🔮 Previewing the MLS Eastern Conference ahead of the 2025 season | OneFootball

It's officially matchweek one in MLS as the season kicks off in less than seven days, and that means it's time to look at the big picture of the upcoming campaign.

2025 was a rollercoaster in the Eastern Conference. While Inter Miami ran away with the Supporters Shield, it was the New York Red Bulls who took home the conference trophy after making it to MLS Cup.

But with the likes of Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Columbus going through major personnel changes, the East feels wide open once again. Let's dig in to some of the biggest storylines.

Which teams are the major contenders in the Eastern Conference?

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Atlanta United have done their utmost to rejoin the party, splashing upwards of $50m on Miguel Almirón, Aleksei Miranchuk, and league-record signing Emmanuel Latte Lath since June of 2024. The Five Stripes should look more like the imposing force we have been accustomed to seeing in the fortress that is the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

FC Cincinnati were mired in a transfer saga with superstar attacker Lucho Acosta through most of the offseason, overshadowing the good work they did to sign striker Kévin Denkey for a then record-fee of $16m, Middlesbrough left-back Lukas Engel, and making prolific wing-back Luca Orellano's stay permanent from Brazil.

After Acosta's exit was made official, Cincinnati swiftly completed a deal for Portland's MVP nominee Evander to be the center-piece of their attack, a blockbuster move that sees them remain true contenders in the East.

Under Wilfried Nancy, the Columbus Crew will remain a force in MLS, even with the departure of star attacker Cucho Hernandéz this winter. And while to this point they have only brought in free agent Lassi Lappalainen, they did plenty of work to evolve the squad during the summer when they brought in DeJuan Jones and Aziel Jackson.

If the Crew can wrap up deal for a big-name attacker in the coming weeks, they will immediately etch their name into the list of favorites for silverware this season.

Finally, you can't look past the glitz and glam of Inter Miami. The quartet of former Barcelona stars has remained in-tact, and have added eight players since December ranging from depth pieces to defensive and midfield starters. There is yet to be much indication as to how the Herons will look under young manager Javier Mascherano, but with Messi and his gang in town, any amount of success won't come as a surprise.

Which team is a dark-horse in the Eastern Conference?

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A handful of USMNT fans won't love to hear it, but the Chicago Fire could have a new lease on life with Gregg Berhalter now at the helm.

The former Stars and Stripes boss should bring some stability to the Windy City as the club's new head coach and sporting director, and he began by cutting away some of the dead-wood like Gaston Gímenez.

Winter additions have varied between players with solid MLS experienced like former Philadelphia defender Jack Elliot, to European-based talent such as Philip Zinckernagel from Club Brugge, and high-profile signing Jonathan Bamba from Celta Vigo to add to the likes of .

The Fire may have finished bottom of the Eastern Conference last season, but with renewed competency on and off the pitch, Berhalter's side could be pushing for a home playoff game when all is said and done.

Which teams are potentially in trouble in the Eastern Conference?

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It's looking more and more like the Wooden Spoon (worst team in the league) will land in the Eastern Conference this year, and there a number of potential victims.

D.C. United may have finished level on points with the final playoff spot last season, but they have seemingly made few strides to improve this winter. The likes of Cristian Dajome, Teddy Ku-DiPietro, and Mateusz Klich have all departed for greener pastures, and their replacements come in with major question marks for now. The potential saving grace for the capital club, is MLS golden boot winner Christian Benteke is still around for 2025.

Nashville SC, like D.C. United before them, have done little to make anybody think they can close the gap between their 13th place finish in 2024 and the playoffs this season. The midseason hiring of B.J. Callaghan appeared a shrewd move after his USMNT success, but he'll need on-field talent for success. The engine room has improved this winter with the signings of Gaston Brugman, Bryan Acosta, and Edvard Togseth, but they will need to sprinkle some more star-power into the ranks to avoid being pulled into the muck.