Soccer <\/p>\n
There are 30 teams in MLS. Wow, Joe, thanks for that groundbreaking fact drop right off the top.<\/em> Hold on, you didn\u2019t let me finish. There are 30 teams in MLS and\u2026 12 of them have brand-new coaches heading into the 2025 season. Yes, 12! That\u2019s 40 percent!<\/p>\n Sure, some of those new coaches are familiar faces in new places. Still, there\u2019s been no shortage of managerial turnover in the last few months. Ahead of Matchday 1 this weekend, let\u2019s analyze the dozen coaches to learn more about their backgrounds, tactical approach and more.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what to expect from the new crop.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n New faces in new places. ???? pic.twitter.com\/X2mKZPGotB<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) January 14, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n He\u2019s back, folks.<\/p>\n Having already led a team to an MLS Cup title (New York City FC<\/a> in 2021), Deila returns to MLS after coaching Standard Liege and Club Brugge in Belgium and taking a quick pit stop in the UAE.<\/p>\n The 49-year-old Norwegian doesn\u2019t tend to reinvent tactical wheels. He spent a bunch of time playing in a fairly standard 4-2-3-1 with NYCFC and could very well end up using that same shape with Atlanta in 2025, though some variation of a back three could be on the table when needed.<\/p>\n Deila\u2019s Atlanta<\/a> team will value the ball \u2013 his NYCFC team finished fifth in MLS in possession during his lone full, non-COVID season at the club. Expect to see more effective and energetic pressing, too, than what was visible under Gonzalo Pineda.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n After years of getting to know Josh Wolff\u2019s style, Est\u00e9vez’s approach won\u2019t look drastically different from the last couple of seasons under Wolff.<\/p>\n Est\u00e9vez, like Wolff, is a former assistant under Gregg Berhalter and happy to play with the ball in a 4-3-3 shape. He\u2019s not afraid to build out from the back and isn\u2019t a stranger to short, controlled passes in midfield. However, the former FC Dallas<\/a> manager won\u2019t prioritize playing through pressure at all costs. Austin will play their fair share of direct passes over a defensive line and into their attackers.<\/p>\n Defensively, we\u2019ll see some high pressing from Austin FC<\/a>. A steady mid-block will likely be more of a go-to, judging by Est\u00e9vez’s Dallas teams.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Berhalter\u2019s Columbus Crew<\/a> teams of old took pains to build from the back with super detailed patterns, used the ball at nearly all costs, and did a lot of mid-block defending. By the end of his time with the US men\u2019s national team<\/a>, those buildup patterns were basically abandoned, direct passing was more en vogue, and pressing was on the menu.<\/p>\n So, which version of Berhalter will we see in Chicago?<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I look at the Columbus team and the national team, I really think it\u2019s in the middle of both of them,\u201d Berhalter said at his introductory presser<\/a> in Chicago.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Don\u2019t be surprised to see lots of possession from the Fire, but don\u2019t expect them to build like the Crew, either.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Once the manager of FC Dallas\u2019 MLS NEXT Pro team, Quill is back in Texas after a stint as an assistant for the Columbus Crew and as the head coach for New Mexico United in the USL Championship.<\/p>\n Notably, Quill isn\u2019t the only former New Mexico manager serving as a head coach in MLS: D.C. United<\/a>\u2019s Troy Lesesne fits that bill, too. Quill, 46, will use a more patient approach than the hyper-aggressive and direct style Lesesne has adopted in the nation\u2019s capital. His FC Dallas team won\u2019t be afraid of the ball and should use the same 4-2-3-1 base formation that served as Quill\u2019s go-to in the USL.<\/p>\n Much of FC Dallas\u2019 game plan in 2025, though, will revolve around Lucho Acosta<\/a>. The ball will spend a ton<\/em> of time at his feet, and Dallas won\u2019t spend much time pressing.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Though he\u2019s never coached at the club level, Mascherano is stepping into a big role as Inter Miami<\/a>\u2019s manager \u2013 and Tata Martino\u2019s successor.<\/p>\n The former Argentine youth national team manager, who played with Lionel Messi<\/a>, Luis Su\u00e1rez<\/a>, Sergio Busquets<\/a> and Jordi Alba<\/a> at FC Barcelona, won\u2019t make sweeping tactical changes. Miami will be a ball-oriented team without many detailed attacking rotations beyond the right-sided ones designed to flow around Messi. Defensively, Mascherano won\u2019t put pressure on his star attackers to defend high up the field. Instead, Inter Miami will rely on a mid-block.<\/p>\n More than adjusting the tactics, Mascherano\u2019s biggest task will be rotating the lineup and managing the locker room across various competitions in 2025.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The replacement for Nick Cushing, Jansen came through the Netherlands\u2019 managerial ranks. He coached AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie, taking over for current Liverpool manager Arne Slot, and led Hungarian powerhouse Ferencvaros before signing on with New York City FC.<\/p>\n Like most coaches hired by City Football Group, Jansen will use the ball and apply defensive pressure. A 4-2-3-1 looks to be the go-to shape, too.<\/p>\n The 51-year-old\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9 stacks up quite well to his peers in MLS, with only a handful of other managers having coached bigger European clubs than Jansen. His lack of professional playing experience is also intriguing \u2013 a knee injury ended his playing career at 17, adjusting his focus to coaching. Reaching this level as a manager without the benefits of playing at a high level speaks to Jansen\u2019s quality.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Philadelphia Union<\/a> general manager Ernst Tanner wants his team to press. That\u2019s part of why Jim Curtin was let go over the offseason. That\u2019s also part of why Carnell has arrived to take his place.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we commit to getting back to our identity as a team\u2026 his approach emphasizes a high-press style of play,\u201d Tanner said<\/a> of Carnell.<\/p>\n The former St. Louis CITY<\/a> manager helped turn the recent expansion team into one of the league\u2019s most aggressive pressing outfits. There\u2019s every reason to expect Carnell to help steward Tanners\u2019 tactical vision for the Union and transform them into the highest-pressing team in the Eastern Conference, either out of a 4-2-2-2 or a 4-4-2 diamond.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cWe want to avoid duels at all costs,\u201d San Diego FC<\/a> sporting director Tyler Heaps told Backheeled<\/a> about the expansion team\u2019s style of play. \u201cSo that’s where you won’t see us play long out of a goal kick because that’s a 50\/50 ball.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe’ll be very brave and we want players that can play football,\u201d Heaps added. \u201cThe athleticism and all that is still important to us because that is modern day, but we need players that have the capacity to be able to play in tight spaces, to be able to think and read the game.\u201d<\/p>\n Varas, though untested as the manager of a professional club, has been given a clear tactical mandate by San Diego\u2019s front office: dominate the ball. Given SDFC\u2019s focus on youth, it\u2019s no surprise to see plenty of youth development experience on the 42-year-old former USMNT interim\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9. He worked in the Sacramento Republic academy and at FC Dallas before leading the US men\u2019s U-20 national team.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n A five-time MLS Cup winner, the former D.C. United, New York Red Bulls<\/a>, LA Galaxy<\/a> and New England Revolution<\/a> manager is back in MLS.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Arena won\u2019t drill overly detailed possession principles into his San Jose<\/a> team, nor will he demand constant high pressing. Instead, he\u2019ll evaluate the roster, find the best spots for his players, put those players in those positions, and empower them to make only loosely scripted decisions while on the field. In that way, Arena sets a solid foundation and floor for his teams.<\/p>\n In terms of formation, Arena has spent tons of time in a 4-2-3-1, but we\u2019ve also seen a 3-4-1-2 from the Quakes in preseason.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Perhaps best known for playing for Aston Villa, Juventus and the Swedish national team more than coaching in Sweden and Denmark, Mellberg arrives as the second non-interim manager in St. Louis CITY history.<\/p>\n The 47-year-old outperformed expectations while leading Brommapojkarna in Sweden, helping them enjoy their first three consecutive years in the top flight for the first time in club history.<\/p>\n Tactically, it seems safe to expect a back three from Mellberg in St. Louis \u2013 a 3-4-3 seems the most likely, with some vertical passing and compact defending making regular appearances.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n In Toronto<\/a>, this time as a head coach, Fraser returns to Canada with a sizable rebuild on his hands thanks to a roster that\u2019s in flux. The good news? The former Colorado Rapids<\/a> manager knows the club, brings a wealth of experience, and has the tools to reestablish a strong cultural foundation for TFC.<\/p>\n Tactically, Fraser hasn\u2019t been totally set on his principles as a head coach in MLS. His teams tend to hit more patient passes than searingly direct ones, but he doesn\u2019t demand short passes and in-depth possession rotations. We won\u2019t see wildly intense pressing, either. A fairly pragmatic approach seems like the safest bet for Fraser\u2019s version of Toronto FC, at least until the squad begins to turn over.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n A 51-year-old Danish manager, S\u00f8rensen arrives in Vancouver<\/a> as the replacement for Vanni Sartini.<\/p>\n S\u00f8rensen had coached in his native Denmark for years, spending most of his time at the club level but also enjoying a period in charge of Denmark\u2019s U-21 men\u2019s national team. Most recently, he led Brondby in the Danish Superliga.<\/p>\n After taking charge of the Whitecaps, S\u00f8rensen hasn\u2019t been shy about establishing the basics of his tactical approach.<\/p>\n\n
Ronny Deila<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Nico Est\u00e9vez<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Gregg Berhalter<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Eric Quill<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Javier Mascherano<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Pascal Jansen<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Bradley Carnell<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Mikey Varas<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Bruce Arena<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Olof Mellberg<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Robin Fraser<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Jesper S\u00f8rensen<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n