We’re really starting to hit the wall in Major League Soccer and we have another weekend of highly anticipated games to sink our teeth into. Let’s delve deeper into some of the biggest stories.
Journey calendar
There are two high-profile clashes between the Cascadia and Los Angeles clubs this weekend, but let’s zoom in on Lumen Field as Seattle hosts LAFC.
Although Black and Gold come into the Northwest clash having dropped points in the last two games, they remain in pole position to finish top of the West if they return to winning ways.
Seattle, on the other hand, has won five games in a row and reached the top seven in the conference.
Despite being in good form, Brian Schmetzer’s men need a signature victory to remind everyone that the Western Conference still runs through the Pacific Northwest.
Meanwhile, LAFC will be desperate to right the wrongs of recent weeks, and a win in front of a packed Lumen Field would be the perfect tonic.
Player to watch
Inter Miami’s youngsters are starting to show they can play a role in Tata Martino’s team when the stars are out of commission.
Federico Redondo has continually shown that he can command the Herons’ midfield, and even scored two goals against Toronto during the week.
With Leo Messi on the physio’s table and Luis Suárez slowly returning from Copa América duties, the supporting cast will need to step up if Miami are to continue on the Supporters Shield path.
Two questions before the journey
Will Montreal be able to take revenge on its rivals?
In the last edition of the Canadian Classique, Toronto put on a show for their fans with a surprising 5-1 victory, but John Herdman’s team has been inconsistent since that day at BMO Field.
Meanwhile, Montreal has seemingly rectified the situation relatively well, moving up to the final playoff spot, now tied on points with Toronto with a game in hand.
The two Canadian clubs appeared to be miles apart in terms of quality in the opening weeks of the season, but Montréal head into the clash at the Stade Saputo with the chance to leapfrog their rivals.
Can Cincinnati rediscover its solidity?
Cincinnati is starting to become an enigma. Since beating Inter Miami 6-1, seemingly announcing their dominance in the Eastern Conference, Pat Noonan’s team has lost two games in a row and the mood on the ground has been poor.
Their confidence in Lucho Acosta has become apparent, but their creaking rearguard is what troubles them most. Without Miles Robinson and Matt Miazga, the Orange and Blue have become easy to pressure and mistakes tend to be capitalized on in this league. To make matters worse, they will be without Alvas Powell against the New York Red Bulls this weekend thanks to the collapse that led to the red card.
Despite all this, the Queen City side can be spectacular on its day and appears to be just 90 minutes away from righting the ship at any given moment.
