The last round of MLS fixtures ahead of the Leagues Cup break throws up some critical matchups across both Conferences, with battles for total supremacy and playoff places now heating up.
With a slate of midweek fixtures and the summer window firmly in full swing, there’s plenty to watch across MLS this weekend.
Jack Collins here from The Game Day to look at the upcoming matches for Matchday 26 in Major League Soccer.
The MLS odds I use for my betting picks are current as of 12 am ET on July 13th at the indicated sportsbook.
New England vs D.C. United Preview
It’s pretty simple with the Revs - most of the time, they win, especially at home. Their midweek win over Atlanta made it four on the spin at Gillette Stadium, a run that has propelled them up to second spot in the East.
20 goals in the last five games in Foxborough, with both teams scoring in each of them - it’s been a veritable feast of fun for Revs fans in the previous month or so.
D.C. are all over the place - impressive wins over Cincinnati and Dallas, tough losses to Atlanta and 10-man Nashville, and dropped points against Miami.
They’re a good side, but not a great one - and it feels like you need more than that to turn over the Revs at home.
● NEW ENGLAND vs D.C. UNITED: New England TO WIN (+105) Bet365 Sportsbook. The Revs are on fire in New England, and D.C. doesn’t travel all that well. Lock in the home win.
Portland vs Columbus Preview
Portland is right down in the dumps. They’ve won just once in their last ten games, there are rumors of significant schisms in the camp, and a push for the Playoffs seems very unlikely.
On the other hand, the Crew are flying - nobody has scored more goals than their 43, they haven’t lost in eight games, and - statistics aside - they’re a heap of fun to watch at almost all times.
Only Hany Mukhtar and Thiago Almada outperform Lucas Zelarayan’s combined 15 goals and assists, while Christian Ramirez provides another serious threat in front of goal.
● PORTLAND vs COLUMBUS: Columbus TO WIN (+187) Bet365 Sportsbook. Portland is a mess, and the Crew can’t stop scoring. A road win looks like a good bet.
Atlanta vs Orlando Preview
Atlanta is in a muddle, and their loss to the Revs was no surprise in midweek with the noise around the club, especially surrounding the trade of Franco Ibarra.
Separated by a point, Orlando will see this as an opportune moment to try and leapfrog the Five Stripes in the East and push on towards those home Playoff spots.
Then again, Thiago Almada has shown he is more than capable of shutting out the noise and winning games on his own. After missing the loss to the Revs, Atlanta have hope Giorgos Giakoumakis will be back leading the line to end the club’s slightly lean spell in front of the net.
● ATLANTA vs ORLANDO: Both Teams to Score (-175) Bet365 Sportsbook. Two good teams trying to push up the table. This one should be open and entertaining.
Cincinnati vs Nashville Preview
A win for Cincinnati at home against Nashville, and we can start talking about the Supporters’ Shield being locked up. Cincy is already 8 points clear of their closest challengers across either conference.
Having drawn with New England two weekends ago, as long as they don’t lose here, it’s hard to see anybody catching the runaway leaders.
Nashville is in a horrible moment - losing four of their last five games, and only an in-form Revs have been able to pick up anything from a visit to TQL Stadium across 11 games. It’s hard to see anything, but another Cincinnati win at home.
Montréal vs Charlotte Preview
Montréal took a thumping in Chicago in midweek, making it three back-to-back losses and no wins in four. They’re now three points off the Playoff line, and with Chicago improving, they need to get going if they’re going to make the postseason.
Charlotte is the same, though. They’ve played out seven without a win but have drawn their last five - and as such, these two come into this one on the same points.
They drew 0-0 last time out, and there’s very little to separate them again now - perhaps Montréal’s addition of Kwadwo Opoku could end up being the difference. That’s what he’s been brought in to do.
Philadelphia vs New York City FC Preview
NYCFC are weird - they’ve won just one of their last nine but lost just one of them, too, effectively making them MLS draw specialists (taking that crown off newly resurgent LA Galaxy).
Logically, the Union should just win this game - Andre Blake should be back between the sticks after his international duty concluded the Gold Cup, and they comfortably won the reverse fixture 3-1 in New York.
But NYCFC have held free-scoring Columbus, strong-at-home Atlanta, and rising-stock RSL away from home in the last four weeks alone. They are home-game kryptonite for teams trending upwards.
Chicago vs Toronto Preview
All the headlines might be about Xherdan Shaqiri’s glorious free-kick routine, but don’t sleep on the fact that the Fire have won four of their last five, are into the playoff qualifying spots, and are playing gloriously effectively.
They don’t need much of the ball to create opportunities, and they’ve been ruthless in front of goal in the past few weeks. That might not be all that sustainable, but it should be enough here.
Mostly that’s because an out-of-sorts Toronto hasn't won since May. These two played out a 0-0 draw the last time they met, north of the border, but another Fire win at Soldier Field, and they are officially ‘on a roll.’
Minnesota vs LAFC Preview
Has LAFC worked it out again? Maybe. That 3-0 win over St Louis felt far more like the black and gold we’ve been used to seeing over the last few years, at least in the closing stages.
It took a while to get going, but once the pressure built enough, the dam finally burst in some style. There was a false dawn a few weeks ago with that win over the Sounders, but something about this felt more cathartic, more emphatic.
Minnesota is a team of extremes, though. A big win at an in-form Houston was impressive, but they were hammered at home by Austin just days before, obliterated the Timbers a week before that, and were whacked all over the shop by Montréal earlier in June. How do you work that out?
Just two wins in nine home games for the Loons, and only Colorado has struggled worse on their own patch. If LAFC truly is back in business, expect them to exploit that.
St Louis vs Miami Preview
The St. Louis train was stopped emphatically by LAFC in California last time out, but this team doesn’t know the meaning of lying down.
They responded to a rotten patch of form in June by going on a three-game winning streak to re-establish themselves as the team to beat in the West.
And they’re given an opportunity to end this half of the season on a high against a rock-bottom Miami side playing without Lionel Messi for the final time - it’s been confirmed he’ll make his debut in the Leagues Cup on July 21.
MLS’ newest franchise has scored 26 goals in 11 games at CITYPARK. You’d bet on them adding to that and going into the break as Western leaders.
Austin vs Kansas Preview
Austin might have lost in Vancouver, but this side has hit form at the right time, and that loss feels like a blip rather than a bubble burster. They’re still at 10 points from their last five games and tucked in 6th, but the middle of the West is a sticky place to be right now.
There’s also the minor concern that the last time Austin played Kansas, they were trounced 4-1 at Children’s Mercy Park - and despite hoarding most of the ball that night, they couldn’t create chances, and KC split them open at will on the counter.
Kansas feels a bit like Robin Hood right now - ‘steal from the rich, give to the poor’ - they’re hard to gauge, but Austin will feel they have a score to settle on home turf.
Colorado vs Houston Preview
A four-point week for the Rapids! The additions of Andrew Gutman and Rafael Navarro from Atlanta and Palmeiras, respectively, have boosted the squad - and now they face a Dynamo side that, after a good run in June, have dropped off the pace in the last few weeks.
Losing 3-0 at home to Minnesota when they dominated the ball and the shot count is not a great look, and it’s not the first time either this season that they’ve been hit for a big score with the opposition cutting through them in transition.
Colorado are still struggling for goals and will need Navarro to come good very quickly to address that issue, but if the Rapids are going to avoid the wooden spoon, this is the kind of home game they need to win.
Real Salt Lake vs New York Red Bulls Preview
This could be the most entertaining game of the weekend. RSL are on a massive upward trend - fourth in the West and just four points behind St. Louis.
Chicho Arango and Nelson Palacio were added when the window opened again, adding more firepower up front and more depth in midfield. Anderson Julio keeps scoring off the bench to pick up points at crucial moments.
The Red Bulls are Jekyll and Hyde - big home wins against Atlanta, and the Revs have kept them hanging on in the Playoff race, but they are still up against it. Their games are usually full of goals, and they’re always fun to watch one way or the other.
RSL probably have too much here, but this one’s up there for the neutral’s choice on this Matchday.
Seattle vs Dallas Preview
The Sounders haven’t quite been their usual selves this season, but there are still moments where heritage seeps in - coming back twice from behind in Vancouver, only to score a last-minute winner, was vintage Rave Green.
While their numbers stand up still and remain third in the West, there’s a fragility to this squad that belies much of that. A loss to the Earthquakes in California is nothing to be too disappointed with, but it’s a performance and result feeling all too familiar right now.
Obviously, there was plenty of disappointment when the USMNT crashed out in the Gold Cup semi-finals against Panama. Still, you’d not begrudge Dallas fans a moment of relief that Jesus Ferreira will be back with this squad - although if he plays at the weekend is up for debate.
They have looked remarkably toothless without him and the injured Paul Arriola in the side, finding the net just three times in four games. If it comes here, his return could ignite a new lease of life in Dallas.
Vancouver vs LA Galaxy Preview
Are the Galaxy back? They might well be. Whisper it quietly, but they’re unbeaten in seven, took six points from a week where they played LAFC and Philadelphia, and are finally starting to live up to their underlying numbers.
Riqui Puig has begun firing on all cylinders, and his display in El Trafico was mesmerizing. With him, Brugman, and Delgado together, the Galaxy have one of the best midfields in the Conference and perhaps the league.
The Whitecaps are a frustrating side to support, you’d imagine. The injury-time loss to Seattle after blowing two leads during the game was a real head loss, but they managed to steady the ship against Austin last time.
Logic still says they win here, but the Galaxy are doing an excellent job of throwing logic out of the window when they play at the moment. One not to miss.
