The Pitch: Columbus on the Verge of FIFA Club World Cup

MLS Communications

Below is a selection of marquee MLS matches that will highlight Matchdays 17 and 18 action on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.

Crown in the Big Apple: The New York Red Bulls and Charlotte FC collide for the first time since their meeting in last season’s Wild Card match, as Charlotte looks to extend their current unbeaten run (3-0-2) to six games (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).

Loons in LA: Heading into Wednesday’s game, second-place Minnesota United FC is riding a six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2) and in search of their first win at LAFC since 2019 as they aim to keep pace in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference (10:45 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).

Austin Faces Real Rampage: Western Conference-leading Real Salt Lake have not tasted defeat since March (7-0-4 since March 23), but Austin FC has found their stride in recent weeks and are eyeing a statement victory on Saturday (9:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).

Columbus on the Verge of FIFA Club World Cup

On Saturday, June 1, the reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champion Columbus Crew will face off against LIGA MX giant CF Pachuca in the Concacaf Champions Cup final (9:15 p.m. ET, FS1 / TUDN) for a chance to qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. In the club’s first-ever appearance in the tournament final, the Crew could become the second MLS club in the last three seasons to lift the intercontinental title and qualify for the Club World Cup alongside the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich.

Led by head coach Wilfried Nancy, the Crew have already defeated the likes of Tigres UANL and CF Monterrey to reach the final, becoming the first MLS club to defeat two LIGA MX clubs in the Concacaf Champions Cup without losing the away leg. Forward Diego Rossi was the hero in both of those rounds, scoring in both legs of the quarterfinal against Tigres and the game-winning goal at Monterrey in the semifinal.

The Crew’s strongest omen, though, is midfielder and captain Darlington Nagbe, who has never lost a final in his professional career, including four MLS Cup finals and a Concacaf Gold Cup with the U.S. Men’s National Team. With a win in Saturday’s final, the Ohio-native will lift his ninth title and the first intercontinental trophy of his professional club career.

Today's Media Virtual Availability

Diego Rossi at 1 p.m. ET here (Password: 835184).

Wednesday, May 29 Virtual media Availabilities

Head Coach Wilfried Nancy at 10:30 a.m. ET here (Password: 835184).
Darlington Nagbe at 1 p.m. ET here (Password: 835184).

MLS Player Development Key to the Crew’s Run

Alongside the international stars who have helped bring the Columbus Crew to the Concacaf Champions Cup final is a cohort of domestic rising stars.

Chief among that group is 22-year-old midfielder Aidan Morris, who, while playing alongside Darlington Nagbe, has developed his own knack for being a serial winner. In 2020, he became the youngest player in MLS history to start in MLS Cup, helping the Crew claim the title that year, before solidifying his place as a starter alongside Nagbe en route to MLS Cup last season. Now, the U.S. Olympic hopeful could lift his third title in the third final of his professional career.

The Crew have also found success in bringing through talent from MLS NEXT Pro, including U.S. Men’s National team goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and Canadian Men's National Team forward Jacen Russell-Rowe, as both players helped Crew 2 lift the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro Cup. Schulte was the hero of a penalty-kick shootout win over Tigres while Russell-Rowe scored in both legs against Monterrey.

With eyes on the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Crew can lean on domestically developed talent in Morris, Rossell-Rowe, and Schulte as well as fellow MLS NEXT Pro alumni Mohamed Farsi, Sean Zawadzki, and Maximilian Arfsten to deliver in high-pressure moments.

A story of inspiration, strength, and resilience: Charlotte FC shows there are things bigger than wins and losses in heartwarming video | Watch Here
As part of the Colorado Rapids' Soccer For All Night, the Rapids Amputee Soccer Team took to the pitch for an epic halftime mini game | Instagram
New York Red Bulls Set to host first-ever Bark Night on Wednesday, May 29 at Red Bull Arena | Read Here

Sensational Scorers Off to Record-Setting Start

In the history of Major League Soccer, no season has featured more than two players that have eclipsed 10 goals prior to the end of May. As the 2024 season enters the final week of May, four players – the Inter Miami CF duo of Lionel Messi (10 goals) and Luis Suárez (11), D.C. United’s Christian Benteke (11), and the Golden Boot presented by Audi leader Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango of Real Salt Lake (13) – have already reached double figures in goals, while three others sit just a single score away from the mark.

Arango has been the engine behind a sensational start to the season for Western Conference-leading Real Salt Lake (29 points, 8-2-5), scoring 43.3 percent of the club’s conference-high 30 goals. The 29-year-old Colombian has been a scoring force throughout his MLS career and currently sits at 49 regular-season goals in 77 career games. With a goal in either of the club’s matches this week, he would become just the second active player to reach 50 career goals in fewer than 80 matches, joining Josef Martínez (54 games) and Raúl Ruidíaz (79 games).

Messi and Suárez are looking to make history of their own, as no pair of MLS teammates have ever eclipsed 20 goals in the same season. Benteke has a pair of hat tricks this season, and his next three-goal effort would place him into elite company, as only 12 players in league annals have four or more hat tricks in their MLS career, including two active players – Martínez (six) and Hany Mukhtar (four).

History is being made across MLS and each of these fantastic finishers has the chance to reset the record book as the page turns from May and into June.

MLS NEXT Pro’s Carolina Core Makes Home Debut

Carolina Core FC, one of the two new independent clubs that joined MLS NEXT Pro and began play in the 2024 season, will host its first home fixture in club history on Saturday, June 1 at Truist Point in High Point, North Carolina.

Carolina Core is led by several MLS Greats, including chief sporting officer Eddie Pope, head coach Roy Lassiter, assistant coach Amado Guevara, goalkeeper coach Donovan Ricketts, and head scout and assistant coach Andy Williams. Carolina Core will host Huntsville City FC in its inaugural home match, which is set to kick off at 8 pm ET and will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

On the field, English midfielder Jacob Evans has led the goal-scoring charge with a team-high three goals. Defender Ibrahim Covi has been a staple in Carolina's backline this season with the 24-year-old being the only player to play all 720 minutes of their season so far. Looking to put on a show for the home crowd, though, will be two young prospects in 21-year-old midfielder Jathan Juarez and 19-year-old defender Christian Diaz, who scored the game-winning goal in Carolina's first-ever win in MLS NEXT Pro (WATCH).

To assist in your coverage of the 2024 MLS season, the MLS Communications staff has provided the following media resources, all of which are available on MLSsoccer.com/Media-Resources.