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MLS 2017 projected starting XIs: Eastern Conference

Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters Picture Supplied by Action Images

The 2017 MLS season is just around the corner, and teams are finalizing their rosters ahead of a long and trialing campaign. Barring injuries and absences, here's what the Eastern Conference teams might look like in 2017.

Atlanta United

Atlanta United has a lot of options across the board. Tyrone Mears is preferred to Mark Bloom at right full-back, while Brad Guzan will become the natural starter when he joins the team in the summer. Josef Martinez and Kenwyne Jones compete up top.

Chicago Fire

There's a question regarding Matt Polster's place in Veljko Paunovic's starting XI, but with Juninho and Dax McCarty in central midfield, space and playing time might be hard to come by for the talented youngster. Arturo Alvarez will compete with John Goossens for a spot out wide, too.

Columbus Crew SC

There are a few new faces in this Columbus Crew SC side, and a few question marks, too; will Zack Steffen earn the No. 1 nod ahead of Brad Stuver? Will Jukka Raitala displace Waylon Francis? Will newcomer Mohammed Abu knock Tony Tchani out, or is he an eventual replacement for Wil Trapp, if he is sold?

D.C. United

Ben Olsen will need to decide once and for all if Nick DeLeon is a full-back or a midfielder, and will have to choose between Jared Jeffrey or college rookie Ian Harkes in midfield. Patrick Nyarko remains the preferred left winger ahead of Lamar Neagle while Patrick Mullins and Jose Guillermo Ortiz compete up top.

Montreal Impact

The Montreal Impact remain largely unchanged from last year, with right-back Chris Duvall the only major acquisition of note. He'll be the preferred starter out wide to support a core group that enjoyed plenty of success last season.

New England Revolution

It's not quite clear how the New England Revolution plans on lining up this season, but if Jay Heaps' side keeps the same 4-4-2 diamond as it employed last year, the only real variable is between Kelyn Rowe and Lee Nguyen. Both new center-backs are expected to start.

New York City FC

Rodney Wallace or Tommy McNamara? That's the question Patrick Vieira must face in selecting his preferred XI. There's new help in the form of Maxi Moralez and Alexander Ring, while Alexander Callens is expected to start in the back four beside Maxime Chanot or Frederic Brillant.

New York Red Bulls

Captain Dax McCarty's departure leaves an open space in the New York Red Bulls' midfield and it'll likely be filled by young upstart Sean Davis. The rest of the lineup remains relatively unchanged, with Mike Grella available if needed.

Orlando City

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree! How lovely is this formation? Orlando City has plenty of talent in central positions and that's a factor Jason Kreis will need to consider when selecting his starting lineup. In this formation, new stars mix with established players to create one cohesive unit.

Philadelphia Union

Might we see a three-striker 4-3-3 from the Philadelphia Union this season? Roland Alberg, Alejandro Bedoya, and newcomer Haris Medunjanin make up the midfield trio, while Giliano Wijnaldum will look to displace an aging Fabinho from the starting back four.

Toronto FC

Victor Vazquez and Chris Mavinga are the two changes of note in this Toronto FC team, but Greg Vanney will still have a few questions to answer; will Eriq Zavaleta start ahead of Nick Hagglund? And who is the preferred first-choice midfielder between Jonathan Osorio and Armando Cooper?

(Lineup builder: sharemytactics.com)

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