EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTA UNITED
Last year: Not applicable.
Coach: Gerardo Martino, first year.
Designated Players: Midfielders Hector Villalba and Miguel Almiron and forward Josef Martinez.
Key stat: First season in MLS.
Other players to watch: Forward Kenwyne Jones brings a wealth of experience from the Premier League, and centerhalf Michael Parkhurst, right fullback Tyrone Mears, midfielder Jeff Larentowicz and winger Jacob Peterson bring almost 900 games of MLS experience.
Outlook: Much depends upon chemistry. Though there are a few pairs of players who were teammates previously, it will take time for the players to learn to trust each other. Can they realistically make the playoffs? It's possible, but they will need luck.
CHICAGO FIRE
Last year: 7-17-10, 10th place.
Coach: Veljko Paunovic, second season.
Designated Players: Forwards Nemanja Nikolic and David Accam.
Key stat: Their 125 shots on goal last season were the fewest in the league.
Other players to watch: Chicago acquired former Red Bulls midfielder Dax McCarty in a trade. He should help shore up a defense that allowed 58 goals last season. The team selected Atlanta's Daniel Johnson in the first round of the SuperDraft.
Outlook: Though they finished last in the Eastern Conference for the second consecutive season, they are already being tabbed as a potential playoff team after the acquisition of Nikolic, who scored 41 goals in 56 matches in Poland's first division, Juninho and McCarty.
COLUMBUS CREW
Last year: 8-14-12, ninth place.
Coach: Gregg Berhalter, fourth season.
Designated Players: Defender Jonathan Mensah and forward Federico Higuain.
Key stat: They were caught offside 104 times last season, by far the most in the league.
Other players to watch: Defender Lalas Abubakar was one of the bright spots in the January's Combine, and midfielder Ethan Finlay is pushing to be included in the U.S. men's national team debate. Mensah was added at centerback and Jukka Raitala at left back. Justin Meram forms a good partnership with Higuain.
Outlook: Much will depend upon playing better away from home, where the Crew won only two games last season. Abubakar could improve the defense, but his height may be a liability on set pieces. It's hard to see them improving significantly upon last year's 36 points if the defense remains as injury-prone and porous as last year. The offense should be very good.
D.C. UNITED
Last year: 11-10-13, fourth place.
Coach: Ben Olsen, eighth season.
Designated Players: None.
Key stat: Fourteen points in its final seven games helped the team finish fourth in the East.
Other players to watch: Luciano Acosta is an excellent playmaker. Steve Birnbaum is pushing to be considered one of the league's best defenders and goalkeeper Bill Hamid seems always on the verge of competing to be in camp with the U.S. men's national team. Midfielder Ian Harkes, son of U.S. standout John Harkes, may have been the best player in college last season and signed with D.C. United as a Homegrown Player. They added MLS stalwart Sebastian Le Toux, a forward with 65 goals in his career. Patrick Mullins scored 16 goals.
Outlook: If Olsen can re-create the chemistry that carried the team through the last season's second half, United should make the playoffs.
MONTREAL IMPACT
Last year: 11-11-12, fifth place.
Coach: Mauro Biello, second season.
Designated Players: Midfielder Ignacio Piatti.
Key stat: Seventeen goals by Piatti led the team. Of those returning, Dominic Oduro was next with six goals.
Other players to watch: Atlanta native and fullback Chris Duvall was added in a trade after the expansion draft, and midfielder Shamit Shome was added in the SuperDraft. Forward Matteo Mancosu had three goals and four assists in 15 appearances last season.
Outlook: If the Falcons want to learn how to recover from a collapse, they can consider turning to Montreal, which blew a chance to make it to the MLS Cup by allowing Toronto to score twice in the first 10 minutes of extra time to secure the Eastern Conference championship. How long it takes Montreal to get over that will determine its fate this season.
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
Last year: 11-14-9, seventh place.
Coach: Jay Heaps, sixth season.
Designated Players: Forward Kei Kamara and midfielder Xavier Kouassi.
Key stat: Their 42 goals scored last season was second-fewest in the Eastern Conference.
Other players to watch: After a terrific 2015, midfielder Lee Nguyen played well last season just not as well as the year before, while Juan Agudelo progressed near the end of the season to the point that he was called into the U.S. camp in January. The team added Atlanta's Cody Cropper to compete in goal.
Outlook: If Kei Kamara (seven goals in 21 games with New England) can get going early and Nguyen can find his form, the Revs should be much improved. The squad has worked to add several defenders, including Antonio Milnar Delamea and Benjamin Angoua. Seems like the goals should come, which would bring a push for the playoffs.
NEW YORK CITY FC
Last year: 15-10-9, second place.
Coach: Patrick Vieira, second season.
Designated Players: Midfielders Andrea Pirlo and Maxi Moralez, and forward David Villa.
Key stat: They scored 62 goals last season to lead the league.
Other players to watch: The club added Atlanta's Sean Johnson at goalkeeper and traded up to pick Jonathan Lewis in the SuperDraft. The club added some fresh legs in the midfield with Finnish international Alexander Ring and Panamanian international Miguel Camargo. Frank Lampard, who finally found his form in New York after entering the debate as the worst DP ever signed, retired.
Outlook: If Pirlo and Villa continue to defy time, it's hard to see NYCFC not challenging their cross-town rivals atop the conference. Should Pirlo (37 years old) or Villa (35) miss a significant amount of time, Vieira may have his work cut out.
NEW YORK RED BULLS
Last year: 16-9-9, first place.
Coach: Jesse Marsch, third season.
Designated Players: Midfielders Sacha Kljestan and Gonzalo Veron.
Key stat: Seventeen more goals scored than allowed was biggest difference in the league last season.
Other players to watch: Bradley Wright-Phillips led the league with 24 goals scored, Luis Robles was called up to the U.S. men's national team in January. Aurelien Collin is steady in defense, Felipe filled up the stat sheet in midfield with five goals and seven assists in 32 appearances.
Outlook: Who will replace the steel in the midfield that was Dax McCarty? The decision to trade him apparently caused a bust-up in the front office that led to the dismissal of sporting director Ali Curtis. This after Marsch was reportedly in talks to manage a club in Austria. So, stability hasn't been the keyword for the team. It should still be good, though.
ORLANDO CITY
Last year: 9-11-14, eighth place.
Coach: Jason Kreis, second season.
Designated Players: Midfielders Kaka and Carlos Rivas and forward Bryan Rochez.
Key stat: Their 60 goals allowed were the most in the league last season.
Other players to watch: The team added U.S. international Jonathon Spector and Brazilian left back Victor Giro to try to improve the league's worst defense, but hasn't done much more. Brek Shea was traded to Vancouver for Giles Barnes. The team also traded midfielder Kevin Molino, one of its best players on offense last season with 11 goals. The team also signed goalkeeper Josh Saunders, but already had Joe Bendik, one of the league's better netminders last season. It still has forward Cyle Larin, who scored 14 goals last season and is one of the better young players in the league.
Outlook: Until the issues on defense are resolved, it's hard to pick this team making the playoffs for the first time.
PHILADELPHIA UNION
Last year: 11-14-9, sixth place.
Coach: Jim Curtin, third season.
Designated Players: Midfielder Alejandro Bedoya and defender Maurice Edu.
Key stat: Two goals in the season's final five months for starting striker C.J. Sapong, which shouldn't happen again if team hopes to make playoffs.
Other players to watch: Left winger Chris Pontius was solid last season and should be helped by defensive midfielder Haris Medunjanin, who will be the key for the midfield, one of several signings that includes Oguchi Onyewu, Giliano Wijnaldum, Jay Simpson and winger Fafa Pacault. Atlanta's Warren Creavalle can play different positions.
Outlook: This is a deep team that could challenge in the East if Sapong can re-discover his goal-scoring form and the defense can avoid injuries.
TORONTO FC
Last year: 14-9-11, third place.
Coach: Greg Vanney, third full season.
Designated Players: Forwards Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco and midfielder Michael Bradley.
Key stat: Six wins away from home, the second most in the league behind NYCFC's seven.
Other players to watch: Clint Irwin is one of the league's best goalkeepers, playing behind Justin Morrow, Drew Moor and Steven Beitashour who formed the core of the defense that allowed an Eastern Conference-low 39 goals.
Outlook: It's hard to find a flaw in this team, which makes it hard to pick against them repeating as Eastern Conference champs. Giovinco and Altidore combined for 27 goals and 20 assists last season. Bradley isn't going to do much that will show up in stats, but he will control the game from the midfield.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
COLORADO RAPIDS
Last year: 15-6-13, second place.
Coach: Pablo Mastroeni, fourth season.
Designated Players: Forwards Gashi and Juan Ramirez (on loan) and goalkeeper Tim Howard.
Key stat: Their 32 goals allowed were the fewest in the West and helped the team finish second in the conference despite scoring only 39 goals.
Other players to watch: Atlanta's Sam Cronin is underrated in the midfield and part of a solid group that includes Gashi (nine goals, four assists), and Dominique Badji.
Outlook: Howard is working his way back from surgery on his abductor and Jermaine Jones left for L.A., weakening the team in the middle of the field. The team has to find a proven goal-scorer. It's hard to imagine it finishing second in the West again if its leading scorer has just nine goals. And Alan Gordon, signed a free agent, isn't the answer.
FC DALLAS
Last year: 17-8-9, first place.
Coach: Oscar Pareja, fourth season.
Designated Players: Forward Cristian Colman, and midfielders Mauro Diaz (injured) and Carlos Gruezo.
Key stat: Twelve wins at home were the most in the league last season.
Other players to watch: Matt Hedges, the league's defender of the year, and Lawrenceville's Walker Zimmerman form arguably the best centerhalf pairing in MLS. Zimmerman recently made his first appearance for the U.S. men's national team. Javier Morales was added as a playmaker. Max Urruti and Michael Barrios led the team with nine goals each.
Outlook: The team won both the Supporters' Shield and U.S. Open Cup, but was denied the treble by Seattle, which defeated it by an aggregate score of 4-2 in the two-legged playoffs. It's hard to see this team not competing for all three trophies again this season, especially if Diaz can return from the torn Achilles that sidelined him during the playoffs. If he can't, Morales or Roland Lamah may be able to fill that role.
HOUSTON DYNAMO
Last year: 7-14-13, 10th place.
Coach: Wilmer Cabrera, first season.
Designated Players: Forwards Erick Torres, Mauro Manotas and Alberth Elis.
Key stat: Five wins at home were the fewest in the league last season.
Other players to watch: Atlanta's Ricardo Clark returns for the Dynamo. The team rebuilt its defense with the additions of Leonardo, A.J. DeLaGarza and Adolfo Machado. They will join the ageless Damarcus Beasley, who was re-signed.
Outlook: There are a lot ifs … if Manotas and Elis can form a partnership and if the rebuilt defense can gel, the team should be better than last year, but that's not saying a lot. It seems a reach to expect them to challenge for the playoffs in a deep Western Conference.
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
Last year: 12-6-16, third place.
Coach: Curt Onalfo, first season.
Designated Players: Defender Jelle Van Damme and midfielders Giovani dos Santos and Romain Alessandrini.
Key stat: Three MLS Cup titles won by former manager Bruce Arena with L.A.
Other players to watch: Jermaine Jones brings his aggressive energy to the squad after spending two years with New England and one with Colorado. It will be interesting to see what the 35-year-old has left to give. It will be interesting to see how Jones works with Sebastian Lletget and dos Santos.
Outlook: The team will try to replace Robbie Keane's goals with some from Alessandrini, who should be a standout performer. Dos Santos (14 goals, 12 assists) is capable of carrying the team. The playoffs, and challenging Dallas in the West, seem probable.
MINNESOTA UNITED
Last year: Not applicable.
Coach: Adrian Heath, first season with team after previous 1 1/2 seasons with Orlando.
Designated Players: None.
Key stat: First season in MLS.
Other players to watch: The other expansion team has been busy with under-the-radar signings compared to those inked by Atlanta United. The Loons acquired Josh Gatt, once a promising prospect with the U.S. men's national team, goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, as well as a slew of players who with the team when it was in the NASL. The headliners are Miguel Ibarra and Christian Ramirez.
Outlook: Though their construction hasn't been as flashy as Atlanta United's, the team seems to be following a plan. Still, it would be surprising if it finished with more points than its expansion counterparts.
PORTLAND TIMBERS
Last year: 12-14-8, seventh place.
Coach: Caleb Porter, fifth season.
Designated Players: Midfielders Sebastian Blanco and Diego Valeri and defender Liam Ridgewell.
Key stat: Zero wins on the road last season, which derailed the chances of the team defending its MLS Cup. The Timbers picked up six points away from home.
Other players to watch: Darlington Nagbe was recalled into the U.S. men's national team. Fanendo Adi is a handful for defenders.
Outlook: It's hard to imagine a team with this much talent failing to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Who will replace the leadership of retired Nat Borchers is key.
REAL SALT LAKE
Last year: 12-12-10, sixth place.
Coach: Jeff Cassar, fourth season.
Designated Players: Midfielder Albert Rusnak and forwards Jaoa Plata and Yura Movsisyan.
Key stat: Seven-game winless streak to end the season.
Other players to watch: Defender Brooks Lennon comes on loan after signing with Liverpool. Kyle Beckerman is back in the midfield and Nick Rimando in goal, making the team strong up the spine. The team must deal with the loss of Javier Morales.
Outlook: Other than Lennon, the defense is old, and the offense is young, but dynamic. It's hard to see them improving upon last year's sixth-place finish.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
Last year: 8-12-14, ninth place.
Coach: Dominic Kinnear, fifth season as part of second stint with club in San Jose.
Designated Player: Midfielder Simon Dawkins.
Key stat: Their 32 goals scored were the fewest in the league.
Other players to watch: Chris Wondolowski used to be an inexplicable regular on the U.S. men's national team, now he is on the tail end of his career. Danny Hoesen and Florian Jungwirth were added from Europe. The team selected UCLA midfielder Jackson Yueill in the first round of the SuperDraft.
Outlook: If new general manager Jesse Fioranelli can get some of the signings correct, the team should be better, but not good enough to make the playoffs.
SEATTLE SOUNDERS
Last year: 14-14-6, fourth place. Won MLS Cup.
Coach: Brian Schmetzer, second season.
Designated Players: Forwards Clint Dempsey, who is mostly healthy, and midfielder Nico Lodeiro, who could be in the running for MVP.
Key stat: Zero shots on goals in the MLS Cup, but it won the title in penalty kicks.
Other players to watch: Jordan Morris is considered the future of the U.S. men's national team. Osvaldo Alonso is underrated in the middle of the field. Roman Torres and Chad Marshall are experienced, even though they aren't the quickest pairing in the center of the defense. Alvaro Fernandez is clever.
Outlook: A team left for dead in the middle of last season found a way under a new coach and with Lodeiro to make it into the playoffs and win the MLS Cup. It shouldn't be this hard for them this season to make the playoffs.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY
Last year: 13-13-8, fifth place.
Coach: Peter Vermes, ninth season.
Designated Players: Midfielders Gerso Fernandes, Roger Espinoza and Graham Zusi.
Key stat: Their 478 shots tied for the league lead.
Other players to watch: Benny Feilhaber's 13 assists were good enough to get him invited to the U.S. men's national team camp in January. It will be interesting to see if Vermes plays Zusi on the right as a midfielder, where he has traditionally played, or as a fullback, which is where Bruce Arena played him during the January U.S. men's national team camp. Dom Dwyer is one of the league's better all-around players.
Outlook: The offense should be OK if it can get some of those shots on goal. The team should challenge for a playoff spot, but shouldn't be considered a contender to win the MLS Cup.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
Last year: 10-15-9, eighth place.
Coach: Carl Robinson, fourth season.
Designated Players: Midfielder Matias Laba and forward Fredy Montero, who is back in MLS after spending time in China.
Key stat: Ten goals total from the center forwards last season.
Other players to watch: Kekuta Manneh was unable to carry the team last season as it fell from second in the West in 2015 to eighth last year. He should be helped by the addition of Montero, who scored 49 goals with Seattle, and Yordy Reyna. The team added Brek Shea, but he's no longer a difference-maker.
Outlook: It's hard to see them improving enough to make the playoffs.
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