Get primed for the 2013 MLS season with a look at the Eastern Conference. TSN Soccer Editor Shane McNeil takes you through the Conference's U.S. clubs, taking a look at what the teams have done over the off-season, what they need to do to succeed and when they will be coming to visit your MLS club.

Season Outlook

Catching Fire

Chicago saw vast improvement in 2012 only to fall short in the playoffs. Will 2013 see the team continue its upward climb?

The Fire can take a lot of positives away from their 2012 campaign, having almost doubled their win total from the previous year and tying for the third-most points in the league.

Unfortunately, the team drew the defending Eastern Champion Houston Dynamo in the MLS Cup Knockout Round, becoming the first of three teams they upset en route to a second straight date with the Galaxy.

The team will be well positioned for another strong season with core players like Chris Rolfe, Marco Pappa, Dominic Oduro and Patrick Nyarko returning.

The team could also thrive if defender Austin Berry is able to build upon his MLS Rookie of the Year season.

The additions of experienced players like Maicon Santos, Joel Lindpere and Jeff Larentowicz should strengthen the team's offence, which had the second-lowest goal differential amongst teams that qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs.

Season Outlook

Southern Infusion

The Crew saw the difference top talent can make in 2012 with the addition of Federico Higuain.

Last season marked the first time in five years that the Crew failed to make the MLS Cup playoffs.

It's been a steady decline since they won the 2008 crown and last season saw them on the outside looking in.

The key to turning it around in 2013 could be a better start. The Crew won just six of its first 17 games last season before going on a run of 10 games where they registered just one loss.

The mid-season acquisition of Federico Higuain was an inspired move last season, though, as the Argentine (and older brother of Real Madrid striker Gonzalo) heaped in five goals and seven assists in just 13 appearances.

A full year from the 2012 MLS Newcomer of the Year could be the difference between playing soccer in November and another early exit.

Season Outlook

Forgot About D-Ro?

United showed last year they can score, now add an extra half-season out of De Rosario.

It's a testament to the strength of United's roster that the team finished second in the eastern Conference despite getting just a half-season's work out of 2011 MLS MVP Dwayne De Rosario.

The team hit their stride in Spring, posting an unbeaten record in April and would finish the regular season on a scorching seven-game unbeaten run but the team would fall victim to the streaking Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Final.

United is hoping to get more out of 2012 fifth-overall pick Casey Townsend than Chivas USA did after acquiring the forward for a second-rounder and playing him alongside a healed De Rosario could pay large dividends for the East's second-highest scoring club.

D.C. will be tested right off the opening kick-off, with five of its first six matches coming against teams that made the playoffs last season, including a visit to Houston in their season opener.

Season Outlook

Finals Countdown

Dynamo has made back-to-back trips to the MLS Cup but have been beat both times by the Galaxy. With Beckham gone is it their time?

The Dynamo saw an unbelievable MLS Cup playoff run end in a startlingly familiar manner last season.

After sneaking into the playoffs by one single point over sixth-place Columbus, the Dynamo went on a run to the MLS Cup by playing excellent at home and doing enough on the road to get one round further.

While they were once again bested by the L.A. Galaxy in the end, veterans like Calen Carr and Brian Ching supported a star-making run by 23-year-old Will Bruin to cap another successful season for Houston and its fans.

The team will likely miss the presence of Canadian fullback Andre Hainault in 2013 (he moved overseas to play in Scotland), the acquisition of Eric Brunner from Portland could help fill the void on the back line.

Having made the MLS Cup Playoffs in all but one of their seven seasons in the league, including four appearances in the Final itself, the Dynamo are a good bet to remain a force in the East this season.

Season Outlook

Full Revolution

The Revs have gone from perennial MLS Cup contender to frequent playoff bystander. Will things turn around in 2013?

Things could have been worse for the Revs in 2012. The team finished ninth in the East for a second straight year, but was at least able to up its win total by four to nine on the campaign.

The silver lining was the terrible year that Toronto FC put together that kept them out of the Eastern cellar.

Experience and pedigree were the hallmarks of the New England off-season strategy adding proven scorer Chad Barrett as well as a pair with UK experience in Welsh forward Andy Dorman and Malian defender Kalifa Cisse.

The most impact may have come on the day of the SuperDraft, however, when the Revs swapped picks with Toronto to take Louisville fullback Andrew Farrell - the consensus best player available - first overall.

The Revs will need to find a way to win on the road, though, as the team posted a miserable 2-13-2 record away from Foxborough last year. Bad news for a team that is on the road for four of its first six in 2013.

Season Outlook

Hardware Upgrade

Thierry Henry is still seeking an MLS Cup as he enters his fourth season stateside.

Filling the net is not a problem for the Bulls.

Kenny Cooper and Thierry Henry proved elite producers in the MLS, both finishing in the top five of the goals table and scoring more combined goals than the entire Chivas USA roster. .

They were a large factor behind the team's third place showing in the East last year.

While Cooper is gone, the New York attack will still be dangerous with a full year out of Australian international Tim Cahill.

The problem for the Bulls is keeping the goals out, having conceded more goals than all but one other playoff-qualifying team.

The team added some back-line strength with Japanese full-back Kosuke Kimura and Colombia's Jamison Olave and they'll need to come up big if the team wants to do better than one-and-done in the MLS Cup playoffs.

Season Outlook

Re-Union

Philly will look to pick up the pieces after a 2012 to forget.

The history books will show a drop from third in the East in 2011 to eighth in 2012 but off the field the Union's third campaign was much worse than that.

Inaugural head coach Piotr Nowak was dismissed mid-season not just for poor on-field results but also - according to team officials - for breaching team rules and berating employees.

Once John Hackworth took over, the season was already out of hand. But the losses didn't stop under his tenure.

The Union was able to right one wrong of the Nowak era, as they reacquired all-time leading scorer Sebastien Le Toux from New York. To avoid another fight for the Eastern cellar the team will need to avoid the types of skids they endured last season, going six without a win in the spring and a staggering eight without through August and September (even drawing 2012 cellar-dwellers like New England and Toronto).

It's a long way to go for Philly to get back into contention, but at the very least, 2013 offers the team a chance to forget last year and move on.

Season Outlook

Not in Kansas

Sporting KC's defence could well go from stingy to outright impenetrable with its new additions.

Things were supposed to end differently for Sporting Kansas City last season. They finished atop the Eastern Conference by a comfortable five points but had the misfortune of drawing an experienced and thriving Houston team in the semis.

So, how did the league's stingiest club react to a shortened post-season? They went out and bulked up their defence, of course.

While the likes of Matt Besler, Chance Myers, Seth Sinovic and Aurelien Collin return, the team brought in young fullbacks Ike Opara and Yann Songo'o as well as grabbing Josh Gardner from Montreal. .

If the a crowded back-line doesn't do the trick, reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Jimmy Nielsen just might.

Defence-first may not be the sexiest brand of football, but KC boasts some of the league's most rabid fans, who will take the wins any way they can get them.