MLS Week 1 preview and fixtures: Timbers vs. Minnesota opens a great week of games

Check out our big MLS season preview here!

Week 1 of the MLS season has finally arrived. You can expect goals in the season opener, where two teams that have very good attackers and questionable defenses face off. Things get a bit more organized after that — we think.

Here’s everything you need to know about the first week of the season, what to watch for and how to watch it.

Portland Timbers vs. Minnesota United FC — Friday 9:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1
LA Galaxy vs. FC Dallas — Saturday, 4 p.m., Univision Deportes
Orlando City vs. New York City FC — Sunday, 5 p.m., ESPN
Atlanta United vs. New York Red Bulls — Sunday, 7 p.m., Fox Sports 1

This is a nice selection for the first week, though the league could have been a bit nicer to Minnesota for their debut. If the Loons avoid a thrashing in their first match, that’ll be a moral victory. Atlanta’s home opener against a very good Red Bulls team is the one game you’ve got to catch, if you only have time for one of them.

1. Real Salt Lake vs. Toronto FC — Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
2. Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Philadelphia Union — Sunday, 9:30 p.m.
3. D.C. United vs. Sporting Kansas City — Saturday, 7 p.m.
4. Houston Dynamo vs. Seattle Sounders — Saturday, 8:30 p.m.
5. Columbus Crew SC vs. Chicago Fire — Saturday, 2 p.m.
6. Colorado Rapids vs. New England Revolution — Saturday, 6 p.m.
7. San Jose Earthquakes vs. Montreal Impact — Saturday, 10 p.m.

If you’re new to MLS, all non-national TV, out of market games can be seen online at MLS Live. It costs $80 for the whole season and features archives, highlights, and a really nice 10-minute extended highlights cut for all of the games. In-market and national TV games become available after 48 hours.

With that out of the way, RSL vs. TFC is the clear pick of the MLS Live games this week. Toronto might have the best squad in the league, while RSL has a lot of fun players and their fans generate great atmosphere. Fredy Montero’s first MLS game for Vancouver against a solid Philly team should be worth your time, while D.C. and Sporting KC are both expected to make the playoffs.

At the bottom of that list, the San Jose Earthquakes are in clear rebuilding mode, and their best player might be their goalkeeper. That doesn’t mean they’ll be unwatchable, but their game feels like the least likely to be good.

Real Salt Lake has been a bit disappointing over the last two seasons, so year three is probably make-or-break for head coach Jeff Cassar. SB Nation’s RSL blogger Matt Montgomery is even predicting that Cassar will be fired midseason.

Cassar will be feeling the internal pressure after his organization hired a potential replacement this summer. Mike Petke, the well-liked former New York Red Bulls head coach who was surprisingly let go from that job in 2015, is the new head coach of RSL’s USL affiliate Real Monarchs. Any debate about whether or not Cassar should be fired will not be met with replies of “but who would they replace him with?” That answer is very obvious.

It also looks like the right time for RSL to change directions completely, if they want to do so. Club legend Javier Morales left in the summer, while aging stars Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman won’t be all-star-level talents much longer. The young core of Justen Glad, Omar Holness, Albert Rusnak, Sebastian Saucedo, Danny Acosta and Jordan Allen is plenty to build around for the future.

But Cassar can quiet this speculation very quickly if RSL opens their season with a win over Toronto, an MLS Cup finalist and Supporters’ Shield favorite.

There were plenty of factors in Portland going from from MLS Cup champions to failing to make the playoffs, but one of the biggest was a dropoff in production from Darlington Nagbe. The American midfielder was one of the league’s best players in 2015, but struggled to make a big impact throughout much of 2016.

Part of this was that Nagbe did his best work in the center two years ago, but was asked to go back to playing more on the wing last year. But like it or not, Nagbe will have to learn how to have as big of an influence as possible from a wide starting position. The Timbers’ acquisition of Costa Rican central midfielder David Guzmán suggests that the wing is where Caleb Porter is going to use Nagbe this year, and it’s where Bruce Arena gave him a USMNT start this winter as well.

But Nagbe was very good in that start against Serbia while playing on the right wing — perhaps the only USMNT attacker that did anything positive at all. Nagbe was also one of the league’s best players in 2013, which he spent almost entirely on the wing.

There’s no reason to believe Nagbe can’t be a key player for Portland out wide, just like he was in the center. He just needs to show it.

Check out Minnesota United blogger Nate Siems’ preview of the Loons’ first season in MLS before they play in the season opener against Portland. He sees Minnesota’s attacking front four producing, but has questions about his team’s defense.