Here is everything you need to know about MLS and North American soccer this morning:
MLS champs descend on the Bronx
Seattle and New York City FC will kick off the weekend slate at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon (1 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes; MLS LIVE in Canada). It will be just the third meeting between the teams, with the road side having taken the previous two. PREVIEW
This week's Audi Player Index spotlight shines on Sounders ace Cristian Roldan, who has become one of the league's top two-way midfielders. READ MORE
Revs aim to cool down Fire
Longtime rivals Chicago and New England will lock horns for the 57th time in league play on Saturday (7:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE). The red-hot Fire come in with five wins from their last six MLS games and a four-game road unbeaten streak, but New England can take heart from the fact that the home team has won six straight in the overall series between these clubs. PREVIEW
A Polish source claims [in Polish—ed.] that the Fire are once again in for veteran Wolfsburg winger Jakub "Kuba" Blaszczykowski. The longtime Borussia Dortmund star reportedly rejected an offer from Chicago before joining the Wolves last summer. READ MORE
Rude guests D.C. hit Toronto
East pace-setters Toronto FC will try to put just their second league defeat of the season in the rear-view mirror when they welcome cellar dwellers D.C. United to town for a Saturday clash (8 pm ET | TSN1/4; MLS LIVE in the US). The Black-and-Red actually own a winning record (8-5-1) at BMO Field, where they've dropped just one of the last four meetings. PREVIEW
Local blog Waking The Red says much of the credit for the team coming up in the MLS world is owed to the aggressive strategies of coach Greg Vanney. READ MORE
OCSC aims to blunt Impact
Orlando City will try to recover from their midweek U.S. Open Cup defeat when Montreal comes to town for Saturday's league tilt (7:30 pm ET | TVAS; MLS LIVE in the US). It will be Montreal's first visit to the Lions' new den, where they've won six of nine. PREVIEW
The Lions will be forced to go without strike star Cyle Larin, who must undergo a Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health (SABH) assessment following his DUI arrest on Wednesday. READ MORE
Sinking San Jose welcomes SKC
West leaders Sporting KC will visit a San Jose side struggling through a 1-3-1 stretch for a Saturday duel (9 pm ET | MLS LIVE). The Missouri Azzurri have won three consecutive meetings between the two. PREVIEW
Sporting KC have enjoyed a strong campaign so far, in part thanks to the unexpected scoring contributions of DP winger Gerso. READ MORE
FC Dallas heads to Vancouver
Reigning Supporters' Shield holders FC Dallas will hit the road for a Saturday clash with a warming Vancouver side (10 pm ET | TSN1/4; MLS LIVE in the US). This is a series that has been owned by the home team; visitors have suffered five straight shutouts and haven't posted a victory since 2012. PREVIEW
Using a strong midweek showing in their Open Cup win as evidence, local blog Big D Soccer argues that young defender Reggie Cannon is ready to see action in league encounters. READ MORE
Union hosts inconsistent Red Bulls
Sunday's nationally-televised match (5 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes; MLS LIVE in Canada) will see the New York Red Bulls visit Philadelphia. The main trends certainly do not favor the visitors; the Union have won four in a row at home (including a 3-0 victory over RBNY last month), while the Big Apple bunch has dropped six straight away games. PREVIEW
The Red Bulls' offense has struggled for consistency this term, and Benjamin Baer explores the reasons why by running some attack numbers. READ MORE
Galaxy return home to tackle Houston
Fresh from an unbeaten four-game road trip, the LA Galaxy will lay out the welcome mat for Houston on Saturday (11 pm ET | UniMás, facebook.com/univisiondeportes; MLS LIVE in Canada). The StubHub crew swept last season's series, winning all three clashes by a combined 6-1 tally. PREVIEW
With Father's Day arriving on Sunday, Galaxy forward Gyasi Zardes joined guest ExtraTimeRadio host Julie Stewart-Binks to discuss striking a balance between fatherhood and being a pro athlete. READ MORE
Struggling Crew SC visit Atlanta
Counting their midweek Open Cup ouster in Cincinnati, Columbus will be aiming to halt a four-game road losing streak when they invade Atlanta for a Saturday tilt (7 pm ET | MLS LIVE). Although this will be the clubs' first competitive meeting, Gregg Berhalter's boys did score a 2-1 victory over Atlanta in the preseason Caroina Challenge Cup. PREVIEW
While Atlanta are busy working strike ace Josef Martinez back into the lineup, Columbus could be without one of their speedy attackers. Kekuta Manneh is in doubt for Saturday due to a foot sprain. READ MORE
Win streaks on the line in Colorado
Colorado and visitors Portland will each wager a two-game winning streak when they cross paths on Saturday night (9:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE). The Timbers have won just once in nine tries at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, and have been shut out on their last two visits. PREVIEW
The Rapids have suffered yet another blow to their back line, with veteran defender Bobby Burling ruled out for 4-6 weeks with an injury picked up during their midweek Open Cup victory. READ MORE
The Loons land at Rio Tinto
A pair of teams looking to get back in the Western playoff race will meet up on Saturday when Minnesota United visits Real Salt Lake meet up on Saturday. The Claret and Cobalt will be out for revenge after suffering a 4-2 loss in Minnesota back in April. PREVIEW
Local TV station KUTV interviewed Real Salt Lake youngsters Justen Glad and Brooks Lennon about both what it will take to turn the season around and their recent Under-20 World Cup experience. READ MORE
FC Dallas ready to defend USOC title in Round-of-16
On Thursday, the US Open Cup match-ups for the round-of-16 were drawn. Holders FC Dallas will host Colorado, while Atlanta United and Chicago will each hit the road to face lower league opposition. READ MORE
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