Martinez adds to record book with multiple 20-goal seasons

MLS MEDIA RESOURCES: WEEK 24 NEWS & NOTES

News and notes and statistical trends from around Major League Soccer

JOSEF MARTÍNEZ ADDS YET ANOTHER CHAPTER TO HISTORIC RECORD

As he chases down his MLS record-setting performance in winning the Golden Boot a season ago, Josef Martínez of Atlanta United has already etched his name in yet another mark as the most prolific striker in the league’s history.
Martínez last weekend scored a pair of goals in Atlanta United’s 3-0 win vs. the LA Galaxy at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, giving him 20 goals for the season. Along with his 31 goals from a year ago – the single-most of any player in the league’s first 23 seasons -- Martínez has become just the second player in MLS annals to record back-to-back 20-goal seasons.
The first was David Villa, who scored 23 goals in 2016, then 22 goals in 2017, for New York City FC. Just one other player in MLS history has even scored 20 goals in multiple seasons – Bradley Wright-Phillips of the New York Red Bulls, who reached the 20-goal plateau on three occasions: 2014, 2016 and 2018.
MULTIPLE 20-GOAL SEASONS (MLS)

To hit the 20-goal mark this season, Martínez has scored 15 goals over his past 10 games, dating back to May 24. That equals the most goals over a 10-game span in league history – which Martínez himself first set last year, from June 2-July 28.
Martínez last season had previously scored 14 goals in 10 games (from May 30-July 21), which equaled the record for most goals over a 10-game span which had stood since the league’s inaugural season, when it was done by Raúl Diaz Arce of D.C. United, then matched in 1998 by Stern John with the Columbus Crew.
Martínez has the opportunity to set the outright record this Saturday when Atlanta United travel to the Portland Timbers (11 p.m. ET, FS1). If he scores two goals or more, he will have scored 16 goals in a stretch from May 29 to Aug. 18.
MOST GOALS, 10-GAME SPAN (REGULAR SEASON)

Credit: Elias Sports Bureau
The brace on Saturday also gave Martínez 70 goals for his MLS career – by far the fastest player to that total in MLS history. David Villa last year became the quickest, netting his 70th goal in his 103rd league appearance on May 19.
GAME NUMBER OF 70th MLS GOAL

LAFC’S CARLOS VELA PUTS HIS STAMP ON BEST SEASON EVER

There are still 10 regular season games to be played for the Los Angeles Football Club, but Carlos Vela has already equaled the single greatest season performance in MLS history.
Vela scored a goal and added two assists in LAFC’s 4-2 win against the New York Red Bulls at Banc of California Stadium last Sunday evening. The performance gave him 23 goals for the 2019 season, along with 15 assists – the league leader in both categories.
The 38 combined goals and assists equals the most in a single season in MLS history. In 2015, Sebastian Giovinco of Toronto FC netted 22 goals and added 16 assists, in 33 performances, the 38 combined goals and assists the highest single-season total ever in MLS.
Vela is also on track for another piece of history. In the first 23 MLS seasons, no player has finished the season with the outright league lead in both goals and assists. In 2015, Giovinco led MLS in assists, but was tied for the goals lead with Kei Kamara, then with Columbus Crew SC. (Giovinco did win the MLS Golden Boot on the basis of more assists).
MOST COMBINED GOALS AND ASSISTS, SINGLE SEASON MLS HISTORY

The goal was Vela’s 37th in his two seasons in MLS – now the most of any player born in Mexico in league history.
The previous record-holder was Erick Torres, who netted 36 goals over five seasons with Chivas USA and the Houston Dynamo from 2013-17.
The player with the third-most goals for a Mexican-born player is Luis Silva, who had 32 goals with Toronto FC, D.C. United and Real Salt Lake from 2012-18, before being signed by Seattle Sounders FC before the close of this year’s Secondary Transfer Window.
LEADERS IN GOALS SCORED, MEXICAN-BORN PLAYERS

GOALSCORING HITS RECORD MARK IN WEEK 23 MATCHES

The entirety of Week 23 in MLS passed with 13 games played – and there were goals scored by each team in every game.
It marked the sixth time in MLS history a match week did not feature a single shutout, the first time since 2006. The 13 total games in the week were the single-most of any week to not have a shutout, the previous most coming in Week 10 in 2001, when nine matches saw goals scored by both teams.
There were eight total matches with goals scored by both teams on Saturday, Aug. 10 – the second-most on a single day in league history. The most also occurred earlier this year, when there were 10 games with no shutouts on the opening day of the season, March 2.
MOST MATCHES WITHOUT SHUTOUTS, MLS MATCH WEEK

Credit: Elias Sports Bureau

IBRAHIMOVIC LETS FLY AT RECORD RATE FOR SINGLE GAME

In his club’s 2-1 loss to D.C. United at Audi Field on Sunday evening, Zlatan Ibrahimović of the LA Galaxy let fly with 14 total attempts at goal.
The 14 shots are the single-most in one game in MLS history, in 5,765 total regular season matches.
The previous mark was 13 in a game, set on two separate occasions by Sebastian Giovinco with Toronto FC, once on June 24, 2015 vs. Montréal, and once July 9, 2016 vs. Chicago.
MOST TOTAL SHOTS, SINGLE GAME (INDIVIDUAL)

MLS WEEK 24 – LOOK AHEAD

ORLANDO CITY SC vs. SPORTING KANSAS CITY
Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #299)
Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
7:30 p.m. ET (YouTube TV [ORL] / My65; FS-KC+)
REFEREE: Robert Sibiga. AR1 (bench): Frank Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Eduardo Mariscal; 4th: Marcos de Oliveira; VAR: Ricardo Salazar; AVAR: Kyle Longville
MLS Career: 93 games; FC/gm: 22.1; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 23; pens: 26
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Orlando City 1 win, 6 goals … Sporting 2 wins, 6 goals … Ties 1
AT ORLANDO: Orlando City 1 win, 5 goals … Sporting 0 wins, 3 goals … Ties 1

• Orlando City SC gained a result for a second consecutive match, reaching a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC at BMO Field on Saturday evening.
  
• Sporting weren’t able to build upon a first victory in three matches, falling 2-1 to Real Salt Lake at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday evening.
  
• Orlando City are undefeated on their home ground vs. Sporting KC, after a 2-2 draw in the last meeting in Orlando on May 13, 2017. OCSC took the first match between the clubs, a 3-1 win on Sept. 13, 2015.
  
• Sporting have won both meetings all-time in KC, including a 1-0 victory in the lone encounter between the clubs a year ago, on Sept. 8.
  

OCSC:
Homegrown Player
Benji Michel
scored his second career goal at Toronto FC; both goals have come in the last six matches. … Chris Mueller collected his fourth assist of the season.
SPORTING:
Johnny Russell
scored the SKC goal directly from a free kick – his second this season (the first coming March 17). They are the first by a Sporting player since 2015 (when Benny Feilhaber scored vs. FC Dallas).
MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. COLORADO RAPIDS
Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #300)
Allianz Field, St. Paul, Minn.
7 p.m. CT (FS-North; Altitude)
REFEREE: Drew Fischer. AR1 (bench): Eric Boria; AR2 (opposite): Logan Brown; 4th: Rubiel Vazquez; VAR: Joseph Dickerson; AVAR: Craig Lowry
MLS Career: 116 games; FC/gm: 25.4; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 17; pens: 30
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: MNUFC 1 win, 5 goals … Rapids 3 wins, 8 goals … Ties 1
AT MINNESOTA: MNUFC 1 win, 1 goal … Rapids 1 win, 2 goals … Ties 0

• Minnesota United FC saw their MLS club-record seven-game undefeated streak come to an end, falling 5-3 to FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium on Saturday evening.
  
• The Rapids won a second game on the trot, defeating the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Kei Kamara scored the game’s only goal in the 29th minute, leading the Rapids to the victory on June 8 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
  
• The teams met twice a season ago and the Rapids won both, coming back for a 3-2 win on June 23 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, then taking a 2-0 win on Oct. 13 at TCF Bank Stadium.
  
• The teams met twice in Minnesota United’s inaugural campaign. They reached a 2-2 draw in the first encounter on March 18 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; MNUFC then claimed a 1-0 win on April 18 at TCF Bank Stadium.
  

MNUFC:
Ethan Finlay
netted a pair of goals for MNUFC vs. FC Dallas; he has three goals in the past two games. … Rookie
Hassani Dotson
netted his third goal of the season. All three goals have come over the last 10 games (since June 2). …
Lawrence Olum
recorded his first assist of the season, his first with MNUFC. It was his first in MLS play since April 27, 2016, while with Sporting KC. …
Collin Martin
collected his first assist of the season. He has four assists over his seven MLS seasons, having recorded one in each of the last three years. …
Miguel Ibarra
recorded his second assist of the season, his first coming July 3.
RAPIDS:
Diego Rubio
netted a goal, his seventh of the season, and added an assist, his third of the year, in the win against San Jose. Rubio has scored a goal in each of the last three games. …
Kellyn Acosta
scored his second goal of the season, his first coming May 11 vs. Real Salt Lake. …
Keegan Rosenberry
recorded his first assist of the season; he had a single-season career-high three last year.
REAL SALT LAKE vs. SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #301)
Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah
8 p.m. MT (KMYU-12; JOEtv / YouTube TV [SEA])
REFEREE: Armando Villarreal. AR1 (bench): Nick Uranga; AR2 (opposite): Jeffrey Greeson; 4th: Alex Chilowicz; VAR: Malik Badawi; AVAR: TJ Zablocki
MLS Career: 129 games; FC/gm: 22.2; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 27; pens: 31
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Real 11 wins, 27 goals … Sounders FC 10 wins, 28 goals … Ties 4
AT SALT LAKE: Real 8 wins, 18 goals … Sounders FC 1 win, 7 goals … Ties 2

• Real Salt Lake won their second match in a row, defeating Sporting Kansas City 2-1 at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday evening. The win extended their current undefeated run to five games, dating back to July 13.
  
• Sounders FC rebounded to gain a 3-3 draw with the New England Revolution at CenturyLink Field on Saturday afternoon.
  
• Nicolás Lodeiro scored a goal, his fifth of the season, and added an assist, his 11th of the year, in the draw with New England. Lodeiro has three goals and three assists in six games since his return from international duty.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Nicolás Lodeiro scored the game’s only goal in the 18th minute, leading Sounders FC to the victory on April 6 at CenturyLink Field.
  
• Real have won their past seven home games vs. Seattle, including a 2-0 win last June 2 in the last matchup at Rio Tinto Stadium. Sounders FC last won in league play in Sandy on May 28, 2011, a span of eight games (they did win there in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2012).
  
• Sounders FC have won eight of the past nine league meetings between the teams at CenturyLink Field, the lone RSL win coming on May 26, 2018, a 1-0 triumph.
  

REAL:
Corey Baird
netted both Real goals in the 2-1 win at Sporting Kansas City, now with three goals on the season; it was the first multiple-goal game of his MLS career. …
Jefferson Savarino
recorded his fifth assist of the season, his second in as many games. Savarino has four assists over the last five matches.
SOUNDERS FC:
Harry Shipp
scored a pair of goals for Sounders FC, his first multiple-goal game since June 2014, when he scored twice for Chicago vs. Seattle. …
Jordan Morris
recorded a pair of assists, now with four on the season. It was the second two-assist game of his MLS career (the first Aug. 7, 2016 at Orlando City SC). …
Jordy Delem
recorded his first assist of the season, the second of his MLS career. His first came in his third appearance, April 23, 2017. …
Joevin Jones
collected his first assist in his return to Sounders FC and MLS, his last coming Sept. 27, 2017, the last of his single-season career-high 11 assists that year. …
Cristian Roldan
recorded his third assist of the season, his second in the last five games.
LA GALAXY vs. FC DALLAS
Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #302)
Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, Calif.
7:30 p.m. PT (SpecSN; FCDTV)
REFEREE: Ismail Elfath. AR1 (bench): Adam Wienckowski; AR2 (opposite): Apolinar Mariscal; 4th: Alejandro Mariscal; VAR: Timothy Ford; AVAR: Cameron Blanchard
MLS Career: 136 games; FC/gm: 25.5; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 36; pens: 42
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Galaxy 33 wins (1 shootout), 124 goals … FC Dallas 28 wins (1 shootout), 105 goals … Ties 12
AT GALAXY: Galaxy 24 wins (1 shootout), 72 goals … FC Dallas 7 wins (1 shootout), 38 goals … Ties 5

• The Galaxy had their slide reach three games, falling 2-1 to D.C. United at Audi Field on Sunday evening.
  
• FC Dallas rebounded for a third result in their past four games, defeating Minnesota United FC 5-3 at Toyota Stadium on Saturday evening.
  
• Michael Barrios collected three assists in FCD’s 5-3 win vs. Minnesota United, equaling his MLS single-game career-high, set first June 3, 2017 vs. Real Salt Lake. … Paxton Pomykal also recorded three assists in the win, the first multiple-assist game of his MLS career; both Barrios and Pomykal tied the FCD single-game record. …
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Reto Ziegler and Bryan Acosta netted goals eight minutes apart around the hour mark, as FC Dallas took a 2-0 win on March 9 at Toyota Stadium.
  
• FC Dallas have won the past five meetings between the teams. FC Dallas have won each of the last three meetings in Frisco, Texas, and now have a seven-game undefeated streak overall in the series (with six victories).
  
• FCD has won the last two meetings between the teams in Carson, Calif., coming on the heels of a nine-game home undefeated streak in the series for the Galaxy (dating back to 2009), having gone 7-0-2 over that stretch.
  

GALAXY:
Favio Alvarez
scored his third goal of the season in the Galaxy’s loss at D.C. United, all three goals coming over the last 10 games, since May 29. …
Zlatan Ibrahimović
let fly with 14 total attempts at goal, a single-game record in MLS (in 5,765 regular season games).
FCD:
Homegrown Player
Brandon Servania
scored the first two goals of his MLS career, in his 10th career appearance. …
Ryan Hollingshead
scored his fourth goal of the season, his last coming June 26. The four goals are a single-season high in his six MLS seasons. …
Santiago Mosquera
scored his second goal, both coming over the last six matches. …
Reggie Cannon
netted his first goal of the season, the second of his MLS career (his first coming last May 19).
PORTLAND TIMBERS vs. CHICAGO FIRE
Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #303)
Providence Park, Portland, Ore.
8 p.m. PT (ROOT-NW; ESPN+)
REFEREE: Silviu Petrescu. AR1 (bench): Ian Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Michael Barwegen; 4th: Farhad Dadkho; VAR: Jon Freemon; AVAR: Joshua Patlak
MLS Career: 154 games; FC/gm: 27.6; Y/gm: 3.9; R: 22; pens: 38
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Timbers 4 wins, 16 goals … Fire 0 wins, 11 goals … Ties 5
AT PORTLAND: Timbers 3 wins, 10 goals … Fire 0 wins, 6 goals … Ties 2

• The Timbers won for the third time in four games and extended their home undefeated streak to six matches, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3-1 at Providence Park on Saturday evening.
  
• Sebastian Blanco scored his fourth goal of the season, and also added an assist, now with 10 for the year.
  
• The Fire won a second consecutive game and extended their undefeated streak to three matches, getting a late winner for a 3-2 victory against the Montréal Impact at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday evening.
  
• Bastian Schweinsteiger netted his first goal of the season, the game-winner in the 88th minute. Schweinsteiger also added an assist, his third of the season, his last coming May 29.
  
• The Timbers have never lost to the Fire in their history. The Timbers have won four of the nine meetings all-time, three of those in Portland.
  
• The teams have reached draws each of the past three seasons, including a 2-2 result last March 31 in Bridgeview, Ill., in the only meeting between the teams. They also reached a 2-2 draw in the last encounter at Providence Park on July 5, 2017.
  

TIMBERS:
Diego Valeri
recorded a pair of assists in the win vs. Vancouver, the 14th multiple-assist game of his MLS career. Valeri now has 14 assists for the season, equaling his MLS single-season career-high set in 2014. …
Jeremy Ebobisse
scored his eighth goal of the season, his third in the last five games. …
Marvin Loria
scored his second goal in MLS, his first coming June 22. …
Tomas Conechny
collected the first assist of his MLS career, in his 14th appearance over two seasons.
FIRE:
Nemanja Nikolic
netted his eighth goal of the season in the win vs. Montréal, his second goal in as many games. …
Dax McCarty
scored his first goal of the season, his first in his three seasons with the Fire, his last coming on Oct. 1, 2016, with the New York Red Bulls. …
Francisco Calvo
collected his second assist of the season, both coming with the Fire (his first on July 3). …
Djordje Mihailovic
recorded his first assist of the season. …
Aleksandar Katai
collected his fifth assist, his last coming May 8 when he had two assists vs. New England.
NEW YORK RED BULLS vs. NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #304)
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, N.J.
7 p.m. ET (MSG; NBCS-Bos)
REFEREE: Chris Penso. AR1 (bench): Nick Uranga; AR2 (opposite): Philippe Briere; 4th: Luis Guardia; VAR: Guido Gonzales Jr.; AVAR: Jose Da Silva
MLS Career: 162 games; FC/gm: 23.7; Y/gm: 3.8; R: 49; pens: 62
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Red Bulls 27 wins (2 shootout), 120 goals … Revolution 31 wins (3 shootout), 118 goals … Ties 15
AT RED BULLS: Red Bulls 21 wins (0 shootout), 77 goals … Revolution 8 wins (2 shootout), 49 goals … Ties 8

• The Red Bulls return home off a 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Football Club at Banc of California Stadium on Sunday evening. Cristian Casseres Jr. scored a goal, his third of the season, and added an assist, his fourth of the year.
  
• The Revolution gained a 12th result in their past 13 matches, reaching a 3-3 draw with Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field on Saturday afternoon. Carles Gil scored a goal, his ninth of the season, and added an assist, his 10th – the fourth time in the last five games he’s had both a goal and an assist in the same game.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Cristian Penilla netted the game’s only goal in the 73rd minute, giving the Revolution the victory at Gillette Stadium on April 20.
  
• The visiting team has won just twice in the series over the past 12 seasons in league play. The Red Bulls won 3-2 on July 5, 2017, in Foxborough, their second win there in four seasons. When the Red Bulls won 2-0 at Gillette Stadium on June 8, 2014, it was the first for New York in New England since 2002. The Revolution had won 13 of 19 meetings in league and MLS Cup play since that previous New York win.
  
• The Revolution have never won at Red Bull Arena in league play. Since the stadium opened in 2010, the Red Bulls have won 10 of 11 regular-season games there, with one draw. When the Revolution won 2-1 in Harrison in the first leg of the 2014 Eastern Conference Championship, it was their first win of any sort in New Jersey since 2007, ending a 10-game winless streak there in all competitions.
  

RED BULLS:
Brian White
netted his ninth goal of the season, his third in the last four games, and his sixth in the last 10 matches (since June 8). …
Daniel Royer
recorded his seventh assist of the season, his first since July 7. Royer had six assists combined in his first three seasons in MLS.
REVOLUTION:
Gustavo Bou
scored his third goal, making his fifth appearance since his signing with the Revolution. …
Michael Mancienne
scored his first goal in MLS, in his ninth league appearance. …
Edgar Castillo
recorded his fifth assist, all coming since May 4, his second in the last three games.
MONTREAL IMPACT vs. FC DALLAS (updated)
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #305)
Stade Saputo, Montréal, Qué.
7:30 p.m. ET (TVA Sports; FCDTV)
REFEREE: Ted Unkel. AR1 (bench): Kathryn Nesbitt; AR2 (opposite): Andrew Bigelow; 4th: Yusri Rudolf; VAR: Ricardo Salazar; AVAR: Thomas Supple
MLS Career: 91 games; FC/gm: 23.5; Y/gm: 3.9; R: 31; pens: 49
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Impact 1 win, 6 goals … FC Dallas 5 wins, 12 goals … Ties 1
AT MONTRÉAL: Impact 1 win, 3 goals … FC Dallas 1 win, 3 goals … Ties 1

• The Impact return home following a two-game road skid, falling 3-2 to the Chicago Fire at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday evening. Saphir Taïder scored for a second consecutive game, now with nine goals on the season.
• FC Dallas weren’t able to build upon a third result in four matches last time out, falling 2-0 to the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday evening.
• FC Dallas have won the past three meetings between the teams, including a 2-0 victory last June 9 at Toyota Stadium in their only matchup.
• FC Dallas won the last meeting in Montréal, a 2-1 win on July 22, 2017 at Stade Saputo. The Impact have won once in seven meetings all-time – a 2-1 win in 2015 in Montréal. FCD has won all four encounters at Toyota Stadium.

IMPACT:
Bacary Sagna
scored his first goal of the season, his second with the Impact and in MLS, his first coming last Sept. 1. …
Jorge Corrales
collected his first assist of his MLS career, making his debut with the Impact after being acquired via trade from Chicago. … The Impact reached the final of the 2019 Canadian Championship, defeating Cavalry FC of the Canadian Premier League 1-0 in the second leg of their semifinal (winning 3-1 on aggregate).
FCD:
Matt Hedges
became the club’s all-time leader in games started, with the 228th of his MLS career, surpassing Jason Kreis. Kreis is still the FCD leader in appearances with 247 (Hedges is second with 235).
COLUMBUS CREW SC vs. TORONTO FC (updated)
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #306)
Mapfre Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
7:30 p.m. ET (TSN; STOhio)
REFEREE: Ramy Touchan. AR1 (bench): Ian Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Matthew Nelson; 4th: Rubiel Vazquez; VAR: Alan Kelly; AVAR: Diego Blas
MLS Career: 17 games; FC/gm: 25.5; Y/gm: 4.1; R: 0; pens: 2
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Crew SC 14 wins, 50 goals … Toronto FC 8 wins, 45 goals … Ties 11
AT COLUMBUS: Crew SC 9 wins, 34 goals … Toronto FC 4 wins, 26 goals … Ties 5

• Crew SC extended their undefeated run to five games with a third draw in that time, playing to a 2-2 result with FC Cincinnati at Mapfre Stadium on Saturday evening.
  
• TFC gained a second consecutive result on their home ground, reaching a 1-1 draw with Orlando City SC at BMO Field on Saturday evening.
  
• The teams met twice a year ago. They played to a 3-3 draw at Mapfre Stadium in the second meeting, on June 2. TFC has come away with points on their last two trips to Columbus, the 2-1 victory on May 10, 2017 their first win in Columbus since 2014, snapping a four-game Crew SC home undefeated streak there in the series in league play (2-0-2).
  
• Crew SC took the first meeting between the teams last year, a 2-0 win on March 3 at BMO Field in the league season opener for both teams. The Columbus win ended a two-game TFC winning streak at BMO Field in the series, the opening goal the first scored by Crew SC in 404 minutes in Toronto over all competitions.
  

CREW SC:
Gyasi Zardes
scored for a second game in a row, now with nine on the season. …
Pedro Santos
scored his eighth of the season, his third in the last three games. …
Wil Trapp
collected his third assist of the season, his second in the last four games.
TFC:
Patrick Mullins
netted his first goal since coming to Toronto FC via trade from Columbus, his first of 2019. … TFC reached the final of the 2019 Canadian Championship, defeating Ottawa Fury of the USL Championship 3-0 in the second leg of their semifinal (winning 5-0 on aggregate).
Nick DeLeon
netted a pair of goals and set up the third.
FC CINCINNATI vs. NEW YORK CITY FC
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #307)
Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
7:30 p.m. ET (WSTR – Star64; YES)
REFEREE: Nima Saghafi. AR1 (bench): Corey Parker; AR2 (opposite): Felisha Mariscal; 4th: Kevin Broadley; VAR: Jorge Gonzalez; AVAR: Craig Lowry
MLS Career: 54 games; FC/gm: 27.0; Y/gm: 4.1; R: 7; pens: 19
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: FCC 0 wins, 2 goals … NYCFC 1 win, 5 goals … Ties 0
AT CINCINNATI: First meeting.

• FC Cincinnati made a dramatic start to their rivalry with Columbus Crew SC, gaining a 2-2 draw at Mapfre Stadium. Emmanuel Ledesma scored his fourth goal of the season, all coming over the last eight matches, while Darren Mattocks scored a third goal this year, now with a goal and an assist in the last two games.
  
• New York City FC fell to a 2-1 loss to Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday evening. Héber netted his 10th goal in 16 appearances since coming to MLS, while Maximiliano Moralez contributed his 14th assist of the season, one off the MLS league lead.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season and in their histories. Héber scored a pair of goals and added an assist – and also netted an own goal – while Moralez scored a goal and contributed three assists, as NYCFC cruised to a 5-2 win on June 6 at Yankee Stadium.
  

FCC:
Victor Ulloa
collected his first assist of the season, his first with FC Cincinnati after eight seasons with FC Dallas. …
Roland Lamah
recorded his third assist, his last coming June 1
NYCFC:
Valentin Castellanos
recorded his fourth assist of the season, his last coming July 3. Castellanos has two goals and an assist in the last two games, involved in all of NYCFC’s last three goals; he has five goals and three assists over the last 11 games (since June 1).
CHICAGO FIRE vs. PHILADELPHIA UNION (updated)
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #308)
SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, Ill.
7 p.m. CT (TVA Sports; ESPN+; PHL 17)
REFEREE: Joseph Dickerson. AR1 (bench): Brian Dunn; AR2 (opposite): TJ Zablocki; 4th: David Gantar; VAR: Younes Marrakchi; AVAR: Eric Boria
MLS Career: 22 games; FC/gm: 26.4; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 4; pens: 6
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Fire 8 wins, 34 goals … Union 10 wins, 37 goals … Ties 5
AT FIRE: Fire 6 wins, 19 goals … Union 3 wins, 15 goals … Ties 3

• The Fire return home after seeing their two-game winning run and three-game undefeated streak put to an end in a 3-2 loss to the Portland Timbers at Providence Park on Wednesday evening.
• The Union won their second game in a row, getting a late winner for a 2-1 victory vs. the Houston Dynamo at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday evening. Kacper Przybylko scored his 11th goal of the season, while Jack Elliott netted his second goal, the fifth in his three MLS seasons.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Marco Fabian scored early and Anthony Fontana netted a second-half goal as the Union won 2-0, July 20 at Talen Energy Stadium.
• The Union have won the last three meetings between the clubs, now having won four matchups in a row in Chester, Pa. The Union’s home win in 2016 snapped a seven-game winless streak overall in the league series.
• The Union won the last meeting in Bridgeview, Ill., a 4-3 victory on July 11, 2018. The Fire had won four home meetings in a row before that Union win. The Union win was the first for the visiting team in the series since 2013.

UNION:
Haris Medunjanin
recorded his ninth assist of the season, a second consecutive game with an assist (with three assists in the span), and his fourth assist over the last four games.
FIRE:
Nemanja Nikolic
scored for a third consecutive game, now with nine goals on the season. …
CJ Sapong
scored his 10th goal of the season, his first since July 17. It’s the second time in his career he’s scored 10 goals in a season (career-high 16 with Philadelphia in 2017). …
Przemyslaw Frankowski
collected his sixth assist of the season, his second in the last six games.
MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. ORLANDO CITY SC (updated)
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #309)
Allianz Field, St. Paul, Minn.
7 p.m. CT (FS-North; YouTube TV [ORL] / My65)
REFEREE: Jair Marrufo. AR1 (bench): Claudiu Badea; AR2 (opposite): Chris Elliott; 4th: Allen Chapman; VAR: Edvin Jurisevic; AVAR: Jozef Batko
MLS Career: 251 games; FC/gm: 23.1; Y/gm: 2.8; R: 42; pens: 80
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: MNUFC 2 wins, 3 goals … Orlando City 0 wins, 1 goal … Ties 0
AT MINNESOTA: MNUFC 1 win, 1 goal … Orlando City 0 wins, 0 goals … Ties 0

• Minnesota United FC won for a sixth time in the last nine matches, defeating the Colorado Rapids by the game’s only goal at Allianz Field on Wednesday evening.
• Vito Mannone was credited with two saves in recording his ninth shutout of the season, his fourth over the last six games. The nine shutouts are tied for second in MLS (along with Bill Hamid of DC; Brad Guzan, ATL, leads with 11).
• Orlando City SC extended their undefeated streak to three games with a second victory in that time, defeating Sporting Kansas City by the game’s only goal at Exploria Stadium on Wednesday evening.
• Tesho Akindele netted his ninth goal of the season, adding to his single-season career-high in his six MLS campaigns, scoring his third goal over the last four matches.
• The teams have met twice in their MLS histories, and Minnesota United FC have won both. They took a 2-1 win last March 10 in Orlando in the only matchup between the clubs; MNUFC won the first meeting between the clubs, May 27, 2017 at TCF Bank Stadium.

MNUFC:
Darwin Quintero
scored his eighth goal of the season, his third over his last six games, dating back to July 3. …
Kevin Molino
collected his third assist of the season, his first both coming July 6 vs. Montréal.
OCSC:
Brian Rowe
was credited with three saves in recording his seventh shutout of the season, his second in the last three games. Rowe is in a five-way tie for fifth place in shutouts in MLS. …
Carlos Ascues
was credited with an assist, the first of his MLS career in his two seasons (in 21 total appearances). …
Oriol Rosell
recorded his first assist of the season, his last coming last Aug. 12, the fourth of his MLS career (in five seasons).
SPORTING KANSAS CITY vs. SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (updated)
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #310)
Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kan.
7:30 p.m. CT (FS-KC+; NBCS-CA)
REFEREE: Drew Fischer. AR1 (bench): Brian Poeschel; AR2 (opposite): Jeremy Kieso; 4th: Alejandro Mariscal; VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero; AVAR: Cameron Blanchard
MLS Career: 116 games; FC/gm: 25.4; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 17; pens: 30
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Sporting 26 wins (4 shootout), 74 goals … Earthquakes 25 wins (3 shootout), 74 goals … Ties 8
AT KC: Sporting 20 wins (2 shootout), 47 goals … Earthquakes 8 wins (2 shootout), 31 goals … Ties 1

• Sporting KC weren’t able to make it three wins from four away matches, falling to Orlando City SC by the game’s only goal at Exploria Stadium on Wednesday evening.
• The Quakes had their five-game undefeated streak put to an end, falling 2-1 to the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Danny Hoesen netted a pair of goals before the break as the Quakes eased to a 4-1 win on April 20 at Avaya Stadium.
• The Quakes win ended a six-game Sporting undefeated streak in the series, their first win in the series since 2016.
• Sporting have won the past three meetings in Kansas City, including a 3-2 win on March 17, 2018 in the last matchup there. The last San Jose win at Children’s Mercy Park came in 2015, a 5-0 victory, which is the largest in the all-time series.

SPORTING:
New signing
Luis Martins
made his MLS debut, coming on as a substitute in the Orlando City match.
QUAKES:
Vako Qazaishvili
scored his eighth goal of the season, his seventh in the last nine matches (since June 26). …
Danny Hoesen
recorded his second assist of the season, his first coming May 11.
HOUSTON DYNAMO vs. COLORADO RAPIDS (updated)
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #311)
BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas
8 p.m. CT (KUBE 57; Altitude)
REFEREE: Ismail Elfath. AR1 (bench): Frank Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Cory Richardson; 4th: Silviu Petrescu; VAR: Sorin Stoica; AVAR: Jonathan Johnson
MLS Career: 136 games; FC/gm: 25.5; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 36; pens: 42
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Dynamo 10 wins, 38 goals … Rapids 11 wins, 38 goals … Ties 8
AT HOUSTON: Dynamo 6 wins, 24 goals … Rapids 3 wins, 18 goals … Ties 4

• The Dynamo return home looking to snap a four-game losing slide, following a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Union at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday evening. Christian Ramirez scored in his debut for the club, following his arrival via trade with Los Angeles FC, his fifth goal of the season.
• The Rapids had their two-game winning run put to an end, falling to Minnesota United FC by the game’s lone goal at Allianz Field on Wednesday evening.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Alberth Elis netted a goal and added an assist and the Dynamo benefited from two own goals, taking a 4-1 win on March 30 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
• The Dynamo win was their first in Commerce City since 2008, ending an eight-game home undefeated streak for the Rapids in the series (5-0-3).
• The Dynamo won the last meeting between the clubs in Houston, a 2-0 win on June 9, 2018, which ended a two-game Rapids winning streak at BBVA Stadium.

DYNAMO:
Tomás Rodríguez
recorded his fifth assist of the season, his second in the last four matches. …
DaMarcus Beasley
recorded his first assist of the year. He has assists now in nine of his 11 seasons in MLS.
RAPIDS:
The Rapids were shut out at the attacking end for the first time since April 27, just their third attacking shutout this season, now tied for the lowest in MLS this year.
REAL SALT LAKE vs. LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL CLUB (updated)
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #312)
Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah
8 p.m. MT (KMYU-12; YouTube TV [LA] / KVMD)
REFEREE: Baldomero Toledo. AR1 (bench): Logan Brown; AR2 (opposite): Kyle Longville; 4th: Marcos de Oliveira; VAR: Hilario Grajeda; AVAR: Joshua Patlak
MLS Career: 283 games; FC/gm: 25.3; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 100; pens: 110
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Real 0 wins, 2 goals … LAFC 3 wins, 9 goals … Ties 0
AT RIO TINTO STADIUM: Real 0 wins, 1 goal … LAFC 1 win, 5 goals … Ties 0

• Real Salt Lake won their third consecutive match and extended their undefeated streak to six games, defeating Seattle Sounders FC at Rio Tinto Stadium on Wednesday evening. It was the head coaching debut of Freddy Juarez, who took over after Mike Petke was dismissed at the start of the week.
• LAFC won for a third consecutive game, defeating the New York Red Bulls 4-2 at Banc of California Stadium on Sunday evening.
• Carlos Vela scored a goal and added a pair of assists, now leading MLS in both categories, with 23 goals and 15 assists. The 38 combined goals and assists are tied for the most in a single season in league history (with Sebastian Giovinco, 22 goals, 16 assists in 2015).
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Walker Zimmerman scored the game-winning goals two minutes into second-half stoppage time, giving LAFC a 2-1 win March 23 at Banc of California Stadium.
• LAFC have won all three league meetings between the teams. The teams met twice in LAFC’s inaugural league season, LAFC taking a 5-1 win on March 10 at Rio Tinto Stadium, as Diego Rossi tied an MLS record by playing a part in all five goals, with two goals and three assists, then LAFC won 2-0 on Aug. 15 at Banc of California Stadium.
• The teams also met in the Knockout Round of the MLS Cup Playoffs, with Real pulling off an upset with a 3-2 win at Banc of California Stadium.

REAL:
Corey Baird
scored for a second consecutive game, with three goals in that span. He also added an assist, the third time in his MLS career he’s had a goal and an assist in the same game. …
Albert Rusnák
scored his ninth goal of the season, his third over the last five matches. …
Sam Johnson
netted his ninth goal of the season, his fourth over his last four appearances, dating back to June 29. …
Damir Kreilach
collected a pair of assists, the third multiple-assist game of his MLS career, the second this season (also: June 29 vs. Sporting KC).
LAFC:
Jordan Harvey
scored his first goal of the season, his first since July 5, 2017, while with Vancouver. …
Latif Blessing
netted his fourth goal of the year, a second consecutive game with a goal. …
Eddie Segura
scored his first goal since coming to LAFC and MLS, in his 24th appearance. …
Eduard Atuesta
collected his 10th assist of the season, a second consecutive game with an assist and his fourth over his last five appearances.
LA GALAXY vs. SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (updated)
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #313)
Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, Calif.
7 p.m. PT (ESPN2 / ESPN Deportes)
REFEREE: Robert Sibiga. AR1 (bench): Kyle Atkins; AR2 (opposite): Jason White; 4th: Mark Allatin; VAR: Kevin Stott; AVAR: Fabio Tovar
MLS Career: 93 games; FC/gm: 22.1; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 23; pens: 26
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Galaxy 10 wins, 34 goals … Sounders FC 7 wins, 32 goals … Ties 9
AT GALAXY: Galaxy 6 wins, 20 goals … Sounders FC 3 wins, 14 goals … Ties 4

• The Galaxy put an end to their three-game losing skid, defeating FC Dallas 2-0 at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday evening.
• Zlatan Ibrahimović scored a pair of goals, now with 18 goals for the season, sitting in third place in the MLS Golden Boot standings. It was the 11th multiple-goal game in his two MLS seasons, his fifth this season (second-most in the league, behind Josef Martínez of ATL). Ibrahimović has now scored 40 goals in his MLS career (in 47 appearances).
• Sounders FC made it three games without victory, falling 3-0 to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium on Wednesday evening.
• The teams met twice a season ago, each posting dominant victories at home. Sounders FC claimed a 5-0 victory on Aug. 18 at CenturyLink Field, Sounders FC equaling the club’s record for margin of victory over its 10 MLS seasons, and the Galaxy equaling the biggest margin of defeat in their 23-year history (set twice previously). The Galaxy then won 3-0 on Sept. 23 in Carson.
• The Sounders FC win last year was their first against the Galaxy at CenturyLink Field in league play since 2014 (though Sounders FC did win twice at home in the MLS Cup Playoffs over that timeframe).
• The Galaxy win in the second meeting ended a three-game undefeated run for Sounders FC in Carson, with wins in two, over each of the previous two years. The win in Carson in the final meeting in 2016 was their first victory at the Galaxy since 2009, ending an 11-game winless streak there in league and MLS Cup play.

GALAXY:
Cristian Pavón
recorded his first assist in MLS, in his second appearance (both as a starter). …
Jorgen Skjelvik
collected his second assist, matching his total from his first MLS season last year. …
David Bingham
was credited with one save in recording his eighth shutout of the season, fourth-most in MLS this season.
SOUNDERS FC:
Luis Silva
made his Sounders FC debut, coming into the first XI and playing 62 minutes. Silva last appeared in an MLS match Oct. 18. 2018, for Real Salt Lake vs. New England.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC vs. D.C. UNITED
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #314)
BC Place, Vancouver, B.C.
7 p.m. PT (TSN; FloSports)
REFEREE: Timothy Ford. AR1 (bench): Jeremy Hanson; AR2 (opposite): Adam Garner; 4th: Pierre-Luc Lauziere; VAR: Alex Chilowicz; AVAR: Mauricio Navarro
MLS Career: 10 games; FC/gm: 22.1; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 2; pens: 1
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Whitecaps FC 2 wins, 5 goals … D.C. United 5 wins, 15 goals … Ties 2
AT VANCOUVER: Whitecaps FC 1 win, 3 goals … D.C. United 2 wins, 4 goals … Ties 2

• Whitecaps FC had their two-game undefeated run come to an end, falling 3-1 to the Portland Timbers at Providence Park on Saturday evening.
  
• D.C. United bounced back with a 2-1 win vs. the LA Galaxy at Audi Field on Saturday evening. Lucas Rodríguez netted his fifth goal of the season, his third over the last five matches, while Paul Arriola scored his fifth goal, his second in the last five.
  
• D.C. United have won the last four meetings, claiming a 3-1 win last July 14 in the opening of Audi Field in the last encounter.
  
• D.C. United have won the last two meetings at BC Place, and have taken points on their last four trips to British Columbia. The lone home win for Whitecaps FC in the series came in 2011.
  
• Whitecaps FC’s last victory in the series came June 29, 2013, a 1-0 win at RFK Stadium, their only win in three meetings played there. D.C. United took the other two both by 4-0 scorelines.
  

WHITECAPS FC:
Homegrown Player
Theo Bair
netted his first career goal in MLS in the Timbers match, making his ninth appearance.
UNITED:
Quincy Amarikwa
collected his first assist of the season, his first with D.C. United; he scored his first goal with the club July 12. …
Ulises Segura
recorded his second assist of the season, his first coming May 18.
PORTLAND TIMBERS vs. ATLANTA UNITED (updated)
Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019 (Week 24, MLS Game #315)
Providence Park, Portland, Ore.
8 p.m. PT (FS1 / FOX Deportes)
REFEREE: Armando Villarreal. AR1 (bench): Corey Rockwell; AR2 (opposite): Eduardo Mariscal; 4th: Elijio Arreguin; VAR: Alex Chilowicz; AVAR: Rene Parra
MLS Career: 129 games; FC/gm: 22.2; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 27; pens: 31
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Timbers 0 wins, 2 goals … ATLUTD 0 wins, 2 goals … Ties 2
AT PORTLAND: Timbers 0 wins, 1 goal … ATLUTD 0 wins, 1 goal … Ties 1

• The Timbers won their second consecutive games and extended their home undefeated streak to seven matches, defeating the Chicago Fire 3-2 at Providence Park on Wednesday evening.
• Brian Fernández scored a pair of goals, now with 10 on the season (in 12 appearances), his second two-goal game in his last four appearances. The two goals equal the Timbers’ single-game record in their MLS history, achieved 39 times previously.
• Diego Valeri recorded his 15th assist of the season, his single-season career-high in his seven MLS seasons. He has assists in the last two games, with three in that time, and assists in four of his last five matches. It’s the fifth time he’s recorded 10 assists or more in a season.
• Atlanta United won their fourth game in the last five, a second win on the trot, defeating New York City FC 2-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
• Josef Martínez scored a pair of goals, setting the all-time MLS record with a 10th consecutive game with a goal. Martínez has 15 goals over the 10-game streak, dating back to May 24; he now has 20 goals for the season, his 70 goals the most ever of any player over their first seasons in MLS.
• The game is a rematch of 2018 MLS Cup, won by Atlanta United 2-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium last Dec. 8, behind goals from Josef Martínez and Franco Escobar.
• The teams have played to a pair of draws in their two league meetings all-time, a 1-1 draw last June 24 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and a 1-1 result May 14, 2017 at Providence Park.

TIMBERS:
Jorge Moreira
scored his second goal in MLS, his first coming April 20. Moreira also added an assist, his fourth of the season, his third over the last five matches. …
Tomas Conechny
collected his second assist of the season, both in the last two games. …
Cristhian Paredes
recorded his second assist of the season; he has two goals and an assist in the last three games.
ATLUTD:
Pity Martínez
recorded his seventh assist of the season, all coming since May 24, his fourth in the last seven games. …
Julian Gressel
collected his eighth assist of the season; he has five assists over the last five games, since July 17.