ESSENTIAL FACTS
Last year in a sentence: Returning legend Oscar Pareja steered FCD back to the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
Offseason in a sentence: Dan Kennedy arrived to end any debate in goal, but the framework of the team remained largely in place for another run toward the postseason.
(as of February 24)
Incoming: Michael Barrios (Uniautónoma/Colombia), Kyle Bekker (Toronto FC), Otis Earle (UC Riverside/SuperDraft), Atiba Harris (San Jose Earthquakes), Dan Kennedy (Chivas USA), Alex Zendejas (Homegrown)
Outgoing: Jair Benitez (Águilas Pereira/Colombia), Walter Cabrera (loan return to General Diaz/Paraguay), Andres Escobar (loan return to Dynamo Kiev/Ukraine), Raul Fernández (Universitario de Deportes/Peru), George John (New York City FC), Peter Luccin (option declined), Adam Moffat (New York Cosmos), Brian Span (waived), Hendry Thomas (option declined), Jonathan Top (option declined), Nick Walker (option declined), Je-Vaughn Watson (unattached)
Influential schemer Mauro Diaz looms as the potential difference between a good year and a great one.
FUNDAMENTALS
Key player: Everything revolves around the fitness and the health of Mauro Diaz. FCD presents a pesky, persistent threat without the Argentine schemer. The dynamic changes with Diaz in the starting XI. If he can stay on the field and recreate the form he showed at the start of last season, then this plucky group transforms into a side capable of picking apart the opposition and troubling the top teams in the league.
Philosophy: Pareja preaches the need for possession in his 4-2-3-1 setup, but he also provides ample license to streamline matters to make the best use of the searing pace of Fabian Castillo on the left and the relentless target work of Blas Perez up top. Keep an eye out for the occasional switch to 4-4-2 to accommodate Rookie of the Year Tesho Akindele, too.
Strengths: This group carries a firm belief in its quality and a willingness to fight and scrap to bring it to bear. Diaz is the shining diamond, a player capable of changing games with his intelligence and his vision. If he isn't firing, then FCD boasts the latitude to play more directly toward Perez or rely on Castillo on the counter. Castillo finally turned potential into production last season and spent much of the season tormenting opposing fullbacks. The defense -- led by recent U.S. callup and Best XI candidate Matt Hedges and the quietly effective Zach Loyd -- makes life difficult for the opposition. Kennedy remains a reliable shotstopper in goal. Depth is a particular strength up front with Perez, Akindele and David Texeira all in the fold.
Weaknesses: All of the focus on the wide areas obscures the persistent questions in central midfield. Michel delivers a potent set piece, but his lack of mobility creates shape issues. Kellyn Acosta and Victor Ulloa loom as viable options without offering a guarantee of success in that department. The fullback areas prompt some concern with the lack of choices leaving Pareja to experiment with Atiba Harris at right back. Depth remains an issue in defense and behind Diaz, while the discipline issues occasionally leave FCD with more work than expected in any given match.
Fabian Castillo signed a new contract after submitting his best MLS campaign last year.
KEY QUESTIONS
* Can Diaz sparkle consistently? Opposing teams understand the need to limit his touches and restrict his influence on the game. His ability to muddle through the seemingly endless string of challenges heading his way will dictate whether FCD can aspire to more fluidity in possession.
* Is Castillo ready for his encore? FCD spent good money to bring the promising Colombian winger to the league four years ago and watched him develop in fits and starts. Castillo finally assembled the complete package -- the right amount of endeavor combined with more precision in the final third -- last year and carved open teams with regularity last year. He received a five-year contract extension during the offseason as a reward for his fine campaign. The 22-year-old winger must continue to push onwards to ensure his continued growth and justify the expense.
* Will the defense finally rest? Pareja cobbled together his back four more frequently than preferred last year. Hedges anchored the efforts with his assured work in central defense, while Loyd plugged gaps admirably with his consistent, understated performances. Those two stalwarts form the bedrock of this group, but they need some help from the fullback departments to add the extra bit of defiance required to catapult this group into the top tier. The protracted negotiations surrounding the versatile Je-Vaughn Watson and the prudent course taken by Loyd after a calf injury further complicate matters.
Best-case scenario: Pareja continues to weave his magic and watches his team respond in kind. Diaz excels in the center of the park and strings everything together for his buzzing teammates. The corresponding uptick going forward is matched by a consistent and settled defense. FCD pushes the expected favorites all the way during a deep postseason run.
Worst-case scenario: Most of the positive strides made last year turn sideways. Diaz spends too much time on the treatment table. The holding players find themselves overwhelmed. Perez starts to show his age. The defense cracks with the fullback areas exploited by adventurous opposition. The expected step forward transforms into a dogged fight to keep the season alive in October.
