Eastern Conference 2023 Preseason Preview Part 1 Toronto FC 2022 Takeaways Bob Bradley’s first season in charge of the Reds was a rough one. The club brought in highly regarded Italian wingers Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi during the summer transfer window, but Toronto was ultimately undone by a poor backline and inconsistent goalkeeping. Regardless of the on-field results Insigne …

Previous Year Recap The Black and Red entered 2021 with a new manager and a stated commitment to playing a more attacking style of football. After beginning the campaign with a heap of injuries at key positions and questions about the squad’s overall fitness, Hernán Losada’s “Maximum Overdrive” system finally found its footing in the summer. United were solidly in …

Previous Year Recap Last season was far from great for Chicago Fire FC. The club’s massive rebranding and ‘return to relevance’  campaign that began in 2020 was still pretty much stuck in second gear by the end of 2021. The Fire never got within sniffing distance of the playoffs and finished down near the bottom of the Eastern Conference table. …

Previous Year Recap When I sat down to research and write this preview last year, I had two questions, both of which I think still hold going into 2021: Question #1: When’s the last time Chicago Fire FC could legitimately be described as a “good” team in the MLS landscape?  Question #2: How do I write an interesting preview piece …

Previous Year Recap A college professor of mine once told me: “Good poets borrow. Great poets steal.” I’m not a poet, but I have written a dissertation that involved quoting lots of people who are far better thinkers and writers than I’ll ever be. With that in mind I’m going to kick off this recap of DC United’s 2020 season …

I had two big questions for myself when preparing to write this preview. Question #1: When’s the last time Chicago Fire, sorry, Chicago Fire FC, could legitimately be described as a “good” team in the MLS patheon? Question #2: How do I write an interesting  preview piece about a club that no one who plays MLS Fantasy on the regular …

(UPDATED 2/26/20) What can be said about DC United’s 2019 season that might be helpful when speculating about the team’s upcoming 2020 season? The rather abrupt departure of Wayne Rooney at the end of last season drew most of the headlines. (However, Rooney continues to haunt Audi Field in spirit. There’s still a huge photo banner of him hanging over …