Top Things to Watch in MLS This Week
MLS NEXT Pro Debuts to an Expected Sell Out in Inaugural Season Opener
The inaugural season of MLS NEXT Pro officially kicks off this Friday, March 25, in St. Louis, as St Louis CITY2 hosts RNY FC at Hermann Stadium (8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT, mlsnextpro.com), before an anticipated sellout crowd for this historic first-ever MLS NEXT Pro match.
Opening weekend will consist of eight additional matches, with four on both Saturday and Sunday, as all nine matches this weekend, and every match of the 2022 season, will be livestreamed on mlsnextpro.com.
The MLS NEX Pro schedule of 2022 regular season games is available here.
Announced earlier this week as a part of MLS NEXT Pro’s focus on innovation, any regular season match ending with a tied score after regulation will proceed to a shootout of kicks from the mark.
With a continued focus on player development, MLS NEXT Pro completes the integrated player pathway from MLS NEXT (youth league with 12,000 players) through to MLS first teams, as MLS becomes the only major sports league in North America that has its own national youth league, lower division league, and top-flight pro league.
More information on MLS NEXT Pro can be found on mlsnextpro.com.
FIFA Window Taps 75 MLS Players to Represent 31 Countries
MLS representation will span the entire globe during this call-up window, as 75 players join their respective countries for international competitions in all six FIFA Confederations, including: Asia (AFC), Africa (CAF), North, Central America & Caribbean (Concacaf), South America (CONMEBOL), Oceania (OFC), and Europe (UEFA).
With MLS featuring the youngest and most diverse player pool of any North American men’s professional league, that global touchpoint means that every MLS club will lend at least one player to the international stage. Inter Miami CF, the Los Angles Football Club, Minnesota United FC, and Seattle Sounders FC lead the way with five players each called-up for international duty, while the San Jose Earthquakes, CF Montreal, and Inter Miami CF are not far behind, with each contributing four.
As the top two teams in Concacaf embark on a chance to secure a spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, both the Canada Men’s National Team and the U.S. Men’s National Team each have called up 10 players – accounting for 40 percent of the No.1 ranked, and still unbeaten Canadian side’s players and 36 percent of the No. 2-ranked USMNT’s 28 players.
By the Numbers
75: MLS players called-up for international duty
31: Countries with MLS player representation
28: MLS clubs represented (every MLS team has a least one player called up)
10: Players called up for both Canada and the United States, the most of any country
6: Players called up by Ecuador and Venezuela, second-most of any country
Match Schedule: Concacaf Qualifiers for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
MLS Pipeline Powers U.S. & Canada Men’s National Teams
With a chance for the United States and Canada to both qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history, both national teams will prominently feature current MLS talent and MLS academy products, as they enter the final round of Concacaf Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 this week.
Ten current MLS players received the U.S. Men’s National Team’s call, including: Kellyn Acosta (LAFC), Paul Arriola (FC Dallas), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas), Sean Johnson (NYCFC), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United FC), Cristian Roldán (Seattle Sounders FC), DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami CF) and Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC). Additionally, 16 of the 28 USMNT players called up for this window received their professional start with MLS clubs or club academies.
With two matches on deck this week, the USMNT first travels to Mexico City and iconic Azteca Stadium to face the Galaxy’s Julian Araujo and Mexico on Thursday (10 p.m. ET, Paramount+, UniMás, TUDN, CBS Sports Network). The stars-and-stripes next turn their attention to Panama – a squad featuring Houston Dynamo midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla and Nashville SC midfielder Aníbal Godoy – as the team returns to Orlando’s Exploria Stadium on Sunday in a crucial contest for both nations (7 p.m. ET, FS1, UniMás, TUDN).
Meanwhile, Canada, also powered by 10 current MLS players, sits atop the table, looking to secure its second-ever World Cup berth and the first since 1986. The Canadian squad features Maxime Crépeau (LAFC), Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United FC), Cristián Gutiérrez (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Doneil Henry (LAFC), Alistair Johnston (CF Montréal), Kamal Miller (CF Montréal), Mark-Anthony Kaye (Colorado Rapids), Ismael Koné (CF Montréal), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC) and Lucas Cavallini (Vancouver Whitecaps FC). Two other Canadians – Sam Adekugbe and Liam Fraser – were developed in MLS academies.
Canada’s quest to qualify begins on Thursday as they face off against Costa Rica at Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica (10:05 p.m. ET, Paramount+). Two MLS standouts – Ronald Mataritta (FC Cincinnati) and Francisco Calvo (San Jose Earthquakes) – will mount the Costa Rican defense as they look to gain ground in the table. Canada returns home on Sunday, as they welcome a Jamaican team featuring Damion Lowe (Inter Miami CF) and Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union) to Toronto’s BMO Field (4:05 p.m. ET, Paramount+).
Player Spotlight: FC Dallas Forward Jesús Ferreira
Fresh off receiving his notification to represent the USMNT in the upcoming World Cup qualifying window, FC Dallas forward Jesús Ferreira produced one of the strongest performances in MLS this season and the best game of his young career in the club’s 4-1 victory over Portland Timbers last week.
Entering the week scoreless on the season, Ferreira quickly opened his 2022 account in recording his first-career hat trick in the span of 10 minutes of game time, scoring in the 26th, 30th and 36th minutes. In doing so, he became the first player in FC Dallas history and just the ninth player in MLS annals to record three goals over the span of 10 minutes or less. At 21 years old, Ferreira also became the second-youngest FC Dallas player with a hat trick, trailing only his former club and current USMNT teammate Ricardo Pepi, who accomplished the feat at 18 years, 196 days old last season.
During the 2021-22 offseason, Ferreira signed a Designated Player contract with Dallas, becoming the first Homegrown player in club history to sign a DP deal. He joined the club’s academy as an 8-year-old and progressed through the ranks before becoming the youngest debutant in team history at 16 years and 161 days old on June 3, 2017. His goal that day made him the then second-youngest scorer in MLS history.
This week, Ferreira, along with Pepi and former FC Dallas academy products Kellyn Acosta and Reggie Cannon, could help power the U.S. Men’s National team to a position in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Three MLS Matches on Deck This Week
Fresh off First Win, Charlotte FC Hosts Streaking Cincinnati
After Charlotte FC clinched the first victory in club history last week behind a brace from Designated Player Karol Swiderski and the first-career goal from Ben Bender, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas, the club welcomes 23-year-old Brandon Vázquez and a streaking FC Cincinnati club on Saturday (5 p.m. ET, UniMás, TUDN, Twitter – English audio). With two goals in each of his past two games, Vázquez became the first player in the short history of the club to record multiple goals in consecutive regular-season games, and will be one to watch.
SKC Looks to Defend Home Turf vs. Unbeaten RSL
In the second game of a doubleheader on UniMás, TUDN and Twitter, Sporting Kansas City returns to Children’s Mercy Park after a two-game road trip to take on an unbeaten Real Salt Lake squad riding a three-game winning streak (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET). RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath recorded seven saves and defender Tate Schmitt scored his second-consecutive game-winner in the club’s Week 4 win against Nashville SC. Sporting KC has won three of its past four matches at home, scoring seven goals over the span, including four by winger Johnny Russell.
Chara & the Timbers Welcome Torres & Orlando City SC to Providence Park
Yimmi Chara, who is one of only three players in MLS this season with at least two goals (2) and two assists (2), and the Portland Timbers take on 21-year-old Facundo Torres and Orlando City SC in a Sunday matinee at Providence Park (4 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN Deportes). After arriving from Uruguayan side Penarol in a club-record transfer during the offseason, Torres, nicknamed “El Cuervo” or “The Crow,” provided the deciding score with his first-career MLS goal in the club’s 1-0 victory over the LA Galaxy last week. He’ll look to add to that tally in Orlando City’s second leg of a west coast swing, taking on a Portland Timbers club that has won six of its past eight at home.
