2026 MLS Regular Season

[mgarbowski]

Part 1 of The Athletic's annual survey of MLS Executives is out.

2026 MLS Anonymous Executive Survey, Part 1: Key figures on league’s bests, worsts

For a fifth year running, we've asked top club officials for their candid thoughts on topics and themes around MLS. Here's what they said

www.nytimes.com

22 execs responded.

• 11 picked Miami to win the Cup again, and 14 picked them to win the Shield.
• Miami also had the best winter move in Berterame and best offseason.
• Thorrington at LAFC voted best CSO, and LAFC is the most desirable CSO job, and most desirable coaching position.
• Best facility is Cincy, worst New England. Atlanta best training ground; SJ worst. DC Audi Stadium notable for getting 5 worst votes as a 7 year old SS stadium.

NYCFC relevant votes:

• Freese 2 votes for best GK and 1 for next overseas move out of MLS.
• Nico 1 vote for best attacker (x-Messi or Son).
• Alonso Martinez 1 vote for best value contract.
• Jansen 3 votes for best coach and 4 for most underrated. Second place in both.
• Dunivant 1 vote for best CSO hire; Lee tied for first with 5 votes. Neither got any votes for best CSO.
• 1 NYCFC vote for most desirable coaching job in MLS.
• 2 votes for worst stadium (YS) good for 4th place.

No NYC votes for

• win Cup or Shield
• best winter move or best overall winter
• best player x-Messi/Son
• best defender
• best midfielder
• most underrated player
• next No. 2 exec to become CSO
• most desirable CSO job
• best stadium or best/worst training ground.

Also for all the hype of Haak being the most coveted MLS free agent, zero votes for best or worst offseason move. To be fair, this probably says more about where intra-MLS free agent moves rank in comparison to international transfers in and out, than it does about Justin. There was no best/worst free agent move categories.

 

[BC19]

Part 1 of The Athletic's annual survey of MLS Executives is out.

2026 MLS Anonymous Executive Survey, Part 1: Key figures on league’s bests, worsts

For a fifth year running, we've asked top club officials for their candid thoughts on topics and themes around MLS. Here's what they said

www.nytimes.com

22 execs responded.

• 11 picked Miami to win the Cup again, and 14 picked them to win the Shield.
• Miami also had the best winter move in Berterame and best offseason.
• Thorrington at LAFC voted best CSO, and LAFC is the most desirable CSO job, and most desirable coaching position.
• Best facility is Cincy, worst New England. Atlanta best training ground; SJ worst. DC Audi Stadium notable for getting 5 worst votes as a 7 year old SS stadium.

NYCFC relevant votes:

• Freese 2 votes for best GK and 1 for next overseas move out of MLS.
• Nico 1 vote for best attacker (x-Messi or Son).
• Alonso Martinez 1 vote for best value contract.
• Jansen 3 votes for best coach and 4 for most underrated. Second place in both.
• Dunivant 1 vote for best CSO hire; Lee tied for first with 5 votes. Neither got any votes for best CSO.
• 1 NYCFC vote for most desirable coaching job in MLS.
• 2 votes for worst stadium (YS) good for 4th place.

No NYC votes for

• win Cup or Shield
• best winter move or best overall winter
• best player x-Messi/Son
• best defender
• best midfielder
• most underrated player
• next No. 2 exec to become CSO
• most desirable CSO job
• best stadium or best/worst training ground.

Also for all the hype of Haak being the most coveted MLS free agent, zero votes for best or worst offseason move. To be fair, this probably says more about where intra-MLS free agent moves rank in comparison to international transfers in and out, than it does about Justin. There was no best/worst free agent move categories.

They need to reveal who the person who voted for Austin FC to win MLS cup is

 

[Gene]

 

[Shwafta]

View attachment 14409

big lol

 

[moogoo]

View attachment 14409

i think it's understandable because he's coming from NYCFC with years of experience in MLS and "success" with building a decent roster. we as fans are not happy, but I can see why execs would pick him as the best hire out of the choices.

 

[gbservis]

View attachment 14409

The SKC situation is way beyond David Lee sluggishness. Lee is taking the heat for it but their's no way he's entering the season with such a barebones roster without buy in from Ownership. New owner as of January, that made big statements about winning and his ambitions. Unless Lee gets fired in the next couple of months there has to be more to this story. Is this the teardown and stockpile assests step of some multi-year plan or is David Lee really this slow?

 

[mgarbowski]

Also, as odd as the David Lee vote may appear to us, I think it destroys the theory that the Bogert's anonymous sources who spoke well of him must have been Lee or his NYCFC minions. He's well regarded within the league.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Also, as odd as the David Lee vote may appear to us, I think it destroys the theory that the Bogert's anonymous sources who spoke well of him must have been Lee or his NYCFC minions. He's well regarded within the league.

I want David Lee's PR person.

 

[Gotham Gator]

This is an interesting and valuable data point on Lee. This is an evaluation by his peers - these people deal with him and know him.

 

[moogoo]

I have to say Boehm's weekly wrap up article is kinda meh compared to Doyle's, which I found more entertaining, comprehensive, and insightful.

 

[gbservis]

Also, as odd as the David Lee vote may appear to us, I think it destroys the theory that the Bogert's anonymous sources who spoke well of him must have been Lee or his NYCFC minions. He's well regarded within the league.

From an outside perspective the sales of Santi, Gabby and Taty are impressive given the profits. Our academy is also highly productive, not sure why Lee would get credit for that but he probably does. Lee also timed his exodus before the bills came due for the majority of his failed expensive signings of Magno, Jovan, Fernandez and Ojeda. Unless Fernandez breaks out in Argentina or Ojeda has a big 2026, the profits from the sales listed earlier are going to be largely wiped out by the losses on big money transactions at the end of Lee's tenure.

 

[MumonA]

I have to say Boehm's weekly wrap up article is kinda meh compared to Doyle's, which I found more entertaining, comprehensive, and insightful.

Agree. A tough read in general:

As you may have noticed, Saturday’s glamor fixture was inevitably reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champions Inter Miami’s visit to LAFC, who hosted this one at the venerable Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, drawing a festive opening-day record crowd of 75,673, the second-largest gate in league history, to witness an emphatic 3-0 home win.​

LAFC outduel Miami, RBNY's youth movement & more from Matchday 1 | MLSSoccer.com

Welcome back.

www.mlssoccer.com

 

[moogoo]

Agree. A tough read in general:

As you may have noticed, Saturday’s glamor fixture was inevitably reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champions Inter Miami’s visit to LAFC, who hosted this one at the venerable Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, drawing a festive opening-day record crowd of 75,673, the second-largest gate in league history, to witness an emphatic 3-0 home win.​

LAFC outduel Miami, RBNY's youth movement & more from Matchday 1 | MLSSoccer.com

Welcome back.

www.mlssoccer.com

seriously, tell us you're a company man without telling us you're a company man. geezus..