The Pitch: MLS Heineken® Rivalry Week Resumes on Friday with Doubleheader on ESPN and ESPN Deportes

On the heels of Major League Soccer’s exhilarating penalty kick shootout victory against LIGA MX All-Stars on Wednesday night at Banc of California Stadium, Heineken Rivalry Week resumes with six national broadcast matches this weekend. ESPN and ESPN Deportes will kick things off with a doubleheader featuring FC Cincinnati paying a visit to Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field followed by Inter Miami CF at Orlando City SC on Friday night.

Atlanta United and Nashville SC will renew their budding rivalry at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, August 28 (3:30 p.m. ET; Univision, TUDN), followed by the latest El Trafico showdown between the LA Galaxy and LAFC from Banc of California Stadium (7 p.m. ET; FOX, FOX Deportes).

MLS Heineken Rivalry Week concludes Sunday, August 29 with a meeting between Austin FC and FC Dallas from Q2 Stadium (8 p.m. ET; FS1, FOX Deportes) and the oldest rivalry in North American soccer as Seattle Sounders FC and Portland Timbers square at Lumen Field (10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN Deportes) in the 114th all-time meeting.

Columbus Crew welcomes cross-state rivals FC Cincinnati to Lower.com Field on Friday for the first-ever meeting in the new venue. These two clubs are known for thrilling matchups though Columbus has had the edge in the rivalry with three victories to FC Cincinnati’s one since FC Cincinnati joined the league in 2019.

Both clubs need a result on Friday. The reigning MLS Cup Champions Columbus Crew have lost their last six matches yet only slightly below the playoff line. A victory on Friday could catapult them back into the mix. FC Cincinnati has a bit more work to do in the Eastern Conference standings, though they have secured a point in four of their last five contests.

These two clubs last played to a thrilling 2-2 draw on July 9. The match had it all including a left-footed blast by Edgar Castillo in the opening minute of play to get the home side on the board. FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta doubled the lead in the 24th minute. The visitors found a way to secure a come-from-behind draw despite being down a man after Harrison Afful was shown red for a second yellow in the 42nd minute of the match. Drama! We expect a lot more where that came from on Friday night.

Recent All-Star and Designated Player, midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro and Inter Miami CF will go head-to-head against in-state rivals Nani and Orlando City SC, marking the seventh time these two clubs will face off since Inter Miami first took the pitch in 2020. The match, kicking off at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Deportes is a chance for Inter Miami to build on the momentum they have seen in the last month earning a result in six of their last seven fixtures and scoring six goals in their last two matches.

Both Florida clubs enter Friday night’s matchup with a victory in their most recent contest. For Inter Miami CF, Mexican international Pizarro scored three goals in his last two matches for his club, including a brace last weekend. Twenty-two-year-old Robbie Robinson, the first overall selection in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft, also tallied in his last two matches for Inter Miami. Orlando City SC is in second place of the Eastern Conference and undefeated in their last five regular season matches heading into Friday’s Rivalry Week contest. Benji Michel tallied the lone goal for the Lions in their 1-0 victory over the Chicago Fire on August 21.

Miami holds the ever-so-slight advantage in the all-time series with three victories to Orlando’s two, with each match determined by a one goal difference or less. Most recently, these two clubs played to a 1-1 draw at Exploria Stadium with defenders Antônio Carlos (Orlando City) and Kieran Gibbs (Inter Miami) scoring for their respective clubs on August 4.

El Tráfico is a match up that never disappoints, a battle between both LA-based clubs in storied LA Galaxy and 2018 expansion team LAFC. Both clubs will be without key contributors as Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández and Carlos Vela are out with injury.

The key to earning a result in this matchup will lie in which players step up in the absence of Hernández and Vela. Greg Vanney’s side has been without Hernández since June 26 and has seen several young stars step up including Kevin Cabral, who scored a game-tying goal and a game-winner for the Galaxy in August. While LAFC has been in a rut in league play these last few matches, Jesus Múrillo was the hometown hero on Wednesday night as he notched the game-tying goal for the MLS All-Stars against LIGA MX All-Stars in the MLS All-Star Game presented by Target.

Friday, August 27
Columbus Crew vs. FC Cincinnati, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)

• The Crew saw their losing slide extended, falling 2-1 to Seattle Sounders FC in an MLS Cup Final match at Lower.com Field on Saturday afternoon. Bradley Wright-Phillips scored the Crew goal, his first of the season and the 117th of his MLS league career.
• FC Cincinnati had their four-game undefeated streak put to an end, falling 4-1 to the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium on Saturday evening. Brenner scored his fifth of the season, his second in the last three games.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Edgar Castillo and Luciano Acosta gave FC Cincinnati a two-goal lead after just 24 minutes, but Lucas Zelarayán scored one goal then set up the equalizer from Miguel Berry to leave the teams in a 2-2 draw July 9 at TQL Stadium.
• The teams met four times a season ago. In the last meeting, FC Cincinnati won for the first time in the Hell is Real Derby, taking a 2-1 win Oct. 14 at Nippert Stadium.
• Earlier, the teams met twice within a week in the continuation of play. Gyasi Zardes scored two goals and Pedro Santos had a goal and an assist as Crew SC took a 3-0 win Sept. 6 in Columbus; the teams played to a goalless draw Aug. 29 at Nippert Stadium. The teams also met during group play in the MLS is Back Tournament, as Lucas Zelarayán scored a stunning goal directly from a free kick and also added a pair of assists, while Gyasi Zardes netted a pair of goals, leading Crew SC to a 4-0 win July 11.
• The clubs met twice in FC Cincinnati’s inaugural season, over the span of two weeks. They reached a 2-2 draw Aug. 10 in Columbus at Mapfre Stadium, then the Crew claimed a 3-1 win at Nippert Stadium on Aug. 25.

CF Montreal vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m. (TSN; TVA Sports)

• CF Montréal made it three games in a row without loss, reaching a 1-1 draw with the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park. Djordje Mihailovic scored his fourth goal of the season for the CFMTL tally on Saturday evening.
• TFC had their losing slide extended, dropping a 3-1 decision to Inter Miami CF at DRV PNK Stadium on Saturday evening.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Zachary Brault-Guillard has a pair of assists as four different CF Montréal players scored in a 4-2 win in the season opener for both teams, April 17 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
• TFC has won five of the last seven league meetings, over the last two-plus seasons. The Montréal win last year ended a four-game TFC winning streak in the series.
• The teams also met in the final of the Canadian Championship in 2019 – the seventh time in the last eight years they met in the tournament – the Impact winning the title in a penalty shootout after each team won 1-0 at home, the Impact on Sept. 18 in Montréal, and TFC on Sept. 25 in Toronto. It was the second time the Impact defeated TFC for the Canadian crown, also in 2014; TFC defeated Montréal for the second of their three titles in a row in 2017.

Orlando City SC vs. Inter Miami CF, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

• Orlando City stretched their undefeated streak to five games with a second win in that time, defeating the Chicago Fire at Exploria Stadium, the game’s lone goal coming from Benji Michel.
• Inter Miami CF won for a third time in four games and won for a fourth straight match at DRV PNK Stadium, defeating Toronto FC 3-1. Rodolfo Pizarro scored a pair of goals, now with three in the last two games.
• The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Chris Mueller and Nani scored seven minutes apart late as Orlando City SC overcame a deficit to take a 2-1 win June 25 at DRV PNK Stadium; OCSC’s Antonio Carlos and IMCF’s Kieran Gibbs as the teams reached a 1-1 draw Aug. 4 at Exploria Stadium.
• The teams met four times in Inter Miami’s inaugural season, splitting their decisions. An 88th-minute goal from Leandro Gonzalez Pirez gave Inter Miami the 2-1 win Oct. 24 at home; the previous meeting, Orlando City won for the second time as Mauricio Pereyra scored the second-half game-winner for a 2-1 win Sept. 12 at Exploria Stadium.
• They kicked off the MLS is Back Tournament against each other at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on July 8, as Nani netted the game-winner well into stoppage time to give OCSC the 2-1 win. Then on Aug. 22 at Inter Miami CF Stadium, Julian Carranza netted a pair of goals in the first half and Inter Miami held out for the first win in the club’s history, a 3-2 decision.

Saturday, August 28

Atlanta United vs. Nashville SC, 3:30 p.m. (Univision)

• Atlanta United won for a fourth game on the trot, defeating D.C. United 2-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Josef Martínez scored for a fourth time in six games, then Marcelino Moreno netted the late game-winner, his fourth in the last six games.
• Nashville SC gained a second result in a row, reaching a 1-1 draw with Orlando City SC at Nissan Stadium. CJ Sapong scored his ninth goal of the season, his fourth in the last three games, and his eighth in the last 10 matches.
• The teams are meeting for the third time this season, and both previous meetings have been 2-2 draws. Marcelino Moreno and Erik López gave ATLUTD a 2-goal lead, but two late goals three minutes apart from Hany Muhktar pulled the teams back into a 2-2 draw May 29 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, then on July 8 at Nissan Stadium, goals from ATLUTD’s Anton Walkes and Jackson Conway surrounded goals from Nashville’s Jalil Anibaba and Hany Muhktar.
• The teams are met three times a season ago in Nashville SC’s inaugural season. Atlanta United won the first two, including in the season opener for both clubs, the first match in Nashville SC’s history. a 2-1 win Feb. 29 at Nissan Stadium. Atlanta United also took a 2-0 win Aug. 22 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, before Nashville SC rolled to a 4-2 win Sept. 12 at Nissan Stadium.

New York Red Bulls vs. Chicago Fire FC, 6 p.m.

• The scheduled match between NYCFC and the Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena was postponed to unplayable field conditions. No makeup date has yet been set. Last time out, The Red Bulls took a win by the game’s only goal against the Columbus Crew at Red Bull Arena, as John Tolkin scored the first goal of his MLS career. The Fire couldn’t rebound from a first loss in five games, dropping a decision by the game’s only goal to Orlando City SC at Exploria Stadium on Saturday evening.
• The teams are meeting for the third time this season, each winning at home. Cristian Casseres Jr. and Caden Clark scored second-half goals as the Red Bulls claimed a 2-0 win May 1 at Red Bull Arena, then Luka Stojanovic scored twice within the opening eight minutes as the Fire took a 2-1 win at Soldier Field.
• The Red Bulls have won five of the last six meetings in Harrison, the Fire win in that span coming April 21, 2018 in a 2-1 win, their first victory overall vs. the Red Bulls since Aug. 26, 2015. The Fire win in the final meeting in Bridgeview, a 1-0 win March 30, 2019, was their first in the series at home since 2015.

Los Angeles Football Club vs. LA Galaxy, 7 p.m. (FOX)

• LAFC had their skid continue, falling 2-1 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place on Saturday evening. Diego Rossi converted a penalty kick for LAFC goal.
• The Galaxy dropped a second match, falling 2-1 to the San Jose Earthquakes at Dignity Health Sports Park on Friday evening. Victor Vazquez scored the Galaxy goal straight from a corner kick – a gol olimpico.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Javier Hernández scored early then set up the Jonathan dos Santos game-winner late, as the Galaxy took the 2-1 win at Dignity Health Sports Park on May 8.
• 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 50 goals scored in the nine 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.

New York City FC vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m.

• The scheduled match between NYCFC and the Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena was postponed to unplayable field conditions. No makeup date has yet been set. Last time out, NYCFC had their six-game undefeated streak put to an end, falling by the game’s only goal to the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park.
• The Revolution won a fourth consecutive game, their eighth win over a nine-game undefeated run, defeating FC Cincinnati 4-1 at Gillette Stadium on Saturday evening. Adam Buksa scored a pair of goals, and Tajon Buchanan and Emmanuel Boateng each had a goal and an assist.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Carles Gil set up a pair of goals as the Revolution took a 3-2 win at Red Bull Arena on June 19.
• The teams met three times a season ago, evenly splitting their season series. NYCFC claimed a 2-0 win behind two second-half goals at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 2; then on Oct. 11, Teal Bunbury scored early and Lee Nguyen late as the Revolution took a 2-1 win at Yankee Stadium. The teams also reached a goalless draw on Sept. 19 in Foxborough.
• The NYCFC win in the first meeting last year ended a four-game undefeated streak for the Revs in the series in Foxborough. NYCFC has won four of the eight meetings all-time in the Bronx.

D.C. United vs. Philadelphia Union, 8 p.m.

• D.C. United had their losing slide extended, falling 2-1 to Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday evening. Yordy Reyna scored the United goal directly from a free kick.
• The Union gained a second result in a row, reaching a 1-1 draw with Nashville SC at Subaru Park on Saturday evening. 17-year-old Quinn Sullivan scored the second goal of his MLS career for the Union.
• The teams are meeting for the third time this season, and the Union have won the first two. Kacper Przybylko scored the game’s only goal in a win at Audi Field on May 23, then Przybylko hit for the game-winner in a 2-1 victory July 17 at Subaru Park.
• The Union are undefeated in the last 10 meetings between the teams, over the past five seasons, winning seven in a row before a draw in the second meeting in 2020, with a 27-8 edge in goals. The Union have won the past eight meetings in Chester, Pa., over the last five-plus seasons, including a 4-1 victory in the last meeting there last Aug. 29; they are undefeated in four visits all-time to Audi Field, with three wins and a draw.

Sporting Kansas City vs. Colorado Rapids, 9 p.m.

• Sporting extended their undefeated streak to five games, reaching a scoreless draw with Minnesota United FC at Allianz Field on Saturday afternoon.
• The Rapids stretched their winning run to three games, defeating Real Salt Lake 2-1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. Diego Rubio and Mark Anthony-Kaye scored seven minutes apart in the second half for the win.
• The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Daniel Sallói scored a pair of goals in the first half as Sporting took a 3-1 win June 23 at Children’s Mercy Park; the teams reached a goalless draw Aug. 7 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
• The Rapids win in the previous meeting at Children’s Mercy Park, on Sept. 21, 2019, was their first in the series overall since May 27, 2017, a span of three matches (two of those draws). The Rapids have an eight-game undefeated streak at home in the series, Sporting’s last win in Commerce City coming in 2014 in the lone meeting between the teams.

Houston Dynamo FC vs. Minnesota United FC, 9 p.m.

• Dynamo FC came back to gain a result, playing to a 2-2 tie with FC Dallas at BBVA Stadium. Fafa Picault converted a penalty kick – his third straight game with a goal – then Matías Vera scored the leveler.
• Minnesota United FC gained a second consecutive draw, playing to a scoreless result with Sporting Kansas City at Allianz Field on Saturday afternoon.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Robin Lod scored early and Brent Kallman netted late as MNUFC took a 2-0 win at Allianz Field on Aug. 7.
• The teams met three times a season ago. They reached a pair of 2-2 draws in the final two meetings, Sept. 19 at BBVA Stadium and Oct. 18 at Allianz Field. On Sept. 2 in Houston, Darwin Quintero scored against his former club and Ariel Lassiter hit for his first two Dynamo goals, in a 3-0 win.
• The visiting team has yet to win in the all-time series, with the home team winning six meetings in a row before draws in the last two matchups. MNUFC had won two home meetings in a row before the tie last time out.

Sunday, August 29
Austin FC vs. FC Dallas, 8 p.m. (FS1)

• Austin FC put an end to a three-game losing skid, rolling to a 3-1 win against the Portland Timbers at Q2 Stadium. Cecilio Domínguez and Diego Fagundez scored goals, then Sebastian Druissi hit for his first since coming to MLS.
• FC Dallas snapped a two-game slide, reaching a 2-2 draw with Houston Dynamo FC at Toyota Stadium. Nkosi Tafari scored the first goal of his MLS career, then Ricardo Pepi netted his ninth of the season.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Ryan Hollingshead and Jesús Ferreira scored second-half goals as FC Dallas took a 2-0 win at Toyota Stadium on Aug. 7 in the first meeting ever between the in-state rivals.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Real Salt Lake, 10 p.m.

• Whitecaps FC won for a second game on the trot, claiming a 2-1 victory against Los Angeles Football Club in their return to BC Place on Saturday evening. Brian White and Ryan Gauld scored in the final half-hour to lead the ‘Caps win, for Gauld his first since coming to MLS.
• Real saw a two-game winning streak put to an end, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. Albert Rusnák scored the RSL goal, his fifth of the season.
• The teams are meeting for the third time this season, and Real have won both, both at Rio Tinto Stadium. Damir Kreilach scored a pair of goals, the second one of two in stoppage time, as RSL took a 3-1 on June 18 in their home game; on July 7 in a Vancouver home game, Kreilach scored a pair of goals in RSL’s 4-0 victory.
• Whitecaps FC won both meetings a season ago, each by a 2-1 scoreline; Real won both meetings in 2019, both by a 1-0 scoreline. The Whitecaps FC win last year in Sandy ended a five-game RSL winning streak in the series at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)

• Sounders FC won a third road game in a seven-day stretch – the first time it’s ever happened in MLS – coming back for a dramatic 2-1 win against the Columbus Crew in an MLS Cup rematch at Lower.com Field. Xavier Arreaga scored the 88th-minute equalizer, then Will Bruin scored the 89th-minute game-winner.
• The Timbers weren’t able to build on a draw, dropping a 3-1 decision to Austin FC at Q2 Stadium. Dairon Asprilla scored his fifth goal of the season.
• The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Raúl Ruidíaz and Fredy Montero scored 16 minutes apart in the second half to give Sounders FC a 2-1 win May 9 at Providence Park, then on Aug. 15 in Portland, Ruidíaz and Montero this time each scored a pair of goals as Sounders FC took an historic 6-2 victory.
• The visiting team has won eight of the last 10 meetings in the league series, a string of six consecutive away team victories snapped in the final two meetings in 2020, a 1-0 Timbers win in Portland on Sept. 23 and a 1-1 draw at Lumen Field on Oct. 22.
• The Sounders have won five of the last six league matches in Portland, the win in 2018 their first win in Portland since 2014. The Timbers have come away with points from the last four matches in Seattle, winning three – their only wins ever in Seattle in MLS regular season games (Sounders FC were 7-0-3 leading up to the first win), though the Timbers won at home in the MLS Cup Playoffs meeting between the clubs.
• The teams met in 2018 in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the Timbers winning in a dramatic penalty shootout in the Western Conference Quarterfinals after ending 4-4 on aggregate. The Timbers won the first leg 2-1 at Providence Park, then Sounders FC won 3-2 in extra time, sending the tie to the decider. It was a second win in a playoff series for the Timbers, also winning the 2013 Western Conference Semifinals.
• The Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers have met 113 times in all competitions, the most between two U.S.-based clubs, the second-most in U.S./Canadian soccer history. Since their first meeting in 1975 in the old North American Soccer League, Seattle has won 56 times and Portland has won 42, with 15 draws. In MLS league play, Sounders FC have won 14 matches, the Timbers have won 10, and seven have been draws.