Now, where did you put MLS between the best league in the world?
Twellman: They are not at the Premier League level, and neither are they. English football has over 100 years of history. Of course, if you try to build yourself in credibility, you need to do this in the world market. And tell me for the last five to seven years, a lot of soccer in the league grown.
The way I judge that is, if you talk to Scout around the world, how quickly they go to the United States and Canada and big soccer in the league? They just get there. I think Cavan Sullivan is a great example of that in Manchester City who is with him the best 14-year-old in the world. She now played for the Philadelphia Union before he went to the city man.
Wright-Phillips: I love and hate this question because it’s very hard. My personal opinion, just playing two (The MLS and English Premier League) … we’ll take the leading teams like Inter Miami and Columbus Crew, the teams that have been very indulged in the last year or more. They have no problems with the championship, maybe under the prem. That’s how I saw it and how I could see it. The judgment is very difficult.
Lionel Messi has an incredible first time in MLS. What are you looking forward to him this time and how well Miami is?
Wright-Phillips: We’re not sure what he reacts to go to MLS, but he took it through the storm. She is Messi we have known and loved for many years.
What I know is that, especially in America, Inter Miami does not appear as a successful part until they win MLS Cup. So Javier Mascherano, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets – I think it’s No. 1 item on their list. Until they won that, I didn’t think people would say it was a great success. But it is said that, they are a pleasure looking.
Twellman: He has 36 contributions to the purpose of 19 games last year. If not for a terrible ankle damage from a slide tackle in Copa America, he can play perhaps 25 or 26 games, and he can easily have 45 objective contributions.
If he was healthy this year and he played 25 games, I think that he could be the first winner of the MLS Suárez winner, the way he changed everything around him. I was nervous for Miami because I didn’t think they were deeper at the end of the year. They need to know that.
Except for Messi, what players should-look at this time?
Wright-Phillips: You will always enjoy watching Darlington Mebe. I think a young striker is like Patrick Agymeng for Charlotte is exciting and future. Jack McGlynn just went to Houston Dynamo. It’s good for him, starting every week. Talking about young players who started each week, I thought Brian Gutiérrez for Chicago under GGP Bergalter.
Twellman: In LAFC, the Denis Bangga is one of the best players seen in the league. No soccer fan should be to see his effect and see how he played. He played at a high level, 90 minutes of uninterrupted searches and assistants. He has 20-plus goals in two straightings years. An untrue player.
What other stories do you watch?
Twellman: The FIFA Club World Cup in the country, two MLS teams are a part of that, all eyeballs all over the world are in the United States 2025. This is a perfect preview of what is in the World Cup 2026.
The main soccer in the league now have infrastructure, the momentum actually catapult itself to all the eyeballs in the world in 2025 and then at the end of the World Cup. That’s where it differs than 1994.
Wright-Phillips: I don’t think the casual fan of MLS knows how good a player Zaha is. I was shocked that there was no greater noise in his name how good he was like a player. We have to remember, this guy it’s ripping off the Crystal Palace in the premierlip. It does not work for a reason or another, but it is the type of talent we are talking about in the league. And I think shortly after Matchday 1, we’ll see a top player and you hear his name all the time.
Which team has passed the playoffs last time to be a big step?
Wright-Phillips: I’m going with Chicago. [Gregg Berhalter] have all the pieces. She has a great child no. 10 In Brian Gutiérrez and then they took a very good winger to Jonathan Bamba. She is still a player who likes to run on defenders. And then if you were worried about their defense, they took Jack Elliott from Philadelphia Union, which I think was a real underrated league center.
Twellman: I want to look at Austin this year. They went out and spent $ 10 million in Brandon Vázquez. He returned from Mexico and a goal mark. There is a new manager (in Nico Estévez). I don’t know if the manager receives them to win the MLS Cup, but I think he has improved Austin at a point that their years in their existence.
Who is your pick to win MLS Cup?
Twellman: The window shift changes everything in the summer. The teams you’ve seen on February 22 are not the teams you see that the playoffs will arrive at MLS Cup. Many can change. But as February 20, I think people truly hold atlanta United and Cincinnati. They have the best transfer of monthly.
Wright-Phillips: You need to see Cincinnati. For years, Cincinnati is always a team that ignores many goals. … now you add evander, one of my favorite players. You put him on a side good sound. He has a striker in front of him today in Kévin Denkey that is very efficient in front of the goal. If you’re talking about talent attacks, adding evander, and you’re talking about how well their defense is, that’s a team built for the playoffs.
