Can Atlanta United, Minnesota United reach MLS Cup Playoffs?

If history is any indication, Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC are in for a tough year as expansion teams. The 2017 Major League Soccer season will mark the inaugural campaign for both clubs, and it would be a significant accomplishment if either produces a winning record, let alone qualifies for the MLS Cup Playoffs.

The last time an MLS expansion team manufactured more wins than losses was in 2009, when the Seattle Sounders tallied 12 victories and were bounced in the playoffs' first round. It was an eye-popping achievement, and since then the Philadelphia Union, Vancouver Whitecaps, Portland Timbers, Montreal Impact, New York City FC, and Orlando City SC have all failed to replicate the feat.

Atlanta and Minnesota - the 21st and 22nd members of MLS - are the next clubs with a chance of breaking the streak. But, of the two, only one can realistically dream of making the playoffs in 2017.

Atlanta United FC

Gerardo Tata Martino was appointed the club's first-ever manager last year, meaning Atlanta will be debuting in MLS under one of the most experienced coaches to have ever stepped foot in the league. The Paraguayan tactician led Argentina at the 2015 Copa America and the Copa America Centenario, both of which saw La Albiceleste lose in the final. A chaotic season at Barcelona is also on Martino's resume, and he guided Paraguay to the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup.

Of course, a club in its infancy can't be compared to Argentina, Barcelona, or Paraguay. Martino's high-intensity football and high-pressure system demands a lot, and while Hector Villalba, Miguel Almiron, and Josef Martinez are high-quality signings for an expansion team, Atlanta's squad might not be capable of fulfilling Tata's suffocating style of play.

But Martino might be perfect for a club like Atlanta. During his time as Newell's Old Boys' manager, he emphasized youth development and it proved to be a successful approach, as he steered La Lepra away from the relegation zone before winning the 2012-13 Primera Division's Torneo Final.

If Martino can develop Atlanta's youngsters into players who understand his high-intensity football, it doesn't seem ridiculous to suggest the club can reach the MLS Cup Playoffs as an expansion team.

Minnesota United FC

Adrian Heath, who will lead Minnesota into its inaugural season, referred to the club as "Newcastle (United) of MLS" at his first press conference. The English manager was pointing to the similarities in terms of geography, weather, and people rather than mismanagement, poor decisions, and ineptitude, but there's already reason to believe the Loons are flying south, just like the Magpies.

As Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl wrote in October, there are many coaches, general managers, and agents who believe Minnesota's first season in MLS will be one of the worst in the history of the league. But with the centre-back pairing of Vadim Demidov and Francisco Calvo, the Loons should be able to avoid being shot down game after game.

Demidov, 30, is a veteran of European football who boasts experience at Rosenborg Ballklub, Real Sociedad, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Celta Vigo. Calvo, meanwhile, is an up-and-coming 24-year-old from Costa Rica who, according to the Guardian's Jeff Rueter, was wanted by the Los Angeles Galaxy. The duo will be heavily relied upon in the absence of Designated Players.

It might not be all doom and gloom for Minnesota in its first MLS season, but anyone who thinks the Loons are going to the playoffs will likely be labelled a "loony."