This weekend is shaping up to be a good one for MLS fans, with some intriguing battles in the playoff race and bitter rivalry matchups coming up.
As an MLS fan, it can be difficult to keep up with every single match. However, there are some matches and scenarios that have more important implications than others. Here are five things every MLS fan should at least have an eye on this weekend as the playoff races heat up.
1. What kind of lineups will U.S. Open Cup teams field?
Seven MLS teams have other duties to attend to during the upcoming week, with the U.S. Open
Cup quarterfinals on the schedule. Expect those teams to switch up their lineups a bit to have top players available for the U.S. Open Cup, especially those teams that aren’t faring so well in MLS play, i.e. Chicago and Houston. Other teams, such as the LA Galaxy and Philadelphia Union, may use their top players for the MLS matches this weekend rather than the U.S. Open Cup, seeing as they are among the top teams in their respective conferences and have a realistic shot at an MLS Cup. Keep in mind that winning the U.S. Open Cup qualifies a team for next season’s CONCACAF Champions League. The lineups we see this weekend can show how seriously a team is taking the USOC.
2. Timbers-Sounders
The Cascadia Cup rivalry between the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders resumes this Sunday at Providence Park. Both sides haven’t exactly had the seasons they’ve wanted to, but generally, all bets are off when it comes to rivalry games. Keep an eye on how Seattle comes out after a 5-0 thrashing of FC Dallas during the week after FCD fielded a largely inferior lineup. When playing a legitimate MLS lineup in Portland, will Seattle be able to get a roll going or will they go back to their struggles?
3. Can Sporting KC get its finishing touch back?
After going on a roll, defeating teams like FC Dallas and New York City FC, Sporting fell flat on their face during the week in a 1-0 loss to the lowly Chicago Fire. Although they had 19 shots on goal, they got just two of those shots on target, leading to a frustrating night in the Windy City. With SKC just two points above the red line and heading to Colorado to take on Tim Howard, having that kind of night again will lead to a long evening for Sporting. It will be interesting to see if a team in the thick of the playoff race can rebound from a rough outing and pick up a point on the road against one of the league’s best teams.
4. Can the Red Bulls find some consistency (and road wins)?
The New York Red Bulls are third in the Eastern Conference, but have been wildly inconsistent all year long. As it stands now, the Red Bulls are on a four match winless run and have yet to win a single MLS match outside of the New York metropolitan area (one road win at NYCFC). This
weekend, they’ll head to Philadelphia to take on the team just one spot ahead of them in the conference. Can they finally exorcise their road demons? Or will the Union put more distance between themselves and their foes?
5. Will NYCFC continue its success on the road?
The counter to their crosstown rivals, New York City FC have actually been better on the road this season than they have been in Yankee Stadium. As the current top dog in the Eastern Conference, NYCFC will head north of the border to take on the Montreal Impact on Sunday, looking to put some space between themselves and their counterparts. NYCFC’s road mark of 5-3-1 stands as the best in the league. Will that continue against a tough opponent in Montreal?
With all 20 teams playing this weekend, it is shaping up to be an important weekend for MLS, especially in the East, where the top four teams face each other. And with the U.S. Open Cup back in action this week, fans of American soccer will have plenty to look forward to this weekend and beyond.