MLS's landmark 25th season kicks off this Saturday, when D.C. United hosts the Colorado Rapids. The two originals may be starting things, but the focus will quickly shift to the new teams on the block, Nashville SC and Inter Miami. Both have had their share of off-field woes, both have some intriguing pieces that they'll put on the field and both don't have far to look back for blueprints on how expansion clubs can either thrive or struggle in Year 1.
LAFC and Atlanta United are the recent models for success, while FC Cincinnati and Minnesota United endured some dubious-record-setting woes as they got off the ground, and that's the scale on which the two new clubs will be judged.