Minutes from the Committee Meeting
February 20, 2026 — Committee Meeting # 28
MLS IS BACK! SPECIAL EDITION! LET’S GOOOO!
Agenda Items 📋:
- This Saturday, MLS will kick-off a season arguably as big as any since its inception in 1996. Some have asked, however, where has the promotion been?
- A series of articles in various media trades this week have expounded upon big World Cup marketing plans, with a focus on local activations from clubs and a more general audience focused on commercial spots from the League itself. But those plans seem to be all about after the World Cup.
- To make this season even more unique is that it’s the last (ever?) summer-centered MLS calendar in MLS history, as 2027 will start the transition to the European August to May schedule.
- In the meantime, MLS will enjoy arguably its strongest alignment of starpower and featured clubs, with Messi, Son, and Thomas Muller starring on-and-off the pitch, and LAFC and Inter Miami boasting favorite status for the season.
- Weekend one, our interest will be more focused on the new coaches and systems. St. Louis, Colorado, Atlanta, New York Red Bulls, Columbus, Sporting KC, LAFC, and New England Revolution amazingly ALL feature new coaches, and all but LAFC (and maybe Columbus) will come with a revamp of the club’s style and system.
- OK, one more thing to watch this weekend. How many teams are moving to two strikers up top this year, or none at all?
- Well, we do have a quick MLS hiatus, because we’ve got a USWNT roster! SheBelieves Cup starts March 1st against Argentina, as the U.S. will attempt to win their eighth title:
- The generational shift is continuing for the USWNT. The average age of the team is 24.4. Only 13 players return to the team from last year’s iteration.
- Trinity Rodman remains the only “Triple Espresso” member on the squad, and others like Cat Macario are fighting knocks.
- The Alyssa Thompson glow-up will be a focal point, as the Chelsea star seems determined to fight her way into a World Cup starring role.
A Random Preseason MLS Prediction:
MLS Supporter Shield Winner:
5. Nashville SC
4. San Diego FC
3. Seattle Sounders
2. Inter Miami
1. LAFC
For more MLS preseason coverage, you can enjoy Soccerwise’s MLS club-by-club previews on any podcast platform, or check out a shorter version with our MLS Minute season previews of every MLS club!
Here’s our New York Red Bulls part one:
Matches to Watch:
For some of us it will be “all of them,” but for you healthy, functioning adults…congratulations! Here are our recommendations.
Featured: LAFC vs. Inter Miami, MLS (February 21st, 9:30 PM ET, AppleTV): Not only is this 2026’s headline match, this may be the biggest regular season match in MLS history (when not considering standing implications). Inter Miami have built a superclub considered the best on paper in MLS history, and honestly LAFC would be the favorite almost every other year in MLS history. On top of that, its Son vs. Messi. We might be soccer hipsters here, but yes of course this is the match to watch this weekend.
Second: FC Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami, MLS (February 21st, 4:45 PM ET, AppleTV): Two of MLS’s most popular franchises, at very different ends of the spectrum. Atlanta United’s prodigal (63-year-old) son Tata Martino has returned, hoping to lead back to glory the franchise that has slipped to the bottom of the table since his departure. On the other side, FC Cincinnati just missed out on the Supporter’s Shield in 2026 but it still felt like a failure. It’s a trophy or bust for Cinci’s star studded squad.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Sporting KC, MLS (February 21st, 10:30 PM ET, AppleTV): Look, you got your Inter Miami rec, but we’ve got some super sicko credentials we have to keep up…and we love mess. Sporting KC does seem to have forgotten the season starts this weekend and has approximately nine senior roster players contracted. Meanwhile, Timo Werner doesn’t seem ready so San Jose will put nearly all of their attacking hopes on a young American playmaker…
Players to Watch:
Niko Tsakiris, SJ Earthquakes: Who we adore. A standout with the US U20’s, the homegrown Tsakiris got a new deal this week (a fancy U22 Initiative deal!) and we expect him to light up your weekly highlight reel.
German Bertarame, Inter Miami: If the star attacker from Liga MX can do what he did there, here, then yeah Inter Miami probably will be MLS’s first true Super Club.
Cristian Espinoza, Nashville SC: Perhaps the biggest signing ever since MLS implemented Free Agency, the former ‘Quakes attacker immediately puts Nashville into trophy consideration.
Susannah “Cup Should Always Be” Fuller’s Cocktail Recipe of the Week:
To celebrate the launch of Kickback Committee’s new show “Open Mic,” Sooz wants to honor her nights out in Brooklyn at the local honkey tonk with her first guest, Charlotte Wilder of “The Sports Gossip,” with a Loaded Tecate!
1. Open a cold can of Tecate and take a small sip.
2. Add a squeeze of fresh lime into the can.
3. Add 2-4 dashes of hot sauce (to taste).
4. Add a pinch of salt or Tajín to the top.
5. Cover with your thumb, swirl gently to mix, and enjoy
Please enjoy while enjoying Open Mic with Susannah Fuller!
Action Items, Kickback:
Soccerwise: It’s Soccerwise pre-season time! We’ve got daily releases of in-depth previews of every MLS club, as well as our famed Golden Boot draft! It’s Soccerwise szn, dive in!
Kickback Committee: Kickback Committee Open Mic debuted this week, featuring Susannah Fuller in conversation with “The Sports Gossip’s” Charlotte Wilder!
First Touch: Make sure to subscribe and listen to the first ever World Cup 2026 dedicated show, First Touch! Inspired by podcasts with premium, rich storytelling like The Daily and Planet Money, this is Kickback Soccer Media’s most unique offering yet.