Top Things to Watch in MLS this Week
Seattle Turns All the Way Up for Home Leg 2 of Concacaf Champions League Final
Seattle’s team and fans are ready. More than 60,000 fans are anticipated for the second leg of the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Final as Seattle Sounders FC host Pumas UNAM on Wednesday at Lumen Field (10 p.m. ET, FS1 / TUDN). With the series tied 2-2 following Leg 1, at stake is a regional title and a coveted spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Home-field advantage will be in the Sounders’ favor, as Seattle supporters are expected to show up in droves to create an electrifying environment. With fewer than 1,000 tickets remaining, the Sounders are expected to break the CCL attendance record held by Club América (66,208). After shutout wins at home in every round of the competition this year, Sounders FC remain unbeaten in 2022 CCL action and could become just the fifth team ever to win the tournament without recording a loss (C.F. Monterrey 2011, 2013 and 2021; Club América 2016). Of note, in 88 percent of the finals, the club that won the second leg playing at home was crowned champion.
Earning a berth in the FIFA Club World Cup, Wednesday’s winners will advance to take on the best clubs from around the world including the likes of recent FIFA Club World Cup winners Chelsea (2021), Bayern Munich (2020), Liverpool (2019), and Real Madrid (2018).
Key Sounders to Watch
Powered by stars expected to feature in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Seattle’s success has come off the boots of U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Cristian Roldan, who leads all CCL in assists (five), with his USMNT counterpart Jordan Morris (three goals, one assist) contributing to the highest team scoring tally (15 goals) in the competition. Seattle’s Xavier Arreaga of Ecuador has logged 90 minutes across all seven of Seattle’s CCL matches, making his impact felt alongside Raúl Ruidíaz, who averages more than 78 minutes per CCL match, as his home nation Peru gets set for an intercontinental playoff.
Pumas Packs a Punch
After many reports that Dinenno would miss the first leg with an injury, the Pumas Argentine striker started and scored two big goals in Leg 1. Dinenno is the CCL’s leading scorer this campaign with nine goals and he added two goals off the bench for Pumas this past weekend in a massive win over Pachuca that secured Pumas’ place in the Liguilla (the LIGA MX playoffs).
Additionally in the back field, Pumas will get a strong reinforcement as center back Arturo Ortíz returns for the second leg. The Mexican international missed the first leg last week because of a red-card suspension.
What they are saying: Fredy Montero
“Every single emotion is running through my mind: Happy, pressure, stress, motivation. A lot. I can’t describe only one.
“But all that I know – and I want to tell you all – is that we are ready. We’re prepared for this game.
“We know that the championship was going to be [decided] here and we are looking forward to the game.”
Carlos Vela Going for 100 in Battle of East-West Top Teams
Carlos Vela is a single goal or assist away from reaching 100-combined contribution mark, as he looks to further etch his name into MLS history, when his Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Football Club takes on the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Philadelphia Union on Saturday night (11 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+). Playing in his 96th career MLS contest, Vela could tie Galaxy Great Robbie Keane as the second-fastest player to reach 100 combined goals and assist behind only Sebastian Giovinco, who accomplished the feat with 58 goals and 42 assists recorded in his first 95 games for Toronto FC.
Vela remains one of the league’s brightest stars, helping LAFC to the strongest start of its brief five-year history. Since his MLS arrival ahead of the 2018 season, Vela ranks first in the league with 99 goal contributions (61 goals, 38 assists), 14 ahead of the next closest player (Atlanta United’s Josef Martínez, 85 combined goals and assists).
While Vela contributes to much of the club’s success, his dominating presence commands the opposition’s attention, allowing for teammates to also find time and space to shine. Sitting at 7-1-1 and atop the Western Conference with 22 points, LAFC has been a dominant force since opening weekend and ranks second in MLS with 21 goals and a plus-13 goal differential, only behind early-season standout Austin FC (22 goals, plus-14). Leading MLS with seven multi-goal matches this season and an MLS-high 12 players to score this season, LAFC saw Vela directly contribute to seven of those scores (four goals, three assists).
Meanwhile, the Union, fresh off a 1-1 draw in Nashville SC’s inaugural match at GEODIS Park last week, sit atop the Eastern Conference with 18 points (5-1-3) but are looking for their first win since April 9. Offseason acquisition and Designated Player Mikael Uhre scored the first goal in the history of the new venue, and the first of his MLS career, last week and will look to build upon his success in his first visit to Banc of California Stadium.
Charlotte Looks to Build on Winning Streak in the Queen City
Following a three-game road trip, Charlotte FC returns home on the brink of becoming the first expansion team to win four-consecutive home matches since Atlanta United in 2017 (May 28, 2017, to July 4, 2017). After a stellar home start to its inaugural season (3-1-0), recording wins in each of its previous three games and clean sheets in the last two, Charlotte FC welcomes Inter Miami CF to Bank of America Stadium for the first time this Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, UniMas / TUDN / Twitter - English audio).
The Queen City’s breakout young star Ben Bender – the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas – enters the matchup with 14 chances created, ranking third among players in their first MLS season this year behind only Atlanta’s Thiago Almada (17) and Chicago Fire FC’s Xherdan Shaqiri (16).
Dominant Austin Aiming for Record Season Start Against the Galaxy
With wit a 6-1-2 record and ranking atop MLS individual and team statistics in both goals and assists, Austin FC is one win away from matching the Los Angeles Football Club’s 7-1-2 record set in 2019 for best 10-game start to an expansion club’s second season. With scoring stalwarts set to take both sides of the field this week, Austin FC and Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate Sebastián Driussi welcome Javier “Chicharito” Hernández and the LA Galaxy to Q2 Stadium on Sunday (7 p.m. ET, FS1 / FOX Deportes).
Austin’s individual standouts in Driussi and Diego Fagundez are leading MLS in goals and assists, respectively. Driussi’s seven goals on the season are tied for the league lead entering the weekend and have already equaled Austin’s top goal scorers from last season after just nine games played this year. Meanwhile, Fagundez, with his six assists, has already surpassed his total of four in 2021 and with three of those six assists setting up a Driussi goal, a formidable offensive partnership is brewing between the South American duo.
On the opposing side, Hernández could be due for another goalscoring streak after starting the season with five goals in six games before going scoreless in his last four outings.
Quick Hits & Key Milestones
Like Father, Like Son: FC Dallas’ Jesús Ferreira scored in the club’s 2-2 draw against Sporting Kansas City in Week 9, notching his sixth goal of the season and the 24th of his career. His latest score was an especially meaningful one, as he tied the career scoring mark of his father, David, who scored 24 goals in 113 games for FC Dallas from 2009-13. Ferreira acknowledged this special moment in his family history with a tweet (link).
Home Sweet Home: The Colorado Rapids, courtesy of a 2-0 victory over the Portland Timbers, and Nashville SC, via a 1-1 draw against the Philadelphia Union, extended their respective home unbeaten streaks in Week 9.
The Rapids, behind goals from Diego Rubio and Mark-Anthony Kaye, were victorious at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, extending their club-record regular-season home unbeaten streak to 21 games dating back to May 8, 2021. Colorado is one of just seven teams in league history to have a home unbeaten streak of at least 20 matches.
On Saturday, Nashville SC opened its new home, GEODIS Park, the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States, and continued their regular-season home unbeaten streak which now sits at 18 games. Nashville’s streak dates back to April 24, 2021 and includes eight wins and 10 draws. The club returns to GEODIS Park this weekend as they welcome Real Salt Lake on Sunday, May 8 (5 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+).
Winning Ways: Three clubs – Austin FC, CF Montréal, and FC Dallas - extended lengthy unbeaten streaks in Week 9. With a 2-2 draw vs. Sporting Kansas City, FC Dallas has gone unbeaten in seven consecutive games, the longest active streak in MLS. CF Montréal, behind MLS Player of the Week presented by Continental Tire Kamal Miller, tied the longest unbeaten streak in club history (six matches) with their 2-1 victory over Atlanta United on Saturday, while Austin FC also extended their club-record unbeaten streak to six matches with a 2-1 victory over in-state rival Houston.
99 Days Out - Countdown to MLS All-Star Minnesota
With fewer than 100 days until the 2022 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, excitement is building in Minnesota for a star-studded rematch of last year’s down-to-the-wire thriller, featuring the best in MLS against the best from LIGA MX.
As the unforgettable highlights just keep getting better, the fan festivities are also reaching another level year over year. Here’s a reminder.
MLS All-Star Game presented by Target
Flashback to 2021: With the game on the line, FC Dallas academy product Ricardo Pepi delivered a decisive penalty kick to give the MLS All-Stars the victory (WATCH VIDEO). In addition, New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner became the All-Star MVP with his two clutch saves and forced miss in the penalty kick shootout (WATCH VIDEO). The spectacle returns when the 2022 MLS All-Star Game kicks off Wednesday, Aug. 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET at Allianz Field.
MLS All-Star Skills Challenge Presented by AT&T5G
Last year’s festivities showcased Columbus Crew midfielder Lucas Zelarayán going lights out in the Touch Challenge presented by Old Spice (WATCH VIDEO). The annual MLS All-Star Skills Challenge returns with the same five great events, but this year features 10-player teams competing in the ultimate test of skills on Tuesday, Aug. 9 at 8 p.m. ET at Allianz Field.
MLS All-Star Concert presented by Target
The LA Coliseum was rocking in 2021 with Grammy winners DJ Kaytranada and Big Boi headlining the 2021 MLS All-Star Concert (WATCH VIDEO). On deck for 2022, five-time Grammy-nominated multiplatinum superstar Khalid takes center stage on Aug. 8 at 7:30 p.m. CT.
Tacoma Defiance Pulls Off Season’s Biggest Upset in MLS NEXT Pro
On Sunday, the Tacoma Defiance did what no club had been able to do through the first five weeks of the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season: stop Houston Dynamo 2. Houston entered Week 6 with the league’s only perfect record (5-0-0) and left Starfire Stadium with its first loss. Behind a brace from Abdoulaye Cissoko, the Defiance (9 points, 2-2-2) defeated Dynamo Dos (15 points, 5-1-0) by a 4-1 score. Cissoko’s goals were his first of the season, while Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez and Valentin Sabella also found the back of the net for the winning side. Ocampo-Chavez now leads MLS NEXT Pro with six goals, taking the lead from Houston’s Roberto Avila. More From The Match.
Tacoma will now look to carry its momentum into another tough Western Conference match-up this week. On Sunday, the Defiance will play at North Texas SC (14 points, 4-1-1), who sit just one point behind the first-place Houston Dynamo 2 (5 p.m. ET, mlsnextpro.com).
Also in Week 7 will be a battle between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference on Sunday. First-place Columbus Crew 2 (12 points, 4-1-0) travels to New England to take on the second-seeded Revolution II (12 points, 3-0-2), the only unbeaten team remaining in MLS NEXT Pro (5 p.m. ET, mlsnextpro.com).
