A new season begins in Major League Soccer this weekend, as DC United host Toronto at Audi Field on Saturday with both sides looking to turn the corner following some dismal 2022 campaigns.

These were the two worst teams in the league last year, with DC collecting 27 points in the regular season, seven fewer than the Reds.

Match preview

After winning their opening two games of 2022, things appeared to be looking up for the Black and Red, but that was about as good as it got, as DC could only manage five more victories the rest of the way.

It would be an understatement to say that Wayne Rooney has a massive job on his hands to try to turn around a franchise that captured three of the first four MLS Cups but have missed the playoffs on three successive occasions.

Last year, DC collected 20 fewer points than in 2021, winning only one of their seven home fixtures last year under the Englishman who was named to the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2022.

Since his arrival in the US capital last July, Rooney has made it a point to bring in some established strikers with Premier League experience to try to fix their issues in the attacking third, as the Black and Red scored the fewest goals in MLS a year ago (36).

Scoring goals, however, was not the only thing they struggled with in 2022, as defensively they gave up too many opportunities in front of goal, conceding 71 times, the most in MLS.

The Black and Red won a mere four matches at home last year, the fewest among MLS clubs, conceding multiple strikes in 11 games at Audi Field.

The Bob Bradley era in Toronto was not what fans had hoped for, as the Reds finished second from the bottom in the Eastern Conference for a second successive season.

It is no secret where the main problem lies with TFC, as they have been extremely shaky along the backline, conceding 66 goals in each of their previous two campaigns.

Therefore, it was no surprise to see them make moves to address those deficiencies, adding two experienced centre-backs along with a veteran goalkeeper who has been among the best in the league over the past few seasons.

Heading into the fall of 2022, the Reds looked to be a playoff contender, but their road woes quickly ended those hopes as they only won two matches away from home last year, tied with Atlanta United for the fewest in the Eastern Conference.

Bringing in a pair of Designated Players from Italy helped them become one of the league's most dangerous attacking sides for a while last season, and that quality could make them a handful for opposing defences this year.

While they have made it a point to improve in various areas of the field, there are questions about the depth of this team outside of its starters, so time will tell if that becomes an issue.