Top Things to Watch in MLS this Week
MLS All-Star Team to Be Announced Today; Heineken Rivalry Week Continues
MLS All-Star Roster to Be Announced Today
With less than one month remaining until the best of MLS face off against the top players from LIGA MX in the 2022 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, Major League Soccer will announce the complete 26-player MLS All-Star roster today, July 12, at noon ET.
Of the 26 MLS All-Star players, 12 were selected through a combination of fan, player, and media voting; 12 were selected by MLS All-Star and Minnesota United FC head coach Adrian Heath, and two were selected by MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
The 2022 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target is set for Wednesday, August 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET at Allianz Filed in Minnesota and will be broadcast live on ESPN and Univision in the U.S., TSN and TVA Sports in Canada, on ESPN throughout Mexico and Latin America, and in more than 190 countries around the world. Tickets are available at MLSsoccer.com/All-Star or by clicking here.
MLS All-Star Skills Challenge Roster Revealed on July 18
To set the stage with fun and thrilling event on the eve of the MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T 5G will feature 10 of the best players in MLS taking on 10 of the best from LIGA MX in the ultimate test of five skills challenges on Tuesday, Aug. 9 at Allianz Field.
The MLS All-Star Skills Challenge roster will be announced in less than one week on Monday, July 18 for the event which will feature the following five competitions: Shooting Challenge presented by AT&T 5G; Touch Challenge presented by Old Spice; Cross & Volley Challenge presented by AT&T 5G; Passing Challenge presented by Bounty; and Crossbar Challenge presented by GilletteLabs.
Tickets are on sale now, starting at $23, and can be purchased by visiting MLSsoccer.com/All-Star or SeatGeek.com.
Media Accreditation Information
Media interested in attending the 2022 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, the 2022 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T 5G, and/or other events during All-Star week can apply for credentials at the following link: APPLY HERE.
The deadline to submit applications is Wednesday, July 27 at 5 p.m. ET, and no late applications or changes will be accepted.
Organizations wishing to cover the 2022 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target or any events during this year’s MLS All-Star Week must submit an online application. MLS all-venue credentials, team credentials or credentials from previous MLS and LIGA MX events will not be valid. Editors should only complete one application per outlet. Requests for all working media members of an outlet should be contained within a single application.
For information regarding MLS All-Star Week, visit www.MLSsoccer.com/All-Star and www.MLSsoccer.com/Media-Resources.
Héctor Herrera and Houston Dynamo Look to Spoil Austin’s Surge
Last week’s debut of Mexican National Team captain Héctor Herrera for Houston Dynamo FC did not disappoint, when the newly transferred midfielder electrified the home crowd by sparking Houston’s come-from-behind draw against in-state rivals FC Dallas. Now the Texas trifecta continues for Houston on the road, as Dynamo FC and Herrera continue to build their chemistry while facing no easy task against in-state rival and second-in-the-West Austin FC tonight at Q2 Stadium (10 p.m. ET, UniMás/TUDN/Twitter for English audio).
Leading the way for Austin FC will be Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate Sebastián Driussi, who continues to prove his quality with a goal in three of his last four matches.
The Verde return home after a highly successful road stand that saw them surging with wins in four of their last five matches to secure the second-best record in MLS (11-4-4). They have taken 12 points from comeback efforts including two 3-2 victories after trailing 2-0 in those matches, and they boast a league-best seven wins on the road, while recording only one loss (4-1-3) on their home field at Q2 Stadium.
With Héctor Herrera and an invigorated Dynamo FC coming to a raucous Austin home environment, will Austin squash their momentum and prove themselves as the top team in Texas?
The Gloves Are Off Heading into the Friendliest Rivalry in Sports
Heineken Rivalry Week continues when the friendliest rivalry in sports kicks off with Minnesota United FC looking to win their fourth consecutive game against a sprightly Sporting Kansas City team on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN / ESPN Deportes).
Minnesota handed the Vancouver Whitecaps their first home loss since April 9, scoring three goals in the final 20 minutes in come-from-behind fashion on the contributions of Luis Amarilla netting his fifth of the season and Franco Fragapane – who scored last time Minnesota faced Kansas City. MNUFC goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair has been instrumental to the Loons’ form over the last two months, as he approaches this rivalry match as one of the league’s elite shot-stoppers, preventing nearly five goals (4.91) this season according to his advanced metrics.
Kansas City have earned a road warrior reputation against some of the best teams in the league, beating CF Montréal last time out and ending Nashville SC’s 25-game home unbeaten streak back in June. Kansas City’s injection of youth is showcasing difference makers in Cameron Duke and Felipe Hernández, who have both earned valuable starting minutes in midfield, while 19-year-old Kayden Pierre has secured back-to-back 90-minute games for the first time in 2022. Wednesday’s clash with Minnesota now presents an opportunity for this young core to take down a third playoff contender in their own stadium, as they put their stamp on this local rivalry.
Will Kansas City provide yet another headline-grabbing upset away at Minnesota, or will the Loons’ red-hot form continue with rivalry victory on the line on Wednesday night?
Alex Covelo Rejuvenates ‘Quakes Ahead of California Clásico
The California Clásico returns for a 78th all-time edition when the San Jose Earthquakes travel down the coast to take on the LA Galaxy on Wednesday evening (10 p.m. ET, FS1 FOX Deportes).
After a stagnant season start, San Jose has come to life under interim head coach Alex Covelo, recording a 4-3-4 record since he inherited the club on April 18. Covelo has excelled at putting the right attacking pieces in the correct areas and letting them thrive, as Jeremy Ebobisse has 10 goals, three different players have at least six assists, and 22-year-old Benjamin Kikanović has posted three goal contributions in his last two starts. While San Jose is seeing success, they will need their attacking players to make the difference against a Galaxy team that has scored 13 goals in its last five matches.
For the LA Galaxy, midfielder Rayan Raveloson is breaking out in his second year with the club. A Madagascar international, Raveloson dominated the middle of the park in LA’s 4-0 win over Montreál on July 4, producing his first career brace. In El Tráfico last Friday, he added a goal and an assist all while bossing the midfield, completing 86 percent of his passes with 19 of those in the final third of the pitch. Raveloson is a crucial player for LA and if he can take over games from the midfield, it will only free up the Galaxy’s dynamic attacking duo of Javier “Chicharito” Hernández and Dejan Joveljic, as well as their dangerous full backs Julián Araujo and Raheem Edwards. In the pressure-packed California Clásico, Raveloson gets a big stage to solidify his dominance, while making the Galaxy an even more intimidating opponent.
Orlando Sneaks Up Standings Ahead of Rivalry Clash with Atlanta
Orlando City is moving with major momentum into Heineken Rivalry Week match against Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC / ESPN Deportes), as the Lions have steadily climbed into fifth place in the Eastern Conference and snuck their way to within just five points off the top spot.
With a creative attacking trio of Facundo Torres (three goals, six assists), Ercan Kara (seven goals, two assists), and Mauricio Pereyra (nine assists), the Lions offense is beginning to mesh with four goals scored in their last two matchups. This solid attacking group combined with the ever-consistent play of goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and his seven clean sheets could provide Orlando with the right formula to continue running up the Eastern Conference if they can tame Atlanta United striker Josef Martínez
Martínez remains one of the most prolific goal scorers in MLS history and has been virtually unstoppable every time he matches up against Orlando City. The Venezuelan scorer has eight goals in seven starts against Orlando City, with a score in six of those seven matches. When Martínez scores against the Lions, Atlanta is 4-1-1 and has produced 13 goals against their rival opponent.
As Atlanta looks to right the ship with Martínez at the helm, intensity will be high with bragging rights at stake. Will Orlando continue its climb in the East, or will the scoring king of the South extend his remarkable tally against a bitter rival?
Forwards Firing on the Hudson Ahead of Derby Day in New York
The Hudson River Derby will be flooded with intensity and emotion during Heineken Rivalry Week, as two of the top sides in the Eastern Conference collide, when the New York Red Bulls take on New York City FC on Sunday at Red Bull Arena (5 p.m. ET, ESPN / ESPN Deportes).
The Red Bulls have rediscovered their home form with four consecutive wins, including a 3-0 U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals victory over NYCFC. Lewis Morgan, who scored the first of those three goals, has two goals and an assist over his last three games for the Red Bulls and will be hungry to score his 10th goal of the season against his side’s most bitter rivals. Homegrowns Omir Fernandez and John Tolkin will look to add another notch to their belts as Fernandez searches for a third goal in his last four games against NYCFC and Tolkin aims to maintain his unbeaten Hudson River Derby record with a fourth game without a loss.
NYCFC head into rivalry clash with MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi frontrunner Valentín “Taty” Castellanos rounding into form and in poll position to be the difference maker this time around against the Red Bulls. The 23-year-old forward has scored five goals in his last three games and currently leads the league with 12 goals on the season. With 20-year-old Talles Magno by his side contributing two goals and three assists in the last three games, NYCFC has an opportunity to grab this rivalry by the horns to claim their first victory at Red Bull Arena since 2017.
Cincinnati’s Strikers Targeting History in Columbus
Heineken Rivalry Week reaches an explosive ending when FC Cincinnati travel to the Columbus Crew with a chance of earning their first-ever away win over their in-state rivals on Sunday (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1 / FOX Deportes).
Cincinnati’s prolific striker duo of Brenner and Brandon Vazquez is lighting up MLS this season with a combined 14 goals and six assists after 19 games. Vazquez is in the conversation for a FIFA World Cup roster spot with U.S. Men’s National Team in November, as he enjoys a breakthrough season with nine goals and is tied for sixth in MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi standings. His Brazilian goal-scoring counterpart Brenner has also been the talk of the league after recently scoring five goals in his last three games, including a career-first hat trick against NYCFC.
Meanwhile, the Columbus Crew’s Juan Camilo “Cucho” Hernández made an instant impact off the bench in his debut last week, scoring the game-winning goal to complete a come-from-behind victory over Chicago Fire FC. Columbus’ Derrick Etienne Jr., who continues to build on his career year with five goal and five assists this season, found the back of the net in a momentous win for the Crew, and 19-year-old Jacen Russell-Rowe, a product of the MLS NEXT Pro pipeline, has also provided the team with new life in attack just as Hernández arrived and Etienne rediscovered his scoring prowess.
This heated rivalry match between Cincinnati and Columbus has averaged at least three goals each outing across eight regular season meetings since 2019, and the red-hot forwards coming into this match are primed to add more memorable goals to the rivalry history books.
Romeo Beckham Scores First Professional Goal
Nineteen-year-old Romeo Beckham scored his first goal of the MLS NEXT Pro season to cap off Inter Miami II’s 3-1 comeback win on the road over Orlando City B on Sunday night. His free kick in the 84th minute was his first goal as a professional (Watch Goal | Download Video).
Down 1-0 midway through the second half, Inter Miami II (22 points, 7-7-1) scored three unanswered goals in the span of 14 minutes to capture the come-from-behind victory. Beckham’s assist on Shanyder Borgelin’s goal (78’) was his league-leading seventh on the year.
So far this season, Beckham has appeared in 14 of Inter Miami II’s 15 games, starting all but the first he played in.
MLS NEXT Pro Implements Two New Rules
Last week MLS NEXT Pro announced two new competition rules that went into effect at matches over the weekend. The Off-field Treatment Rule allows for play to resume quickly, while providing medical professionals time to assess and treat players, off the field of play. The Red Card Suspension Rule provides greater benefit to the club that suffered a foul resulting in a red card or second yellow card.
Full details on the two new rules are available at mlsnextpro.com.
MLS NEXT Pro to Host Premier League 2 Clubs for Inaugural MLS NEXT Pro Invitational This Month
MLS NEXT Pro announced on Friday its first international competition, the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro Invitational, taking place later this month in the Salt Lake City area. MLS NEXT Pro’s Real Monarchs, Colorado Rapids 2, and Toronto FC II will play Chelsea FC Under-21s and Wolves Under-21s from England’s Premier League 2 (PL2) competition.
Matches will take place at both Real Salt Lake’s Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, and Real Monarchs’ Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah, over the course of nine days, July 19-27.
Complete details, including the match schedule and tune-in information, are available at mlsnextpro.com.
