Season in a sentence: Biggest question for all 23 MLS clubs in 2018
How will each team fare in Major League Soccer this season? We attempt to figure it out with one question, because that's all you have time to read.
Eastern Conference
Atlanta United: Can the additions of Ezequiel Barco and Darlington Nagbe mitigate the losses of Yamil Asad and Carlos Carmona, such that the Five Stripes might enjoy a similarly successful sophomore season?
Chicago Fire: Can Bastian Schweinsteiger guide his team to World Cup MLS Cup glory, or will the Fire rue the loss of David Accam on the left wing?
Columbus Crew SC: Simply put, will this team even exist at the end of the year, or will owner Anthony Precourt actually move the club to Austin, Texas?
D.C. United: Has the club spoiled its relationship with supporters by entrusting one specific group as its official partner, or will tensions be smoothed over once they all move into Audi Field at long, long last?
Montreal Impact: Can the Quebec-based side escape from underneath the shadow cast by its rival west on Highway 401, or has the team lost too many key figures - like Patrice Bernier, Laurent Ciman, Blerim Dzemaili, Hernan Bernardello, Ambroise Oyongo, and Hassoun Camara - to move forward?
New England Revolution: Can head coach Brad Friedel establish a culture of excellence at a club that doesn't have the resources to outspend its Eastern Conference opponents, or will he simply work to keep the Revs afloat in 2018?
New York City FC: Will David Villa's time in the Big Apple conclude with an MLS Cup triumph, or will he share a legacy with teammates Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard: early club icons with little to show for it?
New York Red Bulls: Which team will new captain Luis Robles be traded to at the end of the 2018 season? In all seriousness, though, will the Red Bulls regret trading skipper Sacha Kljestan to Orlando, or will the club find a replacement posthaste like they did after trading prior captain Dax McCarty to Chicago?
Orlando City: Can Kljestan step into Kaka's shoes as the Lions' new No. 10, and how will Jason Kreis' side make up the goal-scoring hole left when Cyle Larin forced his way over to Besiktas?
Philadelphia Union: Does Jim Curtin possess the pieces needed to compete week in and week out in a tough Eastern Conference, or will the Union toil in irrelevancy once again?
Toronto FC: Can the Reds improve on the greatest-ever single season in MLS history, win the CONCACAF Champions League, and then beat whichever sides the rest of the world throws at them in the FIFA Club World Cup?
Western Conference
Colorado Rapids: Does new coach Anthony Hudson possess a true goal-scoring striker capable of adding potency to an otherwise dull attacking line, or will this once-mighty side squander yet another season?
FC Dallas: After enduring a strange dip in form last year, does Oscar Pareja have the squad quality and tactical acumen to guide the Hoops back into Supporters' Shield contention in 2018?
Houston Dynamo: Is Darwin Ceren the missing piece in the Dynamo midfield - the anchor that can allow the rest of this team's attack-minded players to flourish in a freer role?
Los Angeles FC: Devoid of the star power many expected this team to boast in spades, what sort of football will Bob Bradley implement at LAFC, and can it prove as successful as his MLS Cup-winning expansion Chicago side?
LA Galaxy: Off the back of one of the worst seasons in club history, can Sigi Schmid restore the Galaxy to their best, or will this historically competitive side fail to inspire ... and fail to keep the loyalty of fans intrigued by the Black and Gold?
Minnesota United: Will the Loons sign a Designated Player? Ever?
Portland Timbers: Having parted ways with MLS Cup-winning coach Caleb Porter, how will the Timbers Army take to Giovanni Savarese, and in turn, how will the former New York Cosmos boss fare in his first MLS managerial stint?
Real Salt Lake: Will there be a resolution to the Yura Movsisyan situation this season, or will the Armenian striker be able to turn it around and deliver goals and hustle as previously promised?
San Jose Earthquakes: Will Chris Wondolowski, now on 134 league goals, overtake Landon Donovan's record 145 strikes to become the all-time top scorer in MLS history?
Seattle Sounders: Can the Sounders make the MLS Cup final for a third time in a row, and win it with a convincing display - all without Jordan Morris, who has been ruled out for the season with a torn ACL?
Sporting Kansas City: Has Peter Vermes quietly assembled a dark horse for the 2018 MLS Cup, or will new pieces like Yohan Croizet, Johnny Russell, and Felipe Gutierrez fail to live up to their billings?
Vancouver Whitecaps: Can Kei Kamara rediscover the goal-scoring form that once put him in contention for the Golden Boot, and if not, who will step up to lead the attacking line now that Fredy Montero is gone?
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)