MLS returns this weekend less than four months on from one of the most exciting MLS Cup finals in league history.
Plenty has changed since Los Angeles FC beat the Philadelphia Union on penalties in early November.
Gareth Bale, who scored the dramatic LAFC leveller in a 3-3 draw, has retired, the Seattle Sounders made an underwhelming MLS bow in the Club World Cup, and Josef Martinez has left Atlanta United.
That is even before considering the arrival of expansion side St Louis City for the new season.
Those factors all contribute to Stats Perform's preview of the most interesting MLS teams to watch this year.
Inter Miami
There were finally signs of progress from Miami last year as they finished sixth in the East, only to be routed by New York City FC in the first round of the playoffs.
That was Gonzalo Higuain's final match before retiring, but the club looked to have already recruited his replacement in Leonardo Campana, who averaged a goal every 145 minutes in his debut season.
Miami have not settled for that solution, however, instead trading for Martinez from Atlanta.
While Martinez was the Golden Boot winner, MVP, All-Star MVP and MLS Cup MVP in the same season back in 2018, more recent campaigns have been slightly tougher.
Quite how Miami fit Campana and Martinez together remains to be seen, but they will hope to be a real force – at least in attack – in 2023.
Atlanta United
With Martinez gone, Atlanta no longer resemble anything close to the team who dominated in 2018, yet that does not mean they could not also be in for a big year.
Giorgos Giakoumakis has been signed to supply the goals up front, having led the Eredivisie and the Scottish Premiership in scoring in his past two seasons.
Giakoumakis should get plenty of opportunities to hit the ground running, with Atlanta ranking fifth in expected goals last season (57.5) but no team underperforming their xG by a wider margin (9.5).
Atlanta, like Miami, may have issues elsewhere on the pitch, but there will be understandable optimism about the prospect of the new forward linking up with Thiago Almada.
Almada was the Newcomer of the Year in 2022 and ended the year by winning the World Cup with Argentina.
Los Angeles FC
The last season could scarcely have gone better for LAFC, who pipped the Union to the Supporters' Shield and again to MLS Cup.
But as Philly no doubt prepare to fight back in 2023, this could be a trickier year for the reigning champions.
Far more damaging than Bale's exit was the sale of top scorer Cristian Arango, who could now be an opponent in the CONCACAF Champions League with Pachuca.
LAFC are on a collision course with the Union again in that competition, but last year's hard-luck story might prefer to focus on ending their wait for an MLS Cup title.
If LAFC do go all out for Champions League glory, they will risk derailing their league campaign – as has happened so many times in the past.
Seattle Sounders
No team can provide a better example for LAFC than the Sounders – both in how to do it and how not to do it.
Seattle won the CCL last year, completing their trophy cabinet, but it came at the cost of an awful MLS season.
So consistent in reaching the playoffs in each of their first 13 years in MLS, the Sounders fell well short in 2022, hurt by Joao Paulo's ACL tear in the second leg of the Champions League final.
The midfielder returned in the Club World Cup earlier this month, but Seattle fell at the first hurdle against Al Ahly.
Joao Paulo rejoins a highly talented squad, yet the wonder will be if largely the same group can run it back after following four MLS Cup final appearances in five seasons with two down years.
St Louis City
St Louis arrive in MLS in 2023 with a squad that looks every bit as short as one might expect from an expansion franchise reluctant to spend big.
Led by sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel, St Louis have shopped the German market with some fairly underwhelming results.
Neither of their two Designated Player signings, forward Klauss and midfielder Eduard Lowen, look especially likely to tear up the league, while their biggest name recruit is former Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki.
That perhaps hints at a realistic approach, knowing a top-class keeper is required to stay competitive in their debut season, but Burki was hardly that by the end of his team at BVB.
He lost his place in the team in the 2020-21 season, having had the third-lowest save percentage in the Bundesliga (59.2) the previous year among goalkeepers with 10 or more appearances.
President of Brazilian FA confirms Ancelotti interest
The president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has confirmed an interest in appointing Carlo Ancelotti as the next head coach of the national side.
Brazil are yet to name a permanent successor to Tite, who left following a quarter-final exit at the World Cup in Qatar, with the role likely to be filled at the end of the season.
Ancelotti remains contracted with Real Madrid until the completion of the 2023-24 season, but the Italian has been heavily touted to take the reins of the South American giants, with players among those talking up the possibility.
Ednaldo Rodrigues admitted he was the favourite among supporters and players, while acknowledging he was the confederation's main target.
"Ancelotti is unanimously respected among players. Not only Ronaldo Nazario or Vinicius Jr but all those that have played for him," he told Reuters.
"I really admire him for his honesty in the way he works and how constant his work is. He needs no introductions. He is really a top coach who he has several achievements, and we hope he can have even more.
"Ancelotti is not only the players' favourite, but it seems the fans' too. Everywhere I go in Brazil, in every stadium, he is the first name the supporters ask me about.
"They talk about him in a very affectionate way, in recognition of the exemplary work he has done in his career.
"Let's have faith in God, wait for the appropriate time and we'll see if we can make it happen as we look for the new coach of the Brazilian national team."
However, despite the abundance of praise and appeal of hiring Ancelotti, Rodrigues made it clear no formal approach has taken place and called for patience in the hunt for a new boss.
"We will be very ethical in our approach and respect the contracts that are in place. We also greatly respect the work that is done by any coach and his club to get there and make any kind of approach, it would be a lack of respect for the president of the clubs in question," he added.
"Therefore, we have the patience to wait for the right moment so that we can hold these conversations.
"Nothing is really defined yet to say the name [of the next coach] for sure, but it's within this line, you understand? We need a coach who has the players' respect and admiration."
Bayern 'really couldn't help' Nagelsmann leak, will 'let Tuchel be Tuchel'
Bayern Munich are adamant they were not at fault as Thomas Tuchel's appointment was reported before previous head coach Julian Nagelsmann had been sacked.
Nagelsmann was said to have learned of his departure through the media while skiing in Austria this week.
The news first broke on Thursday but was not made official for another 24 hours, by which point Tuchel had formally agreed to take the Bayern job.
However, Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic appeared on SPORT1's STAHLWERK Doppelpass on Sunday and defended the club's position.
"We met [with Tuchel] on Tuesday, had a very good conversation," Salihamidzic said. "And on Wednesday and Thursday, we negotiated with Thomas' managers.
"On Thursday evening, we learned that the information had been leaked by a third party. We really couldn't help it.
"I don't know who that was [behind the leak] – certainly from the other side. We behaved fairly. As fair as you can be in this business.
"The first person we called on Thursday was Julian Nagelsmann. You don't share such a decision on the phone. That's why we met the next day at Sabener Strasse. We waited until there was a commitment from Thomas Tuchel."
Indeed, although the leak looked "bad", the Bayern chief explained why it was not possible to dismiss Nagelsmann before putting a deal in place with Tuchel.
"It came out before Thomas Tuchel agreed, so I wouldn't have been able to call Julian yet," Salihamidzic said.
"I couldn't have told him, 'we're talking to Thomas now, but if he doesn't want to, you'll go ahead'.
"Of course, it's bad that this comes out beforehand, but that's not our fault."
Now, Bayern are looking forward to a future with Tuchel, even if he has had strained relationships with bosses at Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
Disputes have often centred around transfer business, but the Bundesliga champions are ready to back Tuchel.
"With Julian Nagelsmann, we entered the transfer market together and discussed everything. We will do the same with Thomas Tuchel," Salihamidzic said.
"The coach's ideas are important, he has to transfer them to the team. We have let Julian be Julian and will also let Thomas Tuchel be Thomas Tuchel."
Man City and England star Foden undergoes appendix surgery
Manchester City attacker Phil Foden has undergone surgery to remove his appendix.
England confirmed the news on Sunday, ruling Foden out of the Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine.
City subsequently announced that Foden would definitely miss next Saturday's crucial Premier League clash with Liverpool.
Foden, who came on as a substitute in England's win over Italy on Thursday but lasted only 12 minutes, had been suffering from acute appendicitis.
No firm timescale has been given for the 22-year-old's return, though the UK National Health Service (NHS) guidance recommends at least a two-week recovery period.
Foden has scored 13 goals and provided five assists in 36 appearances for City this season.
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