Week 11 MLS Game Capsules

A Snapshot Look at Each of the Weekend's 14 Matchups

Saturday, May 14

Toronto FC (3-6-2) vs. Orlando City SC (5-4-2)
(3 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• Orlando City SC travels to Toronto as they look to continue their four-game unbeaten run (2W, 2D) against the Canadian side. Toronto FC leads the overall series 8-4-3 and have only lost one home game to Orlando (4-1-3).
• Toronto will look to snap a four-game losing streak with three of those matches coming away from home. After not scoring in the past two games, Toronto looks to MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi candidate Jesús Jiménez, who looks to add to his seven goals on the year, which ties for the lead in Major League Soccer. Jiménez’s seven goals are two more than any other player who is in their first MLS season.
• Former Landon Donovan MVP Award winner Alejandro Pozuelo has helped Toronto create offense by leading the team in key passes (21) and tying for the most assists (four). Interestingly, Pozuelo has only assisted one of Jiménez’ goals on the season (March 12 at Columbus). The two offensive sparks aim to increase that number on Saturday.
• Orlando heads north of the border with a solid 2-1-2 away record in 2022. A big reason for that road success has been the play of goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, who has three clean sheets and 18 saves in five games away from home. Gallese and LA Galaxy’s Jonathan Bond are the only goalkeepers to keep three clean sheets on the road this season.
• After posting an assist against Charlotte on April 30, Orlando’s Mauricio Pereyra (27) eclipsed Nani (26) for the most assists in Lions history across all competitions. The Uruguayan enters the match with an assist in each of the last two games and is looking for the second three-game streak of his MLS career.

Colorado Rapids (3-4-3) vs. LAFC (7-1-2)
(3:30 p.m. ET, Univision / TUDN / Twitter - English audio)

• The Rapids and LAFC will meet for the eighth time in their brief series history, with LAFC holding a 5-2-0 advantage. Colorado has won the last two meetings at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, including a 5-2 victory in the last home meeting on November 7, 2021. That match, which featured a brace from Jonathan Lewis, is part of the Rapids current 21-game home unbeaten streak.
• Colorado is unbeaten in its last 21 home matches dating back to May 8, 2021 and is one of just seven teams in league history to have a home unbeaten streak of at least 20 matches.
• Rapids forward Diego Rubio has scored in three of the club’s five home matches this season. He leads the club and is tied for third in the Western Conference with five goals this season.
• LAFC ranks atop the Western Conference (23 points, 7-1-2), leads MLS with 23 goals scored and ties for the league-lead with a plus-13 goal differential. A league-high 13 different players have scored for LAFC this year, including Franco Escobar who added his first goal of the season in the Week 10 draw vs. Philadelphia. The goal was his first with LAFC after spending the previous four seasons with Atlanta United.
• 20-year-old forward Kwadwo Opoku ranks second on the club with three goals and scored in last week’s draw vs. Philadelphia. After appearing in just seven matches across his first two seasons in MLS, Opoku has carved out a significant role in the league’s top offense, starting eight of the 10 matches and adding 21 shots in the process.
• LAFC midfielder Kellyn Acosta appeared in 79 games (75 starts), scoring seven goals and recording eight assists, in three and half seasons with the Rapids from 2018-21. Acosta has appeared in all 10 games for LAFC this season, making nine starts.

Charlotte FC (4-6-1) vs. CF Montréal (5-3-2)
(7 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• Two streaks clash in the Queen City when Charlotte FC host CF Montréal in the first ever meeting between the clubs. Charlotte enters the match on a four-game winning streak at Bank of America Stadium and can become the first expansion team to win five-consecutive home matches since Atlanta United from May 20, 2017 to July 4, 2017. For Montréal, the club has not lost in a franchise-record seven games and now sits third in the Eastern Conference.
• The catalyst for Montréal’s offense over the past seven games has come from midfielder Djordje Mihailovic. Mihailovic’s eight goal contributions (five goals, three assists) in the club’s unbeaten run are the most in a seven-game span throughout his six-year MLS career. His nine total goal contributions (five goals, four assists) on the season are the second most in MLS, behind only Austin’s Sebastián Driussi (10).
• Mihailovic is not the only second-year Montréal player performing at a high level as midfielder Joaquín Torres has produced three goals and two assists in his last three matches. Torres has scored in each of his last three games for the first time in his career and looks to become the first Montréal player to record a goal in four straight matches since Iganico Piatti from August 8 - 27, 2017. Torres dazzled in Saturday’s game against Orlando City when he bagged one goal and two assists.
• In Charlotte’s 1-0 win over Inter Miami CF last Saturday, forward Andre Shinyashiki scored just 11 minutes into his debut for the club. The former 2019 MLS Rookie of the Year was acquired in a trade with the Colorado Rapids and became the first Charlotte player to score in his debut in their inaugural season. Shinyashiki recorded his second goal as a substitute on the season after scoring for Colorado against Atlanta United on March 5.
• After five home games at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte FC has only conceded two goals, which is tied for the third fewest in MLS. The Queen City outfit enters the match with three-straight clean sheets at home thanks to the play of defenseman Guzmán Corujo. Corujo came to MLS after spending the last five seasons at Club Nacional in Uruguay, where he helped the club win two league titles. The Uruguayan ranks third among all players in clearances (56) and fourth in interceptions (24). Additionally, he and Sporting Kansas City’s Rémi Walter are the only outfield players to record 990 minutes this year.

New York City FC (4-3-2) vs. Columbus Crew (3-3-4)
(7 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• New York City FC and the Columbus Crew meet for the 18th time in series history, with the Crew holding a slight 7-6-4 series advantage. Columbus has won three of the past four meetings; however, NYCFC saw four different players score in the most recent matchups between the two teams, a 4-1 victory at Yankee Stadium on July 30, 2021.
• After scoring 14 goals between Weeks 7-9, NYCFC was held scoreless in a 0-0 draw vs. Sporting Kansas City last week. The club ranks second in the Eastern Conference with 19 goals scored and leads the conference with a plus-nine goal differential.
• NYCFC is unbeaten through the first four matches of a current five-game homestand, sitting at 3-0-1 over the span.
• Since the start of the 2021 season, NYCFC forward Valentín “Taty” Castellanos leads Major League Soccer with 24 goals. He has five goals since the start of April 2022, tied with Jesús Jiménez and Jeremy Ebobisse for the most in the league over the span.
• Crew midfielder Lucas Zelarayán has four goals in four career appearances against NYCFC, including a brace in the club’s May 22, 2021 visit to Yankee Stadium.
• After going scoreless in four consecutive matches from April 2 - 30, the Crew have scored five goals in its past two matches, all five of which have been scored by different players. Midfielder Derrick Etienne has a goal and two assists in his past two and leads the club with four assists. Etienne (three goals, four assists) is one of just four players this season to record at least three goals and four assists, joining Carles Gil (three goals, five assists), Cristian Espinoza (four, four) and Djordje Mihailovic (five, four).

Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2-6-1) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (2-5-3)
(7 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• This is the 30th meeting between Vancouver and San Jose, with the Whitecaps holding a 10-8-11 series advantage. Vancouver is unbeaten in its past four against San Jose, going 2-0-2 over the span.
• Last week, Vancouver snapped a three-game losing streak as a 90th-minute goal from Tosaint Ricketts powered the Whitecaps 1-0 victory over Toronto FC at BC Place. It was the second time an all-Canadian MLS match ended with a winner in the 90th minute or later, with Terry Dunfield scoring the deciding goal for Toronto against the Whitecaps in the fifth minute of stoppage time on July 11, 2012.
• In the last match between these clubs at BC Place (October 2, 2021), Vancouver forward Brian White recorded his first-career hat trick in the club’s 3-0 victory.
• San Jose has won two of its past three after going winless through the first seven weeks of the season. San Jose (16 goals) trails only LAFC (23) and Austin FC (22) in the Western Conference in scoring and has scored at least two goals in five matches this season, tied for the sixth-most in MLS this season.
• Leading the recent charge for the Earthquakes has been forward Jeremy Ebobisse and midfielder Cristian Espinoza. Ebobisse has five goals since the start of April 2022, tied with Jesús Jiménez and Valentín “Taty” Castellanos for the most in the league over the span. Since the start of April, Espinoza is the only player in MLS with three goals and three assists. The duo is one of just seven pairs of teammates in MLS to have each scored at least four goals this season.

Philadelphia Union (5-1-4) vs. New York Red Bulls (5-2-3)
(7:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• The Philadelphia Union return home from a pair of Western Conference games to host the New York Red Bulls this Saturday in the sides’ 32nd all-time regular season meeting. New York historically leads this Eastern Conference series with a 14-10-7 record, but the Union have tilted the series in their favor as of late with a 6-3-4 record against New York since 2017 and is unbeaten in the last seven meetings between these sides.
• New York has won each of its first five road games to start the 2022 season, and with a win at Subaru Park, they would surpass the 1998 LA Galaxy for the longest road winning streak to start a season. The win would also put them tied for third with the 2005 San Jose Earthquakes and one behind the 1999 DC United and 1997 LA Galaxy teams for the longest road winning streaks in league history.
• Philadelphia have put together an impressive 8-0-2 regular season record at home since September 19, 2021. During that time, no team in MLS has won more games or kept more clean sheets (seven) than the Union at home. They are also enjoying the best 10-game start to a regular season in club history after building a 5-1-4 record over that stretch.
• Dániel Gazdag and Julián Carranza are two of just eight players to score at least four goals and provide at least three assists in 2022, and the Union are the only team to have more than one of these players on their roster. Gazdag and Carranza have also directly contributed to 10 of the Union’s last 12 goals, and Gazdag will be looking to make it a third consecutive game with either a goal or assist after recording an assist and a goal against Nashville SC and LAFC, respectively.
• The creative burden for Philadelphia, though, is a shared one across the starting lineup as left back Kai Wagner comes into this game with a team-leading four assists on the season. The German defender is tied for second with Julian Gressel and Alistair Johnston for most assists by a defender this season and is one of two players to record at least 30 crosses, 20 attacking assists, and four assists, with the other player being 2021 Landon Donovan MLS MVP winner Carles Gil.

Chicago Fire (2-4-4) vs. FC Cincinnati (5-5-1)
(8 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• The Chicago Fire and FC Cincinnati have played to an even 2-2-2 split in six all-time meetings and the two clubs split the 2021 season series, 1-1-0.
• Last week, 21-year-old Nigerian forward Chinonso Offor scored his first goal of the season and just the second of his MLS career in the club’s 4-1 loss at Atlanta United. Chicago midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri has two goals and two assists in his past three home matches.
• With a 1-0 victory over Minnesota United FC in Week 10, FC Cincinnati earned the first three-game winning streak in club history and its five wins this season are already the second most in a single season in club history, one win shy of the mark set in the club’s expansion year in 2019 (six).
• Forward Brandon Vázquez, who scored the lone goal in the club’s Week 10 victory, leads the club and ranks fourth in MLS with six goals this season, just one goal off the Golden Boot presented by Audi lead. Vázquez’ six goals are only two behind the club record of eight set by Brenner in 2021.
• Joining Vázquez on the offensive attack, FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta has been in form of late, scoring three goals and adding an assist in his past four matches. Acosta, who has four goals and three assists this season, is one of eight MLS players with at least four goals and three assists this season. He also leads the league with 42 key passes, nine more than the next closest player (Carles Gil, 33).

Inter Miami CF (3-6-1) vs. D.C. United (4-5-0)
(8 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• D.C. United and Inter Miami have met on three previous occasions, with D.C. taking the win in each of those games. D.C. forward Ola Kamara has featured in each of those three meetings since 2020 and scored three goals against Miami over that time. Coming into this fixture, Taxiarchis “Taxi” Fountas has scored four goals in his last two home games since arriving to the black-and-red earlier this season. Both Kamara and Fountas have four goals on the season.
• Julian Gressel has continued to be an efficient two-way defender for D.C. United in 2022, sitting tied for first among all defenders in assists with four. Since joining D.C. in 2020, no defender in MLS has recorded more assists during the regular season than Gressel’s 20 over that period.
• Bill Hamid currently sits on 79 career regular season shutouts, which is sixth all-time in the MLS record books. Hamid could rise to as high as fourth in the all-time rankings if he can keep eight more clean sheets throughout the season, surpassing Jon Busch (83) and Joe Cannon (86) along the way.
• Ryan Sailor became the sixth top-ten 2022 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas pick to make his MLS debut last time out against Charlotte FC and the first from this year’s draft to debut for Miami. He is the fourth Miami SuperDraft pick to make his debut for the club following the likes of Robbie Robinson (2020), Dylan Nealis (2020) and Josh Penn (2021).
• Leonardo Campana has seen his scoring form run dry as of late, but he still sits tied for fifth with five goals in the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi race. Campana has scored or assisted on the last six Miami scores, and the club will need the Ecuadorian international to find his scoring boots ahead of this game to break their two-game scoreless run.

Houston Dynamo FC (3-4-3) vs. Nashville SC (4-3-3)
(8:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• The Houston Dynamo will attempt to win for the first time against Nashville SC on Saturday when they return to PNC Stadium. The two clubs played each other twice in 2020, with Nashville winning 3-1 in Houston and drawing 1-1 at home.
• Nashville will travel down to Texas coming off their first-ever win at GEODIS Park after defeating Real Salt Lake, 2-0, in Week 10. In David Romney’s 150th MLS appearance, the defender started off the scoring with his second goal of the season and sixth of his career. Romney and USMNT staple Walker Zimmerman have been key defenders this season for a Nashville team that has only allowed 10 goals.
• In Nashville’s 3-1 victory over the Dynamo on October 14, 2020, Hany Mukhtar bagged his first career brace in the first 23 minutes. Mukhtar leads all Nashville players in 2022 with six goal contributions (two goals, four assists) and 15 key passes. Since becoming the club’s first Designated Player signing in 2020, the crafty midfielder has helped the team score 1.4 goals per 90 minutes when on the pitch, compared to 1.0 when he is not playing.
• After 20 games and 14 starts since August 2021, Houston’s Adalberto Carrasquilla will remain with the Dynamo through at least 2024 after the club exercised the option to purchase the midfielder this week. The Panamanian international has provided a spark in his 20 games with the club, recording 78 duels won, 16 interceptions and 15 clearances. Additionally, Carrasquilla accumulated eight key passes in 2022 which ranks tied for second on Houston.

Real Salt Lake (4-3-4) vs. Austin FC (6-2-2)
(9:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• Real Salt Lake and Austin FC split the two meetings between the clubs with each team winning on their home turf in the 2021 season.
• Real Salt Lake returns home after a 2-0 loss to Nashville SC at GEODIS Park in Week 10. The club is 3-0-1 in four matches played at Rio Tinto Stadium this season. Since the start of the 2021 season, RSL is 12-4-5 in home matches, including an eight-game unbeaten run from July 21 - October 16, 2021. The club has scored in 14 consecutive home matches.
• RSL midfielder Pablo Ruiz (20 key passes) is one of four players in the Western Conference with at least 20 key passes, joining LAFC’s Carlos Vela (25), Minnesota’s Emanuel Reynoso (24) and Portland’s Yimmi Chara (23).
• Goalkeeper Zac MacMath leads the league with 47 saves this season and has four clean sheets, tied for the second-highest total in MLS.
• Austin FC looks to rebound after a 1-0 loss to the LA Galaxy in Week 10, which was the club’s first loss since March 12 vs. Portland and just the second time the club had been held scoreless this season. The club ranks second in MLS with 22 goals this season and is tied with LAFC for the best goal differential in the league at plus-13. Austin is the only club in MLS this season with 20-plus goals scored (23) and fewer than 10 goals allowed (nine).
• Austin FC forward Sebastián Driussi is tied atop the Golden Boot presented by Audi leaderboard with seven goals this season and leads MLS with 10 goal contributions (seven goals, three assists).
• Midfielder Diego Fagúndez leads MLS with six assists this season, surpassing his total of five from last season and marking his highest assist total since 2018 (10).

Portland Timbers (2-3-6) vs. Sporting Kansas City (2-6-3)
(10 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• The Portland Timbers and Sporting Kansas City meet for the 19th time in history, with the teams splitting last four meetings with two wins apiece. Portland will look to win in Kansas City for only the second time in club history and the first since April 27, 2013.
• Sporting enters the match having drawn each of their last three games, which included a 0-0 stalemate at the high-scoring NYCFC last weekend. Kansas City has scored only two goals in a match once this season and will turn to Daniel Salloi for attacking inspiration against the Timbers. The Hungarian has scored or assisted in five of the seven games against Portland in his career. Salloi has two goals and one assist in 2022, while also leading the team in shots (29).
• Kansas City’s defense has rounded into form over the last three games, allowing just two goals and posting two clean sheets. Sporting will look to tally five clean sheets within the first 12 games of a season for the first time since 2018. In Sporting’s 0-0 draw with NYCFC, Homegrown Player Cam Duke started in defense for the first time this season. Duke, who leads the team in assists (two), played all 90 minutes and totaled seven recoveries in the contest.
• If Portland is going to win their 101st match at home, the Timbers will rely on Jaroslaw Niezgoda to deliver the goals. Niezgoda will look to get his home tally going this season as he has scored all three of goals on the road, including the opening goal at the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. The Polish forward needs one goal to surpass his 2021 season total of three.

LA Galaxy (6-3-1) vs. FC Dallas (5-1-4)
(10:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• Two of the top teams in the Western Conference square off for the 78th all-time meeting when the LA Galaxy host FC Dallas. Over the last nine games in the matchup, the two teams have combined for 35 goals – an average of 3.9 goals per game. In the 2021 contests, both teams logged a victory and drew the third game with four goals scored in each of the matches. Although last season’s games featured 12 total goals, the two teams have been the best defensive teams this year with each allowing just seven goals.
• Dallas enters the game on an eight-game unbeaten run (5W, 3D) after dispatching of Seattle, 2-0, last weekend. With a win or draw in Los Angeles, the club would extend its longest streak without a defeat since going 14 in a row (7W, 7D) from September 17, 2016 to May 14, 2017. Dallas also holds the joint-longest unbeaten streak in MLS history when they went 19 games without a loss (10W, 9D) in 2010.
• After 10 games this season, Dallas’ Jesús Ferreira has posted seven goals and is only one behind his single-season career high of eight (2019 and 2021). The U.S. Men’s National Team forward is tied at the top of the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi standings with Toronto’s Jesús Jiménez and Austin’s Sebastián Driussi. However, Ferreira has done so in the fewest minutes (814) and is the only one of the three to score from outside the 18-yard box. Ferreira’s scoring output has resulted in him moving up Dallas’ all-time scoring lists as he can pass Jorge Rodríguez (25) for 10th place on Saturday.
• LA’s stellar defense has been led by Raheem Edwards who joined from cross town rival LAFC in the offseason. An eight-year MLS veteran, Edwards has assisted on five of the Galaxy’s 11 goals this season from the back, which is the most by a defender in 2022. Additionally, the Canadian has been stellar up and down the flank defensively, posting the third-most duels won (79) in the league.
• The Galaxy will aim to keep their strong home record going (3-1-0) after winning each of their last two at Dignity Health Sports Park. With a win against Dallas, LA would win three straight games at home for the first time since July 7, 2021 to August 4, 2021.

Sunday, May 15

Atlanta United FC (4-4-2) vs. New England Revolution (3-5-2)
(1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN / ESPN Deportes)

• The New England Revolution will travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the ninth-ever regular season meeting against Atlanta United on Sunday. The Revs have won each of the last two meetings between the clubs, but Atlanta United have had their opponent’s number since joining the league in 2017 with a 4-2-2 overall record.
• Adam Buksa continues to prove his quality as an elite striker in this league, scoring for a fourth consecutive game against the Columbus Crew. Each of his four goals this season have come from headers, and the Polish international leads MLS with 13 headed goals since 2020 (regular season and playoffs). Buksa is also tied with Javier “Chicharito” Hernández with 22 goals from open play since the start of 2020.
• Ronaldo Cisneros will also be looking to get in on the goal scoring festivities after bagging a hat trick last time out against the Chicago Fire. The Continental Player of the Week for Week 10 became the third player in Atlanta United history to score a hat trick after last weekend’s fixtures and has provided his side with a goal-scoring spark in the absence of Josef Martínez.
• Both teams’ starting strikers are in red hot form heading into this fixture, and these sides are also impressing on the expected goals on target front. Atlanta ranks sixth in the league with 15 goals from 15.82 expected goals on target while the Revolution are eighth with 15 goals from 15.41 expected goals on target. Cisneros and Buksa, though, continue to outperform their 2.99 and 2.68 expected goals on target, respectively, on their individual goal-scoring runs.
• Brandon Bye had his most efficient season regarding direct goal contributions for the Revolution last season, providing two goals and three assists in 29 appearances. In just eight appearances this season, Bye has already scored two goals and served up an assist to come within two direct goal contributions of beating his single season best. Bye also leads all defenders in dribbles completed with 14 and is third in crosses (19) and total attacking assists (20) this season.

Seattle Sounders FC (2-5-1) vs. Minnesota United FC (4-4-2)
(4 p.m. ET, ESPN / ESPN Deportes)

• These two sides met earlier in the season with the Seattle Sounders claiming a 2-1 win over Minnesota United at Allianz Field, improving their record over the Loons to 8-1-1. With the 11th all-time meeting between these two teams set to take place on Sunday, Minnesota will hope to bounce back from their two-game skid with a first-ever regular season point at Lumen Field.
• The Loons have struggled on the road, managing just four wins in 22 road games since the start of last season and through the playoffs. Cascadia has never been kind to Minnesota, with just three wins in 17 MLS visits to Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver since 2017.
• Seattle’s Will Bruin has one goal this season, but he continues to be a thorn in Minnesota’s side whenever he features against them. Alongside João Paulo, Bruin leads all Seattle players in goals scored against Minnesota with three in the nine times he’s faced the Loons. Another against Minnesota could help the Sounders snap their three-game winless run and begin their resurgence up the Western Conference standings.
• Stefan Frei (86 career clean sheets) is the only active goalkeeper who sits in the top five for the most regular season shutouts in MLS history. With a clean sheet against the Loons, Frei would move clear of Joe Cannon (86) for the third-most regular season clean sheets in 18 less games than Cannon.
• Emanuel Reynoso’s talismanic presence in Minnesota’s midfield has continued into the early stages of the 2022 season with two goals and three assists. The Argentine playmaker is also the second-most fouled player in the league, drawing 32 fouls in 10 appearances and just five behind Orlando City midfielder César Araujo’s 37 fouls drawn.