MLS preview: What to expect from Lionel Messi, plus other key storylines to watch
Major League Soccer is back, with the regular season kicking off Saturday. Soccer analysts Taylor Twellman and Bradley Wright-Phillips break down the key storylines.
Major League Soccer is back.
The regular season kicks off Saturday, as Los Angeles FC hosts Minnesota United FC. Then, that evening, all eyes will be on Lionel Messi’s return when Inter Miami takes on New York City FC at 7:30 p.m. ET.
How will Messi and Inter Miami fare this season? What about new expansion team San Diego FC? MLS Season Pass analysts Taylor Twellman and Bradley Wright-Phillips spoke with NBC News about those topics and more ahead of this weekend's kickoff.
Editor’s note: The following interviews have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Twellman: It’s crazy to think I’ve been in and around this league since 2002. For the beginning 10 years of this league, it was all about surviving. And I would say for the last 12 to 15 years, it’s about thriving. If you would have asked me in 2005 or 2010 when MLS was thinking of expansion and really building these gorgeous stadiums, the owners would have said, "We need to find our way to get into two markets: St. Louis and San Diego." And I think it’s only fitting that San Diego is the 30th team in the 30th year of the league.
Rating: 5