Written by Caitlin Murray at FoxSports.com
MLS is notoriously difficult to predict because the league has so much parity. But the 2017 season is upon us starting on Friday (9:30 p.m. ET, FS1) so, even though it’s a tough job, someone has to do it.
Here are our biggest predictions for this coming season
1. Toronto FC will win the MLS Cup
Is it that bold of a prediction to think Toronto can make it all the way make to the MLS Cup again? In some ways no – after all, they keep much of the core roster that got them there last season. But reaching back-to-back MLS Cups is easier said than done – just ask the Portland Timbers and the Columbus Crew, who made in there in 2015 and missed the playoffs in 2016.
2.The MVP will be Nicolas Lodeiro
There’s a very fair argument that he should’ve won the award last year. He arrived in MLS in July, but he led a stunning and historic turnaround that saw the Seattle Sounders go from the bottom of their conference to MLS Cup champions. He just hadn’t played enough to merit consideration.
But now that he’ll be with the Sounders all year, there’s no reason he can’t make enough of an impact to win the league’s top honor. Whether it’s scoring goals himself or setting up his teammates, Lodeiro fundamentally changed Seattle’s attack, and he can do it again.
3.The Golden Boot winner will be Fanendo Adi
While the Western Conference has long been considered the dominant one, this year’s crop looks as unpredictable and as dubious as it has in recent years. Amid some questions about how the rest of the West will fair, the opportunity is ripe for a team like the Timbers to take control and win a lot of games.
If that happens, Adi will be at the center of all of it. The Timbers attack boasts a fearsome foursome of Diego Valeri in the central midfield, Darlington Nagbe and Sebastian Blanco on the wings, plus Adi up top. Adi scored 16 goals last year, despite the Timbers dealing with some serious form, chemistry and depth issues. With the attack the Timbers have going into 2017, he could be in for his best year yet.
4.The Chicago Fire will make the playoffs
They’ve been at the bottom of the league two years running and it’s hard to be overly optimistic about the Fire’s chances this year. But this is MLS, where there’s so much parity that one or two changes can take a team from the basement to the title race. Just look at last season and Seattle’s midseason turnaround, or Colorado’s stunning start.
No, it doesn’t look like they’re going to get Bastian Schweinsteiger after all, but Dax McCarty and Juninho are big upgrades in the central midfield. Their attacking line was never their biggest problem, and it looks like they may have the midfield to create some actual changes. Defense remains a concern, but they should have enough to compete in the East.
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