MLS

We all know the legitimate questions that greet every disappointing showing from the USMNT: why does the US struggle so mightily when it comes to developing players from a young age? Why can’t we develop a star player? Why isn’t the American system doing a better job at finding Hispanic talent?

The extremely complex process of youth soccer development in America is hampered by the pay-to-play system, the daunting task of casting a net over millions of U-6 to U-18 players and the lack of qualified coaches to ensure their development.

The 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League resumed last night, and a matchup between the New York Red Bulls and Vancouver Whitecaps guarantees that at least one MLS side in preseason form will advance to the semifinals of the competition. 

MLS declined to revamp the scheduling of the tournament because the alternative was to hugely disrupt MLS playoffs, and it’s pretty obvious which knockout competition is more important to the league. 

The 2015 MLS Cup champions took an unexpected turn in 2016, going from league champions to missing out on the playoffs entirely. The Timbers finished with a record of 12-14-8, just missing the playoffs in seventh-place in the Western Conference.

The Timbers will be looking to make it back into the postseason in 2017, and here are three areas that they will have to improve on to make that happen.

Improved Play Away from Home  

After falling victim to a season-ending groin injury during a game against Mexico last year, Tim Howard will look to bounce back  to start the 2017 season for the Colorado Rapids.

Last season, Howard compiled a record of 6-3-8 with the Rapids, with seven clean sheets, good for the ninth-most clean sheets in the MLS. Despite only playing half of the season, Howard was a finalist for the MLS goalkeeper of the year.

As you may know by now, there are 12 cities looking to possibly get MLS teams: Charlotte, Nashville, Indianapolis, Detroit, Phoenix, St. Louis, Raleigh/Durham, San Antonio, Sacramento, Cincinnati, Tampa and San Diego.

These three destinations in particular provide the most realistic options when it comes to the MLS.

Phoenix   

The anticipation is building in Atlanta for their club’s inaugural season in MLS as they’ve now sold more than 40,000 tickets for their home opener against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, March 5. The match will be televised nationally on FS1 at 7:00 PM ET, and club president Darren Eales says they are on pace for a sell out.

Atlanta United will begin play at Georgia Tech’s 55,000-seat Bobby Dodd Stadium while construction on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium is completed. United are slated to begin play there on July 30 against Orlando City, a match that will be broadcast on FOX.

I’m Minnesotan so you must forgive me; when the Vikings started 5-0, I thought we were going to win the Super Bowl. We didn’t make the playoffs. When the Timberwolves drafted Kris Dunn and hired Tom Thibodeau, I thought we would win the Finals. We have one of the worst records in the Western Conference. However, I truly believe the Wild will win the Stanley Cup this year and that Minnesota United, in their inaugural MLS season, will probably win the Cup.

I know, I know. It's way too early to say anyone has a better chance to win the 2017 MLS Cup. The season is only in its preseason stages. But predicting is fun, so why not?

Every new season for MLS is a possibility for previously bad teams to rise to top and snag the coveted MLS Cup.

Could it be the defending champion Seattle Sounders? Maybe we could possibly see a brand-new team surprise the world of MLS and nab the title.

Here are the top five teams we think could win the 2017 MLS Cup.

Football kits bridge performance and lifestyle like no other sporting attire. Without even knowing what they’re wearing, only knowing that it looks fly as hell, you see people walking around in the famed blaugrana stripes of Barcelona, the white sleeves of Arsenal or the historic bianconeri shirt of Juventus. They're really the only sports garments you can wear outside the stadium without looking like a child trapped inside the body of a demented adult.