MLS 2021 Season Preview – 3 Things To Look For

With the MLS 2021 Season kicking off, we at El Tri Online want to make some predictions on what the MLS Season will hold for our Mexican superstars in the league. 

Each year the MLS becomes a bit more competitive and sometimes talent and hard work are not enough to succeed in this league. Everyone is fighting for the top spot and these Mexican players will have a lot to prove to show they are the cream of the crop of North America.

The Chicharito Comeback

The most prolific forward of the Mexican national team of the last 20 years had arguably the worst professional season of his career in 2020. 

Like most of us in 2020, Javier Hernandez experienced some heavy lows in his personal and professional life. After agreeing to a transfer from the Spanish side Sevilla, Chicharito entered into what he called “the beginning of his retirement” by moving to the luxury hills of Los Angeles. These comments, made on his Youtube vlog Naked Humans, stirred the ire of the Mexican media as well as his detractors. 

How could Chicharito, with 3 World Cup appearances under his name, choose to end his European career at 30 years old and take the easy road (and paycheck) to MLS?

Hernandez clarified in later interviews that his retirement could be 10 years down the line and he could even go back to Europe at one point but ultimately, semantics aside, Chicharito will always be judged based on his play on the pitch. That is why in 2020, with the Galaxy failing to come together as a team under then-coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto and the MLS scrambling to organize a proper tournament under a worldwide pandemic, Chicharito failed to live up to the expectation of the leagues highest-paid player. 

Chicharito admitted recently that 2020 was a “rock bottom” period for him personally due to the death of his grandfather, Tomás Balcázar, and his marital separation with his wife. Hernandez recently pleaded with the media during a midweek interview that mental health and people’s struggles should be “normalized” and taken into account when discussing performance.

In the same interview, Chicharito spoke of being as motivated as he has ever been. “I don’t know how we can measure how motivated I am, I don’t think there are enough words to tell you how motivated I am, I’m just simply very, very motivated,” the Guadalajara native stated. 

“I think you all can see that in my social media, in my interviews, in the way that I’m trying to improve myself in every aspect in my life.” With this type of statement and track record, it will be hard to bet against Mexico’s all-time leading scorer. A Chicharito comeback would do wonders for the MLS and for the Mexican National team who is in desperate need of a striker heading into this years World Cup Qualifiers. Hopefully, in 2021, Hernandez can prove all his detractors wrong just like he has done his entire career.

Will Vela (and LAFC) step up?

No one can deny the impact that LAFC and Carlos Vela have had on Major League Soccer. A supporters shield trophy and a trip to the CONCACAF Champions League is nothing to sniff at for a team with less than 4 seasons under their belt. But those regular-season accolades and Finals appearances have not led to any postseason hardware for the black and gold. 

After being the MLS MVP in 2019 with a league record 34 goals, Carlos Vela had his 2020 season derailed due to an MCL tear 57 minutes into the season. Vela would end up playing only 7 games, scoring 4 goals, and LAFC would fail to get out of the first round of the playoff thanks to Seattle.

In a recent Los Angeles Time interview Vela stated that his knee is back to 100%. With a healthy mind and body for the former Arsenal and Real Sociedad striker and with 10 of the 11 starters from last season returning, LAFC should be expected to contend for the MLS Championship. Players such as Eduard Atuesta, Diego Rossi, Latif Blessing, and Mark Anthony-Kaye have been linked to various other clubs and this could be their last season as LAFC teammates. Bob Bradley and the LAFC front office should put all their chips on the table to make sure LAFC wins the championship before their core group moves on and a rebuild comes their way.

Vela, Rossi, and company should have another strong regular season if all things go according to plan but will they crack under the playoff pressure once again? It remains to be seen.

Who’s next?

Rodolfo Pizarro and Alan Pulido made big waves last year after signing for Miami FC and Sporting KC respectively. They both were not enough to push their teams to the title but will they be able to do it this year?

Pizarro is entering the 2021 campaign after a disastrous stint of games in Europe with the Mexican National Team. Aside from being in the preseason, the Pachuca academy product looked sluggish and even disinterested at times. Tata Martino continues to support Pizarro with calls up but are these calls without merit? His move from Monterrey to Florida was supposed to be a stepping stone into his eventual move to Europe but Pizarro’s recent play leaves a lot to be desired. You would be hard-pressed to find a European team willing to shell out top dollar for one of Miami FC’s first big-time signings.

Alan Pulido took the MLS by storm his first year scoring 11 goals and providing six assists in 12 appearances. Injuries prevented the Mexican international from creating a bigger impact and Sporting bowed out in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2020. 

Unfortunately for the Mexican international, injuries prevented him from making a bigger impact for Sporting Kansas City, but he is hoping that the goals will continue to flow for him at the start of the 2021 MLS regular season.

The 30-year-old made headlines by stating that MLS is more popular than Mexico’s Liga MX and that “in Mexico, they undervalue everything, including MLS.” He has since recanted the statement by clarifying what he meant via an Instagram Story. Nonetheless, Pulido and the young core of Kansas should be able to repeat the success of 2020 and fight their way into the MLS playoffs once again.

Besides Pulido and Pizarro, will San Jose’s acquisition of attacking midfielder Javier Eduardo “Chofis” Lopez from Chivas Guadalajara have an impact? The left-footed midfielder looks to be in great spirit and form in preseason action and recently told reporters that he feels “very excited to be with Matias [Almeyda] again.”

Will the Argentine coach be able to bring up the level of play of “Chofis” and make him the dangerous Number 10 he was always touted to be? If Almeyda can work his magic like he often does, the San Jose attack will be one no team in the MLS will want to face.