Predicted order of finish, last season's record, and more.
Note: Top 7 teams make the playoffs, with the top regular-season record getting a first-round bye.
1) Puerto Rico Islanders
(First place regular season, 15-6-9, 54 points) With a goal differential of 43-23, the Islanders had the highest-scoring attack in the league and the stingiest defense. They've kept their nucleus, added a couple of good players, and should be toughened by their strong run to the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals. A clear title favorite.
2) Montreal Impact
(Third, 12-12-6, 42 points, playoff semifinals) It will be hard to top last year – a new stadium, a Canadian championship win over Toronto FC, a strong run to the CCL quarterfinals – but everyone's back from last year, and they've added two all-league players.
3) Vancouver Whitecaps
(Second, 15-7-8, 53 points) The Whitecaps are defending champs, after beating Puerto Rico, 2-1, in last year's title game. But they've lost five key players since, and their top two scorers signed with Montreal and Puerto Rico.
4) Carolina RailHawks
(Eighth, 9-11-10, 37 points) Out of the playoffs last year but much improved, starting with two-time USL-2 Coach of the Year Martin Rennie, two-time USL-2 Defender of the Year Mark Schulte, and Keeper of the Year Eric Reid – all signed from Cleveland before the City Stars themselves moved up to USL-1.
5) Austin Aztex
(N/A) How do you rank a brand-new team? For now, I believe coach Adrian Heath: I think they'll surprise some teams around the league and be battling the two Carolina clubs for fourth place and a home playoff spot. We should know if that ambition is in reach after the next week. Do they have the depth for a 30-game season? That's a different question; see you in September.
6) Charleston Battery
(Fifth, 11-12-7, 40 points, playoff first round) Last year's regular season suffered when the Battery made a deep run in the U.S. Open Cup – all the way to the final – and didn't have the depth to handle both competitions at once.
7) Rochester Rhinos
(Fourth, 11-10-9, 41 points, playoff semifinals) The Raging Rhinos are one of the USL's mainstay franchises, but the team may slip this year after losing several key starters and not adding any marquee names.
8) Minnesota Thunder
(Seventh, 10-11-9, 39 points, playoff first round) With most of the team back and the addition of D.C. United midfielders Rod Dyachenko and Quavas Kirk, the Thunder will be expecting to make the playoffs again.
9) Miami FC Blues
(Ninth, 8-12-10, 34 points) After almost folding in the off-season, Miami signed Colombian striker Diego Serna, plus Pedro Faife and Reynier Alcántara, the two former Cuban national team players who defected in Washington, D.C., last October during World Cup qualifying (seven months after Aztex midfielder Yordany Alvarez had done the same).
10) Portland Timbers
(11th, 7-13-10, 31 points) Last year's last-place team is almost entirely new this year. They should have a strong defense, at least, led by former Los Angeles Galaxy keeper Steve Cronin.
11) Cleveland City Stars
(10-3-7, 37 points, USL-2 champion, third place regular season) Hugely successful in the second division but completely rebuilt after their core moved to Carolina. As much of an unknown as ... well ... the Austin Aztex.
