The 29th MLS season begins in just over a week with the February 21 meeting between Real Salt Lake and Inter Miami CF. As a new soccer season begins, all 29 teams open the new year with a clean slate, but MLS coaches are already facing varying expectations and, for some, pre-existing frustration.
It's still quite early, especially for any of the nine individuals newly installed as managers since the 2023 season ended in November, but before the new campaign begins, it's worth taking a look at the managers who will surely face some immediate pressure.
Smith, the only coach Nashville SC has had since joining the league in 2020, has done a commendable job in some respects. After all, it was only the narrow margin of a penalty shootout against Inter Miami that kept the boys in the gold of the inaugural 2023 Concacaf League Cup trophy.
Notably, Smith has also guided Nashville to the playoffs for four consecutive seasons. While the team's consistency in the playoffs has been commendable, it has yet to make a run deeper than the quarterfinals and ended 2023 with a first-round exit after losing two straight games to Orlando City SC.
With that mediocre finish fresh in memory, the feeling that Nashville is not living up to its potential has a chance to overshadow this new season. Things fell through mid-2023, and Nashville will have to react quickly in the new year. Relying on nothing more than the individual brilliance of former MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar as an attacking strategy won't get them very far, and Smith will need to better strategize those scoring opportunities while also preparing his team to create them.
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Thanks to Nashville's second-place finish in the 2023 Leagues Cup, Smith will lead his team into the new year's intercity competitions as one of 10 MLS teams participating in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup. Fortunately for the coach, Their first tests of the regular season could be surmountable, starting the campaign against teams that missed the playoffs in 2023 or barely made them and lost early.
The back-and-forth between the Champions Cup and MLS could wear down Nashville, and it faces a series of tough games from late March to early April: LAFC, Columbus Crew, Philadelphia Union and then Inter Miami. If he fails to gain momentum by then, Smith could find himself short of the playoff spot and under pressure at the start of the season.
It's hard to think of a more decorated team with a more disgruntled fan base than the Galaxy. The two go hand in hand, of course, as loyal Galaxy fans long for the success of their heyday, when the team earned five titles in nine MLS Cup appearances, the most in Major League Soccer for any of the teams. statistics.
Their most recent MLS Cup appearance (and trophy) was in 2014, a decade ago. After struggling with mediocre results for seasons, they finished 2023 without qualifying for an expanded playoff that marked the beginning of a full. 18 teams to the postseason.
Immediately after confirming his playoff absence by losing 5-2 to Minnesota United in October, Vanney told the media: “This season felt like five seasons of challenges in one season, and we couldn't handle them all.” It's true that 2023 saw everything from injuries to sanctions to fan boycotts, but Vanney ran out of time to get complacent in case the bad news luck and bad results unbalance him.
An MLS native, Vanney played for the Galaxy in their first six years of existence, leading them to glory as one of the league's best defenders. He returned briefly as a player in 2008 and again as a coach in 2021, but nostalgia won't save what should be a turnaround year for Los Angeles' injured giants.
With some new signings (Gabriel Pec, Miguel Berry) to boost his efforts in the offensive third this offseason, Vanney's early tests offer a range of caliber that he'll need to take advantage of. First, David Beckham's star-studded Miami team awaits them. A mix of achievable results follows, with tough tests against intra-city rivals LAFC and Western Conference giants Seattle Sounders FC in late March and early April.
Austin FC has enjoyed state-of-the-art facilities, incredible fan support and a wide range of results in its first three seasons in MLS.
After finishing its inaugural year near the bottom of the league and failing to qualify for the playoffs, the green It famously made a mockery of preseason predictions in 2022 by finishing second in the West behind only LAFC and making a convincing playoff run to the Western Conference finals. However, the underlying numbers brought Wolff's team back to reality in their third season, as they finished 12th in the 14-team Western Conference and failed to make the playoffs.
With 2023 results more accurately reflecting things like their expected goals, it seemed like Wolff's team would need changes to recalibrate, but the offseason hasn't seen any major roster moves as a team restocks for a rebound. Newly installed Austin athletic director Rodolfo Borrell told ESPN that he has faith in Wolff, whom he describes as a young coach with more potential, with a perspective that aligns with what he hopes to build in Austin.
“Very passionate, very dedicated, very identified with what we try to do at the club,” Borrell said of his coach.
That may be true and could give longevity to Wolff's tenure as green Look for better results with a familiar squad in the new season, but it is difficult to imagine prospects holding up for long if results turn out bleak and pressure from fans increases.
Austin will open its season against Minnesota on February 24, then face a tough stretch of opponents in its next four games as it faces some of last season's top contenders in Seattle, St. Louis City SC, Philadelphia and Orlando. However, things calm down after that, and without international competition, Wolff will have time (and the initial support of Borrell) to focus on results and improvement.
Tata Martin | InterMiami
It may be surprising to see Martino on this list given that he has only been in the role since Phil Neville's firing last June, in addition to the host of stars on his South Florida team that you may have heard of. However, with the Herons making headlines by going on controversial international tours with the GOAT of the game, the eyes of the world will be on David Beckham's MLS project when the season begins. He will surely follow the corresponding pressure to obtain results.
Miami, now entering its fifth season in Major League Soccer, failed to make last season's playoffs after finishing second-to-last in the Eastern Conference. That said, the Herons won the inaugural Leagues Cup 2023 trophy thanks to the heroics of Lionel Messi.
That achievement adds some value to the Martino era, but it also brings with it a complication. Their esteemed but aging star side (Messi has since been joined by Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, among others) will also participate in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
A team already worn down by injuries and travel will face a hectic early-season schedule, while facing beatable opponents in MLS, but must contend with continental competition in between. If they fail in the early days, potentially hurting a star player or sitting him out to avoid it, Miami could see some heat from fans and media and 2024 begins.
