The Extratime gang picks who will advance from Group A of the MLS is Back Tournament

The MLS is Back Tournament is just around the corner, bringing about the return to soccer for the first time in nearly four months.

It also means its time for hot takes on the action we’ll see in hot and humid Orlando.

Be sure to check back each day for a new prediction from our Extratime Driven by Continental crew.

Group A

The only group with six teams is, as such, the “Group of chaos,” according to Andrew Wiebe. Will that make it more difficult to call who advances out? NYCFC and the Philadelphia Union are the clear co-favorites, but who else can navigate their way through to the knockout round?

Here's the gang's picks.

Susannah Collins

1. NYCFC
2. Philadelphia
3. Miami
4. Orlando (wild-card)

Charlie Davies

1. NYCFC
2. Philadelphia
3. Orlando

Matthew Doyle

1. Philadelphia
2. Orlando
3. Chicago
4. Miami (wild card)

Andrew Wiebe

1. Philadelphia
2. NYCFC
3. Orlando

Be sure to check out our expert picks for the remaining groups — you can find Group B here, while Groups C through F will roll out in the coming days.