Columbus Crew Looks to Win Its First International Trophy
The Columbus Crew will look to win its first-ever international hardware next week when it takes on LIGA MX’s Campeón de Campeones winners Cruz Azul in the 2021 edition of the annual Campeones Cup, to be played on Wednesday, September 29 at the brand-new Lower.com Field in Columbus.
The MLS defending champion Columbus Crew has won two MLS Cups (2008, 2020), three Supporters’ Shields (2004, 2008, 2009) and one Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2002), and has among its lineup some of the best players in MLS: Argentine midfielder Lucas Zelarayán, three-time MLS Cup winner Darlington Nagbe, and U.S. Men’s National Team forward and two-time MLS Cup winner Gyasi Zardes.
Cruz Azul will represent LIGA BBVA MX in Campeones Cup after winning its coveted ninth title in the history of the Mexican top flight. Among its roster are scoring champion Uruguayan Jonathan Rodríguez, Jesús Corona and Luis Romo, named best goalkeeper and best defensive midfielder in LIGA MX, respectively.
The two previous editions of Campeones Cup have been split, with MLS and LIGA MX claiming one title each, after Tigres UANL conquered Toronto FC in the inaugural 2018 edition, and Atlanta United defeated Club América 3-2 in the exciting 2019 match, played in front of over 40,000 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Campeones Cup will be the first-ever international sporting event to be played at Lower.com Field, which was inaugurated early July, in a city that has hosted some of the most iconic and important USA-Mexico matches in the history of the rivalry.
Campeones Cup wraps up five weeks of MLS vs. Liga MX matchups between August and September, including the Leagues Cup final being played Wednesday in Las Vegas between Seattle Sounders FC and Club Leon, and the MLS All-Star Game presented by Target that saw the MLS All-Stars defeat Liga MX All-Stars in a penalty kick shootout in Los Angeles on August 25.
Campeones Cup History
2021 Columbus Crew vs. Cruz Azul Lower.com Field, Columbus, Ohio
2019 Atlanta United 3, Club América 2 Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
2018 Tigres UANL 3, Toronto FC 1 BMO Field, Toronto, Ont., Canada
Media Assets
Click here for Campeones Cup assets, including player soundbytes, tournament logos, trophy photos, stadium imagery, and more.
As part of their commitment to support positive change in local communities, Columbus Crew, Deportivo Cruz Azul, LIGA MX and MLS united Monday to unveil a new digital learning center and a reimagined soccer activity zone at the Ohio Hispanic Coalition (OHC) North Site location.
Video Assets
B-roll from today's event is available below. Please credit Major League Soccer.
B-Roll: Download HERE
Bruce Arena: Within an Arm’s Length of Making History
Bruce Arena has taken the Revolution to a whole new level as his third season at the helm nears its climax. Arena came to New England in 2019 and instantly put an end to an MLS Cup Playoffs drought that had been standing since 2015 at Gillette Stadium. A first-round playoff appearance was achieved in Arena’s first year in command of the MLS original before the veteran coach led the team to an Eastern Conference Final appearance a year later. Now in 2021, Arena’s Revolution are running away with the Eastern Conference and likely the MLS Supporters’ Shield as they look to shatter LAFC’s recently set record of 72 points in a single MLS campaign. Averaging a league-best 2.21 points per game, the Revolution are on pace to set a record with 77 points following their final seven matches of the year.
Already the winningest coach in MLS postseason history with 35 wins, Arena is just three wins away from topping legendary MLS coach Sigi Schmid to become the winningest coach in MLS regular season history with 237 wins in his 17-year MLS coaching career. Despite the individual records, the aforementioned collective efforts stand out as the Revolution recently became the first team to claim a spot in the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs while surpassing the club’s all-time record for most wins in a single season.
Arena and New England have seven matches left in the 2021 MLS regular season, with three of those coming at home. It won’t be the easiest way to end the season as the Revolution have to face playoff-caliber teams such as the Colorado Rapids, Orlando City SC and D.C. United, but the Revolution do boast a 5-0-1 record against their remaining opponents with a staggering plus-9 goal differential against those teams.
Canadian Championships Roll Onto Semifinals
Canada’s premier club tournament has reached its penultimate round of matches prior to the 2021 Canadian Championship final and two MLS teams are in the running. In its 14 years of existence, an MLS club has won the tournament in every edition of the competition and that streak is primed to continue as Toronto FC will host Pacific FC and Forge FC will welcome CF Montréal in semifinal action.
In the quarterfinals, Toronto FC handled Canadian Premier League’s York United FC 4-0 in the Toronto-based clubs’ first-ever meeting on Sept. 22 at BMO Field. Midfielder Jonathan Osorio and forward Ifunanyachi Achara got in on the scoring early before the evening was capped off by goals from forward Yeferson Soteldo and midfielder Noble Okello – his first goal for TFC since coming up through the club’s academy system.
CF Montréal escaped Nova Scotia with a win over HFX Wanderers on Sept. 22 at Wanderers Ground by a final tally of 3-1. Early goals from HFX’s Cory Bent and Montréal’s Matko Miljevic were erased with two late goals in the closing minutes of the match from Montréal’s Ballou Tabla in the 89th and 90+2 minutes respectively. Tabla’s brace represents the first goals for the Montréal academy product in nearly a year.
Toronto and Montréal will face some of the CPL’s best as Pacific FC is coming off a Preliminary Round victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and Forge FC is coming off back-to-back CPL titles. The winner of the Canadian Championship earns direct entry into the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League with a chance to compete for a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.
It’s Must-Win Situation Time As the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs Approach
With just under two months until the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs begin, all 27 MLS clubs are alive for the postseason and one—the New England Revolution—has already clinched their spot. For the remaining 26 clubs—and especially the 13 clubs currently out of playoff position—it’s crunch time as the playoffs quickly approach.
Over the coming week, there are six high stakes matches between teams looking to climb up the table and make a late push toward the playoffs. The four teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings have a busy week ahead as Toronto FC and FC Cincinnati face off on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN+) before FC Cincinnati face New York Red Bulls on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+) and Toronto FC host Chicago Fire FC on Sunday (4 p.m. ET; ESPN+).
A pair of Eastern Conference foes on the cusp of the playoff line are surging as Atlanta United and Inter Miami will clash on Wednesday, Sept. 29 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN+ / Bally Sports South). Inter Miami will look to remain unbeaten at Mercedes-Benz Stadium as the Herons are winners of five of their last eight and the Five Stripes have rattled off seven wins in their nine previous tries. With both sides managing just six wins through the first half of the season, both sides will be looking to jump back into the playoff picture in a similar manner to Seattle Sounders FC going from ninth in the West midway through the season to a spot in the MLS Cup 2017.
A late Western Conference push will be highlighted by a pair of matches featuring a Vancouver Whitecaps FC team that has gone unbeaten in 13 of their last 15 matches as they face Houston Dynamo on Wednesday (9 p.m. CT; TSN / ESPN+) and host the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday (7 p.m. PT; TSN / ESPN+). Following a 2-6-3 start, the Whitecaps found themselves in last place in the Western Conference. Now, the ‘Caps can challenge for a place in the playoffs in a similar fashion to an LA Galaxy team that went from 2-3-9 to 12-6-12 and an MLS Cup appearance in 2009.
Game Notes
Wednesday, September 29
Toronto FC vs. FC Cincinnati, 7 p.m. (TSN)
· TFC gained a second result in a row, reaching a scoreless draw with the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. Alex Bono was credited with one save in recording his second shutout of the year, the first coming May 12.
· FCC saw their losing slide extended, dropping a 4-2 decision to D.C. United at Audi Field on Saturday evening. Brandon Vazquez came off the substitutes’ bench and scored his first goal of the season, then recorded his second assist of the year on Luciano Acosta’s fifth goal of the campaign.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season, and FC Cincinnati have won the first two, both by 2-0 scorelines. Allan Cruz and Luciano Acosta scored goals to lead FC Cincinnati to the win June 26 at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, then Brenner and Haris Medunjanin netted goals on either side of halftime as FCC won Sept. 11 in their first meeting at TQL Stadium.
· Toronto FC won the first three meetings between the teams. In FC Cincinnati’s inaugural season, TFC took a 2-1 win July 27 at BMO Field, then got goals from five different players in rolling to a 5-1 victory Sept. 7 at Nippert Stadium. A season ago. Patrick Mullins scored the game’s only goal in the 28th minute as TFC took the victory Oct. 11 at Nippert Stadium.
Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami CF, 7 p.m.
· Atlanta United saw their three-game winning run put to an end, falling by the game’s only goal to the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park on Saturday afternoon.
· Inter Miami return to action after a weekend off, falling 5-1 to Nashville SC in their last match Sept. 22 at DRV PNK Stadium. Gonzalo Higuaín scored his 10th goal of the season, his second in the last four games.
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Josef Martínez gave ATLUTD an early lead, but Lewis Morgan scored a late equalizer, leaving the teams in a 1-1 draw May 9 at DRV PNK Stadium.
· The teams met four times in Inter Miami’s inaugural season, and Inter Miami were undefeated over the series, winning twice. Lewis Morgan scored both goals for Inter Miami, leading the club to a 2-1 win on Sept. 9 in Fort Lauderdale, then Juan Agudelo and Brek Shea scored in the opening 11 minutes as IMCF took the 2-1 win Sept. 19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The teams reached a 1-1 draw Oct. 14 in south Florida, and played to a goalless draw at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sept. 2.
D.C. United vs. Minnesota United FC, 7:30 p.m.
· D.C. United rolled to a third victory in the last five matches, defeating FC Cincinnati 4-0 at Audi Field on Saturday evening. Paul Arriola netted a pair of goals, the third two-goal game of his MLS career and his first since Sept. 29, 2018, while Nigel Robertha scored his third of the season and Steve Birnbaum netted his first of the year.
· Minnesota United won a second game on the trot, defeating Houston Dynamo FC 2-0 at Allianz Field on Saturday evening. Robin Lod scored inside the first minute, his seventh goal of the season and first since Aug. 7, while Ethan Finlay netted his third of the year, his second in as many games.
· The teams last met during the 2019 season, Minnesota United taking a win by the game’s only goal April 28 at Allianz Field.
· The home team has won each of the three meetings all-time in the series. MNUFC won the first meeting in 2017, a 4-0 win at TCF Bank Stadium; D.C. United won the lone matchup at Audi Field, a 2-1 win in 2018.
CF Montreal vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m. (TVA Sports)
· CF Montréal saw their two-game winning run put to an end, falling 2-1 to the Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field on Saturday evening. Romell Quioto scored his sixth goal of the season, a third consecutive game with a goal and his fourth in the last five matches.
· The Revolution extended their latest undefeated run to five games with yet another one-goal win, defeating Orlando City SC 2-1 at Gillette Stadium on Saturday evening. Adam Buksa netted his 12th goal of the season, his second in the last three games, now sitting a tie for fifth place in the MLS Golden Boot standings.
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Gustavo Bou scored goals in each half as the Revolution took a 2-1 win July 25 at Gillette Stadium.
· CF Montréal won the last meeting in Québec, a 2-1 win in the season opener last year at Olympic Stadium. The win extended Montréal’s then-home undefeated streak in the series to three games. The Revs have won the last two games in Foxborough, over the last two seasons.
New York Red Bulls vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m.
· The Red Bulls won the back end of the home-and-home New York Derby, defeating NYCFC 1-0 at Yankee Stadium on Saturday evening. Omir Fernandez scored the game’s only goal, his second of the season, extending the Red Bulls undefeated run to three games.
· The Union won their second game on the trot, defeating Atlanta United by the game’s only goal at Subaru Park on Saturday afternoon. Kacper Przybylko netted the goal, his ninth of the season and second in as many games,
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Cory Burke netted the game’s lone goal in the ninth minute and the Union held out for the win May 15 at Subaru Park; on July 8 at Red Bull Arena, Patryk Klimala converted a penalty kick, but Sergio Santos hit for a late leveler to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw. The Union had won three consecutive meetings between the teams before the draw in the last matchup.
· The Union win at Red Bull Arena last Sept. 6 ended a three-game home undefeated streak for the Red Bulls; the opening goal ended a 340-minute shutout streak there for the Union. The Union have won the last three meetings in Chester.
· The teams also met in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2019. The Union overcame a two-game deficit in the second half before Marco Fabian netted the game-winner in extra time for a 4-3 win in their Round One matchup.
Chicago Fire FC vs. New York City FC, 8 p.m.
· The Fire put an end to their losing skid, reaching a goalless draw with Nashville SC at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon. Gabriel Slonina was credited with four saves in recording his second shutout in four career starts.
· NYCFC had their three-game undefeated streak put to an end in the back end of the home-and-home New York Derby series, falling by the game’s only goal to the New York Red Bulls at Yankee Stadium on Saturday evening.
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season. They reached a goalless draw Aug. 4 at Soldier Field, NYCFC’s second result in as many games there. They took a 4-3 win at Soldier Field on Decision Day (Nov. 8) last year.
· The Fire have won twice in the all-time series in 14 meetings, the last coming June 30, 2018 in Bridgeview, which ended a six-game NYCFC undefeated streak in the series. It was the Fire’s first win since a 1-0 victory on April 24, 2015 in Bridgeview in the first-ever encounter between the teams.
· The Fire have never won at Yankee Stadium. NYCFC have won the past five meetings as the home team, including last year’s win at Red Bull Arena, their first home wins in the series after the first two meetings ended in draws.
FC Dallas vs. Sporting Kansas City, 8 p.m.
· FC Dallas went down to a second defeat on the run, falling by the game’s only goal to Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place on Saturday evening.
· Sporting had their two-game winning run come to an end, falling 2-1 to Seattle Sounders FC at Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday evening. Johnny Russell scored his seventh goal of the season, a third consecutive game with a goal and fourth in the last five matches.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season, each winning on the other’s home ground. Paxton Pomykal and Jesús Ferreira scored early in each half as FCD took a 2-1 win July 31 at Children’s Mercy Park, their third consecutive win in the series; Alan Pulido and Daniel Sallói each had a goal and an assist as Sporting claimed a 2-0 win Aug. 14 at Toyota Stadium.
· FC Dallas have won the last two meetings at Toyota Stadium. Sporting last won in Frisco on Oct. 21, 2018, a 3-0 win, their first in Frisco since 2011; FC Dallas had a five-game home undefeated streak in the series put to an end.
· Before the SKC win in the last matchup, FCD had come away with points from the previous five meetings in Kansas City, winning four, the club’s first wins there since 2011. SKC had won five of the seven meetings in between, with two draws.
Nashville SC vs. Orlando City SC, 8:30 p.m.
· Nashville SC concluded a four-game road swing with a second consecutive result, reaching a goalless draw with Chicago Fire FC at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon. Joe Willis was credited with three saves in recording his 11th shutout of the season, regaining sole possession of the lead in MLS.
· Orlando City SC had their skid extended, falling 2-1 to the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium on Saturday evening. Daryl Dike scored his fourth goal of the season and second in the last four games, while Mauricio Pereyra collected his 10th assist of the season, now in fourth place in the MLS assist standings.
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season. CJ Sapong gave Nashville SC a first-half lead, but Antonio Carlos equalized after the break, leaving the teams in a 1-1 draw Aug. 18 at Nissan Stadium.
· The teams met three times in Nashville SC’s inaugural season, evenly splitting the series. Daryl Dike scored a pair of goals and Chris Mueller added his fifth of the year as Orlando City took a 3-1 win at Exploria Stadium on Aug. 26; Hany Mukhtar and Jhonder Cadíz scored goals five minutes after the 87th minute as Nashville SC came back for a 3-2 win on Decision Day (Nov. 8) at Nissan Stadium. The teams also reached a 1-1 draw Sept. 2, also in Nashville.
Colorado Rapids vs. Austin FC, 9 p.m.
· The Rapids extended their undefeated streak to 11 games with a fourth consecutive draw, reaching a scoreless result with Toronto FC at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. William Yarbrough was credited with two saves in recording his 10th shutout of the season, now in second place in the league.
· Austin FC put an end to a five-game losing skid, defeating the LA Galaxy 2-0 at Q2 Stadium on Sunday evening. Moussa Djitté and McKinze Gaines each scored their first goals for ATXFC and in MLS, Gaines the first Homegrown Player in club history to score a goal.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season and in their histories, each winning at the other’s home ground. Diego Fagundez scored early for the club’s first-ever goal and Cecilio Dominguez added a brace as Austin FC won for the first time in their history, a 3-1 win April 24 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; then on July 31 at Q2 Stadium, Andre Shinyashiki scored the game’s lone goal for the Rapids win.
Houston Dynamo FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 9 p.m. (TSN)
· Dynamo FC had their three-game undefeated run put to an end, falling 2-0 to Minnesota United FC at Allianz Field on Saturday evening.
· Whitecaps FC gained a second result in as many games, defeating FC Dallas by the game’s only goal at BC Place on Saturday evening. Brian White scored his sixth goal of the season, his second in as many games.
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Memo Rodríguez and Maximiliano Urruti scored first-half goals as Dynamo FC took a 2-1 win May 22 at BBVA Stadium; they reached a goalless draw July 20 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
· The Dynamo have now won six of the eight encounters in Houston (with one draw). Whitecaps FC have won six of the eight meetings all-time in Vancouver, with two draws, including a 2-2 result last year on May 11 in the last matchup there. The Whitecaps FC 2-1 victory in Houston last year was the first ever in the series by the visiting team.
Real Salt Lake vs. LA Galaxy, 9:30 p.m.
· Real saw their two-game winning streak put to an end, falling 6-1 to the Portland Timbers at Providence Park on Saturday evening. Damir Kreilach scored his 11th goal of the season, now in a tie for ninth place in the MLS Golden Boot standings, a second consecutive game with a goal and his third in the last four games.
· The Galaxy went down to a second defeat in a row, falling 2-0 to Austin FC at Q2 Stadium on Sunday evening.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Efraín Álvarez netted the game’s only goal in the 53rd minute in the Galaxy’s win at Dignity Health Sports Park on Aug. 4; the teams ended in a 2-2 draw at Rio Tinto Stadium on July 21.
· The Galaxy have won the last four meetings in Carson, and are undefeated in their last five home games in the series. The teams have split the last five meetings in Sandy, each winning twice before the draw in the first meeting this year.
· The teams also met five times in eight seasons in the MLS Cup Playoffs, last in the Knockout Round in 2016. The Galaxy have won on three occasions, RSL won via penalty shootout when the clubs met in the 2009 MLS Cup, and also in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2013.
Los Angeles Football Club vs. Portland Timbers, 10:30 p.m.
· LAFC suffered a second defeat in as many games, falling 2-0 to the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park on Saturday evening.
· The Timbers extended their undefeated streak to six games with a fifth victory in that time in impressive fashion, rolling to a 6-1 win against Real Salt Lake at Providence Park on Saturday evening. Six different players scored goals for the Timbers, the first by Felipe Mora, his 11th of the season, now tied for ninth place in the MLS Golden Boot standings.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season, and the Timbers won each of the first two by 2-1 scorelines at Providence Park. Felipe Mora scored the dramatic game-winner in second-half stoppage time July 21, then on Sept. 19, Dairon Asprilla and George Fochive netted the Portland goals.
· The Timbers win in the first meeting ended a seven-game LAFC undefeated streak in the series, since the Timbers won the first meeting ever between the clubs, a 2-1 win May 19 at Providence Park. LAFC won three of the seven meetings, with four draws.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 10:30 p.m.
· The Quakes won a second game in a row, defeating Los Angeles Football Club 2-0 at PayPal Park on Saturday evening. Eduardo López scored his 11th goal of the season, his sixth goal over the last three games, and Benji Kikanovic scored his second career MLS goal, in his ninth appearance.
· Sounders FC regained the top spot in the Western Conference, winning for fifth time in seven games in a 2-1 win against Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday evening. Cristian Roldan netted his third league goal of the season and Will Bruin scored his second for the game-winner.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season, each winning by the game’s only goal at the other’s home ground. Cristian Roldan scored in the 18th minute for the Sounders FC win May 12 at PayPal Park; Cristian Espinoza scored for the Quakes in their July 31 victory at Lumen Field.
· The Quakes win in the last meeting end a 14-game undefeated streak for Sounders FC in the overall series, the first San Jose win since June 20, 2015 in Seattle. Sounders FC have come away with points on each of their last seven visits to San Jose (five draws and two victories).
Saturday, October 2
Austin FC vs. Real Salt Lake, 3:30 p.m. (UniMás / TUDN)
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season and in their histories. Bobby Wood scored the game’s only goal to give RSL the victory Aug. 14 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
CF Montreal vs. Atlanta United, 7 p.m. (TVA Sports)
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Mason Toye and Rudy Camacho gave CFMTL a lead early in the second half, but Josef Martínez and Marcelino Moreno netted for ATLUTD, leaving the teams in a 2-2 draw Aug. 4 at Stade Saputo, on May 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Marcelino Moreno scored the game’s only goal four minutes into second-half stoppage time, giving ATLUTD the win.
· The CF Montréal win in the last meeting was their last in Québec since 2017, the first meeting ever between the clubs. ATLUTD have won all four meetings all-time in Atlanta.
Orlando City SC vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Mauricio Pereyra netted the game’s only goal in the seventh minute, giving Orlando City the win May 16 at Audi Field.
· The Orlando City win in the last meeting ended a three-game winning streak for D.C. United in the series, which following a four-game undefeated streak for Orlando City SC in the series. The OCSC win was their first ever at Audi Field in three visits; United won the last matchup in Orlando, a 2-1 win on March 31, 2019.
FC Cincinnati vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season, reaching a goalless draw Aug. 4 at Red Bull Arena.
· The teams met three times a season ago, FCC ending the stretch with wins in the final two games. Yuya Kubo sent FCC on their way to a 2-0 win with a first-half goal as the clubs met in group play in the MLS is Back Tournament on July 22, then on Sept. 19 at Red Bull Arena, Haris Medunjanin scored the game’s only goal from a gol olimpico. The teams also met in the season opener, and the Red Bulls claimed a 3-2 win at Red Bull Arena on March 1.
· The teams met twice in FCC’s inaugural season, and the Red Bulls won both without conceding a goal. Connor Lade netted the only goal of the game as the Red Bulls won April 27 at Red Bull Arena; Kaku and Omir Fernandez scored late goals as they claimed a 2-0 win May 25 at Nippert Stadium.
FC Dallas vs. Minnesota United FC, 8 p.m.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Robin Lod scored the game’s only goal four minutes into second half stoppage time to give MNUFC the win May 15 at Allianz Field; then on June 19 at Toyota Stadium, Ricardo Pepi gave FCD a second-half lead, but Lod hit for the leveler in stoppage time to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw.
· Minnesota United have four consecutive home games in the series; FCD had won the last four meetings in Frisco before the draw in the last matchup.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 10 p.m. (TSN)
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season, reaching a goalless draw Aug. 13 at PayPal Park.
· The teams met three times a season ago. The Quakes won the first two: First, Shea Salinas scored the game-winner eight minutes into second-half stoppage time, giving the Quakes a wild 4-3 win during group play at the MLS is Back Tournament, then they got three second-half goals for a 3-0 win Oct. 7 in San Jose. The Whitecaps took a 2-1 win Oct. 24 at Providence Park in Portland.
· The Whitecaps FC win in the third meeting a year ago ended a four-game winning streak for the Quakes in the series. The Quakes wins ended a five-game Whitecaps FC undefeated streak in the series in league and MLS Cup play in the first meeting, their first win vs. Vancouver since March 11, 2017.
Sunday, October 3
New York City FC vs. Nashville SC, 12 noon
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season and in their histories. Hany Mukhtar scored a pair of goals as Nashville SC took a 3-1 Sept. 3 at Nissan Stadium.
Philadelphia Union vs. Columbus Crew SC, 4 p.m.
· The Crew return to league play at the weekend, extending their undefeated streak to three games in their last MLS match, a 2-1 win against CF Montréal at Lower.com Field on Saturday evening. Gyasi Zardes netted both Crew goals, now with seven goals for the season, three in his last two league games.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Jamiro Monteiro netted the game’s only goal in the 24th minute, giving the Union the win June 23 at Subaru Park; the teams reached a goalless draw in the season opener for both teams, April 18 at The Historic Crew Stadium. There has been a shutout in 10 of the last 11 meetings between the teams, dating back to 2016.
· The Union are undefeated in the last five meetings in Chester; they have a 360-minute shutout streak alive in home games. The Crew are undefeated in the last seven meetings between the teams at home with five wins; the Union goal in the second meeting in 2020 was their first in the last 521 minutes played in Columbus.
Sporting Kansas City vs. Houston Dynamo FC, 4 p.m.
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season, each winning on their home ground. Maximiliano Urruti scored the game’s only goal in the 56th minute, leading Dynamo FC to the victory May 12 at BBVA Stadium; then on May 29, Gianluca Busio scored directly from a free kick and set up the Gadi Kinda game-winning goal as Sporting took a 3-2 win at Children’s Mercy Park.
· The teams met four times a season ago, and each won twice, once at each ground. The Dynamo wins ended Sporting’s undefeated streak in the series at six games, with four wins and two draws. The Dynamo’s last win had come in 2017 in Houston.
Toronto FC vs. Chicago Fire FC, 4 p.m. (TSN)
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Yeferson Soteldo scored early and Nick DeLeon netted the late game-winner, as Toronto FC took a 2-1 win July 24 at Soldier Field.
· TFC now has a 12-game undefeated streak alive in the series (9-0-3), dating back to Sept. 26, 2015. The Fire’s last victory in the series came on April 4, 2015, a 3-2 win in Bridgeview, Ill., which capped a 12-game Fire undefeated streak in the series (6-0-6), dating back to 2010.
· TFC won the final three meetings at SeatGeek Stadium, its only wins ever there. The Fire had come away with five wins and five draws in the first 10 meetings all-time in Bridgeview. TFC is undefeated in the past nine encounters at BMO Field.
Portland Timbers vs. Inter Miami CF, 5:30 p.m. (FS1 / FOX Deportes)
· The teams are meeting for the first time in their histories.
LA Galaxy vs. Los Angeles Football Club, 8 p.m. (ESPN / ESPN Deportes)
· The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Dejan Joveljic (Galaxy) and Brian Rodríguez (LAFC) each hit for a brace, but it was an 86th-minute equalizer from Kévin Cabral that left the teams in a 3-3 draw at Back of California Stadium; on May 8 at Dignity Health Sports Park, Javier Hernández scored early then set up the Jonathan dos Santos game-winner late, as the Galaxy took the 2-1 win.
· When the teams met last year in the MLS is Back Tournament – it was another historic meeting. Diego Rossi scored four goals – the 13th player in league history to net that many in a game – and combined for five goals and assists, as LAFC won 6-2 on July 18. It was the eighth time in MLS history a player had five goals plus assists in a game, Rossi the first player to do it twice. The win marked the first time in league play LAFC defeated the Galaxy.
· There have been 56 goals scored in the 10 meetings in all competitions between the clubs.
· The teams also met in 2019 in the Western Conference Semifinals – and LAFC came away victors, claiming a wild 5-3 victory at Banc of California Stadium on Oct. 24, as Carlos Vela scored two goals and added an assist.
Seattle Sounders FC vs. Colorado Rapids, 10 p.m.
· The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Alex Roldan scored for Sounders FC in the first half, but Michael Barrios leveled terms after the break for the Rapids, leaving the teams in a 1-1 draw July 4 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
· The Rapids had won the last two meetings in the series before the first matchup this year, both coming in Commerce City, the back-to-back victories ending a five-game Sounders FC winning streak in the series. Those victories came after a three-game winning streak for the Rapids in the series – which had come on the heels of a five-game Sounders FC winning streak in the series.
· Sounders FC have won the past three meetings in Seattle – all by shutout (now 317 minutes since their last home goal conceded vs. Colorado). Sounders FC have won five of the past nine meetings in Commerce City, in both league and MLS Cup Playoffs competition, dating back to 2014.
