With just days to go before the 2015 MLS season starts, Prost video reporter John Zielonka spoke with two of the region’s highest profile journalists to preview the season, Matt Pentz of the Seattle Times and Don Ruiz of the Tacoma News Tribune.

Ruiz is a veteran whose coverage and experience go back to the opening season in 2009. Pentz is looking forward to his first full season, having taken over the role during 2014.

They talked about the CBA first then in previewing the season, Pentz noted:

“I’m very interested to see how the East/West divide shakes up. In the Western it seems that you have seven team who should on paper be play off teams, playing for six spots. Whereas in the East, you’d be hard pressed to name six play off teams off the bat.”

Ruiz talked up lat year’s finalists, LA and New England Revs but added:

“If I’m going to do some originality picks, I’m probably going to do Columbus and I like Dallas a lot in the West.”

They went on to disagree on whether they were surprised the Sounders have not brought in more players, Pentz noting that ‘the feeling in the camp was that they didn’t really have to.’

Ruiz countered:

“I was surprised on the back end. They gave up too many goals last year and I really expected some pretty dramatic changes. I think the change might not be so much in the roster but how the roster is used. I would be startled if Sounders won the Supporters Shield again.”

He did however predict the Sounders to emerge victorious in MLS Cup.