Every MLS team has one priority right now: building their squads before the 2024 regular season.
With the offseason well and truly underway, free agency open, trades flying through the air left and right, and clubs working on transfers, now is a great time to take stock of each team’s cornerstones.
Who should teams try to build around this winter? We’re answering that question by spotlighting three key players for each club. While three is a somewhat arbitrary number, it gives us a high-level picture of each squad.
- Sebastián Driussi (M/F)
- Jon Gallagher (D)
- Brad Stuver (GK)
Austin took a big step back from Year 2 to Year 3, but they still have some useful pieces to build around. With the right playmaker alongside him, Driussi is elite at finding chances in the box with his off-ball movement. On the outside, Gallagher adds real production from either fullback spot, getting forward and unbalancing opposing backlines. In goal, Stuver is among the best in the league and still stands out even in the Western Conference, which is stacked on the ‘keeper front.
- Connor Ronan (M)
- Cole Bassett (M)
- Darren Yapi (F)
The heart of the 2024 Colorado Rapids will be their midfield. Ronan was a revelation last year in an otherwise bleak season – the 25-year-old finished with a goal and eight primary assists alongside some lovely underlying numbers to boot. Bassett isn’t at Ronan’s level, but it’s easy to see him adapting well to either the No. 8 spot or to one of the halfspaces in new head coach Chris Armas’ transition-heavy system.
Outside of those two, finding players worth building around becomes difficult. I have my eyes on the 19-year-old Yapi, who could develop into a nice forward option this year.
- Jesús Ferreira (F)
- Bernard Kamungo (F)
- Nkosi Tafari (D)
With Alan Velasco out injured, there will be extra pressure on Ferreira and Kamungo to produce. The good news for Dallas fans is both players did just that in 2023: Ferreira led the team in scoring with 12 goals and continued to be an excellent creative force through the middle, while Kamungo finished tied for second on the team with six goals. Oh, and Kamungo did so while playing around 500 regular-season minutes.
- Héctor Herrera (M)
- Artur (M)
- Griffin Dorsey (D)
After locking down the starting right back job in August, Dorsey never looked back. He ended up having a career year and playing a key role during Houston’s run to the Western Conference Final. With Dorsey providing width and service on the right and Herrera and Artur controlling games through the middle, the Dynamo’s front office can turn its collective attention to sorting out the left side and striker position before preseason.
Will Sebastián Ferreira return? Does Coco Carrasquilla stick around this winter?
- Riqui Puig (M)
- Mark Delgado (M)
- Gastón Brugman (M)
Until they sort out their two DP signings this winter, the midfield will continue to be the LA Galaxy’s pride and joy. Puig is the best ball progresser in all of MLS, doing things in possession that only Lionel Messi can do in this league. Deeper down field, Delgado and Brugman offer reliable control and balance out Puig’s lack of defensive contribution.
If the Galaxy can add a couple of quality pieces in front of and behind this midfield trio, they’ll be dangerous.
- Dénis Bouanga (F)
- Cristian Olivera (F)
- Mateusz Bogusz (M)
It doesn’t take a genius to know Bouanga is the player to build around for LAFC. He’s fully taken the superstar role from Carlos Vela, who may or may not be back in Black & Gold next year. With Bouanga on the left and the young Olivera on the right side, LAFC have one of the strongest wide attacking duos in MLS (there are transfer rumors with Bouanga, but odds are he stays).
Moving back one line, I’m bullish on Bogusz this year, especially with Kellyn Acosta likely to find another home in free agency. His two-way upside as a No. 8 is very real.
- Emanuel Reynoso (M)
- Teemu Pukki (F)
- Bongokuhle Hlongwane (F)
While Minnesota United haven’t historically been renowned for a front-foot style, their attackers are the true stars heading into 2024.
Reynoso is the centerpiece from the No. 10 position, operating as their sun while the rest of the lineup revolves around him. With the veteran Pukki making smart runs and taking smart touches from the striker spot, and Hlongwane coming off the best year of his career on the wing, it’s easy to picture the Loons causing problems for opposing defenses in 2024.
- Juan Mosquera (D)
- Evander (M)
- Eryk Williamson (M)
New head coach Phil Neville had an aggressive, quick right back to work with in Miami in the form of DeAndre Yedlin. He has one in Portland now, too, in the form of Mosquera. The 21-year-old Colombian international is one of the best fullbacks in MLS – he consistently uses his size and quality right foot to impact games.
If Evander can take another step forward this year to justify Portland making him a club-record signing while Williamson works his way back from a knee injury, the Timbers won’t be an easy out in the West.
- Cristian Arango (F)
- Diego Luna (M)
- Pablo Ruiz (M)
For a team built on substance, RSL’s foundation has plenty of flair. Arango is a clever, effective No. 9 who will continue to shape the attack from the top of Pablo Mastroeni’s 4-4-2 shape. Luna, then, will operate somewhere underneath Arango. The 20-year-old playmaker spots passes that few other players on this side of the Atlantic can. Finally, RSL have Ruiz (recovering from a knee injury) pulling the strings from deeper in midfield.
Salt Lake might have a more dogged reputation, but they have pieces to break through any defense.
- Daniel (GK)
- Carlos Gruezo (M)
- Cristian Espinoza (F)
The Earthquakes need another strong season out of the Brazilian, who was elite last year. He saved more goals than expected per 90 minutes than any other goalkeeper in MLS, according to FBref. Daniel can clean up for a chunk of his team’s defensive mistakes inside the box, while Gruezo tries to do the same outside the box from his defensive midfield role.Â
At the other end of the field, Espinoza is San Jose’s best attacker and among the top wingers in MLS.
- Jordan Morris (F)
- Cristian Roldan (M)
- João Paulo (M)
You can make an argument that Jackson Ragen and Yeimar Gómez Andrade should be in Seattle’s top three, but I leaned higher upfield with these choices. Why? Well, with Nico Lodeiro gone and Raúl RuidÃaz fighting off a decline, Morris and Roldan will have to pick up a lot of the attacking slack.
João Paulo will provide stability in midfield alongside Albert Rusnák. We know how good he is. But much of the Sounders’ season depends on the work of Morris and Roldan, along with whoever’s brought in to play alongside them (Pedro de la Vega, anyone?).
- Tim Melia (GK)
- Dániel Sallói (F)
- Erik Thommy (M)
After Daniel and Roman Bürki (who I'll get to a bit later), Tim Melia is the best returning shot-stopper in MLS. He saved over a fifth of a goal more than expected per 90 minutes for SKC last year, according to FBref. Melia gives Sporting KC a safety net in the back.
Thommy, for his part, continues to look like a top-tier free No. 8 in MLS, adding nearly equal parts goals and assists to manager Peter Vermes’ team. On the left wing, Salloi won’t be SKC’s primary scoring option, but he’s well above average in his position. (And yes, we all know Alan Pulido is an obvious choice here, too).
- Roman Bürki (GK)
- Eduard Löwen (M)
- Tim Parker (D)
St. Louis wouldn’t have topped the Western Conference standings during their expansion season without Bürki. After Daniel, he was the best shot-stopper in MLS in 2023, saving over a quarter of a goal more than expected per 90 minutes, according to FBref. Bürki’s ability to neutralize their opponents’ chances was huge for the newcomers.
- Brian White (F)
- Ryan Gauld (M/F)
- Andrés Cubas (M)
The Whitecaps’ spine is what makes them dangerous.Â
Fresh off a career year, White will be itching for another 15-plus goal campaign. With Gauld both creating for others and finding chances for himself as another central attacking option, Vancouver clearly have weapons. In Cubas, they also have an eraser. The Paraguay international is a terrific ball-winner who puts out fires.
