2024 MLS Predictions: Western Conference

Photo from the Seattle Sounders

The Western Conference enters a new era, where the top dogs of the conference have had significant departures and retooling to push for a title in 2024.

Will we see a new surprise favorite?

Here is how the west will play out.

1. Seattle Sounders

The Sounders had the best defense in MLS last year, and that backline remains this year.

Their only problem was a lack of goal scoring, and now that they (hopefully) have a healthy Cristian Roldan and the addition of Pedro de la Vega to take over for club legend Nico Lodeiro, they may find the back of the net more.

That may be all they need to make them top dog.

2. Sporting Kansas City

Last year, SKC got off to a historically bad start.

It made me question if they should move on from Peter Vermes and embrace a full rebuild.

Well, they didn’t listen to me. And it’s good that they didn’t.

Because they got red hot once everyone got healthy, made the playoffs, and upset the number 1 seed St. Louis.

Now with another year of them (again, hopefully) fully healthy, that bad start won’t hold them back and they can hit the ground running from the start.

3. FC Dallas

Dallas has always been consistently good.

Their only problem was that they would never splash the cash to be great.

That changed this offseason, signing forward Petar Musa from Benfica which means he can be the out and out goal scorer while Jesus Ferreira plays in a more “hold up” role.

Assuming Musa pans out, which is far from a guarantee in this league, Dallas should be dangerous.

4. LAFC

4th may seem low for the back to back Western Conference Champs, but there’s a reason for it.

First of all, they have Champions Cup again.

It did not kill LAFC’s season last year obviously, but it did slow them down mid season to the point where they dropped quite a few spots in the standings.

They also have gone through significant roster turnover, and made a move in goal that I’m not sure will work, getting rid of Maxime Crepeau for former Tottenham and World Cup winning goalie Hugo Lloris.

That sounds nice, sure. But Lloris is not the same goalkeeper he was 6 years ago.

Getting rid of a sure thing for a big, and often injured question mark, feels too risky to me.

But it won’t sink their season.

5. Houston Dynamo

Ben Olsen’s first year in Houston last year was absolutely remarkable, and quite a surprise considering nobody expected much of Houston last year.

This year, we’ll have to see, because Hector Herrera is injured, Nelson Quinones is out for the year, and they didn’t make many additions in the offseason.

It could all go horribly wrong.

But hey, who am I to doubt Ben Olsen after the year they had?

6. St. Louis

The style is good and fun to watch and they have the MLS goalkeeper of the year.

But they are due a significant slide back after last season’s overperformance.

Last year, St. Louis overperformed their expected goals by 20.

That’s astronomical, and isn’t going to happen again.

7. Real Salt Lake

Proven goal scorer in Chicho Arango and a great coach in Pablo Mastroeni.

It won’t win them a title, but it’s made the playoffs every year so far in Mastroeni’s reign.

Why not one more?

8. LA Galaxy

On the plus side, they made good attacking signings instead of signings that will sell jerseys and tickets.

On the negative side, their defense still stinks.

What can ya do?

9. Austin FC

Two years ago, Austin wowed everyone with a spectacular season.

Last year, they refused to build off of it, and ended up having a terrible season.

To me, they looked like a midfield team a couple years ago before overperforming and then likely underperforming.

9th feels right.

There’s talent here, there’s just not a ton of it.

10. Minnesota United

Speaking of the talent being there.

Minnesota United has skill up front but not so much skill at the back end, which could be a pretty significant issue.

It also doesn’t help that the season begins on Saturday, and Minnesota United hired their head coach, uh.

Yesterday.

Have fun making that system gel quickly!

11. Vancouver Whitecaps

Man, the west is actually pretty tough this year.

I like Vancouver. I wouldn’t be surprised if they found themselves in the playoffs.

But there just seems to be something missing in terms of that overarching talent that will get them above the rest.

The Galaxy have Puig. Austn has Driussi. Minnesota has Reynoso.

The Caps are just missing that.

12. Colorado Rapids

The Rapids made two pretty exciting signings in US International’s Djordje Mihailovic and Zack Steffen.

Both were excellent MLS talents before moving to Europe where their time…didn’t go so well.

This sport is a game of form and confidence.

I question if the confidence level from those two are there to hit the ground running this year.

13. Portland Timbers

The Timbers have good midfielder in Evander and a good goalkeeper in former LAFC goalie Maxime Crepeau.

And that’s it.

And their coach is former Miami coach Phil Neville who did a poor job at Miami, instead of interim coach Miles Joseph who actually had the Timbers playing really good soccer.

I don’t get it.

14. San Jose Earthquakes

The defense stinks, and the offense isn’t high powered enough to overcome it.

In a tough conference, this is simply where you end up.