It feels like only yesterday that Columbus Crew were lifting the MLS Cup, but the new season is only a month away and the anticipation and excitement are starting to build. The new campaign will kick off on Wednesday 21 February with Inter Miami at home to Real Salt Lake, with the rest of the league getting in on the action on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 February. The regular season will run until 19 October, followed by the MLS Cup Playoffs which will conclude on 7 December.
All eyes will be focused on Messi during the league’s curtain-raiser. The 36-year-old, considered by many to be the greatest player of all time, signed for Miami in July last year. The 7-time Ballon d’Or winner wasted little time in making an impact with his new side, racking up 11 goals and 5 assists in 14 appearances.
That included 10 goals in 7 matches in the Leagues Cup as he fired Miami to the first silverware in their brief history. The Argentinian also quickly got off the mark in MLS itself:
However, injuries restricted him to just 5 further appearances in MLS, and so he was unable to transform the Herons’ fortunes in the league and they ultimately finished 14th in the Eastern Conference, 9 points off a potential playoff place. Miami will be hoping that with Messi available from the start of the campaign, they’ll be able to reach the postseason competition. Tickets for Miami’s clash with RSL start at USD $168.
Meanwhile, defending champions Columbus Crew will begin their title defence at home at Atlanta United, whom they beat in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs last season. In their best-of-3 series, the pair played out two 6-goal thrillers – if they can pick up where they left off, fans will be in for a treat at Lower.com Field. Tickets for Columbus Crew vs Atlanta United start at $69.