This Week in MLS – May 7, 2018

This Week in MLS – May 7, 2018

• Sounders, Timbers square off for 100th all-time meeting
• Seattle’s Svensson is clutch for club and country
• Timbers-Sounders exclusive of Cascadia Cup competition
• Golden Boot leaders, hottest teams in MLS square off as Orlando hosts Atlanta
• FIFA World Cup 35-player provisional rosters to be named next Monday
• Newcomers among MLS statistical leaders at quarter-mark of the season
• MLS Week 11: Match Notes

Sounders, Timbers square off for 100th all-time meeting
For more than four decades the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders FC have represented North America’s historic rivalry out of the Pacific Northwest. On Sunday, the two sides square off for the 100th occasion when Portland plays host at Providence Park (4 p.m. ET / ESPN, ESPN Deportes, DAZN). Seattle maintains a strong series lead over Portland with the advantage all-time (50-35-14), during MLS regular season action (9-5-6) and in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play (4-2-1), while the Timbers have posted a 2-0-0 record against the Sounders in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
TIMBERS VS. SOUNDERS OVER THE YEARS (1975-PRESENT)

The rivalry has had plenty of drama-filled affairs over the years, including unique settings such as the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Seattle, in the midst of its second MLS season, visited a Portland team competing in its final USL season before making the move to MLS the next year. The Sounders played the entire second half and overtime of the Round of 16 match down a man, and after a 1-1 draw, Seattle prevailed 4-3 in a penalty kick shootout. The Sounders went on to repeat as U.S. Open Cup champions, with this Cascadia match serving as the most difficult road block.

• SoundersFC.com: Celebrating 100th Edition of Rivalry

Seattle’s Svensson is clutch for club and country
With starts in every MLS game this season, Sounders FC’s Gustav Svensson is the defensive stronghold, who has proven his reliability for both club and country over the last year. In the second round of World Cup qualification, Svensson was Sweden’s game-saving substitution, helping to not only preserve a 1-0 scoreline in the last 15 minutes of Leg 1 over Italy, but he also replaced a severely injured teammate in the 19
^th
minute of Leg 2 to secure a 0-0 result and Sweden’s spot in Russia this summer.
For his club, Svensson’s defensive efforts for Sounders FC last year contributed to 13 wins, 12 Seattle clean sheets, and a 13-game unbeaten streak from June 21-September 16. He scored a game winner in the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Championship series, and was an influential part of the Sounders FC 3-1-1 postseason record, playing the full 90 minutes in the final three games, including MLS Cup.
Timbers-Sounders match exclusive of Cascadia Cup competition
This Sunday is a Cascadia matchup, but the Portland Timbers' match against Seattle Sounders FC will not count for or against the clubs in the Cascadia Cup competition. Portland and Vancouver Whitecaps FC face each other only twice during the regular season, while the Timbers and Sounders have three scheduled matches. The competition creators decided that this mid-May game would not factor into the regular-season tournament.
Last year marked Portland’s second MLS-era Cascadia Cup crown (the Timbers also won in 2012) and fourth overall, having won the 2009 and 2010 editions against fellow United Soccer League side Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The Timbers rallied for a 2-1 victory against Vancouver on MLS Decision Day 2017 presented by AT&T (Oct. 22) to clinch the Cascadia Cup, with goals from defender
Liam Ridgewell
and current D.C. United striker
Darren Mattocks
.
Seattle also has won four Cascadia titles (two in MLS and two in the USL). Vancouver leads the way with six Cascadia Cups – three times in MLS and three times in the USL. In the 2017 edition, the Sounders posted a 1-0-2 record against the Timbers, with Seattle midfielder
Cristian Roldan
scoring a goal in two of those matches.
CASCADIA CUP WINNERS

Portland (3-3-2, 11 points) enters the match on a three-game winning streak, having turned around a slow start to the season the included a five-game winless stretch. The Timbers are coming off a dramatic 1-0 road victory against the San Jose Earthquakes, highlighted by
Diego Valeri
’s
free kick game-winner in the 88th minute
. Seattle, the 2017 MLS Cup runner-up and 2016 champion, has a two-game set this week that includes a Wednesday match against defending MLS Cup winners Toronto FC (7:30 p.m. ET / FS1, TSN). Saturday’s Portland-Seattle matchup features a number of potential 2018 FIFA World Cup representatives, including the Timbers’
David Guzman
(Costa Rica) and
Andy Polo
(Peru) and the Sounders’
Nicolás Lodeiro
(Uruguay),
Gustav Svensson
(Sweden) and
Kim Kee-hee
(South Korea).
Golden Boot leaders, hottest teams in MLS square off as Orlando hosts Atlanta
The two hottest teams in MLS will face off when Orlando City SC hosts Atlanta United on Sunday in a battle of foes hailing from the Southeast (6 p.m. ET, FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX Sports Go / TSN). While Atlanta sits atop the standings with the best record in the league and carrying an MLS-best eight game unbeaten mark, Orlando enters the matchup with a franchise-best six game winning streak, the longest of any team during the 2018 season. In three tightly contested matchups last season, Orlando fell 1-0 in its lone home match followed by a pair of draws in Atlanta.
Players from both clubs are in the race for the Golden Boot, as Atlanta United forward
Josef Martínez
leads the league with seven goals, while Atlanta’s
Miguel Almirón
and Orlando’s
Dom Dwyer
are tied for second with six scores this season. Almirón and Peruvian World Cup hopeful
Yoshimar Yotún
also tie for third place in MLS with five assists.
Scoring a
sensational first MLS goal
last week was Atlanta’s 19-year-old
Ezequiel Barco
to help Atlanta secure a 2-1 victory in Chicago. More goals could be in store between the two regional foes as Atlanta leads the league with 23 goals, while Orlando’s 19 scores are tied for third.
FIFA World Cup 35-player provisional rosters to be named next Monday
The MLS contingent of players and clubs will be eagerly awaiting next Monday, the deadline for countries to name their respective 35-player provisional rosters for the 2018 FIFA World Cup (final 23-man rosters must be finalized by June 4). At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, there were an MLS-record 21 players among an MLS-record six countries at the tournament in Brazil. As is the case for a major tournament, there is a mix of players who have firmly established their spot for a trip to Russia, while others could be on the bubble but are making their case stronger thanks to their league productivity.
The LA Galaxy’s
Giovani dos Santos
is heating up at the right time to validate his worth for Mexico’s national team. The Galaxy’s 28-year-old Designated Player has posted two goals and an assist over his past two league matches. Before his first two goals of 2018, he hadn’t found the goal since May of 2017. Seattle Sounders FC and South Korea defender
Kim Kee-hee
, 28, who had missed a stretch with a calf injury, is acclimating himself with Seattle’s back line, coming off a second straight start and his first full 90-minute game this past Saturday to earn a shutout against Columbus Crew SC. Los Angeles Football Club 26-year-old defender
Omar Gaber
, reunited with former Egypt head coach Bob Bradley, had dealt with a knee injury at the start of the year, but has been much more involved over the past month. He has a start and four games since mid-April, and LAFC has posted a 3-0-1 record in matches in which he has appeared.
Newcomers among MLS statistical leaders at quarter-mark of the season
Some of the most dangerous and prolific players in MLS this season are newcomers that rank among the league leaders in goals and assists. With last week’s close of the Primary Transfer Window and the season officially at the quarter-mark, the newcomer class is rounding into form, accounting for nearly a quarter of all goals (72 out of 311) and assists (77 out of 314) during the 2018 season.
Three of the top 10 goalscorers in the league are new to MLS, as
Carlos Vela
(Los Angeles Football Club),
Johnny Russell
(Sporting Kansas City), and
Felipe
Gutiérrez
have all scored five goals this season. Additionally, five of the top 18 leaders in assists are in their debut MLS seasons, with New York Red Bulls 23-year-old Young Designated Player
Alejandro “Kaku” Romero Gamarra
leading all players with six assists. Los Angeles Football Club’s 20-year-old forward
Diego Rossi
and New York City FC’s 21-year-old midfielder
Jesús Medina
also rank in the top five with five assists this season.
Overall, 111 newcomers, with an average age of 25 years old, and hailing from 38 different countries, signed to MLS during the Primary Transfer Window. Over half of the newcomers (56 out of 111) have at least one cap for their senior national teams, showing their skills for both club and country.
MLS Week 11: Match Notes
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Atlanta United vs. Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

• Atlanta United tied their club record in extending their undefeated streak to eight games with a 2-1 win at the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park on Saturday afternoon. Atlanta United went eight games without loss in their inaugural campaign, last year from Aug. 29-Sept. 30.
  
• Miguel Almirón recorded an assist and has now gone five consecutive games with a goal and/or an assist, with five goals and three assists over that span.
  
• Sporting returned to their winning ways after a seven-game undefeated run was put to an end the week before, recording a 1-0 victory against the Colorado Rapids at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday evening.
  
• Tim Melia was credited with two saves in recording his league-leading fourth shutout of the season for SKC, all coming over the past six games.
  
• The teams met once in Atlanta United’s inaugural season, playing to a 1-1 draw on Aug. 6 at Children’s Mercy Park.
  

Columbus Crew SC vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

• Crew SC extended their undefeated streak to three games, reaching a goalless draw with Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field on Saturday afternoon.
  
• The Union saw their road winless streak extended to 15 games, falling 3-0 at Toronto FC at BMO Field on Friday evening. The Union still have yet to score a goal away from Talen Energy Stadium this season, the last team without an away goal this year, now 347 minutes since scoring on the road.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season, after playing to a scoreless draw on March 17 at Talen Energy Stadium.
  
• Crew SC put an end to a two-game Union winning streak at Mapfre Stadium in the last meeting in Columbus, a 1-0 victory last July 22. The Union had won two home meetings in a row with Crew SC before the draw in the first match this year.
  

Toronto FC vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1, TSN)

• Toronto FC put an end to a three-game winless run in league play, gaining a second consecutive result with a 3-0 victory against the Philadelphia Union at BMO Field on Friday evening. Victor Vázquez scored a goal for a second consecutive game, making a second consecutive start in league play after missing four consecutive matches.
  
• Sounders FC extended their home undefeated run to two games, reaching a goalless draw with Columbus Crew SC at CenturyLink Field on Saturday afternoon. Sounders FC have been shut out at the attacking end in back-to-back games, now without a goal in five of seven league matches this season.
  
• It’s a rematch of the past two MLS Cup Finals, with each team having won once. TFC took a 2-0 victory last year, while Sounders FC won on penalty kicks following a goalless draw in 2016 MLS Cup, both games at BMO Field. It marked the third time in MLS history the same teams had met in back-to-back MLS Cups.
  
• The teams met once in regular season play last year – a 1-0 TFC win on May 6 at CenturyLink Field. Sounders FC were undefeated on their past four visits to Toronto in league and MLS Cup play before last year’s championship match; the MLS Cup win was TFC’s first vs. Seattle at BMO Field since April 25, 2010.
  

Chicago Fire vs. Montreal Impact, 8:30 p.m. ET (TVA Sports, ESPN+)

• The Fire had their brief two-game undefeated run put to an end, falling 2-1 to Atlanta United at Toyota Park on Saturday afternoon.
  
• The Impact snapped a four-game losing run, defeating the New England Revolution 4-2 on Saturday afternoon at Stade Saputo.
  
• Ignacio Piatti scored a goal and added three assists – the three assists his single-game career-high in his five MLS seasons, the three assists also equaling the Impact’s club single-game record in MLS, set twice previously.
  
• The visiting team has won three times in the last five meetings between the clubs, over the last two seasons. The Fire have won on two of their last three visits to Stade Saputo, winning once each of the last two seasons, including a 1-0 win their last Sept. 2 in the last meeting in Montréal.
  
• The Impact have come away with points on their past two visits to Toyota Park, including a 2-2 draw in the lone Bridgeview meeting last year, on April 1. The Impact’s 2-1 win there April 16, 2016 was their first ever at Toyota Park; the visiting team had never won in the series before that season.
  

Los Angeles Football Club vs. Minnesota United FC, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

• LAFC saw their three-game winning streak put to an end but still extended their undefeated streak to four games, reaching a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
  
• Steven Beitashour scored his first goal with LAFC, his first in MLS play since Aug. 24, 2013, when he was with the San Jose Earthquakes.
  
• MNUFC won a second consecutive game for the second time this season, getting the game’s only goal from Miguel Ibarra for a victory against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The two-game winning run matches the club’s record in their MLS history, achieved now on three occasions.
  
• This is the first meeting between the clubs. They will play a return match July 22 at TCF Bank Stadium.
  

Friday, May 11, 2018
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Houston Dynamo, 10:30 p.m. ET (TSN, ESPN+)

• Whitecaps FC weren’t able to build upon a first victory in four games, falling 1-0 to Minnesota United FC at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday afternoon. It was a third consecutive away defeat for the ‘Caps.
  
• The Dynamo won for a second time in three games – both coming at BBVA Compass Stadium – getting a late winner for a 3-2 win against the LA Galaxy on Saturday evening.
  
• Romell Quioto scored a goal and added an assist, the second time in the last three games he’s had a goal and an assist in the same game. Quioto has a goal and/or an assist in three consecutive games, with two goals and four assists in that time, playing a part in six of the Dynamo’s last nine goals.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Kei Kamara scored the opening goal then set up the game-winner by Brek Shea for a 2-1 Whitecaps FC win April 10 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
  
• The Vancouver win in the first meeting was the first ever by the road team in the all-time series. The ‘Caps are 6-0-1 vs. the Dynamo in B.C.; Vancouver’s win came after four defeats and a draw in Houston.
  

Saturday, May 12, 2018
Minnesota United FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 2 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

• MNUFC have won their past two games at TCF Bank Stadium following their 1-0 win against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, matching the club’s longest home winning streak in their MLS history (set twice previously).
  
• The Quakes saw their winless run extended to seven games – the longest in MLS this season – following their 1-0 loss to the Portland Timbers at Avaya Stadium on Saturday evening.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Vako Qazaishivili scored one goal and set up two others – both coming from Danny Hoesen, including the game-winner – as the Quakes claimed a 3-2 victory in the season opener March 3 at Avaya Stadium.
  
• The teams met twice in Minnesota United’s inaugural campaign, the Earthquakes winning both. The Quakes took a 1-0 win on April 29 at TCF Bank Stadium, then on Decision Day, Marco Ureña scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time to give the Quakes a dramatic 3-2 victory that secured their place in the 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs.
  

Montreal Impact vs. Philadelphia Union, 3 p.m. ET (CTV, TVA Sports, ESPN+)

• The teams met three times a season ago, and the Impact won the final two, once at each ground – a 2-1 win on July 19 at Stade Saputo, and a 3-0 victory Aug. 12 at Talen Energy Stadium. The teams also reached a 3-3 draw April 22 in Chester.
  
• The Impact win in the final meeting last year was just the second for the visiting team in the all-time series, after a 1-0 Union victory in 2015 at Stade Saputo. The Impact have won six of the eight meetings all-time at Stade Saputo. The Union have won two of the eight matchups in Chester, with five draws.
  
• Ignacio Piatti’s goal and three assists vs. New England came in the second game following a hat trick vs. Los Angeles FC on April 21 at Stade Saputo – his first hat trick in his MLS career. Piatti played a part in seven of the Impact’s eight goals over a three-game span (four goals, three assists).
  

FC Dallas vs. LA Galaxy, 3:30 p.m. ET (Univision, UDN)

• FC Dallas concluded their two-game road swing with a draw – the seventh time they’ve taken points in eight games this season – following a 1-1 draw at Los Angeles FC on Saturday afternoon. Maxi Urruti scored the FCD goal, assisted by Santiago Mosquera; the pair combined on the FCD goal in the 3-1 loss at New York City FC the week before (with Mosquera scoring and Urruti assisting).
  
• The Galaxy suffered their third consecutive defeat, falling 3-2 to the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium.
  
• Giovani dos Santos scored for a second consecutive game and added an assist, his first of the season, while Zlatan Ibrahimović collected his third assist in MLS, all over the last two games. Ibrahimović has played a part in four of the Galaxy’s last five goals scored (one goal, three assists), since April 14.
  
• The teams met twice a season ago, and FC Dallas won both. FCD claimed a 2-1 win in the season opener on March 4 at StubHub Center, then in the season finale on Decision Day on Oct. 22, FCD rolled to a 5-1 victory at Toyota Stadium as Roland Lamah scored twice and Mauro Diaz netted one and set up two others.
  
• The win in the first meeting last year ended a nine-game home undefeated streak in the series for the Galaxy, their first loss to FC Dallas in Carson since Sept. 12, 2009, having gone 7-0-2 over that stretch.
  

Columbus Crew SC vs. Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Nemanja Nikolic scored the game’s only goal after 27 minutes for a Fire victory April 7 at Toyota Park.
  
• The Fire have won two of the past three meetings between the teams, after going 10 games winless against Crew SC, dating back to a 2-1 victory in Columbus on June 22, 2013. Crew SC had won five of the meetings in between, with five draws.
  
• Crew SC are undefeated in their past seven home meetings in the series (5-0-2), the last win for the Fire in Columbus coming in 2013. The Fire have won the last two meetings in Bridgeview, following a four-game home winless streak in the series.
  

New England Revolution vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m. ET (TSN, ESPN+)

• Sebastian Giovinco scored his first league goal of the campaign and also added his third assist of the year in MLS (his second game in a row with an assist), in TFC’s 3-0 win vs. Philadelphia. It was the 15th time in Giovinco’s MLS career he’s scored at least one goal and added at least one assist in the same game.
  
• The Revolution saw their brief two-game undefeated run come to an end, falling 4-2 to the Montréal Impact at Stade Saputo on Saturday afternoon. Wilfredo Zahibo scored both Revolution goals, his first two-goal game since coming to MLS and the Revs.
  
• The teams met three times a season ago, each winning on their home ground. The Revolution won twice, both at Gillette Stadium – a 3-0 win on June 3, and a 2-1 victory Sept. 23. TFC claimed the lone meeting at BMO Field, a 2-0 triumph June 23.
  
• The Revolution are undefeated in the past six meetings in Foxborough, with four wins and two draws in that time.
  
• TFC has won the past two meetings between the teams at BMO Field. TFC’s win there on Aug. 6, 2016 snapped an eight-game Revolution undefeated streak in the series, dating back to 2013. It was the first home win in the series for TFC since 2010, snapping a six-game winless streak (and three-game losing streak) vs. New England at BMO Field.
  

Real Salt Lake vs. D.C. United, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

• Real suffered a second consecutive loss for the first time this season, falling 3-1 to Orlando City SC on Sunday afternoon at Orlando City Stadium. Homegrown Player Corey Baird scored his second goal of the season.
  
• D.C. United return to action after a week off, suffering a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Union at Talen Energy Stadium on April 28. It was a fourth consecutive road defeat for United, their away winless streak now at nine games dating back to last season, tied for the fourth-longest in the club’s 23-year history.
  
• Real Salt Lake completed their history at RFK Stadium with their only win there ever – a 1-0 victory last Aug. 12 in the only meeting between the teams. United had won six of the first nine league encounters on East Capitol Street, and also claimed a U.S. Open Cup play-in match there in 2010. Their last meeting in Washington was a wild 6-4 D.C. United win in 2015, the 10 total goals tied for second-most in a game in MLS history.
  
• United won on their first ever trip to Utah in 2005 – a 3-1 win at Rice-Eccles Stadium – and haven’t won there again. Real are 7-0-2 at home in the series since, including a 1-1 draw at Rio Tinto Stadium in the last meeting between the teams there, July 1, 2016.
  

Colorado Rapids vs. New York Red Bulls, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

• The Rapids suffered a third consecutive defeat, falling 1-0 to Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday evening.
  
• The Red Bulls once again dominated their cross-river rivals, defeating New York City FC 4-0 at Red Bull Arena on Saturday afternoon.
  
• Kaku scored for a second consecutive match, now with three goals on the season, and also added a pair of assists, his second straight two-assist game. Kaku played a role in six consecutive Red Bulls goals over the last two games.
  
• The Red Bulls won the lone meeting between the teams, a 1-0 victory last March 11 at Red Bull Arena, their first win in the series since 2012. The Rapids had won two of the four matchups in between, with two draws.
  
• The Rapids have won five of the last six meetings between the teams in Commerce City; the Red Bulls haven’t won in Colorado since 2007.
  
• The Rapids have never won in Harrison; their last away win in the series came in 2009, a 3-2 victory at Giants Stadium. The Red Bulls have won three of the six meetings at home since, with three draws.
  

Sunday, May 13, 2018
Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN)

• The Timbers won their third game on the trot after a five-game winless stretch to open the season. Diego Valeri scored the game’s lone goal from a free kick for a win against the San Jose Earthquakes at Avaya Stadium. Valeri has a goal and/or an assist in each of the past five games (3 goals, 3 assists), involved directly in six of the Timbers’ 11 goals in that span.
  
• Stefan Frei was credited with two saves in recording the shutout in the goalless draw with Columbus Crew SC at CenturyLink Field. It was the first clean sheet of the season for Frei; he led MLS with 13 shutouts last season.
  
• The teams met three times a year ago in league play, with Sounders FC coming away with the lone victory, a 1-0 victory May 27 in Seattle. The teams played to a pair of draws, once at each ground – a 2-2 result June 25 at Providence Park, and a 1-1 tie Aug. 27 at CenturyLink Field. The teams also met in the U.S. Open Cup fourth round, with Sounders FC taking a 2-1 win.
  
• This meeting will be the 100th all-time between the clubs. Since their first meeting in 1975 in the old North American Soccer League, Seattle have won 50 times and Portland have won 35, with 14 draws. In Major League Soccer league play, Sounders FC have won nine matches, the Timbers have won five, and six have been draws. The Timbers won both meetings in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
  
• Sounders FC are now 7-0-3 all-time at home in regular season games vs. Portland – though the Timbers did win there in the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs.
  

Orlando City SC vs. Atlanta United, 6 p.m. ET (FS1, TSN)

• Orlando City SC extended their winning streak to a club-record six games, coming from behind for a 3-1 win against Real Salt Lake at Orlando City Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Dom Dwyer scored his sixth goal of the season – all coming over the six-game winning run – while Sacha Kljestan added his fourth assist of the season; he has two goals and four assists in the six-game span.
  
• Ezequiel Barco scored his first goal in MLS, netting the opener in Atlanta United’s 2-1 win vs. Chicago. Barco was making a third consecutive start.
  
• The teams met three times a year ago in Atlanta United’s inaugural campaign – and the expansion side did not lose to their neighbors to the south. ATLUTD claimed one victory – a 1-0 win in the first meeting between the teams, July 21 at Orlando City Stadium.
  
• The teams played to a pair of draws, both in Atlanta – a 1-1 result July 29 at Bobby Dodd Stadium, then a 3-3 deadlock Sept. 16 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
  

Los Angeles Football Club vs. New York City FC, 8:30 p.m. ET (FS1)

• New York City FC suffered their second defeat in the last three games, both away from Yankee Stadium, falling 4-0 to the New York Red Bulls in the first Hudson River derby of the season at Red Bull Arena on Saturday afternoon.
  
• Carlos Vela collected his fourth assist of the season in LAFC’s 1-1 draw with FC Dallas on Saturday afternoon – the sixth time in eight matches he’s recorded a goal and/or an assist. Vela played a part of half of LAFC’s 18 first goals (five goals, four assists).
  
• This is the first meeting between the clubs. A year ago, NYCFC won both first encounters with the expansion class of 2017, both by 3-1 scorelines – May 7 vs. Atlanta United, and June 29 vs. Minnesota United FC.