2025 MLS Eastern Conference previews, Part 1: It's not just about Messi and Friends
It's the first of four big preview articles, giving you all a sense of how these teams will look and how these kits will look.
Inter Miami CF has taken a sort of flagship role internationally for MLS, thanks t0 Lionel Messi making the Herons into Barcelona West — further solidified by the team bringing in once-Messi-teammate Javier Mascherano in November to coach the squad in 2025.
But as last year's playoffs proved, having a talent-laden roster is no guarantee that you'll get to the final, let alone win it. A mediocre Atlanta team (that would have failed to make the playoffs were it in the West rather than the East) dispatched Messi and Friends in a three-game first-round series, in what was very nearly a trophy-less year — though they did win the Supporters' Shield on a record number of regular season points, good enough to (in-no-way-were-they-shoehorned-in) qualify for the upcoming Club World Cup.
With that framework, let's delve into a massive preview of all 15 East teams.
Atlanta United
How did their 2024 go?
After dismissing head coach Gonzalo Pineda mid-season and getting some sustained new coach bounce from interim head coach Rob Valentino, they squeaked into the East playoffs – Austin would have beaten them for 9th were Austin in the East – beat CF Montréal in the play-in match, outmuscled and outGuzaned Miami in a highly-entertaining three-game series, and then the magic ran out in the conference semifinals.
Players In
Jamal Thiaré (F), Dec. 12, re-signed
Ronald Hernández (D), Dec. 13, re-signed
Will Reilly (M), Dec. 20, homegrown
Mateusz Klich (M), Dec. 20, trade from D.C. United
Cayman Togashi (F), Jan. 8, free
Miguel Almirón (M), Jan. 30, transfer from Newcastle United
Emmanuel Latte Lath (F), Feb. 4, transfer from Middlesbrough FC
Players Out
Erik Centeno (D), Nov. 26, option declined
Nick Firmino (M), Nov. 26, option declined
Franco Ibarra (M), Nov. 26, option declined
Dax McCarty (M), Nov. 26, retired
Daniel Ríos (F), Nov. 26, loan expired
Quentin Westberg (GK), Nov. 26, retired
Santiago Sosa (M), Dec. 6, transfer to Racing Club
Tyler Wolff (F), Dec. 9, trade to Real Salt Lake
Key player
Given that he came over on a record $22 million transfer fee, it’s got to be Emmanuel Latte Lath, though his effectiveness will depend some on the feel-good return of Miguel Almiron, but even more so on Aleksei Miranchuk, last year’s designated player acquisition who was supposed to make this team better but didn’t quite hit in the heliocentric No. 10 role. (I've now drafted both Latte Lath and Miranchuk on my Verde Best Ball team, so I'm rooting for them out of the purest brand of motivation there is.)
Fashion report
The new Connector Kit is essentially the original Five Stripes home kit. It’s a classic throwback to their apogee – winning MLS Cup thanks to Almiron and (new Quakes backup striker) Josef Martínez.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
54.5: Two of their three panelists picked the under; I think they’ll finish slightly over.
Charlotte FC
How did their 2024 go?
They cllimbed to 5th in the East after finishing in 9th the two previous seasons (missing the playoffs in 2022, but squeaking into the play-in match in 2023 with the new expanded format). They lost to Orlando in a fairly lackluster three-match first-round series and got bounced in the Leagues Cup group stages.
Players In
Pep Biel (M), Jan. 13, loan from Olympiacos
Eryk Williamson (M), Jan. 15, trade from Portland Timbers
Wilfried Zaha (F), Jan. 22, loan from Galatasaray
Players Out
Pep Biel (M), Nov. 21, loan expired
Jaylin Lindsay (D), Nov. 21, option declined
Jamie Paterson (F), Nov. 21, option declined
Júnior Urso (M), Nov. 21, option declined
Hamady Diop (D), Dec. 11, Expansion Draft
Jere Uronen (D), Jan. 8, transfer to AIK Fotboll
Karol Swiderski (F), Jan. 23, transfer to Panathinaikos
João Pedro (D), Feb. 1, loan to Rio Ave FC
Key player
Wilfried Zaha is the Name You Wouldn’t Believe here, though he’s now 32 and his trajectory has taken him from Manchester United to Crystal Palace to Galatasaray to Lyon and now Charlotte.
Fashion report
The Fortress Kit at first looks like a basic black kit with Carolina blue accents, but it’s also got a passably interesting design. If you need a laugh, they went total Game of Thrones on their intro video.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
52.5; all three panelists picked the over, but I think they’ll be about the same as they were last year (51 points, with enough East teams above them getting better).
Chicago Fire
How did their 2024 go?
Welllllll … they finished last in the East and only San Jose’s desultory season spared them the Wooden Spoon. In August, they came to a mutual termination agreement with very expensive yet ineffective midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri (though the video of him winking as he walked onto the Q2 Stadium field accompanied by my daughter for the infamous 2023 Open Cup match remains awesome.) In October, the front office attempted repairs by hiring Gregg Berhalter to a dual head coach/GM role.
Players In
David Poreba (M), Dec. 11, MLS NEXT Pro
Jack Elliott (D), Dec. 16, free agent
Omari Glasgow (M), Dec. 17, MLS NEXT Pro
Dylan Borso (M), Dec. 20, homegrown
Dean Boltz (F), Dec. 20, SuperDraft
Philip Zinckernagel (M), Jan. 6, transfer from Club Brugge
Sam Rogers (D), Jan. 13, transfer from Lillestrøm SK
Leonardo Barroso (D), Jan. 14, transfer from Sporting CP
Jonathan Bamba (M), Jan. 21, transfer from Celta de Vigo
Tobias Salquist (D), Jan. 2, transfer to FC Nordsjaelland
Federico Navarro (M), Jan. 26, transfer to Rosario Central
Arnaud Souquet (D), Feb. 13, contract buyout
Key players
Jack Elliott now anchors what seems an improved back line, which should raise the floor on a team that gave up 62 goals in 2024. However, they only managed 40 goals scored, and the hope is that new DP winger Jonathan Bamba will help there. Nowhere to go but up!
Fashion report
The new Municipal Kit uses the city’s Municipal Device (symbolizing the city’s Chicago River-defined geography) as a very subtle pattern on what otherwise is a white jersey with blue accents. It’s clean, it’s perfectly fine, and works as an away kit, though I can only see Fire jersey compelists clamoring for it.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
43.5; all three panelists picked the over; I will do the same.
FC Cincinnati
How did their 2024 go?
They finished third in the East, got bounced by NYCFC in PKs in the rubber match of their three-game series, made it to the Round of 16 in Leagues Cup, and got bounced by CF Monterrey in the Brandon Vázquez Bowl (but really, the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16). In other words, decently good by a number of MLS teams’ standards, but a little disappointing for FCC.
Players In
Kévin Denkey (F), Nov. 21, transfer from Cercle Brugge
Luca Orellano (M), Dec. 2, purchase option from Vasco da Gama
Tah Brian Anunga (M), Jan. 13, free agent
Nick Hagglund (D), Jan. 15, re-signed
Gilberto Flores (D), Jan. 31, transfer from Club Libertad
Lukas Engel (M), Feb. 14, loan from Middlesbrough FC
Evander (M), Feb. 17, trade from Portland Timbers
Players Out
London Aghedo (D), Dec. 2, option declined
Joey Akpunonu (D), Dec. 2, option declined
Yamil Asad (M), Dec. 2, option declined
Isaiah Foster (D), Dec. 2, option declined
Niko Gioacchini (F), Dec. 2, loan expired
Kipp Keller (D), Dec. 2, option declined
Kevin Kelsy (F), Dec. 2, loan expired
Arquimides Ordoñez (F), Dec. 2, option declined
Malik Pinto (M), Dec. 2, option declined
Chidozie Awaziem (D), Dec. 9, trade to Colorado
Ian Murphy (D), Dec. 9, trade to Colorado
Álvaro Barreal (D), Feb. 6, loan to Santos FC
Luciano Acosta (M), Feb. 12, trade to FC Dallas
Key players
I definitely can't limit this to one. In the offseason, FCC's front office — one of the better ones in MLS — locked up Luca Orellano after the loan from Vasco de Gama worked out, signed Kévin Denkey to a club-record deal to be their new can’t-miss No. 9 (they hope, following some recent bad luck in that department), and replaced Luciano Acosta with Evander to be their primary chance creator.
Fashion report
The Orange and Blue Legacy Kit takes chances in the right way. It’s bold and distinctive and one the league’s better swings from this crop of kits, though I can also see its potential to turn some fans off.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
59.5; all three panelists went over. I will go significantly over; they’re a Shield contender and my early pick to win the East.
Columbus Crew
How did their 2024 go?
It was a trophy and a whole lot of almost for the Crew. While they did win Leagues Cup, they also lost the CCC final at Pachuca 3-0 (battling both altitude and food poisoning), lost the Campeones Cup to América in PKs, and perhaps most shockingly, got swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Red Bulls, who did end up winning the East playoffs.
Players In
Evan Bush (GK), Dec. 17, re-signed
Lassi Lappalainen (M), Jan. 8, free agent
Stanislav Lapkes (GK), Jan. 22, homegrown
Players Out
Keegan Hughes (D), Nov. 27, option declined
Alexandru Matan (M), Nov. 27, out of contract
Yaw Yeboah (D), Nov. 27, option declined
Marino Hinestroza (M), Jan. 27, transfer to Atlético Nacional
Cucho Hernández (F), Feb. 3, transfer to Real Betis
Christian Ramírez (F), Feb. 12, trade to LA Galaxy
Álvaro Augusto (D), Feb. 13, transfer from Portimonense SC
Key player
This is really key player out — barring any late acquisitions, this team will head into the season with a Cucho-sized hole in it. He’s averaged 30 goal contributions each of the last two seasons, and though this is still a good roster, it’s no longer a great one, and I wouldn’t be surprised if their excellent head coach, Wilfried Nancy, found a new club in Europe to coach this summer.
Fashion report
Here’s what the club says about its Goosebumps Kit:
“The Goosebumps Kit’s design celebrates Columbus’ own R.L. Stine, the writer responsible for the globally recognized Goosebumps series. The kit also pays homage to the club’s supporters, who have celebrated the author with several spooky tifo designs.
On the front of the kit, the Goosebumps logo is featured in signature semi-solar yellow. A first-of-its-kind technology implemented in the global soccer retail world, the yellow slime pattern is activated under ultraviolet (UV) light.”
You really need to watch the video to see how this looks (and to laugh).
Between this and the Charlie Brown Kit they’re still using, this might be the worst light/dark combo currently going in MLS.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
53.5; the panelists all picked the under, as will I.
D.C. United
How did their 2024 go?
It might have been one of the most hilarious moments of 2024 (unless you are a D.C. fan) — D.C. United was above the playoff line prior to Decision Day, playing their final match of the season the week before Decision Day, but was guaranteed to finish below it and therefore was in 9th with an e next to its name. MLS!
As a consolation prize, Christian Benteke won the Golden Boot.
Players In
GK - Jordan Farr (11/20/24 - signing)
GK - Luis Barraza (12/9/24 - trade from New York City FC)
M - Hosei Kijima (12/11/24 - trade from San Diego FC)
F - João Peglow (12/16/24 - transfer from Radomiak Radom)
D - Lukas MacNaughton (12/18/24 - trade from Nashville SC)
D - Derek Dodson (12/31/24 - Re-Entry Draft)
F - Hakim Karamoko (1/8/25 - SuperDraft)
GK - Kim Joon Hong (1/9/25 - transfer from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC)
M - Randall Leal (1/14/25 - waivers)
D - Kye Rowles (1/15/25 - transfer from Heart of Midlothian)
D - Christopher McVey (12/11/24 - trade to San Diego FC)
M - Mateusz Klich (12/20/24 - trade to Atlanta United)
D - Matai Akinmboni (1/3/25 - transfer to AFC Bournemouth)
M - Ted Ku-DiPietro (2/10/25 - trade to Colorado Rapids)
Key player
Clearly, it’s Benteke, but as with Columbus, there’s also a key player out situation: Mateusz Klich inexplicably (though I’m sure there’s some sort of MLS explanation) got sent to Atlanta in a trade yet is saddled with his designated player spot for the year, leaving them one less tool to get better this season. They also sent promising midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro to Colorado.
Fashion report
The Soul Kit “is designed to pay homage to Washington, D.C.’s rich funk, soul and go-go heritage, showcasing the vibrant influence of art and music that unite the district's diverse communities.”
The concept and the colors used to augment the plain white kit are fantastic. Alas, it ultimately registers as a plain white kit.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
36.5; two panelists took the over, I will take the under. Benteke will still score but it won’t be enough to overcome the offloading of some vital contributors.
Inter Miami CF
How did their 2024 go?
They qualified for Club World Cup! They did so, as I mentioned in the lead, by winning Supporters’ Shield with an MLS points record; in the clinching match, Lionel Messi came on in the 58th minute, got a hockey assist within seconds of getting on the field, then scored a hat trick in an 11-minute span to help turn an 0-2 deficit into a 6-2 rout. Absurd.
As for trophies, Supporters’ Shield was it. They went to CCC and were bounced by Monterrey in the quarterfinals, lost to Leagues Cup in the Round of 16, and were shocked in the MLS playoffs’ first round by the Five Stripes. Considering their 2023 U.S. Open Cup final loss to Houston, it’s been something of a drought since winning the Leagues Cup that season.
Players In
Fafà Picault (F), Dec. 31, free agent
Tadeo Allende (F), Jan. 14, loan from Celta de Vigo
Óscar Ustari (GK), Jan. 15, re-signed
Gonzalo Luján (D), Jan. 16, transfer from San Lorenzo
Rocco Ríos Novo (GK), Jan. 16, loan from Lanús
Telasco Segovia (M), Jan. 17, transfer from Casa Pia AC
Maxi Falcón (D), Feb. 1, transfer from Colo-Colo
Players Out
Nicolás Freire (D), Dec. 9, loan expired
Cole Jensen (GK), Dec. 9, option declined
Sergii Kryvtsov (D), Dec. 9, option declined
Franco Negri (D), Dec. 9, option declined
Matias Rojas (M), Dec. 9, option declined
Lawson Sunderland (M), Dec. 9, option declined
Felipe Valencia (M), Dec. 9, option declined
Diego Gómez (M), Dec. 10, transfer to Brighton & Hove Albion
CJ dos Santos (GK), Dec. 11, trade to San Diego FC
Leonardo Campana (F), Dec. 19, trade to New England Revolution
Emerson Rodríguez (F), Jan. 25, transfer to Ludogorets Razgrad
Facundo Farías (M), Jan. 31, transfer to Estudiantes
Key player
It’s going to be Messi until it’s not, but they’re bolstering their wing play with two new additions, Fafà Picault (of long-ago Austin FC transfer rumors) and Tadeo Allende, a loanee from Celta de Vigo.
Fashion report
Wait, they have two new jerseys for 2025?
The Euforia Kit (terrible name) is part of the official wave of releases, and it’s similar to Austin’s in concept, but goes pink-on-pink vertical stripes. It’s real nice.
Also, back in December, they released the Fortitude kit, which does a simple two-tone black design. It’s also real nice. I even like the bold simplicity of the Royal Caribbean logo and how it works on the jersey, even though I know some people don’t.
Prediction: Even more than they otherwise would have, Inter Miami’s selling a nearly incalcuble number of kits this year.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
65.5, with two of the three picking the over. Miami’s not going to be able to go 22-4-8 again. I think they’ll be under (and third in the East).
CF Montréal
How did their 2024 go?
They did enough to get into the playoffs, winning 16 of their final possible 21 points, and actually hosted the play-in match, but then lost to Atlanta in that match, and that gave us what turned out to be a pretty epic series, so thank you, Montréal.
They also lost to Philly in the Leagues Cup Round of 32 and got upset by Forge FC in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Championship. (Really, the three MLS teams should get to the semis every year just based on talent gap alone.)
Players In
Fabian Herbers (M), Jan. 3, free agent
Michael Adedokun (M), Jan. 4, SuperDraft
Jalen Neal (D), Jan. 6, trade from LA Galaxy
Giacomo Vrioni (F), Jan. 7, trade from New England Revolution
Prince Owusu (F), Jan. 13, free
Victor Loturi (M), Jan. 28, transfer from Ross County FC
Hennadii Synchuk (M), Jan. 28, transfer from Metalist Kharkiv
Owen Graham-Roache (F), Feb. 5, homegrown
Dante Sealy (D), Feb. 6, free
Luca Petrasso (D), Feb. 7, free
Brandan Craig (D), Feb. 7, free
Players Out
Gabriele Corbo (D), Nov. 21, option declined
Grayson Doody (D), Nov. 21, option declined
Raheem Edwards (D), Nov. 21, option declined
Ilias Iliadis (M), Nov. 21, option declined
Logan Ketterer (GK), Nov. 21, out of contract
Lassi Lappalainen (M), Nov. 21, option declined
Josef Martínez (F), Nov. 21, option declined
Matteo Schiavoni (M), Nov. 21, option declined
Joaquín Sosa (D), Nov. 21, loan expired
Róbert Thorkelsson (D), Nov. 21, option declined
Victor Wanyama (M), Nov. 21, out of contract
Rida Zouhir (M), Nov. 21, option declined
Matías Cóccaro (F), Jan. 4, loan to Atlas FC
Key players
Giacomo Vrioni and Prince Owusu are the latest attempts to try something up top after moving on from Josef Martínez, and they have a pair of good if not stats-laden attacking mids in Caden Clark and Bryce Duke. (They’re not a playoff-level team this year.)
Fashion report
The Montréal Original kind of did what Atlanta did, but in blue instead of red. The vertical stripes (five of them) have been constant for this team since they were the Impact.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
42.5, with two panelists saying under. I think they’ll be slightly under.
Coming soon: Part 2 of the East, and all of the West!
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Inter Miami CF has taken a sort of flagship role internationally for MLS, thanks t0 Lionel Messi making the Herons into Barcelona West — further solidified by the team bringing in once-Messi-teammate Javier Mascherano in November to coach the squad in 2025.
But as last year's playoffs proved, having a talent-laden roster is no guarantee that you'll get to the final, let alone win it. A mediocre Atlanta team (that would have failed to make the playoffs were it in the West rather than the East) dispatched Messi and Friends in a three-game first-round series, in what was very nearly a trophy-less year — though they did win the Supporters' Shield on a record number of regular season points, good enough to (in-no-way-were-they-shoehorned-in) qualify for the upcoming Club World Cup.
With that framework, let's delve into a massive preview of all 15 East teams.
Atlanta United
How did their 2024 go?
After dismissing head coach Gonzalo Pineda mid-season and getting some sustained new coach bounce from interim head coach Rob Valentino, they squeaked into the East playoffs – Austin would have beaten them for 9th were Austin in the East – beat CF Montréal in the play-in match, outmuscled and outGuzaned Miami in a highly-entertaining three-game series, and then the magic ran out in the conference semifinals.
Players In
Players Out
Key player
Given that he came over on a record $22 million transfer fee, it’s got to be Emmanuel Latte Lath, though his effectiveness will depend some on the feel-good return of Miguel Almiron, but even more so on Aleksei Miranchuk, last year’s designated player acquisition who was supposed to make this team better but didn’t quite hit in the heliocentric No. 10 role. (I've now drafted both Latte Lath and Miranchuk on my Verde Best Ball team, so I'm rooting for them out of the purest brand of motivation there is.)
Fashion report
The new Connector Kit is essentially the original Five Stripes home kit. It’s a classic throwback to their apogee – winning MLS Cup thanks to Almiron and (new Quakes backup striker) Josef Martínez.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
54.5: Two of their three panelists picked the under; I think they’ll finish slightly over.
Charlotte FC
How did their 2024 go?
They cllimbed to 5th in the East after finishing in 9th the two previous seasons (missing the playoffs in 2022, but squeaking into the play-in match in 2023 with the new expanded format). They lost to Orlando in a fairly lackluster three-match first-round series and got bounced in the Leagues Cup group stages.
Players In
Players Out
Key player
Wilfried Zaha is the Name You Wouldn’t Believe here, though he’s now 32 and his trajectory has taken him from Manchester United to Crystal Palace to Galatasaray to Lyon and now Charlotte.
Fashion report
The Fortress Kit at first looks like a basic black kit with Carolina blue accents, but it’s also got a passably interesting design. If you need a laugh, they went total Game of Thrones on their intro video.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
52.5; all three panelists picked the over, but I think they’ll be about the same as they were last year (51 points, with enough East teams above them getting better).
Chicago Fire
How did their 2024 go?
Welllllll … they finished last in the East and only San Jose’s desultory season spared them the Wooden Spoon. In August, they came to a mutual termination agreement with very expensive yet ineffective midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri (though the video of him winking as he walked onto the Q2 Stadium field accompanied by my daughter for the infamous 2023 Open Cup match remains awesome.) In October, the front office attempted repairs by hiring Gregg Berhalter to a dual head coach/GM role.
Players In
Players Out
Key players
Jack Elliott now anchors what seems an improved back line, which should raise the floor on a team that gave up 62 goals in 2024. However, they only managed 40 goals scored, and the hope is that new DP winger Jonathan Bamba will help there. Nowhere to go but up!
Fashion report
The new Municipal Kit uses the city’s Municipal Device (symbolizing the city’s Chicago River-defined geography) as a very subtle pattern on what otherwise is a white jersey with blue accents. It’s clean, it’s perfectly fine, and works as an away kit, though I can only see Fire jersey compelists clamoring for it.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
43.5; all three panelists picked the over; I will do the same.
FC Cincinnati
How did their 2024 go?
They finished third in the East, got bounced by NYCFC in PKs in the rubber match of their three-game series, made it to the Round of 16 in Leagues Cup, and got bounced by CF Monterrey in the Brandon Vázquez Bowl (but really, the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16). In other words, decently good by a number of MLS teams’ standards, but a little disappointing for FCC.
Players In
Players Out
Key players
I definitely can't limit this to one. In the offseason, FCC's front office — one of the better ones in MLS — locked up Luca Orellano after the loan from Vasco de Gama worked out, signed Kévin Denkey to a club-record deal to be their new can’t-miss No. 9 (they hope, following some recent bad luck in that department), and replaced Luciano Acosta with Evander to be their primary chance creator.
Fashion report
The Orange and Blue Legacy Kit takes chances in the right way. It’s bold and distinctive and one the league’s better swings from this crop of kits, though I can also see its potential to turn some fans off.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
59.5; all three panelists went over. I will go significantly over; they’re a Shield contender and my early pick to win the East.
Columbus Crew
How did their 2024 go?
It was a trophy and a whole lot of almost for the Crew. While they did win Leagues Cup, they also lost the CCC final at Pachuca 3-0 (battling both altitude and food poisoning), lost the Campeones Cup to América in PKs, and perhaps most shockingly, got swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Red Bulls, who did end up winning the East playoffs.
Players In
Players Out
Key player
This is really key player out — barring any late acquisitions, this team will head into the season with a Cucho-sized hole in it. He’s averaged 30 goal contributions each of the last two seasons, and though this is still a good roster, it’s no longer a great one, and I wouldn’t be surprised if their excellent head coach, Wilfried Nancy, found a new club in Europe to coach this summer.
Fashion report
Here’s what the club says about its Goosebumps Kit:
“The Goosebumps Kit’s design celebrates Columbus’ own R.L. Stine, the writer responsible for the globally recognized Goosebumps series. The kit also pays homage to the club’s supporters, who have celebrated the author with several spooky tifo designs.
On the front of the kit, the Goosebumps logo is featured in signature semi-solar yellow. A first-of-its-kind technology implemented in the global soccer retail world, the yellow slime pattern is activated under ultraviolet (UV) light.”
You really need to watch the video to see how this looks (and to laugh).
Between this and the Charlie Brown Kit they’re still using, this might be the worst light/dark combo currently going in MLS.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
53.5; the panelists all picked the under, as will I.
D.C. United
How did their 2024 go?
It might have been one of the most hilarious moments of 2024 (unless you are a D.C. fan) — D.C. United was above the playoff line prior to Decision Day, playing their final match of the season the week before Decision Day, but was guaranteed to finish below it and therefore was in 9th with an e next to its name. MLS!
As a consolation prize, Christian Benteke won the Golden Boot.
Players In
Players Out
Key player
Clearly, it’s Benteke, but as with Columbus, there’s also a key player out situation: Mateusz Klich inexplicably (though I’m sure there’s some sort of MLS explanation) got sent to Atlanta in a trade yet is saddled with his designated player spot for the year, leaving them one less tool to get better this season. They also sent promising midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro to Colorado.
Fashion report
The Soul Kit “is designed to pay homage to Washington, D.C.’s rich funk, soul and go-go heritage, showcasing the vibrant influence of art and music that unite the district's diverse communities.”
The concept and the colors used to augment the plain white kit are fantastic. Alas, it ultimately registers as a plain white kit.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
36.5; two panelists took the over, I will take the under. Benteke will still score but it won’t be enough to overcome the offloading of some vital contributors.
Inter Miami CF
How did their 2024 go?
They qualified for Club World Cup! They did so, as I mentioned in the lead, by winning Supporters’ Shield with an MLS points record; in the clinching match, Lionel Messi came on in the 58th minute, got a hockey assist within seconds of getting on the field, then scored a hat trick in an 11-minute span to help turn an 0-2 deficit into a 6-2 rout. Absurd.
As for trophies, Supporters’ Shield was it. They went to CCC and were bounced by Monterrey in the quarterfinals, lost to Leagues Cup in the Round of 16, and were shocked in the MLS playoffs’ first round by the Five Stripes. Considering their 2023 U.S. Open Cup final loss to Houston, it’s been something of a drought since winning the Leagues Cup that season.
Players In
Players Out
Key player
It’s going to be Messi until it’s not, but they’re bolstering their wing play with two new additions, Fafà Picault (of long-ago Austin FC transfer rumors) and Tadeo Allende, a loanee from Celta de Vigo.
Fashion report
Wait, they have two new jerseys for 2025?
The Euforia Kit (terrible name) is part of the official wave of releases, and it’s similar to Austin’s in concept, but goes pink-on-pink vertical stripes. It’s real nice.
Also, back in December, they released the Fortitude kit, which does a simple two-tone black design. It’s also real nice. I even like the bold simplicity of the Royal Caribbean logo and how it works on the jersey, even though I know some people don’t.
Prediction: Even more than they otherwise would have, Inter Miami’s selling a nearly incalcuble number of kits this year.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
65.5, with two of the three picking the over. Miami’s not going to be able to go 22-4-8 again. I think they’ll be under (and third in the East).
CF Montréal
How did their 2024 go?
They did enough to get into the playoffs, winning 16 of their final possible 21 points, and actually hosted the play-in match, but then lost to Atlanta in that match, and that gave us what turned out to be a pretty epic series, so thank you, Montréal.
They also lost to Philly in the Leagues Cup Round of 32 and got upset by Forge FC in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Championship. (Really, the three MLS teams should get to the semis every year just based on talent gap alone.)
Players In
Players Out
Key players
Giacomo Vrioni and Prince Owusu are the latest attempts to try something up top after moving on from Josef Martínez, and they have a pair of good if not stats-laden attacking mids in Caden Clark and Bryce Duke. (They’re not a playoff-level team this year.)
Fashion report
The Montréal Original kind of did what Atlanta did, but in blue instead of red. The vertical stripes (five of them) have been constant for this team since they were the Impact.
Over/Under on points total for 2025 regular season (courtesy of Soccerwise)
42.5, with two panelists saying under. I think they’ll be slightly under.
Coming soon: Part 2 of the East, and all of the West!
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