I will boldly predict: somewhere between 7th and 10th. We’ll be better than last season, but we aren’t going to challenge for top of the table. F#$& El-Lay!!!
One of the best articles from every MLS preseason... MLS executives make picks for MLS Cup winner and offer Leagues Cup, playoff format thoughts Philadelphia Union: “The thing is, they’re not even that f—ing good,” one executive said. “It kind of hurts me to pick them. All they do is kick the s— out of you. They’re always ready to play, that’s great, that’s good coaching, all that stuff. But they’re just not great. They have a way of doing things and they’re consistent, but it’s not like the quality is amazing. So it hurts me to pick them, but they’ve kind of earned it.” Toronto FC: “The best owners are Toronto,” said one exec. “They have an unlimited pile of money, they don’t insert themselves into things and there’s no accountability. LAFC has accountability. The LAFC owners try to add value, in that sense they’re better. But Toronto would be the best job to have.” Apple TV: “I think it’s really cool,” one exec said. “MLS will do its best to f— it up, but there’s a big win that’s out there with some work.” Said another: “We don’t know yet how it’s going to go. Could it be something that’s really forward-thinking and on the cutting edge of what sports consumption and media can be? Yes. Do we know that it’s going to be that? No.”
Not sure that these are the sharpest tools in the shed. Claiming Philly isn’t even that good and then “all they do is win”. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Calling Toronto’s owners the “best” because they spend unlimited piles of money and require no accountability? Yeah they’re the “best” if you’re an incompetent MLS executive. Did Tim “Bloody Big Deal” Leiweke write that?
Yeah, they seem to have a pre-conceived notion of what true "quality" is. And when it hits them in the face they can't recognize it. Or, to paraphrase what you wrote, "They don't even really have any stars, so their quality isn't even that good!"
Well, if you are hoping on one leg because they kicked you, it's kind of hard to stop them from scoring or scoring a goal. So... but, yeah, I think there is more to it. The best teams are often the most consistent and don't necessarily blow you away. Hell, KC won one year by not letting the other team score and just scoring enough. Where they great or fun to watch. Not really...