Who are the three top candidates to win the 2022 MLS Cup?
New England Revolution, Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC are the favorite teams to win the trophy this year according to the odds.
The 2022 Major League Soccer season is right around the corner and the teams are finalizing the last details ahead of the opening day on 26 February. The 27th campaign of MLS will have 28 teams, with Charlotte FC making their debut as the new expansion franchise, fighting to win the MLS Cup, with the final scheduled for 5 November.
The teams that could win the trophy this year
New York City FC won the title last season and they were able to retain the 2021 MVP and golden boot winner Valentín ‘Taty’ Castellanos for the opening day. Unfortunately, it will be hard for the New York-based club to hold on to the 23-year-old striker with River Plater keen on signing him. According to the latest report, the Argentine side will make one last offer to NYCFC in hopes they accept it.
With Castellanos’ future up in the air, New York City FC is not one of the top three contenders to retain the trophy this season. According to the latest odds from various sport betting websites, the top teams to win the 2022 Major League Soccer Cup are New England Revolution, Los Angeles Football Club and Seattle Sounders.
New England Revolution
The Revs had a record-breaking season last year and won the Supporters’ Shield, their first in franchise history. They were the highest seed going into the playoffs, but saw the season come to an end when New England lost on penalties to New York FC in the conference semi-final. The Revs will enter this year at around +650 odds and they will make their debut against Portland Timbers on Saturday.
Los Angeles FC
The ‘Black & Gold’ are entering their fifth year in Major League Soccer and they will have a new manager this season, Steve Cherundolo. The first-time MLS Coach will have a difficult task as he is looking to rebuild the team after LAFC failed to make it to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history last year. They were able to retain Carlos Vela for at least six months, but they parted ways with Eduard Atuesta during the offseason. Regardless of the minor changes in the roster they will enter this year at around +700 odds and they will start the campaign on Saturday at home against the Colorado Rapids.
Seattle Sounders
The Sounders have a start-packed roster going into the 2022 MLS regular season and they have been one of the most consistent teams in the past five years. The Seattle-based team won the 2019 and 2016 MLS Cup and they have made it to the playoffs for 13 consecutive seasons. The Sounders will enter this year at around +600 odds and they will make their debut on Sunday on the road against Nashville.