The Pitch: Fireworks on the Fourth as Historic El Trafico Comes to the Rose Bowl

Below is a selection of marquee MLS matches that will highlight Matchday 24 on Wednesday, July 3 and Thursday, July 4 and Matchday 25 on Saturday, July 6 and Sunday, July 7, action, with all matches broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Breaking the Funk: As Minnesota United FC prepare to host Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Wednesday, July 3 (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV), the Loons will hope to extend their unbeaten form against the Whitecaps in Minnesota while also ending their current winless run.

Fireworks at the Rose Bowl: The Western Conference-leading LAFC take on cross-town rivals the LA Galaxy on Thursday, July 4, (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV) that will put both Los Angeles-based team's current unbeaten runs on the line in a battle for more than just three points.

Top-of-the-Table Tussle: It's first against second in the Supporters' Shield race as FC Cincinnati take on Inter Miami CF for the first time this season with hopes of leaping over the Herons for first place with a win on Saturday, July 6 (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).

All-Star Boost: After being named to the 2024 MLS All-Star Team, Nashville SC will hope Hany Mukhtar can put an end to the Portland Timbers' seven-game unbeaten run on Sunday, July 7 (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV), and give them their third win in five games.

Fireworks on the Fourth as Historic El Tráfico Comes to the Rose Bowl

The top two teams in the Western Conference reside in Los Angeles, which makes this week’s historic, July 4 El Tráfico clash between LAFC and the LA Galaxy at the iconic Rose Bowl a matchup worthy of Independence Day fireworks (10:30 pm ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).

The city of Los Angeles has not seen either of their teams lose a home game in 2024 as they prepare for a clash in the City of Angels. Last year, an MLS single-match record of 82,110 fans took in an epic 2-1 Galaxy victory, as 2024 MLS All-Star Riqui Puig scored the game-winning goal in the 74th minute to capture bragging rights in the crosstown clash.

This year, the two sides meet with even more on the line, as a win for either club could be critical in the Western Conference race. LAFC (40 points, 12-4-4) and the Galaxy (40 points, 11-3-7) are currently positioned first and second in the Western Conference standings, respectively, and each enter this week’s contest with unbeaten streaks on the line.

Behind the play of MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi contenders Denis Bouanga (13 goals) and Mateusz Bogusz (12 goals), LAFC hasn’t lost an MLS contest since May 11, a span of nine matches (8-0-1). In addition to his scoring output, Bouanga leads the club with a career-best nine assists, many of which have set up LAFC’s 2024 breakout star, Bogusz, who has contributed to a goal in nine consecutive matches.

LA Galaxy is on an unbeaten streak of their own having won four straight matches, including a 6-1-0 mark since May 25 that has kept them in the thick of the Western Conference race. The offensive firepower of Riqui Puig, Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil, and Dejan Joveljić have combined for 30 of the team’s 41 goals, which trails only Inter Miami CF (48) for the most in MLS.

A win just means more in this heated rivalry match, as each club looks to showcase its own fireworks display on the Fourth of July.

Showdown for the Supporters’ Shield on Saturday

The early-season Supporters’ Shield lead is on the line on Saturday, as defending Shield winners FC Cincinnati welcome current league-leaders Inter Miami CF to TQL Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). Entering Matchday 24, the two clubs are separated by only two points in the Supporters’ Shield standings, with FC Cincinnati (42 points, 13-4-3) having a game in hand over Miami (44 points, 13-3-5).

In the absence of global superstars Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, who have been competing in 2024 Copa América, Miami hasn’t missed a beat, winning each of their last three matches and scoring twice in each game. Leading the charge for the Herons has been Julian Gressel, who has two assists and a goal in his last three matches and, last week, became the 12th active player to record 100 career goal contributions. Gressel, MLS All-Star Jordi Alba, and team have Miami on the verge of setting a club record in wins (14, set in 2022) -- a milestone they hope is the first of many on their quest for the Supporters’ Shield.

For Cincinnati, reigning Landon Donovan MLS MVP Luciano Acosta (nine goals, 15 assists) continues to play at an MVP level and is within striking distance of becoming just the fourth player in MLS history to record at least 20 assists in a single season. Acosta’s offensive efforts have been supported by the sensational play of MLS All-Star and MLS Newcomer of the Year candidate Luca Orellano, who has five goals and three assists in 19 games. Cincinnati has matched Miami punch-for-punch this season, winning 10 of their last 12 matches in MLS play to stay in the thick of the Eastern Conference and league-wide title hunt.

To become the first team to repeat as Supporters’ Shield winners since the 2010-11 LA Galaxy, Acosta, Orellano, and Cincinnati will need to overcome the mighty force from South Florida.

The San Jose Earthquakes celebrated the club's 50th anniversary this past weekend.
Minnesota United FC welcome some furry friends to training as recuse dogs showed out for the Loons.
BREAKING: FC Cincinnati sign Irish striker Niall Horan, as per Horan's announcement on stage at his concert in Cincinnati

The summer of stars is underway, as standout players from both Major League Soccer and MLS NEXT were named All-Stars earlier this week. Both All-Star teams will be on display in Columbus, Ohio, during the week of July 22, with the MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate taking place on Tuesday, July 23 at Historic Crew Stadium and the MLS All-Star Game presented by Target capping the week on Wednesday, July 24 on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Admission to the MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate is free and limited tickets remain available for the MLS All-Star Game presented by Target and can be found here.

Below are a few highlights from each All-Star roster:

3: Three World Cup champions are featured on the roster: Argentina’s Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF), France’s Hugo Lloris (LAFC), and Spain’s Sergio Busquets (Inter Miami CF).

9: Nine players who were announced as MLS All-Stars on Monday scored on Matchday 23, including four from the host team, the Columbus Crew: Jordi Alba (Inter Miami CF), Federico Bernardeschi (Toronto FC), Rudy Camacho (Columbus Crew), Evander (Portland Timbers), Cucho Hernández (Columbus Crew), Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew), Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC), Luca Orellano (FC Cincinnati), and Diego Rossi (Columbus Crew).

18: Overall, 18 clubs are represented on this year’s All-Star Game roster: FC Cincinnati, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo FC, Inter Miami CF, LA Galaxy, LAFC, Minnesota United FC, CF Montréal, Nashville SC, New York City FC, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, St. Louis CITY SC, Toronto FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

18: Eighteen of the 30 players will be making their MLS All-Star Game debut, while four players - Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati), Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC), Darlington Nagbe (Columbus Crew), and Diego Rossi (Columbus Crew) - will each be making their third All-Star appearance, the most of any players on the 2024 roster.

44: Among the 44 players who will compete in the MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate, more than half have played in MLS NEXT and progressed to sign Homegrown deals or appear in MLS NEXT Pro this season.

MLS NEXT Pro announced their 2024 midseason awards as the season recently advanced past the midway point:

Most Valuable Player of the Midseason: Kamron Habibullah (SKC) -- Habibullah leads MLS NEXT Pro this season with 12 goal contributions (seven goals, five assists), while helping power Sporting Kansas City II to sixth position in the Western Conference standings.

Goalkeeper of the Midseason: Michael Collodi (NTX) -- Collodi recorded 34 saves, four clean sheets, and four shootout wins to help North Texas SC tie for the league lead in goals conceded (11).

Rising Star of the Midseason: MyKhi Joyner (STL) -- Joyner has scored three game-winning goals while tallying six overall scores this season. Joyner’s breakout 2024 season has seen him start eight matches and play 652 minutes for the league-leading CITY2.

Team of the Midseason: Philadelphia Union II – Philadelphia ranked as one of the highest-scoring teams in the league with 29 goals scored ahead of Matchweek 16. The team also has a stellar defensive record, allowing just 13 goals.

Coach of the Midseason: Tyrone Marshall (CIN) -- Marshall has helmed an impressive turnaround for FC Cincinnati 2 this season, guiding the team to second place in the Eastern Conference standings and fourth overall despite finishing 11th in the conference standings last season.

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.