2024 MLS team previews: What has your club been up to? - ESPN

Let's spare a thought for the Columbus Crew. Wilfried Nancy's team was the wildly popular winner of the 2023 MLS Cup, but despite that goodwill, Major League Soccer's original franchise spent precious little time in the spotlight.

Barely a month after the Crew had bested LAFC to win their third league title, focus turned toward 2024 when Inter Miami CF began its preseason world tour with a trip to El Salvador on Jan. 19. Ever since, the talk has been about Lionel Messi's first full season in the league and whether he and the Herons' star-studded-but-aging squad can manage the demands of MLS' grueling travel schedule.

So, ESPN decided to extend those what-if thoughts to all 29 clubs in 2024: What should they expect from this campaign?

Grab yourself a beverage and a snack and settle in as Ryan O'Hanlon, Jeff Carlisle, Kyle Bonagura, Cesar Hernandez, Arch Bell, Jon Arnold and Megan Swanick give us the lowdown on all 29 MLS teams ahead of the new season.

What it's been up to: Rather than a major overhaul, Atlanta United has worked on strengthening some key areas of weakness. Those efforts have been focused at the back, where goalkeeper Josh Cohen and defensive midfielder Bartosz Slisz are the headline signings. Last season saw the Five Stripes step forward, but now they need to push on from a first-round playoff elimination at the hands of eventual champions, the Columbus Crew.

Will these moves be enough to get Atlanta back to the heights of its MLS Cup triumph in 2018?

ESPN BET odds to win MLS Cup: +1200

Biggest offseason move: While Slisz is the more exciting name, the arrival of center back Stian Gregersen from Bordeaux might be more critical for Atlanta. Gregersen steps into the void left by Miles Robinson, the U.S.