Mailbag: MLS Season Predictions, NWSL's New Commissioner, Arsenal's Woes

It’s time for another soccer Mailbag, so let’s dive in:

Who will win MLS Cup this year? – @ssgtweber

With the 25th MLS season starting Saturday and 26 teams now in the league, I’ll take this occasion to make my predictions for not just MLS Cup but other topics as well.

MLS Cup (and Supporters’ Shield) winner: LAFC. Simply put, it’s the best team in the league, and it’s not really that close—last year or this year. Of course, the best team doesn’t always win the MLS Cup, but I think coach Bob Bradley (whether he’ll want to say so or not) will have learned something from last year’s end-of-season issues and playoff loss to Seattle after a transcendent regular season and apply that in 2020.

MVP: Carlos Vela, LAFC. Only the great Preki has won two MLS MVP awards, and it says here that Vela will join him with a repeat MVP trophy from last season. Vela’s class is obvious, but he also brings it game in and game out for a team that is built around him and scores in bunches.

Playoff teams: Here’s how I see the seven playoff teams in the West:

1. LAFC

2. LA Galaxy

3. Seattle Sounders

4. Sporting Kansas City

5. Portland Timbers

6. San Jose Earthquakes

7. Houston Dynamo

And in the East:

1. Atlanta United

2. NYCFC

3. New England Revolution

4. Columbus Crew

5. Toronto FC

6. D.C. United

7. Inter Miami

Top American goal-scorer: Gyasi Zardes. Say what you will about his first touch, but the man scores goals for club and, yes, country.

What contingency plans are leagues like MLS making in light of coronavirus? – @BabaRobi

With games in some other countries being postponed or played in empty stadiums, MLS is keeping a very close eye on coronavirus. I spoke to someone with knowledge of the situation, and I’m told MLS had a conference call with all team presidents on Friday to discuss the coronavirus situation. 

No measures are expected to be taken in this weekend’s games, but it’s certainly a possibility if the situation gets worse in the U.S. (as is expected). I’m told senior leadership of MLS has met multiple times about coronavirus and that MLS is part of a security taskforce that includes other U.S. pro leagues like the NBA, the NFL, MLB and the NHL. The group shares information and planning behind the scenes for situations like this one.

After taking nearly three years, did the NWSL find the right person for commissioner? What are the major issues she faces? – @WeatherManNX01

As SI reported on Thursday, former U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee chief marketing officer Lisa Baird has been named the NWSL commissioner. Everyone I have spoken to in the league, including several owners, think they hit a home run with Baird, who has extensive experience building brands and digital networks, to say nothing of increasing sponsorships for them. 

For me, it’s whether Inter Miami can build a real following in South Florida after a challenging few years getting the idea of the team on solid footing—and then whether this year’s team can actually make the playoffs. As you can see above, I think Miami will find a way to get into the postseason. For starters, the East isn’t nearly as difficult as the West is, plus I think there’s enough talent (led by Rodolfo Pizarro) and experience (led by Luis Robles) to make it happen.

That brutal finish to lose to Olympiakos in Europa League was a kick in the teeth to long-suffering Arsenal fans, and it rammed home how poor David Luiz really is at this point when it comes to actual defending, especially on set pieces. He needs to find a club where he can play defensive midfield, which is how he tries to play even when he’s nominally a center back. I’m actually optimistic on Mikel Arteta in the long term, but he needs some time to get the right people for the way he wants to play. And I’m not certain he’ll get that time.