Eighteen football stadiums have lain dormant for long enough.

We begin the march towards Season Eighteen of the United States’ and Canada’s top division, Major League Soccer!

We here at MajorLeagueSoccerTalk.com cannot wait for the commencement of the next chapter of this great league. We want to bring forth a quality prologue to the drama and action that dictate the 19 teams’ chances at hoisting MLS Cup 2013. Will the Los Angeles Galaxy repeat as MLS Cup Champions? Will San Jose be able to live up to the increased expectations from their superb 2012 run? Will the New York Red Bulls and new Head Coach Mike Petke finally find the right formula for the ultimate success? Or can Peter Vermes overcome some key departures to get Sporting Kansas City back to the top? We can’t wait for Sporting to square off with the Philadelphia Union on the afternoon of March 2, opening play for 2013.  Until that moment, we will preview what is to come.

In years past, our previews have been primarily team-by-team profiles. If you want that kind of analysis, our podcast will take that approach in breaking down every club, from Chicago to Vancouver. While we do find value in breaking down roster moves, tactical tendencies, and season outlooks for each organization, sometimes it can be good to break out of a rut and give something new a shot.

So this year, our Preview articles will be based on broader topics. We feel there are a number of items to discuss that allow us to branch beyond individual squads. From a bevy of new coaches taking control of teams, to the constraints of the current salary structure in MLS, we feel this provides an opportunity to bring out more of the nuances in the league. It also gives us a chance to preview other competitions – NASL as well as the Centennial edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Of course, we will conclude this approach to March 2 with our usual comic relief, the always beloved staff Predictions. We’d like to say that we were on top of the Earthquakes’ Supporters Shield surprise, but it’s tough to find anyone on the web who had that shocker picked.

And if you have a topic you’d like us to devour, feel free to comment below. While we feel we’ve planned out a bunch of excellent concepts, we want to respond to our readers’ cravings. Drop us a line and we’ll try to make it happen.

So look out tomorrow for our first post, and then expect more form the usual cast of characters. The new season is almost here, and we’re ready for some football!