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MLS Analysis

2026 MLS Preview & Predictions: LAFC and Vancouver strong again, Galaxy to rebound

ASN offers up is MLS Western Conference Preview for the 2026 season with LAFC and Vancouver once again looking like the best teams in the conference. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
February 19, 2026
8:05 AM

THE 2026 MLS SEASON is just days away and that means it is time to get yet another season preview that offers up predictions on the final standings. To be fair, last year did not go well for ASN predictions in the West as we had San Diego last and Vancouver out of the playoffs. But still, we will try again.

Of course, there will be surprises and teams will make midseason adjustments, which are hard to predict right now. But two days out from the start of the season, this is the best we can do.

 

1) Los Angeles FC

 

In MLS, coaching changes can usher in uncertainty and make things difficult to predict. But Marc Dos Santos was promoted from within and should keep LAFC moving along just fine. He was hired to maintain the status quo from Steve Cherundolo, which is the right play. You have Son Heung-Min returning and this will be his first full season. The South Korean legend has formed a great partnership with one of the league’s best attackers in Denis Bouanga.

 

Now you add Stephen Equstaquio from Porto along with fellow Canadian international Jacob Shaffelburg to an already strong team without losing much.

LAFC is a very safe pick to be the top team in the Western Conference.

 

2) Vancouver Whitecaps

 

The Vancouver Whitecaps were the biggest surprising in MLS in 2025 after advancing to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final and winning the MLS Western Conference playoff championship where they were stopped by Inter Miami in a close final. The team thrived under new manager Jesper Sorensen who had them playing entertaining and winning soccer.

This season will see most of the team return. Thomas Muller will begin his first full season with the club. Sebastian Berhalter and Tristan Blackmon were in the MLS Best XI. One wild card will be Ryan Gauld who missed most of 2025 and underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee in the offseason. If he returns in full force by April or May, Vancouver will have a lot of firepower.

 

Ali Ahmed is the big loss after he was sold to Norwich (and is performing very, very well). Vancouver went and signed Cheikh Sabaly, 26, from Metz in France where he scored 21 goals and added 11 assists in 122 games. If Sabaly produces at a similar level, Vancouver will once again be a very good team.

But right now, you must bet on Sorensen to get everything on the field right.

The concern is the off-field issues for Vancouver and the dismal reports about the team's viability in the Canadian city. If talk of relocation builds in 2026, it might dampen enthusiasm and serve as a distraction for all involved. That would be very unfortunate for one of the league's most entertaining teams.

 

3) LA Galaxy

 

After a disastrous 2025 season, the LA Galaxy should be the most improved team in the Western Conference in 2026. Despite another season-long injury to Riqui Puig, the Galaxy made significant upgrades in important areas.

In the backline, the Galaxy added Justin Haak and Jakob Glesnes to go along with Emiro Garces.

 

Brazilian striker João Klauss joined from St. Louis and he is a proven goal-scorer up front. Erik Thommy also is a capable veteran in the attack.

When you add in Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec, the Galaxy have one of the best starting wing combinations in the league.

The Galaxy are good in the front and good in the back. The question becomes the middle of the field and in playmaking. What can they get on a regular basis from Marco Reus at age 36?

 

4) San Diego FC

 

Last season, San Diego FC enjoyed a fantastic inaugural season where they finished first in the Western Conference and advanced to the Western Conference final. We saw this before with St. Louis City, who then collapsed in their second season. San Diego shouldn’t suffer the same fate. They play better soccer under head coach Mikey Varas and, unlike St. Louis City in its first year, they are not overly reliant on a high-pressing system.

 

Early returns are promising as San Diego looked impressive in its first round win over Pumas in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The club will bring back just about everyone who was important to their success in 2025, including MLS runner-up Anders Dreyer. Plus the club will continue to introduce more young players such as Pedro Soma and Manu Duah who both look ready for bigger roles.

One wild card will be Lewis Morgan, who was great for the New York Red Bulls whenever he was healthy – which wasn’t often. If he is truly back, San Diego will have even more firepower.

The tricky spot for San Diego is how it handles Mexican international Chucky Lozano who is expensive, but not in the team’s plans ahead of the season due to a falling out last season.

 

5) Austin FC

 

Last season, Auston FC finished sixth in the West and made positive strides under new manager Nico Estevez but more should be expected in 2026.

Facundo Torres was signed from Palmeiras and he is a significant upgrade over former designated player Osman Bukari who was shipped to Poland. Torres, an Uruguayan international, has tremendous experience within the league as one of the best players ever for Orlando City.

From an American perspective, Owen Wolff is coming off a great season and was just two days too old for the 2025 U-20 World Cup or the coming Olympics. But he remains a very good prospect.

A wild card is what happens when Brandon Vazquez returns from his ACL surgery (which he suffered last July). He should be expected back by late spring if the normal timeline for that injury holds.

There are concerns about the team’s defense, but a playoff berth should be expected.

 

6) Seattle Sounders

 

The Seattle Sounders are almost always good and this year the should be good again. Most of the same group from 2025 will return. Brian Schmetzer knows what he is doing. And even in situations where they lost a key player (such as Obed Vargas to Atletico Madrid), a capable MLS veteran such as Hassani Dotson replaces him.

 

The concern for Seattle is age. Jordan Morris, Cristian Roldan, and Albert Rusnak are all past 30 years old.

 

7) Houston Dynamo

 

The Houston Dynamo had a disappointing 2025 season but should be improved in 2026 after making some positive upgrades. Former LAFC midfielder Mateusz Bogusz returns to the league after spending last season with Cruz Azul and he should complement USMNT hopeful Jack McGlynn well.

Houston also spent a lot of money on imports from South America. Guilherme, 30, arrives after scoring 14 goals from Santos. Lucas Halter arrives from Botafogo and he will boost the backline. Midfielder Agustín Bouzat captained Velez Sarsfield to a very successful title-winning season.

Then there is the return of Hector Herrera, who is now 35 but will still deliver in big moments.

The club meanwhile was able to get rid of players who mostly were declining in production from the very good 2024 season. Amine Bassi, Franco Escobar, Sebastian Kowalczyk, and Junior Urso have been unloaded.

The two losses which hurts is very promising youth international Brooklyn Raines, who went to play for his former U.S. U-20 coach in New England and fullback Griffin Dorsey.

With this much roster turnover, there is risk but Houston seems to have upgraded in key areas.

 

8) Colorado Rapids

 

The Rapids are always a tough team to predict as they often do not spend a lot of money and often gamble on “rescue” players from abroad. Now they enter the 2026 season with the same questions, this time under a new coach in former Tottenham assistant Matt Wells.

Most season preview pieces do not have Colorado this high, but Paxten Aaronson will begin his first full season with the Rapids, and he played quite well when he joined over the summer.

Part of what makes the Rapids tough to predict is several players on the roster had “career-best” seasons and it still wasn’t enough to get them into the post season. Rafael Navarro had 12 goals, Dante Sealy had 9 goals with Montreal last season, Darren Yapi had 8 goals.

These players can continue to produce but a lot will come down to Aaronson’s playmaking and Nigerian newcomer Hamzat Ojediran, a defensive midfielder who arrives from RC Lens in France. Their chemistry is important for Colorado but Wells has pathway to get Colorado to the postseason.

 

9) Portland Timbers

 

Phil Neville enters his third  year leading the Portland Timbers and while he has made the postseason in his first two years, it could be harder in 2026. The club has lost a lot of mainstays. Midfielder David Ayala was traded, goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau signed for Orlando. Midfielder Christhian Paredes returned home to Paraguay. Croatian defender Dario Zuparic is also gone.

In terms of arrivals, the reliable Cole Bassett joined from Colorado and he typically puts up good numbers. Fullback Brandon Bye also joined from New England.

But it seems like a lot needs to go right for Porland to be a threat in the West, but they have enough to scrape into the playoffs. Forward Kevin Kelsy needs to put up big numbers.

 

10) Real Salt Lake

 

Under head coach Pablo Mastroeni, Real Salt Lake has typically been a team that is predicted to be a bubble team for the playoffs at the start of the season. That is typically how it plays out and the final games every year see the team in a race for a final playoff spot. The big exception was a third-place finish in 2024.

This season is again probably going to be another close call. U.S international Diego Luna has a lot of pressure to perform to begin the season as he is trying to make the World Cup roster. The club also brought in wingback Juan Manuel Sanabria and he will also be looking to earn a spot for Uruguay’s World Cup roster.

French-born Guinea international Morgan Guilavogui arrived on a DP deal from Lens but his numbers there were lackluster. In 2024/25, he was on loan at St. Pauli where he helped keep the club in the Bundesliga. His best years were in France’s Ligue 2 with Paris FC. He is a bit of a gamble by RSL.

 

11)  Minnesota United

 

Minnesota United is typically a very difficult team to predict. Last season they overachieved with a fourth-place finish in the West. But since then, head coach Eric Ramsey left to take the job at West Bromwich Albion in England. But the team replaced Ramsey by promoting from within as assistant Cameron Knowles got the job.

Minnesota got a lot of attention by signing James Rodriguez as the Colombian legend seeks minutes ahead of the World Cup. It will be the 13th club of his career and his last two moves were unsuccessful. His contract with Rayo Vallecano was terminated by mutual consent in January 2025 after only four months. Rodriguez made just seven appearances for Rayo. Then he moved to Leon in Mexico only to see his contract not renewed in 2026. Minnesota is betting against recent history for Rodriguez to be a contributor.

Minnesota lost a lot of dependable pieces in Hassani Dotson and Robin Lod, who know the league very well. The club is also hoping that Drake Calendar can replace Dayne St. Clair, who was the MLS goalkeeper of the year in 2025.

Maybe Minnesota gets it all right for 2026 and repeats the success of 2025. But it is easy to see it going south too.

 

12) San Jose Earthquakes

 

The addition of Timo Werner is exciting for San Jose, but after that, it is highly questionable whether the team made enough improvements to improve upon its 10th place finish in 2025.

The club lost midfielder Cristian Espinoza to free agency. Josef Martinez left for Club Tijuana after scoring 14 goals for the Quakes last season. Cristian Arango is back in Colombia after a 2025 season where he was one of the team’s best offensive weapons.

Bruce Arena is a good manager with a lot of success, but this team isn’t as talented as last year – even with Werner. It’s never smart to bet against Arena, but he probably needs some big midseason upgrades.

 

13) FC Dallas

 

FC Dallas overachieved in 2025 by making the playoffs. That is because the club has one of the league’s top center forwards in Petar Musa, who might make Croatia’s World Cup team this summer.

This club will be mostly the same as last year with goalkeeper Maarten Paes being the most significant departure as he was sold to Ajax. But none of the incomers are lock starters at the beginning of the season. Herman Johansson just won the Swedish Allsvenskan title with Mjallby. Attacking midfielder Joaquin Valiente recently played for Defensor SC in Uruguay.

FC Dallas can only replicate last season’s success if Musa surpasses his 2025 output levels.

 

14)  St. Louis CITY SC

 

St. Louis City cleaned house in the offseason after a second straight bad year in 2025. Now they have a new head coach in Yoann Damet and sporting director in Corey Wray. They also traded away the club’s leading scorer in Joao Klauss.

The main incomers all have MLS experience. Daniel Edelman joins from the New York Red Bulls where he was a dependable defensive midfielder. Mamadou Mbacke Fall returns to the league from Barcelona, which he joined from NYCFC. Rafael Santos was a free agent signing and he will take over the left back job. The only arrival with no MLS experience is Dante Polvara as the former Georgetown Hoya recently played for Aberdeen in Scotland.

St. Louis made some smart moves in the offseason, but a lot needs to go right in order to return to the playoffs.

 

15)  Sporting Kansas City

 

Last season, Sporting Kansas City finished last in the West. But the team’s problems were deep and plentiful. Now it is about climbing out of the hole. Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes.

The club brought in Rapha Wicky as the new head coach and unloaded a lot of players to clean out the roster. While a few MLS veterans were brought in to help stabilize things a bit, it seems as if the club is still trying to clean house before taking significant steps to build.

It could be another tough season for SKC but one that ultimately gives them a clean slate for the future. If they do that, it could be a positive step forward in the big picture. Rebuilds are never fun.

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