Atlanta Journal-Constitution Atlanta United beat writer Doug Roberson predicts the order of finish for the teams in the Eastern and Western conferences of MLS for the 2019 season. Seven teams from each conference will qualify for the playoffs.
EAST
Atlanta United (69 points last season): The reigning champs are the overwhelming favorite to repeat with a roster stacked with talents such as Josef Martinez, Pity Martinez, Ezequiel Barco, Julian Gressel, Hector Villalba, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and Michael Parkhurst.
New York Red Bulls (71): Replacing Tyler Adams is a huge challenge, but the Red Bulls went another direction by adding Danish striker Mathias Jorgensen to work with prolific striker Bradley Wright-Phillips. The defense is again anchored by Aaron Long, Tim Parker and Kemar Lawrence.
Philadelphia Union (50): No team in the East has done more to improve in the offseason. Losing Borek Dockal was huge, but the team may have upgraded with Mexican standout Marco Fabian. Working in a midfield that will include Alejandro Bedoya and Haris Medunjanin, the Union should be fun to watch. Of course, the strikers will need to consistently produce.
D.C. United (51): They have striker Wayne Rooney. They have dynamic midfielder Luciano Acosta. They have newly signed winger Lucas Rodriguez. But they don't have a stopper on defense and they don't have depth. Should Rooney or Acosta suffer injury or need a break, the season could unravel.
NYCFC (56): This prediction is also a gamble because this team was not only a tire fire the last third of last season under Dome Torrent, it also lost striker David Villa and midfielder Yangel Herrera in the offseason. It vastly overpaid for striker Alexandru Mitrita. What it does have is its ridiculous home field, which is good for playoff push.
Columbus (51): And then there's Columbus, the metronome of MLS teams. It lost manager Gregg Berhalter but replaced him with Caleb Porter. That's about it, but the team has enough talent to finish in at least seventh.
Montreal (46): Let's see if Maxi Urruti can take the scoring load off Ignacio Piatti. If so, Montreal could challenge for final playoff spot.
Below the playoff line
Toronto (36): How do you replace 68 goals with the loss of Sebastian Giovinco? Jozy Altidore needs a strike partner to be effective. Michael Bradley is not the same player he once was to the point that at times it looks like Toronto is playing with just 10 men.
Orlando (28): A roster overhaul designed to improve play and chemistry was mercifully completed, but there still doesn't seem to be enough to move into a playoff spot. And adding Nani is a huge gamble in the locker room.
Chicago (32): Might be time to let this franchise go under and start anew somewhere closer to Chicago, which will hopefully inspire the fan base.
Cincinnati (NA): They've spent money like madmen, sometimes doubling-up on the same positions in the back and midfield. Still no consistent goal-scorer.
New England (41): It's a shame that this franchise isn't better.
WEST
LAFC (57): LAFC only need to look at Atlanta United to see what an expansion team can accomplish in its second season. The team hasn't added much, while losing the overrated Marco Urena and Benny Feilhaber.
Portland (54): The team is mostly intact after advancing to last year's MLS Cup. Sometimes, not doing much is exactly the right thing and the Timbers are making good decisions.
Sporting KC (62): Gone are Ike Opara, Diego Rubio and Khiry Shelton. While the defense will still be solid, who will score the tough goals in the important games? Still enough talent to challenge LAFC in the West.
L.A. Galaxy (48): A full season of Zlatan Ibrahimovic means the single-season scoring record set last season by Josef Martinez could fall. It may need to because nothing has been done to fix the defense. New manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto has his work ahead of him.
Seattle (59): Seattle has also mostly stayed pat but did release influential midfielder Osvaldo Alonso. Who will fill in for Chad Marshall? Can a finally healthy Jordan Morris do anything of consequence?
Real Salt Lake (49): This team was all over the map last season but finished strong in the playoffs. It has a young core. Let's see if it grows together.
Houston (38): Alberth Elis isn't enough to carry the team, but Matias Vera paired with Elis could be bun to watch.
Below the playoff line
Dallas (57): They have a belief in the talented Homegrown players they continue to add because the team has unloaded most of its attacking players as well as manager Oscar Pareja.
San Jose (21): New esteemed manager Matias Almeyda will need every bit of his knowledge because this roster doesn't have enough talent to be consistently good. It will be fun to watch Chris Wondolowski finally break Landon Donovan's scoring record, though.
Colorado (31): This team was horrible last season but made numerous moves to improve up the middle by adding strikers Kei Kamara and Diego Rubio, midfielders Feilhaber and Kelyn Rowe and fullback Keegan Rosenberry. It wouldn't be surprising to see them finish seventh.
Minnesota United (36): Adrian Heath has yet to lead an MLS team to the playoffs and I don't see that changing now, despite the defense being upgraded and the bump of a new stadium.
Vancouver (47): A massive roster turnover for the Whitecaps and new manager Marco dos Santos means a year of pain.
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