MLS Game Capsules (Week 28)

Wednesday, August 31

Philadelphia Union (15-4-9) vs. Atlanta United FC (8-10-9)

(7 p.m. ET, FS1 / FOX Deportes)

• The Philadelphia Union face off against Atlanta United FC for the first time since they won 1-0 on September 25, 2021. After losing three of the first four all-time meetings, the Union are undefeated (2W, 2D) in their last four against Atlanta. Atlanta will look to record their first-ever victory at Subaru Park on Wednesday evening.
• With a win, the Union would become the first time in the Eastern Conference to clinch a playoff spot. By clinching a spot in the Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs, the Union would make it their fifth-straight season in the playoffs. Philadelphia is also approaching several single-season milestones, as they need two wins (16 in 2019) and one point (55 in 2019) to tie their club records. Philadelphia can also clinch with a draw against Atlanta and several other results on Wednesday evening.
• Philadelphia is coming off a convincing 6-0 win against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night. The win was their fourth of the season by a six-goal margin of victory, which is the most by a single club in MLS history, not just in a single season. Additionally, Philadelphia joined Real Salt Lake in 2018 as the only teams in league history to score six goals in consecutive matches. If they score three goals, they will tie the record for the most in a three-game span in MLS history, set by the 1998 LA Galaxy with 15.
• Union midfielder Dániel Gazdag earned MLS Player of the Week presented by Continental Tire for Week 27 after scoring his first career hat trick vs. Colorado. Gazdag became the sixth different player in club history to score a hat trick, and the second this season, joining Julián Carranza. The Hungarian international is now tied with CJ Sapong (16 in 2017) for the most goals scored by a Union player in a single season.
• Atlanta got a much-needed victory over D.C. United on Sunday, 3-2, thanks to big performances from Thiago Almada and Josef Martínez. Almada produced two assists in the match, which was his first multi-assist game in MLS, and he now has 10 on the season. Additionally, Martínez scored the game-tying goal in the 62nd minute which was his seventh in 2022 and 96th overall in the regular season.

CF Montréal (15-8-4) vs. New York Red Bulls (12-8-8)

(7:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• These Eastern Conference rivals face off for the second time this season and the 24th time overall during the regular season, with the New York Red Bulls holding a 12-9-2 advantage over CF Montréal historically.
• However, Montréal have not lost a game at Stade Saputo to the Red Bulls since their first-ever game against one another at the venue, and are 7-0-2 since the beginning of the 2013 season. They have also outscored the Red Bulls 8-1 over their last three meetings in Canada.
• In their first meeting in 2022, Montréal claimed a come-from-behind victory courtesy of two second half goals with Romell Quioto and Rudy Camacho scoring one each. Quioto’s goal was the second of his 15 goals so far in 2022, which is tied for fifth in the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi standings.
• The Red Bulls won their last match courtesy of 19-year-old Daniel Edelman’s first-career goal for the club, making him the 13th youngest goal scorer in MLS this season at 19 years and four months old. In the four regular season games Edelman has started, the Red Bulls are yet to lose, and, across all competitions, the Red Bulls are 5-0-1 when the teenager starts in the midfield.
• New York is the most represented club among the top 25 youngest goal scorers this season, with Cameron Harper (25th), John Tolkin (23rd), Edelman, Caden Clark (11th), and Serge Ngoma (first) making up the quintet of young Red Bulls on that list.

New England Revolution (8-9-10) vs. Chicago Fire FC (8-13-6)

(7:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• The New England Revolution host the Chicago Fire on Wednesday in the 68th all-time regular season meeting between these clubs and the first of the 2022 regular season. The Fire hold a slight advantage over the Revs with a 27-24-16 record in this match since they first met in 1998.
• Last time out, Carles Gil netted his sixth goal of the 2022 season, converting on Tommy McNamara’s sixth assist of the season. Gil’s 19 combined goals and assists this season are tied for eighth in MLS.
• With seven games remaining in the regular season, Gil is three goal contributions short of tying his total from 2021 (22) and five short of tying his career-high 24, which he set in his debut 2019 season.
• Xherdan Shaqiri has contributed 11 assists so far in his first MLS season, which is good enough for tied-fifth among all MLS players in 2022. Among Fire players from their inaugural season in 1998 to now, Shaqiri’s 2022 season is tied-fifth for the most assists by an individual player during the regular season. Jerzy Podbrozny and Peter Nowak currently hold the record of 14 assists during the 1998 and 2000 regular seasons, respectively.
• Gabriel “Gaga” Slonina remains the only Fire player to play every minute of every regular season game in 2022, starting 27 of their 27 games so far. The 18-year-old shot-stopper has kept 10 clean sheets during that time, which is good enough for third best in MLS this season.

Columbus Crew (8-6-12) vs. Inter Miami CF (10-11-6)

7:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• The Columbus Crew welcome Inter Miami CF to Lower.com Field in the third-ever meeting between the two clubs. Each team has won one matchup with Columbus winning the most recent contest, 4-0, on October 16, 2021. The two teams enter the game in possession of the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference with both clubs sitting on 36 points.
• Columbus fought back to earn a point against FC Cincinnati on Saturday night, with Steven Moreira grabbing the equalizer in the 96th minute. With the result, the Crew have only lost one game since May 28th of this season, going 5-1-8 in that time. Columbus has drawn each of the last three games and have not tied four-straight since June 4 - July 4, 2014.
• Crew forward Juan ‘Cucho’ Hernández added his first career MLS assist in the 74th minute against Cincinnati. The Colombian now has a goal contribution in each of his last four matches and in seven of his first nine MLS games. With two goals against Inter Miami, he would join Mamadou Diallo and Carlos Ruíz as the only players in league history with at least 10 goals in his first 10 career MLS games.
• Despite falling 3-1 to the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, forward Gonzalo Higuaín scored the lone goal for Inter Miami in the contest. It was Higuaín’s fourth-straight game with a goal contribution, and he joined Lewis Morgan as the only players in club history to do so. Overall, the Argentine needs three goals to tie the single-season club record of 12, which he set in 2020.
• Miami’s most consistent midfielder in 2022 has been Jean Mota, who leads the team in key passes (32) and accurate long balls (113), while starting the second most games (26). Mota will be relied upon even more against Columbus with Alejandro Pozuelo suspended.

Orlando City SC (11-10-6) vs. Seattle Sounders FC (10-14-3)

(7:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• The Sounders are unbeaten (4-0-1) in five overall meetings against Orlando City since their first matchup in 2015. The two teams last met on May 15, 2019 in a 2-1 victory for Seattle, with Raúl Ruidíaz and Handwalla Bwana scoring goals for the home side in the victory.
• Orlando City enters Wednesday’s match as winners of their last three matches, including a 2-1 victory over NYCFC in a key Eastern Conference battle last week. Forward Tesho Akindele scored the game-winning goal for the Lions in the 96th minute of the victory, marking his second goal in as many games for the club. Akindele had not scored for the team in his previous 19 matches this season.
• Akindele’s game-winning goal vs. NYCFC was the fifth time Orlando City has scored a winning goal in the 95th minute or later in their MLS history, more than any other team since they joined the league in 2015.
• Orlando City midfielder Júnior Urso has registered a goal contribution in three consecutive matches - totaling a goal and two assists over the span - and has scored or assisted on a goal in four of his last five overall.
• Seattle enters Wednesday’s match in search of a much-needed victory to stay alive in the race to the Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs. The club currently sits in 10th position in the Western Conference with 33 points (10-14-3) and are looking to rediscover their magic on the road, as they enter the match with a 3-9-2 record away from home.
• The Sounders have been paced offensively by forward Jordan Morris, who has a team-high seven goals, and Nicolás Lodeiro, who leads the club with 14 goal contributions (five goals, nine assists). He is one of only nine players across Major League Soccer with at least five goals and nine assists on the season.

Toronto FC (9-13-6) vs. LA Galaxy (11-11-4)

(7:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• Toronto FC and the LA Galaxy meet for the 19th time in regular season action on Wednesday and for the first time since the 2019 regular season. The Galaxy historically leads this all-time series with a 7-5-6 record over their Canadian competitors since they first met in 2007.
• Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne assisted one another’s goals in their 2-0 win over Charlotte FC last time out. With those goal contributions, the Italian internationals have now scored or assisted 12 of Toronto’s last 16 goals since they debuted for the club on July 23.
• Off the back of a 2-1 win over the Revolution last weekend, the Galaxy have gone three games without a loss for the first time since April when they went four games (3-0-1) without a loss. Summer signing Riqui Puig registered the first assist of his MLS career in his first start for the club, setting up Javier “Chicharito” Hernández for his 12th goal of the season.
• With one game left to play in the month of August, Toronto FC currently sit tied for second in points won this month with 10 points from a 3-1-1 record. They earned their first two away wins of the season this month against Nashville SC and Charlotte, earning two away wins in the same month for the first time since July 2021 when they beat the Revolution 3-2 and Fire 2-1.
• The Galaxy have had tremendous success both home and away against Eastern Conference opposition this season, building a 5-1-1 record and outscoring their cross-conference rivals by a 10-2 score line. Five of Jonathan Bond’s seven clean sheets on the season have come against Eastern Conference teams, and Hernández has scored three goals in those seven games.

New York City FC (13-8-6) vs. D.C. United (6-17-4)

(8 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• D.C. United travels up the East coast on Wednesday for their 18th all-time regular season meeting with New York City FC and the second between these sides of 2022. NYCFC lead the series with a 9-5-3 record and have won each of the last three games between these sides, including a 2-0 win at Audi Field back in May.
• Last time out, Ola Kamara scored his eighth goal of the season against Atlanta United FC. Should Kamara score two more goals this season, United will have two players who have scored 10 or more goals for the first time since 2018 when Wayne Rooney (12), Luciano Acosta (10), and Darren Mattocks (10) each reached that milestone.
• Sean Johnson continues to lead the league in clean sheets with 13, with five of them coming over the last two months of fixtures. With seven games remaining in the regular season, Johnson would need to keep three clean sheets to tie Tony Meola’s single-season record of 16 clean sheets in 2000. He is currently tied for eighth with 12 other goalkeepers to keep 13 clean sheets in a single regular season in league history.
• NYCFC’s home form has been as strong as any of the other top clubs in the league, with only Los Angeles FC (one) and the Philadelphia Union (zero) losing fewer home games so far in 2022. However, D.C. have produced two shock upsets away from home when they beat a playoff-contesting FC Cincinnati and Orlando City SC on the road.
• Ravel Morrison scored his first goal for D.C. United last time out with a volley struck from outside of the box. It was Morrison’s first goal since April 30 when he scored for his former club Derby County while playing in the EFL Championship.

Houston Dynamo FC (7-15-5) vs. LAFC (18-6-3)

(8:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• LAFC is unbeaten in eight all-time meetings against the Dynamo, carrying a 4-0-4 record into Wednesday’s match at PNC Stadium. The two clubs played to a 1-1 draw in both of their 2021 meetings and have yet to face off in the 2022 campaign.
• Houston first-year standout Sebastián Ferreira leads the Dynamo with nine goals this season and has scored in two of his past three matches. Ferreira and teammate Darwin Quintero (seven goals) have combined to score 16 of the club’s 33 goals this season and are the only two players on the team with at least 10 goal contributions this season, with 12 and 11 respectively.
• LAFC remains the only team to have clinched a position in the Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs this season and lead the Supporters’ Shield standings with 57 points on the back of an 18-6-3 record. The club’s plus-26 goal differential ranks second in MLS, trailing only Philadelphia (plus-37) and their 56 goals scored rank third in the league behind only Austin FC (59) and the Union (57).
• LAFC has scored just one goal in each of their last three matches after scoring nine across the two games directly preceding that trio. Third-year forward Mahala Opoku has been a bright spot for the club, as two of his career-best seven goals have been scored in the last three matches.
• Forward Carlos Vela continues to feature as an offensive force for LAFC, leading the club with nine assists this season, while adding eight goals. With his next helper, Vela will reach double-digit assists for the third time in his career (2018, 2019). He is one of five players in MLS this season with at least eight goals and eight assists, joining Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar (16 goals, 11 assists), Columbus’ Lucas Zelarayán (eight, 10), Minnesota’s Emanuel Reynoso (10, nine), and Philadelphia’s Dániel Gazdag (16, eight).

Nashville SC (10-9-9) vs. Colorado Rapids (8-11-8)

(8:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• Nashville SC and the Colorado Rapids meet for the second time in 2022, and just the second time in series history. On May 28, Nashville defeated Colorado 3-1 at the Rapids’ Dicks’ Sporting Goods Park, behind a pair of goals from Hany Mukhtar. The Nashville win snapped a 23-game home unbeaten streak for the Rapids, which was tied for the four-longest streak in league history.
• Hany Mukhtar continues to strengthen his campaign for the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award, as he provided helpers on two of the club’s three goals in a 3-0 victory over Vancouver last week. Nashville has scored seven goals in their last two matches – both victories – and Mukhtar has been key to each of those victories, contributing to five of those scores (two goals, three assists). Mukhtar leads MLS with 27 goal contributions (16 goals, 11 assists) and has contributed to at least one goal in 13 of his last 16 MLS appearances. He is the first player to reach at least 10 goals and 10 assists in MLS this season and has achieved the feat in consecutive seasons.
• The Rapids currently sit at 32 points (8-11-8) and five points out of a playoff position in the Western Conference with seven games to play.
• Colorado will look to their offensive spark plug Diego Rubio to help reignite a club that has scored just three goals across their last four matches. Rubio leads the club with 18 goal contributions this season (12 goals, six assists) and is one of only four players in MLS with at least 12 goals and 30 key passes this season, joining Philadelphia’s Dániel Gazdag (16, 33), Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar (16, 58) and FC Dallas’ Jesús Ferreira (15, 38).

Austin FC (15-6-6) vs. Portland Timbers (8-8-12)

(9 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• Austin FC and the Portland Tibmers meet for the fifth time in series history, with the two clubs having split the previous four meetings, 2-2-0. Earlier this season, Portland’s Bill Tuiloma scored the lone goal in a 1-0 Timbers victory at Providence Park on March 12.
• Austin sits in second in the Western Conference (51 points, 15-6-6) and boast the league’s top offense, with an MLS-best 59 goals scored this season. The club (plus-22) is one of just three in MLS with a goal differential of plus-20 or higher, joining the Philadelphia Union (plus-37) and LAFC (plus-26).
• Austin is in a position to clinch the first postseason berth in club history and can accomplish the feat with a win combined with a Seattle loss or draw at Orlando City or a Nashville loss vs. Colorado or a Galaxy loss at Toronto combined with a Real Salt Lake loss vs. Minnesota and a Nashville SC draw vs. Colorado.
• Forward Sebastián Driussi strengthened both his case for the 2022 Landon Donovan MLS MVP and Golden Boot presented by Audi by scoring his 19th goal of the season in the club’s 4-1 win over Western Conference rival LAFC last week. Driussi has scored in six consecutive MLS matches, totaling eight goals over the span, and holds a three-goal advantage in the race for the Golden Boot presented by Audi. On August 21, 2021, Driussi scored the first goal of his MLS career in a 3-1 Austin victory of Portland at Q2 Stadium, just his second career home match with the Verde and Black.
• The Timbers earned a timely victory over their Pacific Northwest rival Seattle last week, a 2-1 victore that helped the club stay in striking distance in the Western Conference playoff picture. Portland (36 points, 8-8-12) currently sits one point out of the seventh position in the West and will look to finish the season strong as they aim to make the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.
• Timbers winger Dairon Asprilla scored the opening goal and assisted the second in Portland’s 2-1 win over Seattle in Week 27. It marked the sixth time that Asprilla has recorded a goal and an assist in a match in his MLS career, including playoffs, and his second against Seattle. Asprilla has three goal contributions (one goal, two assists) in his last two MLS matches.

Real Salt Lake (10-8-9) vs. Minnesota United FC (13-9-5)

(9:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• Real Salt Lake and Minnesota United FC will meet for the 13th time in MLS regular season history, and the sixth at Rio Tinto Stadium. Minnesota has historically done well in the series, posting a 5-2-5 record against the Claret and Cobalt. The Loons won the previous meeting this season 3-2 at Allianz Field on July 3.
• Minnesota’s 2-1 win over Houston Dynamo FC on Saturday was its eighth victory in its last 11 games (8-1-2). The Loons have 26 points since June 29, which is more than any other team in MLS in that span. The club is now up to 44 points on the season and sit third in the Western Conference, which would be its highest regular season finish in club history.
• Paraguayan forward Luis Amarilla has been one of Minnesota’s best players during their strong form since June. In his last 12 games, Amarilla has produced seven goals and five assists. Amarilla scored the game-winning goal, his fifth of the season, against Houston on Saturday. His five game-winning goals are tied for the third most in MLS.
• Real Salt Lake’s Anderson Julio scored the equalizer against FC Dallas on Saturday, which was the club’s 10th headed goal of the season, tied for the second most in MLS with only Nashville (11) scoring more. Julio’s last three MLS goals have all been headers after his first eight goals in the league were scored with his feet. Julio has also scored three goals against Minnesota in his career.
• RSL have made a habit of playing in close games in 2022. Of the club’s 10 wins this season, seven of them were by a single goal, and in the club’s nine defeats, five of them were by just one goal. Of Salt Lake’s 35 goals scored this season, almost half of them (17) have been go-ahead goals in their matches.