MLS Cup Rematch: LAFC and Philadelphia Union Meet in CCL Semifinal
After producing one of the most dramatic MLS Cups in league history, Los Angeles Football Club and the Philadelphia Union will now faceoff in the two-leg Semifinals of the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League.
The first leg is set for this Wednesday with a home game for Philadelphia at Subaru Park (9 p.m. ET, FS1). The Union have been a near impenetrable force at home over the last two seasons, with just one loss in their last 28 home games.
Philadelphia’s offensive trident of forward Mikael Uhre, forward Julián Carranza, and midfielder Dániel Gazdag have been at their best at Subaru Park, scoring 39 of their combined 60 MLS goals in front of the Philadelphia faithful.
However, LAFC won’t make the first game easy. Star forward Dénis Bouanga has been automatic in front of goal, scoring 12 times in 12 appearances across all competitions, including two against Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the quarterfinals. Talismanic forward Carlos Vela has also come to life in recent weeks, scoring four goals over his last three appearances in all competitions.
The reigning MLS Cup and Supporters Shield winners LAFC have eyes set on another championship in their first Champions League run since the team reached the Champions League Final in 2020.
The Union, who were on the road in the raucous environment of BMO Stadium for MLS Cup 2022, will look to give LAFC a dose of their own home cooking come Wednesday evening.
The second leg will be played at BMO Stadium on Tuesday, May 2 at 10 p.m. ET.
Top Teams in Supporters’ Shield Race Collide in Battle Between Two Top MLS Coaches
Through nine games, the New England Revolution and FC Cincinnati sit tied atop the Supporters’ Shield standings, which sets the stage for a crucial three points when these sides meet at Gillette Stadium on Matchday 10 (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).
Bruce Arena and the Revolution are back in the hunt for the Shield after claiming the title in 2021, bringing Arena’s career total to four Supporters’ Shields with three different clubs. The 2023 Revolution have a different feel to their early-season success than previous Arena-led squads, though, as young players are flourishing in the starting lineup in place of experienced MLS veterans. The Homegrown midfield duo of Noel Buck and Esmir Bajraktarevic impressed Arena during preseason and have broken into the starting lineup on multiple occasions already, while U-22 Initiative signing Dylan Borrero is quickly rising among the league’s elite wingers in his first full season with the Revolution.
Pat Noonan, meanwhile, is leading Cincinnati’s charge for the Supporters’ Shield after guiding the club to their first Audi MLS Cup Playoffs berth in 2022. A former protégé as an assistant coach under Arena at the LA Galaxy, Noonan’s helped Cincinnati complete a full 180 in their performances on the field in less than two seasons. He has also developed key players on Cincinnati’s roster, turning forward Brandon Vázquez into a clinical finisher with 20 goals in his last 42 regular season appearances and 22-year-old Álvaro Barreal into one of the league’s best two-way wingbacks with 12 assists since the start of 2022.
With pole position in the Supporters’ Shield race in the balance, neither Arena nor Noonan will take a cautious approach to securing three points this weekend.
MVP Midfielders Kick Off Matchday 10
Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidates Thiago Almada and Hany Mukhtar go head-to-head to kick off Matchday 10 when a streaking Atlanta United travels to face Nashville SC at GEODIS Park on Saturday afternoon (1:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass / FOX).
After winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina, pressure was piled on Almada to raise his play to an MVP-level in his second MLS season. In just seven starts in 2023, the 21-year-old has done exactly that. Almada has 10 goal contributions (tied for first in MLS), six assists (second), and 18 key passes (tied for third) for an Atlanta team that sits just two points behind in the Supporters’ Shield race.
To continue his hot form, Almada will have to raise his level on the road when facing the 2022 MVP, Hany Mukhtar. After a slow start to the year, Mukhtar has hit his stride, scoring three goals and adding an assist in Nashville’s last four matches. Throughout his career, the German star has been a thorn in Atlanta’s side, recording nine combined goals and assists in his last five matches against the Five Stripes.
In a standalone match on Saturday afternoon, Almada and Mukhtar each look to stamp their case as the MVP frontrunner in 2023.
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Begins for 18 MLS Clubs in Third Round
The third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup begins on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 25-26, with 18 MLS clubs entering the competition. Overall, 24 games will be played across the two days with clubs from across the United States looking to book their place in the round of 32. Since 1996, MLS clubs have won 24 of the 25 editions of the tournament, including each of the last 21.
Last season, Orlando City SC earned the first trophy in the club’s MLS history when they defeated Sacramento Republic FC, 3-0, in the final of the U.S. Open Cup at Exploria Stadium. Led by Facundo Torres, Orlando entered in the third round and deftly maneuvered their way through the competition, including two penalty shootout victories in the round of 16 (vs. Inter Miami CF) and quarterfinals (vs. Nashville SC).
Tuesday will also feature the U.S. Open Cup debut of St. Louis CITY SC, who will host Union Omaha at CITYPARK at 8 p.m. ET. St. Louis will look to start strong in the competition and emulate the performance of 2022 expansion side Charlotte FC, who progressed to the round of 16 in their inaugural U.S. Open Cup.
The final eight MLS teams, including the defending champions Orlando City, will enter the competition in the round of 32, which will take place from May 9-10.
Primary Transfer Window Closed Monday
On Monday night, the MLS Primary Transfer Window came to a close as teams throughout Major League Soccer reinforced their rosters for the coming months. Players acquired during this window are already making significant waves in MLS, including a Golden Boot contender, a key cog in the early-season turnarounds of D.C. United and the Houston Dynamo, and an emerging playmaker in Salt Lake.
Below is a snapshot of those key contributors and more:
- Giorgos Giakoumakis (Atlanta United): The dynamic Greek forward has been an immediate shot of life since being inserted into Atlanta’s starting lineup, scoring in each of his first five starts, which is the second-longest streak to begin a career in MLS history.
- Mateusz Klich (D.C. United): Having started all nine games for D.C. United, the 32-year-old midfielder from Leeds United leads the club with four assists, including a pair in the club’s 3-1 victory at Orlando City SC on Matchday 9.
- Amine Bassi (Houston Dynamo FC): Tied with Giakoumakis and St. Louis’ João Klauss for the most goals by an MLS newcomer this season, Bassi (five goals) has been an offensive catalyst for the Dynamo, who are sixth in the Western Conference with 13 points through Matchday 9.
- Stipe Biuk (LAFC): Biuk has been a strong depth piece for unbeaten LAFC, scoring a goal and providing an assist, while appearing in each of the club’s first eight games (four starts) of the season. Biuk ranks fourth on the team with 13 shots and is tied for fourth with seven key passes, despite having played fewer than 400 minutes in his debut season.
- Andrés Gómez (Real Salt Lake): The 20-year-old Colombian has been a force in Real Salt Lake’s wins in 2023, contributing to a pair of goals in two of the club’s three victories through Matchday 9. He is tied for the team lead with three assists while starting five games for the club.
Teams will once again have the opportunity to add talent during the Secondary Transfer Window, which runs from July 5 through August 2, 2023. Last year, several impact players arrived in MLS during the secondary window, including LAFC’s Dénis Bouanga, Gareth Bale, and Giorgio Chiellini, Toronto FC’s Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi, Houston’s Héctor Herrera, and the LA Galaxy’s Riqui Puig.
By The Numbers
From strong performances from Real Salt Lake’s Jefferson Savarino and NYCFC’s Talles Magno to dynamic team performances by the Philadelphia Union and a trio of Western Conference contenders, below is a sampling of notable stats and figures entering Matchday 10.
- 3: Three Western Conference contenders – St. Louis CITY SC (plus-11), Seattle Sounders FC (plus-10), and LAFC (plus-10) – are the only teams in MLS with a positive goal differential of at least 10 goals.
- 5: Five players in MLS have recorded at least 15 key passes and 10 shots on goal this year: San Jose’s Cristian Espinoza (22 key passes, 12 shots on target), Kansas City’s Dániel Sallói (18, 10) and Erik Thommy (17, 12), Nashville SC’s Hany Mukhtar (16, 10), and Toronto FC’s Federico Bernardeschi (15, 10).
- 10: Including a 4-2 victory over Toronto FC on Matchday 9, the Philadelphia Union have scored at least four goals in a match 10 different times since July 2022, with no other team having done so more than three times over the span.
- 12: 20-year-old NYCFC forward Talles Magno scored in the club’s 3-1 victory over FC Dallas on Matchday 9 and has 12 goals and 10 assists in his MLS career. He is one of only 12 players in league history to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists prior to turning 21 years old.
- 30: Real Salt Lake’s Jefferson Savarino recorded a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win against San Jose on Matchday 9 and now has 31 career goals and 30 career assists, becoming the fifth player in RSL history to reach the 30 goal – 30 assist milestone.
Tap-ins: Matchday 10
A look at other headlines and activity around Major League Soccer ahead of Matchday 10:
- How to watch & stream 2023 US Open Cup (MLSsoccer.com)
- Under-20 Men's World Cup: USA opens against familiar foe (Soccer America)
- Podcast: False 9s, Cupsets, coaching hot seats and CCL semfinals! Matchday 9 deep dive! (Extratime)
- Atlanta United digital team releases documentary series 'Rooted In The Stripes' (Atlanta United)
- MLS NEXT Pro Matchday 5 Recap Blitz (MLSNEXTPro.com)
MLS Season Pass Broadcast Schedule: Matchday 10
Below is the MLS Season Pass broadcast schedule for Matchday 10, including English-language commentators for each match with the play-by-play talent listed first, followed by the match analyst.
How to Cover MLS in 2023
To assist in your coverage of the 2023 MLS season, the MLS Communications staff has provided the following media resources, all of which are available on MLSSoccer.com/Media-Resources.
