to a club-record 65 goals in their first full season together.
The Sounders already have Dempsey and Martins laying waste to opposing defenses in Seattle’s starting XI, but also have a couple more options in Kenny Cooper and Chad Barrett. Cooper ranks fifth among active players in career goals, while Barrett ranks 14th.
The New England Revolution (+800) had a late rally to propel them into the playoffs last season, but don’t expect them to start slow this time around. They’ll be left hungry after their 2-1 2014 MLS Cup defeat in extra-time.
The Revs are spurred by designated player Jermaine Jones. While he only scored two goals in 10 appearances, his contributions run deeper than his scoring abilities. He gave the Revs a veteran holding midfielder that added a spark to their offense. After Jones’ arrival, the Revs went 11-1-2 on their way to the cup final.
Jones is just one part of the equation in New England. The Revs also have a devastating attacker in Lee Nguyen who scored a whopping 20 goals, including the postseason, in 2014.
Sleepers – New York City FC and Toronto FC
There’s some buzz in the city that never sleeps with the inaugural season of their new expansion team, New York City FC. They don’t figure to be slouches in their first year in the league either. New York City have already signed up veteran stars in David Villa and Frank Lampard, and are nearing a deal for Xavi Hernandez.
Villa is the first Spanish player to ever reach 50 international goals (he has 59) and is Spain’s top scorer in the World Cup history with nine. He’s all set to start the season for NYCFC, but they will have to wait for the European season to end to have Lampard in their squad. Meanwhile, Xavi might not arrive until 2016.
But even without some of those big names for a couple of months, some of New York City’s young stars such as midfielders Mix Diskerud and Kwadwo Poku are ready to step up. New York City are here for keeps, and they offer nice odds at +2,200 to win the cup in their very first season.
Toronto FC made some noise by bolstering their attack heading into the 2015 MLS season. Joey Altizore returns to the MLS in Toronto red and should score a bucket-load of goals after his frustrations overseas. Sebastian Giovinco also made the move to Toronto and could be the most devastating player in MLS due to his combination of pace and skill. He collected 23 goals and 15 assists in 83 appearances in Italy’s Serie A.
Toronto also have captain Michael Bradley anchoring their team at central midfield. With a tough cast of Altidore, Giovinco and Bradley, Toronto is a dark horse to win the 2015 MLS Cup at +1,800.
Will the sleepers wake up to sweep the league off its feet? Create a betting account now and back these live dogs ahead of the 2015 MLS season.
Long Shots – Orlando City SC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Another new franchise is set in Orlando City SC. Orlando City used their first overall draft pick to snatch talented youngster Cyle Larin. The 19-year old Canadian striker showcased his talent in just two years of play at UConn. He made the starting XI immediately as a freshman, netting 14 goals in 23 games. Larin then scored nine in 16 games as a sophomore before leaving to chase a professional career.
Larin will have plenty of opportunities to improve especially sharing the pitch with former world player of the year and Brazilian legend Kaka. While they boast plenty of fire power up front, Orlando City aren’t too shabby at the last line of defense either. They managed to snag Donovan Ricketts from Portland.
Ricketts was the 2013 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. He started 32 games in the regular season, compiling a 13-5-14 record. His 14 shutouts were a league-best and he ranked among the league leaders in wins, goals-against average (0.97), saves (92) and saves percentage (72.3).
With all their talent, Orlando City could be a steal at +2,800 to win the MLS Cup.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC (+3,500) are another intriguing team this season with one of the stingiest defenses in the league. The Caps had a league-best 13 shutouts last year. They may even be tougher to beat this year after key additions to their central defense with Diego Rodriguez and Pa Modou Kah.
Vancouver also made sure to address their frontline by adding some much needed firepower. They signed a young and deadly striker, Octavio Rivero, as their designated player. Rivero scored a total of 20 goals over the past two years playing in South America. The addition of Rivero should breathe some life into Vancouver’s attack led by Pedro Morales (team-high 10 goals and 10 assists in 2014).
Writer’s Prediction
Seattle and Toronto meet in the 2015 MLS Cup Final with the Sounders (+800) emerging as the new champions.
