During the week leading up to Sporting Kansas City's season opener on Saturday at D.C. United, SportingKC.com will visit five prominent storylines heading into the club's 2017 campaign. The Countdown to MLS will run Monday through Friday, serving as a comprehensive preview of the year ahead.|#5 - Defensive Depth
In 2002, Major League Soccer was at a crossroads. The League had just contracted Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion while many other clubs struggled to stay relevant in their own market. Things looked bleak for a league that had aspirations to compete with the rest of the world.
Fast forward 15 years later, and MLS headquarters is singing a different tune. Whereas the League had only 10 clubs in 2002, MLS will enter 2017 with 22 teams, including expansion clubs Minnesota United and Atlanta United.
As part of our countdown series to the start of the season, we look at the two clubs and their forecast for the year.
Minnesota United FC
A city rich in soccer history, Minneapolis enters MLS after spending the past seven years in the NASL. The team enjoyed success in the second division of American soccer, finishing first overall in 2014 while developing young talent such as striker Christian Ramirez and midfielder Miguel Ibarra, the latter who featured for the U.S. Men’s National Team under previous head coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
Minnesota got a late start to building their MLS team, needing to wait for the 2016 NASL season to end, but has put together a strong mix of veteran MLS talent along with a bevy of international signings. Led by former Orlando City SC head coach Adrian Heath, Minnesota should be one of the more entertaining teams to watch in 2017 as they roll out lineups that could feature the likes of Kevin Molino, Abu Danladi, Josh Gatt and the aforementioned Ramirez and Ibarra duo.
Sporting KC will get its first look at the new MLS club on Sunday May 7 in a nationally televised matchup on FS1. Minnesota will then come to Children’s Mercy Park for the first time on Saturday, June 3 before the teams play their final meeting of the regular season on Saturday, Oct. 7 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Sporting KC fans will be circling that October date on the calendar, as it promises to be one of the largest roaddrons to date. Minneapolis is now the shortest road trip for Sporting KC fans at just over six hours from Kansas City.
Atlanta United FC
Unlike their counterparts from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Atlanta was able to get a head start on building their MLS club with no previous ties to the NASL. Similar to Minnesota United, Atlanta should be an exciting team to watch with the addition of former Argentina manager Gerardo Martino in charge and a stable of attacking options that include Designated Players Hector Hillalba, Miguel Almiron and Josef Martinez as well as Trinidad and Tobago international striker Kenwyne Jones.
General Manager Carlos Bocanegra did well to supplement his international talent with a slew of veteran domestic players, including former Sporting KC winger Jacob Peterson and U.S. Men’s National Team center back Michael Pankhurst, who was also named the first captain in club history.
With Atlanta being in the Eastern Conference, Sporting KC will only play the expansion club once in 2017. That matchup will be broadcast on FS1 live from Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday, Aug. 6.
