Five Eastern Conference Stories To Watch Entering July

June is over, and as we enter the month of July we are just over the halfway mark of the MLS season. This is where it truly starts to feel like summer soccer. The kids are out of school and able to come to games, the weather becomes blistering hot, and fans across the league pray that none of their players get poached away during the summer transfer window.

The season can be one of two halves. Every year we see a squad finish strong throughout the summer and rumble their way into the playoffs, and with this year’s new playoff expansion, the race is still wide open for most teams. Heck, even the worst team in the Eastern Conference isn’t out of it yet, the rest of the league has literally helped them get the greatest player of the generation (and possibly his friends.)

It has been a wild one so far over here on the Eastern side of the country. Here are five huge storylines to keep an eye on entering the month of July.

Will Cincy Maintain Their Lead?

It has been an utterly dominant year for FC Cincinnati thus far. They have jumped out to the top of the league with 43 points, excelling on both ends of the pitch. June saw some wrinkles in the armor for Cincinnati though, earning a draw against Vancouver and their second loss of the season against D.C. United. Obviously, it would be ridiculous to proclaim that Cincinnati has been exposed to that others have figured them out, but it will be interesting to see how they respond to the adversity posed by multiple contenders in the Eastern Conference.

Watch Out for Columbus!

Speaking of contenders, Columbus has been on fire as of late. Undefeated in their last five, Columbus has risen to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. They currently lead the league in goals scored with 38, aided heavily by Lucas Zelarayan’s eight goals and seven assists. Christian Ramirez also has racked up seven goals on the year. Watch out for the red-hot Columbus.

Will Thiago Almada Remain in Atlanta?

While the MLS season is in full swing, it is the offseason for European football. The summer, of course, means the opening of the transfer window. Thiago Almada is a player many expected to garner interest ahead of the season, and he’s exhibited MVP-caliber play on the field for Atlanta this year. While there is much for him to still accomplish for an Atlanta team currently in a playoff spot at sixth, it may be hard to resist a move to a top-flight club in Europe. While Atlanta isn’t under duress to offload the young Argentinian, they could receive a league-record-breaking fee for Almada.

Can Messi Save Miami?

Let’s talk about Miami. For all of the good that is happening to the club, gaining one of the greatest athletes of all time is a huge thing, the team as a whole stinks. I hate to be blunt about it, but that’s what 15 points in 18 games says about a team. They are not that good. With Messi’s debut slated for the end of the month of July, will he even have enough time to single-handedly create a turnaround for the last place Miami?

How Does the Leagues Cup Factor In?

Just what everyone wants mid-season, a new competition!

After finally being able to settle in to a groove after the Concacaf Champions League and the bulk of the U.S. Open Cup, MLS teams now have to figure things out with another competition. Late in July the group stage for the newly revamped Leagues Cup starts up. This is a tournament featuring the MLS and Liga MX will literally PAUSE the MLS season for about a month as the teams compete in this new competition. We’ll see how this competition plays into the rest of the MLS season.