To preview the upcoming 2019 MLS campaign, we’re looking at four of the league’s most fascinating teams heading into the season. We’ll analyze both what they have to do to be successful and what makes them interesting—rebuilding jobs and methods of roster-building are always changing in MLS. We’ve already looked deeply at the Whitecaps.

These are four other notable cases:

Orlando City SC

Orlando, a year after disaster, are attempting to coalesce into a 5-3-2, with full knowledge of their previous catastrophes. They hope that Portuguese DP Nani turns into a legitimate superstar. They need at least a couple of defenders to prove competent and manager James O’Connor to show he has the tactical nuance to do more than sit behind the ball.

The problem is that Nani is 32 and moving towards the twilight of his career. There are numerous questions surrounding the defense—notably, whether Lamine Sane and Carlos Ascues can anchor an MLS backline. O’Connor didn’t do a ton last season to prove any sort of managerial versatility. 

By playing a 5-3-2 every week and trusting Dom Dwyer and Nani up front, Orlando took aim at some sort of an identity. Tactically, it’s difficult to see them possessing the ball or pressing. But such popular strategies have their foils, and perhaps the Lions will build a foundation around foiling. It is a respectable initiative. It’s also what we said about futile Colorado and Vancouver in the past.

Talent deficiencies will hold Orlando back. They lack top-tier talent all over the field, and depth is a big question mark—a deep roster relies upon the development of younger Homegrowns and international signings. OCSC have those types of players, but have yet to see significant on-field contribution from any of them. 

Trusting wing-backs in that 5-3-2 could prove difficult, though many see 21-year-old Danilo Acosta (on loan from RSL) as a solution. Two of Acosta, Joao Moutinho and Kyle Smith will man the flanks, a difficult job that often prevents teams from moving to a three/five-at-the-back. Acosta looks like he can do a job in MLS, but whether he can be a plus wing-back is another question.

Everyone is still waiting for Cristian Higuita to do the kind of work in defensive midfield that assuages some goal-conceding concerns. 

There is little reason to think, at this moment in time, that Orlando can make the playoffs. Last year, conversely, it seemed a good bet that they’d be playing in November. Another failure would hurt, especially if it comes with further indication that O’Connor can’t hang.

But youth dampens some future concerns. Chris Mueller, Cam Lindley, young DP Josue Colman, Pierre da Silva and a host of others have to start emerging as legitimate lineup choices. The onus is on O’Connor and the organization to trust it. 

The one sure thing about an MLS team rebounding from a last-place season is that there are no sure things.

Minnesota United

Somewhere around the middle of last season, Minnesota realized they had serious issues with the spine of their team. They were counting on Rasmus Schuller, the human revolving door, in defensive midfield, and they kept striking out on center backs. Christian Ramirez was fine up top, but they made big changes at center forward as well.

With Darwin Quintero already there as the central creator (he has exceeded all expectations), the Loons acquired DP forward Romario Ibarra midseason and dealt Ramirez to LAFC. They spent DP cash on Slovakian international Jan Gregus to play deep in midfield, and they signed Ozzie Alonso as a free agent, likely to partner with Gregus. With the central midfield set, they dropped up to $1 million in allocation money on Sporting KC for center back Ike Opara.

I’m fascinated by the Alonso-Gregus midfield pairing. Since Sim Cronin went down early in 2017, Minnesota have very conspicuously lacked any presence in front of the backline, which itself was weak. Mobility could be an issue. Opara’s presence behind them could offset some athleticism deficiencies, given his dominance in space.

In general, these are significant moves. It signals intent, for one, and that Minnesota is ready to shoot for the playoffs in their first season at Allianz Field.

Real Salt Lake

No one quite knows how Mike Petke will approach this season. RSL will probably continue employing a wide-set 4-3-3, with wingers Jefferson Savarino and Joao Plata (in addition to Bofo Saucedo and others) split wide and Albert Rusnak orchestrating behind the striker. It will be interesting, though, to see if that set-up adjusts with Sam Johnson signed to start up top, and if Petke has any stylistic wrinkles up his sleeve.

RSL haven’t been able to hit on a central midfield or striker signing. Damir Kreilach isn’t bad, but Kreilach-Kyle Beckerman double-pivots are too slow to be effective. Everton Luiz, a 30-year-old Brazilian, projects to start alongside Beckerman, possibly with Kreilach ahead of them and Rusnak on the wing. Luiz’s Wikipedia bio, admittedly not the greatest source for scouting, says he is known for an “aggressive and hard-tackling style of play.” As Beckerman ages, Luiz’s fit is crucial.

Last month, I mentioned Plata as a potential trade candidate, with RSL moving on from their inconsistent winger and focusing on other, younger options. That will be a storyline to watch, especially if Salt Lake start slow.

Colorado Rapids

The Rapids have their young core. After acquiring Kellyn Acosta midseason from FC Dallas, Colorado traded for forward Diego Rubio and right back Keegan Rosenberry, re-signing all three to long-term deals this offseason. It’s savvy and reasonably cheap.

Colorado also acquired Benny Feilhaber, Nicolas Mezquida, Kei Kamara and Kofi Opare, significantly upping their MLS experience quotient. After going heavy on U.K., Scandinavia and New Zealand internationals last offseason, and seeing many of those players get blown off the pitch, the Rapids went with proven talents. 

Anthony Hudson’s 4-4-2 diamond, if it does indeed return, has the personnel to function. Acosta and Feilhaber are perfect shuttlers, and while I have questions about defensive midfielder Jack Price’s ability to distribute, Price will do defensive work. Rosenberry’s distributing out of his right back position adds to a system that could focus more on passing, possession and the beautiful game than any hard-nosed Rapids team in the recent past. We saw promising glimpses last year.

At the same time, Kamara’s acquisition could run counter to that. He excels playing on the counter and in the air—even when he was with possession-heavy Columbus, his primary role was to hold up play in space once the Crew broke lines. The Whitecaps built their bunker-and-counter system around Kamara’s traditional No. 9 presence. 

Kamara is a valid acquisition, given his scoring acumen and the Rapids’ general lack of such acumen. But his presence could put an onus on Rubio to drop deeper and help facilitate possession. Mezquida, who will play at the tip of the diamond, is far from an elite creator in MLS. Whether Rubio has that ability remains to be seen.

Colorado’s ceiling is a lower-tier Western Conference playoff spot. They will only get there if Hudson creates a cohesive, consistent system that gets the best out of a team that does not have a truly elite player.

Harrison Hamm is a sportswriter who covers American soccer and MLS for FloFC. He also covers sports for FanSided and The Comeback, and has freelanced for the Washington Post.