MLS MEDIA RESOURCES: WEEK 35 NEWS & NOTES
DECISION DAY 2021 SET UP TO BE MOST DRAMATIC IN LEAGUE HISTORY
Since Decision Day was started with the 2015 season, this year’s edition is by far the most volatile final day in league history. Eleven teams are still alive for six available spots -- the most ever in the seven editions of Decision Day.
Of the berths still available, the top seed in the Western Conference and resulting first-round bye to start the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs is still up for grabs, as is a home game to kick off the postseason in the Eastern Conference. Three playoff berths in each conference are still available, with six teams alive in the East and five teams in the West.
Before this year, the most teams that saw their seasons end on Decision Day were three, which occurred last year. The most available spots previously on Decision Day came in the first two editions (2015 and 2016), when four berths were still open for claiming.
NASHVILLE SC, REVOLUTION CHASING RECORD RUNS FOR A SEASON
A couple of teams are chasing some all-time standings records entering Decision Day. The New England Revolution, having already set the all-time record for most standings points in a season with 73 coming into the season finale, will be looking to match the MLS record for fewest losses over the course of a full season. The Revolution have lost just four times over their first 33 games – along with Nashville SC this year – matching the record low total set six times previously.
Nashville SC are aiming to become the seventh team in MLS history to go through an entire season without a loss at home.
Heading into their Decision Day finale at Nissan Stadium, Nashville has a 8-0-8 record in home games this season. The New England Revolution have lost just once at Gillette Stadium, currently one of 39 further teams with just one loss at home over a season, along with the Colorado Rapids, who have lost just once at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park this year. The Revs have already become one of just 19 teams in league annals to have lost three games or fewer on the road over the course of a season.
SKC’S RUSSELL NOW IN RECORD CHASE FOR GOALS/ASSISTS IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES
While his goalscoring streak was snapped after eight games – the fifth-longest streak with a goal in MLS history – Sporting Kansas City’s Johnny Russell extended his streak with a goal and/or an assist and is approaching the all-time league record.
Russell now has gone 10 consecutive games, dating back to Sept. 11, with either a goal and/or an assist, with 11 goals and three assists over the span. That’s now tied for the seventh-longest such streak in the MLS record book, five games away from the record set by Josef Martínez in 2019.
MLS WEEK 35 (DECISION DAY) – LOOK AHEAD
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION vs. INTER MIAMI CF
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 (Week 35, MLS Game #447)
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
3:30 p.m. ET (WSBK TV38 / MyRITV; MyTV33 / UniMás 69)
REFEREE: Alan Kelly. AR1 (bench): Adam Wienckowski; AR2 (opposite): Peter Manikowski; 4th: Alyssa Nichols; VAR: Katja Koroleva; AVAR: Thomas Supple
MLS Career: 153 games; FC/gm: 24.2; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 19; pens: 56
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Revolution 1 win, 5 goals … Inter Miami 0 wins, 0 goals … Ties 0
AT NEW ENGLAND: First meeting.
· The Revolution extended their undefeated run to 10 games and guaranteed they will have the most standings points in a single season in MLS history, defeating the Colorado Rapids by the game’s lone goal last time out at Gillette Stadium on Oct. 27. Tajon Buchanan scored his eighth goal of the season for the game-winner.
· The win was No. 240 for Revolution head coach Bruce Arena in his MLS league career, matching the record total set by Sigi Schmid.
· Inter Miami CF suffered a second loss on the trot, falling 3-1 to New York City FC at DRV PNK Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Nicolás Figal scored the first goal of his MLS career his two seasons for the IMCF tally.
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season and in their histories. Arnor Traustason and Adam Buksa each netted a pair of goals and Carles Gil had a pair of assists as the Revolution rolled to a 5-0 win July 21 at DRV PNK Stadium.
REVOLUTION: Adam Buksa collected his fourth assist of the season, his second in the last three games; he has a goal and/or an assist in three consecutive games, with three goals and two assists in that run. … Emmanuel Boateng recorded his fourth assist of the season, his last coming Aug. 21. … Matt Turner was credited with four saves in recording his fifth shutout of the season, his last coming Aug. 4.
INTER MIAMI: Leandro González Pirez recorded his fourth assist of the season, his first three coming in back-to-back games Aug. 18-21. The four assists are a single-season career-high in his fifth MLS campaign.
CF MONTRÉAL vs. ORLANDO CITY SC
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 (Week 35, MLS Game #448)
Stade Saputo, Montréal, Qué.
3:30 p.m. ET (TVA Sports / TSN1; FOX35 Plus / LionNation TV)
REFEREE: Armando Villarreal. AR1 (bench): Logan Brown; AR2 (opposite): Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho; 4th: Silviu Petrescu; VAR: Carol Anne Chenard; AVAR: Gianni Facchini
MLS Career: 166 games; FC/gm: 22.7; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 29; pens: 36
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: CFMTL 7 wins, 26 goals … Orlando City 5 wins, 22 goals … Ties 3
MONTRÉAL HOME GAME: CFMTL 3 wins, 10 goals … Orlando City 3 wins, 11 goals … Ties 1
· CF Montréal gained a fifth result in the last six matches, defeating Houston Dynamo FC 2-0 at Stade Saputo on Wednesday evening. Rudy Camacho netted the opener, his third of the season and second in the last four games, and Kamal Miller scored four minutes later – the first goal of his MLS career, in his 54th league appearance.
· Orlando City SC gained a sixth result out of the last seven games, reaching a 1-1 draw with Nashville SC at Exploria Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Daryl Dike scored his ninth goal of the season, a third consecutive game with a goal, his sixth over his last eight games.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season. In the last meeting, Oct. 20 at Exploria Stadium, Chris Mueller gave OCSC the lead just before halftime, but CFMTL’s Rudy Camacho scored just after the break, leaving the teams in a 1-1 draw. On Sept. 15, Romell Quioto scored a pair of goals and added an assist as CF Montréal cruised to a 4-2 win at Exploria Stadium.
· The CFMTL win in the first meeting ended a three-game OCSC winning streak over all competitions in the series, which followed a three-game Montréal winning streak in the series, and a six-game undefeated streak, with five wins in that span. The last OCSC victory in the series had come Sept. 7, 2016, a 4-1 victory at Stade Saputo. Montréal have a six-game undefeated streak alive in Orlando, with four wins and two draws.
CFMTL: Djordje Mihailovic collected his 16th assist of the season, now two assists behind Carles Gil of New England for the league leadership. The 16 assists are the CFMTL club record, surpassing the total of 13 set by Ignacio Piatti in 2018.
OCSC: Chris Mueller gained his sixth assist of the season; he has a goal and two assists over the last six matches. … Nani recorded his eighth assist of the year, his last coming Sept. 4.
NEW YORK CITY FC vs. PHILADELPHIA UNION
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 (Week 35, MLS Game #449)
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
3:30 p.m. ET (YES; PHL17)
REFEREE: Guido Gonzales Jr. AR1 (bench): Jose da Silva; AR2 (opposite): Ryan Graves; 4th: Ismir Pekmic; VAR: Chris Penso; AVAR: Gjovalin Bori
MLS Career: 35 games; FC/gm: 26.2; Y/gm: 4.3; R: 9; pens: 11
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: NYCFC 8 wins, 22 goals … Union 5 wins, 17 goals … Ties 1
AT NYCFC: NYCFC 4 wins, 13 goals … Union 0 wins, 7 goals … Ties 1
· NYCFC won their third game in a row, defeating Inter Miami CF 3-1 at DRV PNK Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Valentin Castellanos scored a pair of goals, his fourth multiple-goal game this season (tied for the league lead), now sitting atop the MLS Golden Boot standings with 18 goals for the season.
· The Union made it three games without loss, defeating FC Cincinnati 2-0 at Subaru Park on Sunday evening. Daniel Gázdag scored his fourth goal of the season, his third in the last four games, then collected his fifth assist of the year on the third goal of the year from Paxten Aaronson.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Jesús Medina and Valentin Castellanos scored as NYCFC took a 2-0 win May 1 at Subaru Park, then on Aug. 18 in Chester, Alejandro Bedoya scored the game’s only goal in the Union victory.
· NYCFC have won nine of the last 12 meetings between the teams, including the last four league meetings in the Bronx, and a matchup in the Knockout Round in 2018, a 3-1 victory at Yankee Stadium.
NYCFC: Valentin Castellanos added his eighth assist of the season; he had five goals and an assist over the last three games. It was the seventh time in his MLS career he had at least one goal and one assist in the same game. … Maximiliano Moralez collected his 10th assist of the season, his first since Sept. 22; it’s the third time in five MLS seasons he’s reached double figures in assists. … Talles Magno scored his second goal in MLS, his first coming Sept. 14. … James Sands recorded his first assist of the season, the second of his MLS career. … Alexander Callens gained the first assist of his MLS career, in his fifth season.
UNION: Andre Blake was credited with two saves in recording a second consecutive shutout, now with 12 for the season, tied for third place in MLS, one off the league lead. … Jack McGlynn recorded his first career assist in MLS, making his 18th appearance. … Olivier Mbaizo collected his third assist of the season, now a single-season career-high in his fourth MLS campaign. … Alejandro Bedoya gained his third assist of the season, his last coming Sept. 19.
TORONTO FC vs. D.C. UNITED
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 (Week 35, MLS Game #450)
BMO Field, Toronto, Ont.
3:30 p.m. ET (TSN4; NBCS-Wash / TeleXitos)
REFEREE: Marcos de Oliveira. AR1 (bench): Andrew Bigelow; AR2 (opposite): Brian Dunn; 4th: Yusri Rudolf; VAR: Geoff Gamble; AVAR: Robert Schaap
MLS Career: 59 games; FC/gm: 25.6; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 5; pens: 16
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Toronto FC 10 wins, 48 goals … D.C. United 15 wins, 62 goals … Ties 10
AT BMO FIELD: Toronto FC 6 wins, 21 goals … D.C. United 8 wins, 20 goals … Ties 3
· Toronto FC gained their third draw in a row, reaching a 1-1 result with Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Jordan Perruzza scored his first career goal in MLS, making his fourth league appearance.
· D.C. United weren’t able to build upon a first win in five games, falling 3-1 to the Columbus Crew at Audi Field on Saturday evening. Paul Arriola scored his sixth goal of the season, his first since netting a brace Sept. 25 vs. FC Cincinnati.
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season. D.C. United set a club record in their 26-year history, scoring seven goals in a 7-1 win at Audi Field on July 3. It was the 10th time in MLS history seven or more goals were scored by a team in a single team – with seven different goalscorers, it marked the first time there were that many for a team in a single game, in 6,308 regular season games all-time.
· The previous four meetings, all over the previous two seasons, ended in draws. In the last meeting in Toronto, May 15, 2019, at BMO Field, TFC took 36 total attempts toward goal – tied for the second-most in a single game in MLS history, and the most ever from a team without scoring a goal – in a goalless draw.
· The teams also met in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2019 – Toronto FC claiming a 5-1 win in extra time in the Round One match Oct. 19 at BMO Field. The game was knotted 1-1 after 90 minutes; the four goals in extra time were an all-time MLS record, both for a single game and for one team.
TFC: Dom Dwyer recorded his first assist since coming to TFC, his last coming July 20, 2020 with Orlando City. … Jayden Nelson collected the first assist of his MLS career, coming in his 14th appearance over two seasons.
UNITED: Felipe Martins gained his third assist of the season, his last coming Aug. 28.
COLUMBUS CREW vs. CHICAGO FIRE FC
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 (Week 35, MLS Game #451)
Lower.com Field, Columbus, Ohio
3:30 p.m. ET (Bally Sports GL; WGN-TV)
REFEREE: Timothy Ford. AR1 (bench): Adam Garner; AR2 (opposite): Matthew Nelson; 4th: Chris Ruska; VAR: Kevin Terry Jr.; AVAR: Claudiu Badea
MLS Career: 38 games; FC/gm: 21.3; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 10; pens: 8
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Crew 21 wins (0 shootout), 105 goals … Fire 27 wins (1 shootout), 94 goals … Ties 22
AT COLUMBUS: Crew 15 wins (0 shootout), 64 goals … Fire 10 wins (1 shootout), 40 goals … Ties 9
· The Crew won their second game in a row to stay alive in a bid to defend their MLS Cup title, defeating D.C. United 3-1 at Audi Field on Saturday evening. Lucas Zelarayán scored a pair of goals, now with 11 goals for the season; his second two-goal game of the season, he has four goals and three assists over the last four games.
· The Fire saw their two-game winning run put to an end last time out, falling 2-0 to New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 27.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Gyasi Zardes nabbed both goals as the Crew took a 2-0 win June 19 in the final MLS league match at Historic Crew Stadium, then Luka Stojanovic scored the game’s only goal in the Fire win Aug. 15 at Soldier Field.
· The Crew have a 11-game home undefeated streak alive in the all-time series. The Fire last won in Columbus on June 22, 2013. The Fire are undefeated in their last eight home meetings with the Crew, with two wins and six draws, the Crew’s last win at the Fire coming in 2015.
CREW: Pedro Santos scored his fourth goal of the season; he has two goals and three assists over the last five games. … Darlington Nagbe recorded his fifth assist of the season, all coming over his last eight matches (since Sept. 18). … Miguel Berry collected his second career assist in MLS; he has a goal or an assist now in four consecutive matches, with two goals and two assists in that span.
FIRE: Gabriel Slonina made his ninth consecutive start, and 10th overall between the posts. Slonina is the youngest goalkeeper to start a game in MLS history, aged 17 years, 81 days when he played Aug. 4 vs. NYCFC at Soldier Field.
FC CINCINNATI vs. ATLANTA UNITED
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 (Week 35, MLS Game #452)
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
3:30 p.m. ET (WSTR – Star 64; Bally Sports South/SE)
REFEREE: Nima Saghafi. AR1 (bench): Ian McKay; AR2 (opposite): Jeffrey Swartzel; 4th: Danielle Chesky; VAR: Sorin Stoica; AVAR: Peter Balciunas
MLS Career: 85 games; FC/gm: 26.2; Y/gm: 3.8; R: 9; pens: 25
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: FCC 1 win, 4 goals … ATLUTD 4 wins, 12 goals … Ties 2
AT CINCINNATI: FCC 0 wins, 1 goal … ATLUTD 1 win, 3 goals … Ties 1
· Atlanta United extended their undefeated run to five games with a third draw in that time, playing to a scoreless result with the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday evening.
· FC Cincinnati head into the season finale of their third MLS campaign following a 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park on Sunday evening.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Josef Martínez scored a pair of goals, Luiz Araujo had a goal and an assist and Ezequiel Barco hit a stunning free kick as ATLUTD claimed a 4-0 win Sept. 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. On July 21 at TQL Stadium, Luciano Acosta of FCC and Atlanta’s Ronald Hernández traded goals late, leaving the teams in a 1-1 draw.
· ATLUTD have won the last three meetings at home, including both games in Atlanta a year ago. ATLUTD has also won both games played in Cincinnati; the lone FCC win came last year the group stage of the MLS is Back Tournament.
ATLUTD: Brad Guzan was credited with three saves in recording his 10th shutout of the season, sitting in sixth place in the MLS shutout standings. He’s reached double figures in shutouts for a third time in nine MLS seasons.
FCC: Chris Duvall came on as a halftime substitute, his 45-minute shift his longest in four appearances since joining FC Cincinnati.
NASHVILLE SC vs. NEW YORK RED BULLS
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 (Week 35, MLS Game #453)
Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
2:30 p.m. CT (ESPN / ESPN Deportes)
REFEREE: Drew Fischer. AR1 (bench): Kathryn Nesbitt; AR2 (opposite): Cameron Blanchard; 4th: Joshua Encarnacion; VAR: Jorge Gonzalez; AVAR: Jeff Muschik
MLS Career: 153 games; FC/gm: 25.1; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 23; pens: 47
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Nashville SC 0 wins, 0 goals … Red Bulls 1 win, 2 goals … Ties 0
AT NASHVILLE: First meeting.
· Nashville SC gained a second result in a row, playing to a 1-1 draw with Orlando City SC at Exploria Stadium on Sunday afternoon at Exploria Stadium. Hany Mukhtar scored his 15th goal of the season, tied for sixth place in the MLS Golden Boot standings.
· The Red Bulls extended their undefeated streak at Red Bull Arena to seven matches, reaching a goalless draw with Atlanta United on Wednesday evening.
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season and in their histories. Fabio and Kyle Duncan netted goals on either side of halftime to give the Red Bulls the 2-0 win June 18 at Red Bull Arena.
NASHVILLE SC: Randall Leal collected his ninth assist of the season; he has two goals and two assists over the last two games. … CJ Sapong recorded his fifth assist of the season, now with two goals and an assist in the last two games. The five assists equal his single-season career-high in his 11th MLS season, also set in 2011 (Sporting KC) and 2017 (Philadelphia).
RED BULLS: Carlos Miguel Coronel was credited with one save in recording his 13th shutout of the season, a second consecutive clean sheet, now tied for the league lead with Joe Willis (NSH) and William Yarbrough (COL). Coronel extended his shutout streak to 261 minutes.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY vs. REAL SALT LAKE
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 (Week 35, MLS Game #454)
Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kan.
5 p.m. CT (Bally Sports KC; KMYU-12)
REFEREE: Ted Unkel. AR1 (bench): Ian Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Corey Rockwell; 4th: Jon Freemon; VAR: Younes Marrakchi; AVAR: Mike Kampmeinert
MLS Career: 126 games; FC/gm: 23.4; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 39; pens: 60
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Sporting 11 wins, 41 goals … Real 14 wins, 44 goals … Ties 8
AT KC: Sporting 6 wins, 19 goals … Real 4 wins, 15 goals … Ties 5
· Sporting fell to a second successive reversal, dropping a 3-1 decision to Austin FC at Q2 Stadium on Wednesday evening.
· Johnny Russell scored his 15th goal of the season, now tied for sixth place in the MLS Golden Boot standings, a 10th consecutive game with a goal and/or an assist, with 11 goals and 3 assists over that span. The 10-game streak is tied for seventh-longest in MLS history.
· Real went down to a second loss on the trot, falling 3-1 to the Portland Timbers at Rio Tinto Stadium on Wednesday evening.
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Damir Kreilach scored the opening goal then assisted on a pair of goals from Rubio Rubin, leading Real to a 3-1 win May 1 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
· The teams met twice a season ago, and Sporting won both by 2-0 scorelines, during the group stage of the MLS is Back Tournament, then Khiry Shelton and Erik Hurtado scored on either side of halftime as Sporting took the victory on Decision Day (Nov. 8) at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake had won both meetings in 2019, once at each ground.
· The teams of course also met in MLS Cup 2013, Sporting winning in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw through 120 minutes. They faced each other in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2018, SKC winning the series 5-3 on aggregate.
SPORTING: Gadi Kinda recorded his eighth assist of the season, a third consecutive game with an assist, with four assists over that span. Kinda has assisted on each of SKC’s last four goals. … Luis Martins collected his fourth assist of the season, his third assist over the last seven games.
REAL: Albert Rusnák converted a penalty kick for his 11th goal of the season, his fourth goal in the last three games.
COLORADO RAPIDS vs. LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL CLUB
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 (Week 35, MLS Game #455)
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colo.
4 p.m. MT (Altitude; My13 /KCOP, Estrella TV)
REFEREE: Allen Chapman. AR1 (bench): Nick Uranga; AR2 (opposite): Jeff Hosking; 4th: Greg Dopka; VAR: Daniel Radford; AVAR: TJ Zablocki
MLS Career: 195 games; FC/gm: 22.2; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 47; pens: 84
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Rapids 1 win, 3 goals … LAFC 4 wins, 10 goals … Ties 0
AT DICK’S SPORTING GOODS PARK: Rapids 1 win, 1 goal … LAFC 1 win, 3 goals … Ties 0
· The Rapids claimed a second win in the last three games, defeating Houston Dynamo FC by the game’s only goal at PNC Stadium on Saturday evening. Dominique Badji scored his fourth goal of the season, his third in the last four games, for the Colorado tally.
· LAFC stretched their undefeated run to six matches, reaching a 1-1 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Banc of California Stadium on Tuesday evening. Mamadou Fall scored his fourth goal of the season for the LAFC tally.
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Diego Rossi scored a brace in the first half to give LAFC the 2-1 win May 22 at Banc of California Stadium.
· The teams had last met in 2019 – on Decision Day (Oct. 6). Carlos Vela scored a hat trick as LAFC took a 3-1 win at Banc of California Stadium; on June 28 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Danny Wilson scored the game’s only goal on 49 minutes, giving the Rapids the victory.
· The teams met twice in LAFC’s inaugural season, and the expansion club won both, without conceding a goal. LAFC took a 2-0 win on Aug. 19 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, then claimed a 3-0 victory on Oct. 6 at Banc of California Stadium.
RAPIDS: William Yarbrough was credited with six saves in recording his 13th shutout of the season, now tied for the league lead with Joe Willis of Nashville SC. … Younes Namli recorded his first assist of the season, his last coming last Nov. 4 at Portland.
LAFC: Carlos Vela made a second consecutive appearance off the substitutes’ bench, coming on for the final 18 minutes, after missing 11 matches in a row to injury.
LA GALAXY vs. MINNESOTA UNITED FC
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 (Week 35, MLS Game #456)
Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, Calif.
3 p.m. PT (FS1 / FOX Deportes)
REFEREE: Kevin Stott. AR1 (bench): Kyle Atkins; AR2 (opposite): Jeremy Hanson; 4th: Brandon Stevis; VAR: Edvin Jurisevic; AVAR: Fabio Tovar
MLS Career: 376 games; FC/gm: 24.4; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 86; pens: 99
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Galaxy 5 wins, 14 goals … MNUFC 1 win, 9 goals … Ties 2
AT LA: Galaxy 2 wins, 8 goals … MNUFC 0 wins, 4 goals … Ties 1
· The Galaxy gained a fifth result in their last six games, reaching a 1-1 draw with Seattle Sounders FC at Lumen Field on Monday evening. Javier Hernández scored his 15th goal of the season, his fourth goal over the last seven games, now tied for sixth place in the MLS Golden Boot standings.
· Minnesota United put an end to a two-game winless skid with a massive win, defeating Sporting Kansas City 2-1 at Allianz Field on Sunday afternoon. Emanuel Reynoso converted a penalty kick for the eventual game-winner, his fifth goal of the season.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Kévin Cabral scored the game’s only goal in the 41st minute as the Galaxy took the win Aug. 14 at Allianz Field, then on Sept. 18 in Saint Paul, Emanuel Reynoso scored two goals and Franco Fragapane added two assists as MNUFC eased to a 3-0 win.
· The Minnesota United FC win in the last meeting was their first in eight meetings between the teams all-time; the Galaxy had won five. The Galaxy also won a Round One meeting in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2019, a 2-1 win in Saint Paul.
GALAXY: Sebastian Lletget collected his fifth assist of the season; he has a goal and an assist over the last three games. … Nick DePuy recorded his second career assist in MLS, the first coming last Sept. 2 vs. Portland.
MNUFC: Franco Fragapane netted the equalizer for MNUFC; Fragapane has five goals and nine assists in his 18 games since coming to MLS.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES vs. FC DALLAS
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 (Week 35, MLS Game #457)
PayPal Park, San Jose, Calif.
3 p.m. PT (NBCS-CA; FCDTV / Estrella KMPX-29)
REFEREE: Victor Rivas. AR1 (bench): Chantal Boudreau; AR2 (opposite): Meghan Mullen; 4th: Baldomero Toledo; VAR: Michael Radchuk; AVAR: Apolinar Mariscal
MLS Career: 38 games; FC/gm: 23.3; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 6; pens: 16
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Earthquakes 29 wins (4 shootout), 104 goals … FC Dallas 20 wins (3 shootout), 79 goals … Ties 18
AT SAN JOSE: Earthquakes 17 wins (4 shootout), 59 goals … FC Dallas 8 wins (2 shootout), 39 goals … Ties 9
· The Quakes gained a third result in their last four games, snatching a wild 4-3 win against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Cade Cowell scored his fifth goal of the season and added his fifth assist, while Carlos Fierro scored his third goal and claimed his fourth assist – that coming on the 170th league goal of Chris Wondolowski’s MLS league career.
· FC Dallas put paid to a 10-game winless slide, defeating Austin FC 2-1 at Toyota Stadium on Saturday evening to claim the Copa Tejas contested between the three MLS rivals. Jesús Ferreira scored his eighth goal of the season, his second in three games, and Carlos Jara contributed his seventh, his third in the last four games.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season. The Quakes took a 3-1 win April 24 at PayPal Park, behind goals from Oswaldo Alanis, Cristian Espinoza and Cade Cowell, their first meeting since a pair of draws in 2019. The teams then reached a 1-1 draw Sept. 11 at Toyota Stadium.
· The Quakes now have a eight-game undefeated streak alive in the series, since 2017, with four wins and four draws over that span. They have come away with points on their last five trips to Frisco, FCD’s last home win in the series coming in 2015.
· The Quakes have gained results in their last four home meetings in the series; their 4-3 win Aug. 29, 2018 was their first at home vs. FC Dallas since 2014, and their first ever vs. FCD at PayPal Park. FCD had come away with points on their previous five trips to northern California, with two wins and three draws.
QUAKES: Cade Cowell had at least one goal and one assist in the same game for the third time this season, the first two coming in back-to-back games April 24-May 1. … JT Marcinkowski was credited with his first career assist. … Jackson Yueill scored his third goal of the season, his first two coming May 1 vs. D.C. United. The three goals equaled his MLS single-season career-high (also 2019). … Marcos López gained his second assist of the season, his first coming Sept. 25.
FCD: Jader Obrian gained his fourth assist of the season; he has three assists over the last four games. … Ewa Twumasi recorded his first career assist in MLS, making his 29th league appearance over four seasons.
PORTLAND TIMBERS vs. AUSTIN FC
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 (Week 35, MLS Game #458)
Providence Park, Portland, Ore.
3 p.m. PT (KPDX; KNVA [CW Austin] / UniMás Austin)
REFEREE: Rosendo Mendoza. AR1 (bench): Chris Elliott; AR2 (opposite): Brooke Mayo; 4th: Elijio Arreguin; VAR: Malik Badawi; AVAR: Joshua Patlak
MLS Career: 34 games; FC/gm: 24.1; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 4; pens: 8
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Timbers 0 wins, 2 goals … Austin FC 2 wins, 7 goals … Ties 0
AT PORTLAND: First meeting.
· The Timbers won their second game in a row, defeating Real Salt Lake 3-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium on Wednesday evening, guaranteeing a home game to start the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs in the process.
· Sebastian Blanco netted a pair of goals, now with six for the season, his third in the last five games. It was the third two-goal game of his MLS career, the 48th player in the Timbers’ MLS history to score two goals in a game.
· Austin FC won their second game in the last three outings, defeating Sporting Kansas City 3-1 in the season finale at Q2 Stadium this year on Wednesday evening.
· Sebastian Driussi sent ATXFC on its way with the opening goal after just 36 seconds, the fastest from the start of the game in the club’s inaugural season, his fifth goal of the year and second in the last three games.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season and in their histories, and Austin FC won the first two. Cecilio Dominguez set up a pair of goals in a 4-1 win in the first meeting, July 1 at Q2 Stadium, then Dominguez and Diego Fagundez each had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 Aug. 21 in Austin.
TIMBERS: Yimmi Chará recorded his sixth assist of the season, his second in the last four games. … Cristhian Paredes collected his second assist of the year, both coming in the last four games. … Jaroslaw Niezgoda recorded the second assist of his MLS career, the first coming last Oct. 28.
ATXFC: Julio Cascante scored his second goal of the season, his first coming Aug. 29. … Jared Stroud scored the first goal of his MLS career, making his 41st appearance over two seasons. Stroud also recorded his fourth assist of the season. … Diego Fagundez collected a pair of assists, the sixth two-assist game of his MLS career, now with five assists for the season. … Zan Kolmanic gained his fourth assist of the season, his last coming Aug. 29.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC vs. SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021 (Week 35, MLS Game #459)
BC Place, Vancouver, B.C.
3 p.m. PT (TSN 1/4; FOX 13+ / Amazon Prime)
REFEREE: Fotis Bazakos. AR1 (bench): Chris Wattam; AR2 (opposite): Jeffrey Greeson; 4th: Alain Ruch; VAR: Alejandro Mariscal; AVAR: Rene Parra
MLS Career: 122 games; FC/gm: 24.8; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 23; pens: 39
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Whitecaps FC 7 wins, 30 goals … Sounders FC 15 wins, 48 goals … Ties 7
AT VANCOUVER: Whitecaps FC 3 wins, 13 goals … Sounders FC 6 wins, 20 goals … Ties 5
· Whitecaps FC stretched their undefeated streak to five matches, playing to a 1-1 draw with Los Angeles Football Club at Banc of California Stadium on Tuesday evening. Cristian Dajomé netted his 10th goal of the season for the ‘Caps, his second in the last four games.
· Sounders FC saw their winless skid extended, reaching a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy at Lumen Field on Monday evening. Raúl Ruidíaz converted a penalty kick for his 17th goal of the season, sitting in a tie for second place in the MLS Golden Boot standings.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Four different players scored goals as Sounders FC rolled to a 4-0 win Oct. 9 at Lumen Field; the teams also reached a 2-2 draw June 26 in Seattle.
· Sounders FC have a 11-game undefeated streak alive in the series, since the last Whitecaps FC win April 14, 2017, a 2-1 victory at BC Place. Seattle has won eight of the 11 league games in between, with three draws; Sounders FC also advanced in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2017 with a goalless draw and a 2-0 win at home.
· The teams have met the most times of any rivalry in soccer history in the USA and Canada. Since the clubs first met at Empire Stadium on June 9, 1974, in the old North American Soccer League, they have played 145 times over all competitions. The Sounders have won 71, the Whitecaps 50, and there have been 24 draws.
WHITECAPS FC: Ryan Gauld recorded his sixth assist of the season, his second in as many games; he has a goal and four assists over the last seven games. … Brian White recorded his fifth assist of the year, his third over the last five games.
SOUNDERS FC: Raúl Ruidíaz equaled the Sounders FC single-season goalscoring record in the club’s MLS history, matching the 17 goals scored by Obafemi Martins in 2014. … Jordan Morris made his season debut, coming on as a substitute for the final half-hour, after suffering a knee injury in February while on loan to Swansea City FC in the UK.
