After the two midweek contests that kicked off Week 10 on Wednesday night, there is plenty to look forward to on the weekend with all 22 MLS clubs in action. Colorado and Vancouver get things underway on Friday night in the TSN Friday night match (also available on MLS LIVE in USA).
Among the other weekend highlights: an MLS Cup rematch and a high-profile clash in Atlanta on Univision and Facebook. Here are all the storylines to keep an eye on, all in one handy list:
Colorado Rapids vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
Friday, 10 pm ET | TSN1/4 in Canada; MLS LIVE in the US
It’s starting to feel like put-up or shut-up time in Colorado. The Rapids endured an absolutely miserable April, losing all four of their matches by an 8-2 overall margin to fall into a tie for last in the league. They’ll get Tim Howard back from suspension this week, but he won’t be able to do anything to help in the attack, where the Rapids have scored a league-worst five times in their seven matches this year. They’ll need to put something together against a Vancouver team that’s won two of their last three, including a solid road victory at Montreal last Saturday.
Seattle Sounders vs. Toronto FC
Saturday, 3 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes in the US; CTV, TSN2 in Canada
Nearly five months after Seattle squeaked past Toronto in penalties to win MLS Cup 2016, last season’s title game participants will meet for the only time of the 2017 regular season when the Sounders welcome TFC to CenturyLink Field on Saturday afternoon.
The Sounders will hold a decided advantage. Not only are Seattle at home, but Toronto will be dealing with some tired legs – and potential squad rotation – after hosting Orlando on Wednesday and flying across the continent for an early kick on Saturday. Though it didn’t end in a win, Seattle are carrying momentum after their ferocious late comeback in their 3-3 draw with New England last week. Their attack has six goals in their last two games, and should have some opportunities to exploit a potentially tired Toronto defense in the Emerald City this weekend.
D.C. United vs. Montreal Impact
Saturday, 6 pm ET | TVA Sports in Canada; MLS LIVE in the US
After looking like they’d finally gotten things on track with a win against Atlanta and a comeback draw at Philadelphia, Montreal fell flat on Saturday, losing 2-1 to Vancouver at home. The defeat kept the Impact in ninth in the East, and dropped their points per game average to under 1.00.
The Impact talked a lot about being more ruthless in the attack after their loss to the ‘Caps – that’s not something D.C. had any issue with in their surprising win on Sunday at Atlanta. The Black-and-Red were very efficient going forward, finding the back of the net three times despite holding just 25 percent possession. Goalkeeper Bill Hamid was a big reason they were able to hang on, and Montreal will have to be very effective in order to beat the US international this weekend.
Philadelphia Union vs. New York Red Bulls
Saturday, 7 pm ET | MLS LIVE
It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t a win, but Philadelphia can breathe – at least a bit – after playing the Galaxy to a scoreless draw in LA last weekend. The Union are still winless in their last 15 regular season matches and are tied for last in the league with just four points, but a win against their local rival New York on Saturday would build a solid amount of goodwill for Jim Curtin and Co., not to mention putting them right back into the thick of the East.
Beating New York, however, won’t be an easy task. The Red Bulls will be coming off a midweek match at SKC, but their win on Saturday against Chicago gave them three wins in a row. They look organized, collected and they’re creating chances, three things the Union have struggled with all season. If the Red Bulls come close to fielding their full team, they’ll give Philly a serious run for all three points.
Columbus Crew SC vs. New England Revolution
Saturday, 7:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE
After riding high through March and in the first game of April, Columbus have hit a bit of a rough stretch. Crew SC have lost three of their last four, including a 3-2 home defeat to NYCFC on Saturday in which they coughed up a 2-1 second half lead. Their down stretch has upped the importance of Saturday’s match against New England, who have drawn three matches in a row and haven’t won since April 8.
The Revs should’ve taken all three points last week at Seattle. Led by a brace from Juan Agudelo, New England raced out to a 3-0 lead at the Sounders, but conceded three times in the final 15 minutes to draw 3-3 at CenturyLink Field. The result tasted bitter, but Agudelo – who now has six goals this year and 12 goals and three assists in his last 17 games across all competitions – was very encouraging. We’ll see if he can continue his solid form this week – perhaps alongside former Crew SC striker Kei Kamara, who missed the Seattle game due to the birth of his child.
Houston Dynamo vs. Orlando City SC
Saturday, 8:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE
Orlando’s brutal week will come to a close in Houston, where they’ll take on the Dynamo on Saturday after playing at Toronto on Wednesday night. Playing at BBVA Compass Stadium is never easy, and, with Houston an impressive 4-0-1 at home this year, the Lions figure to face a tough test on Saturday night. We’ll see how the Floridians handle the likely humid conditions on short rest following their midweek match at TFC.
Real Salt Lake vs. FC Dallas
Saturday, 9:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE
The league’s lone remaining unbeaten team, FC Dallas will look to keep their record unblemished on Saturday at Real Salt Lake, who have had some of the shine wear off of Mike Petke’s solid start with back-to-back losses against Atlanta and at SKC. Saturday’s match will mark the first time Javier Morales will face his former team since his acrimonious departure from the club this winter. The veteran Argentine has started two straight matches for FCD – we’ll see if Oscar Pareja gives him another runout in what will likely be an emotional return to Utah.
LA Galaxy vs. Chicago Fire
Saturday, 10:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE
Things are looking a bit hellish in the City of Angels. LA’s miserable start to the 2017 season got that much worse on Saturday, when they played the winless Philadelphia Union to a scoreless draw at home. The Galaxy now have just seven points through their first eight matches, and are a lackluster 1-3-1 at StubHub Center. That mark needs to improve if they want to work themselves back into contention in the West, starting with this Saturday against Chicago. The Fire, of course, aren’t the pushover they were in years past, and, after losing at Toronto and at New York in the first two matches of their three-game road trip, could use a full three points at LA this weekend.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Portland Timbers
Saturday, 10:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE
The West’s top team will take their show on the road for a second straight week on Saturday, as Portland will head south along the coast to take on San Jose at Avaya Stadium this weekend. The Timbers are in a great spot, coming off of a 2-2 draw at FC Dallas that followed a 2-1 home win over the Vancouver Whitecaps. The draw at Dallas came without star No. 10 Diego Valeri, with Designated PlayerSebastian Blanco filling in admirably for his fellow Argentine in Frisco. If his emergence continues, it’ll be huge for the Timbers, who lead the league comfortably with 20 goals this year.
While Portland have been excellent going forward, San Jose have been their usual stingy selves in the back, allowing just 10 goals in their nine matches, third-fewest in the Western Conference. They’ve posted two shutouts in their last three games and registered a much-needed win on Sunday, closing out a tough three-game road trip with a 1-1-1 record with a win at Minnesota. How they handle things in the back against the high-flying Timbers will go a long way towards determining whether or not they can make it two in a row on Saturday.
Minnesota United FC vs. Sporting Kansas City
Sunday, 1:30 pm ET | FS1 and FOX Deportes in the US; MLS LIVE in Canada
A pair of Midwestern clubs will meet for the first time in MLS on Sunday, as expansion team Minnesota United FC welcomes SKC to the Twin Cities for the first time in league play. The Loons have gotten things together since their awful start, but they did drop a disappointing 1-0 home result to San Jose last week. SKC are riding high, but they’ll be on short rest on Sunday after hosting the New York Red Bulls in a midweek match on Wednesday night. They have more overall quality than Minnesota, but the Loons could be able to take advantage of some potentially tired legs.
New York City FC vs. Atlanta United FC
Sunday, 4 pm ET | Univision (English with SAP), Facebook.com in US; MLS LIVE in Canada
Hours after SKC and Minnesota meet for the first time, two of the higher-profile – and higher-spending – clubs in MLS will square up for their inaugural encounter when New York City FC hosts Atlanta United FC on Sunday. With two losses in their last three matches, including a surprising 3-1 home defeat to D.C. on Sunday, Atlanta could certainly use a win this week.
Three points won’t come easy against NYCFC, however. The Pigeons lost their last home match, falling 2-1 to Orlando on April 23, but have won two of three, including a 3-2 victory at Columbus last weekend. They’ll likely get David Villa back from an illness this week, with the reigning MVP looking to key a home victory against Atlanta and Tata Martino, who he just missed playing under at Barcelona.
