Week 17 MLS Game Capsules

A Snapshot Look at Each of Wednesday and Thursday's Nine Total Matchups

Wednesday, June 29

FC Cincinnati (7-7-2) vs. NYCFC (8-4-3)

(7:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• NYCFC travel to FC Cincinnati having won all six games against the Orange and Blue since they entered MLS in 2019. In the six wins, NYCFC has never scored fewer than two goals and have produced at least four goals in as many matches. Overall, NYCFC has outscored Cincinnati 22-5 in series history.
• Cincinnati will look to string together consecutive home wins for the first time in franchise history after they defeated Orlando City SC on Friday evening. With a win, the club would record their best points total in a season, surpassing the 24 that they totaled in 2019. The Orange and Blue are currently on their longest scoring streak in club history (nine games).
• Midfielder Luciano Acosta provided his seventh assist of the season on the game-winning goal against Orlando last week. Acosta’s 12 goal contributions are tied for the fourth-most in MLS this season and are five shy of his franchise-record 17 in 2021.
• NYCFC goalkeeper Sean Johnson currently leads MLS with eight clean sheets in 2022 and is two short of tying his career high of 10 in 2018. The U.S. international is also climbing up MLS record books and needs two saves to pass Scott Garlick (1,021) for the eighth-most in MLS history. In five games against Cincinnati, Johnson has allowed only three goals.
• Three New York City players have had plenty of success against Cincinnati – Valentín “Taty” Castellanos, Héber and Maximiliano Moralez. Castellanos and Héber both have four goals against the club, with Castellanos adding three assists to his tally. Meanwhile, Moralez has six assists in five games, which included a three-assist performance on June 6, 2019.

Toronto FC (5-8-3) vs. Columbus Crew (4-5-6)

(7:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• Wednesday night’s meeting between Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew will be the 40th all-time meeting between these sides. The Crew hold a 16-11-12 series lead over Toronto since they first met in 2007 and have won each of the last two games between these clubs by a 2-1 score.
• Five current teenagers have played over 900 minutes in MLS this season, and Toronto FC have two of them in Jayden Nelson and Kosi Thompson. Nelson has assisted on a goal in each of Toronto’s last two home games – wins over the Chicago Fire and Atlanta United – and will look to become the third teenager in MLS to reach three assists this season, joining Cade Cowell and Talles Magno, who each hit the milestone before turning 20.
• Jonathan Osorio scored in Toronto’s 2-1 win over Atlanta this past weekend, bringing his 2022 totals to four goals and four assists in 2022. The last and only time Osorio reached double-digit goal contributions during the regular season was in 2018, when the Canadian international midfielder had 10 goals and seven assists in 30 starts.
• When these sides met earlier this season, Derrick Etienne Jr. assisted Lucas Zelarayan’s equalizer and also scored the game-winning goal in the Crew’s 2-1 win. Etienne has scored or assisted in each of his two games against Toronto as a Columbus player and has a goal or assist in four of his last seven games against the Canadian side in his career.
• Columbus has tightened up defensively since the reintroduction of Aidan Morris into the midfield at the end of April. The Crew have conceded just four goals across Morris’ six starts this season while conceding 13 when he has not started. Three of their four clean sheets this season have come when he has started in midfield.

Chicago Fire FC (3-8-5) vs. Philadelphia Union (7-1-8)

(8 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• Chicago Fire FC and the Philadelphia Union meet for the 29th time in series history at Soldier Field. Philadelphia is unbeaten in seven of their last eight matches against Chicago, which included wins in five of those games. The clubs have drawn each of the last two contests between one another.
• Philadelphia comes into the match after defeating NYCFC, 2-1, which moved them into first place in the Eastern Conference. The Union are currently on a nine-game unbeaten run and are one game shy of tying the franchise record that they set earlier this season (October 23, 2021 to April 9, 2022).
• With 12 goals allowed in 16 matches, Philadelphia’s defense remains the best in MLS. Of the 12 goals allowed, three have come from penalty kicks, meaning they have only conceded nine non-penalty kick goals in 2022. No other team in MLS has fewer than 13 non-penalty kick goals allowed this year.
• Jamaican international Cory Burke scored the stoppage time winner against NYCFC on Sunday, which was his third goal of the season. The forward has been terrific against Chicago throughout his career, scoring six of his 21 career goals against the Fire, which includes a goal in five separate matches. Burke has never scored more than three goals against any other opponent in his career.
• The Union will go against a familiar foe when they face Kacper Przybylko for the first time since Chicago acquired him in January. Przybylko played in 83 games for the Union from 2019-21 and scored the third-most regular season goals in franchise history (35) during his time with the club. The last former Philadelphia player to score against the club was Haris Medunjanin for FC Cincinnati on October 9, 2021.

Seattle Sounders FC (7-6-2) vs. CF Montréal (8-6-2)

(10 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• Seattle Sounders FC and CF Montréal meet for the first time since June 5, 2019, and the eighth time in series history. Montréal has dominated the series, holding a 5-2-1 record with wins in the last two matches. This will be Montréal’s first visit to Lumen Field since a 1-0 victory on March 31, 2018.
• Montréal got back to their winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Charlotte FC on Saturday, thanks to a goal and an assist from Romell Quioto. Quioto is the only player in MLS to score at least six goals in five different seasons since joining the league in 2017. The Honduran is two goals shy of tying his career high that he set in 2020 and 2021.
• The Canadian side scored the winner in the 47th minute of the match with a goal by Mathieu Choinière. Montréal have scored five goals in the opening two minutes of a half this season, which is the most in MLS. Choinière’s goal was his second of the season, tying his career high (2021).
• The Sounders are unbeaten in six of their last seven games, winning five of those matches. Since May 13, Seattle is tied for the most goals scored (14) and most points (16) in MLS. No other team has won five games during that time span and Seattle is now up to seventh in the Western Conference.
• With a goal and an assist in Seattle’s 3-0 win over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, Jordan Morris has produced a goal contribution in five of his previous eight matches. Morris needs one goal to tie Obafemi Martins (40) for the fourth-most goals in Sounders history. Additionally, if Morris scores his 40th career goal with the club, he will become the fourth player in franchise history with at least 40 goals and 20 assists, joining Fredy Montero, Clint Dempsey and Martins.

LA Galaxy (7-5-3) vs. Minnesota United FC (5-8-3)

(10:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• The LA Galaxy and Minnesota United FC meet for the 11th time in series history, with the Galaxy holding a 5-1-4 series advantage. The two clubs have played to a draw in each of their last two meetings, including a 1-1 split earlier this season (May 18). The Galaxy are 2-0-2 in four matches against the Loons at Dignity Health Sports Park. 
• In the last meeting, Galaxy midfielder Sacha Kljestan scored his lone goal of the season and the 44th of his career, while Minnesota United’s Robin Lod scored his fifth goal of the season - an equalizer in the 87th minute.
• The Galaxy lead MLS with an 84.4% pass completion rate and rank second in the Western Conference with 145 key passes this season, trailing only LAFC (152) in the West. 20-year-old Julián Araujo paces the club with 20 key passes with seven additional players having recorded at least 10 this season.
• Javier “Chicharito” Hernández registered a brace in the last home meeting between the two clubs on November 7, 2021, with Araujo logging two assists in the contest.
• Led by goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota is one of only two clubs in MLS to have allowed at least 70 shots on goal (81) and have a save percentage of at least 75 percent (76 percent), joining Real Salt Lake (80 shots, 76 percent). St. Clair ranks fourth in MLS with 55 saves this season and has a league-high four matches with at least six saves this season.
• Minnesota midfielder Robin Lod leads the club with six goals this season and is one of only eight players in MLS with at least six goals and 20 key passes (21) this season. 

LAFC (10-3-3) vs. FC Dallas (7-4-5)

(10:30 p.m. ET, FS1 / FOX Deportes)

• This is the seventh overall meeting between LAFC and FC Dallas, with the former holding a 3-1-2 series advantage. LAFC has won each of the past two meetings and three of the past four.
• LAFC (33 points, 10-3-3) and FC Dallas (26 points, 7-4-5) enter the match ranked first and fourth respectively in the Western Conference, and the clubs are two of only four in MLS this season to have scored at least 25 goals and allowed fewer than 20 goals this season. 
• Sitting atop the Supporters’ Shield standings, LAFC leads MLS in both goals scored (32) and goal differential (plus-15), and are 6-1-2 in matches played at home this season.
• Last week, forward Cristian Arango provided a quick spark off the bench, coming on in the 64th minute and scoring the deciding goal in the 67th – his fifth goal of the season. Arango has scored in three consecutive regular-season matches and has eight goals across all competitions this season. In the last meeting between the two clubs (October 20, 2021), Arango recorded his first career MLS hat trick.
• In four career meetings with FC Dallas, forward Carlos Vela has recorded three goals and two assists, including scores in each of his last three. 
• FC Dallas has been paced by the dynamic scoring duo of Jesús Ferreira and Paul Arriola, as both players are making their case for roles on the USMNT in the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar. Ferreira is tied atop the Golden Boot presented by Audi leaderboard with nine goals this season, while Arriola has been riding an incredible scoring wave, with seven goals across his past seven MLS matches. His eight goals are one off his teammate in the Golden Boot race. The pair have scored 17 of the club’s 26 goals this season (65.4 percent) and both players will look to continue their push against a stingy LAFC defense.
• In the last meeting between the clubs, both Ferreira and Jáder Obrian recorded two assists apiece.

Portland Timbers (4-6-7) vs. Houston Dynamo FC (6-7-3)

(10:30 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• The Timbers and Dynamo meet for the 22nd time in series history, with the Timbers holding a 9-5-7 series edge. Portland is unbeaten in its last seven meetings against Houston, recording four wins and three draws over the span. The two clubs played to a 0-0 draw earlier this season (April 16), with Timbers goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic recording four saves and Houston’s Steve Clark registering a pair of stops.
• On Saturday, the Timbers defeated the Colorado Rapids 3-0 behind a pair of goals from Jarosław Niezgoda and a penalty-kick score from Sebastián Blanco. Niezgoda moved into a tie with midfielder Bill Tuiloma atop the team’s season scoring leaderboard with five goals apiece and the 27-year-old has three goals in his past three MLS matches. 
• Sebastián Blanco leads the club with five assists this season and has recorded at least five assists in each of his six seasons with the Timbers. Blanco needs three assists to reach 50 career assists with the Timbers and join Diego Valeri as the only players in club history to do so. Blanco would also be the 14th active player with at least 50 assists.
• Last week, Houston’s Darwin Quintero scored his sixth goal of the season and recorded his 70th career goal contribution, becoming the fifth active player to do so since he entered the league in 2018. Quintero is tied with Sebastián Ferreira atop Houston’s goal-scoring leaderboard with six goals apiece and Ferreira has scored in two of his past three contests. 
• First-year forward Thorleifur Úlfarsson, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas, scored his second goal of the season and his second in his last three MLS starts. 

Thursday, June 30

Charlotte FC (6-9-2) vs. Austin FC (8-4-4)

(7 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• The two newest MLS expansion clubs meet for the first time in their histories on Thursday night as Austin FC travel East for a date with Charlotte FC. Heading into this fixture, Austin is 4-1-2 all-time against Eastern Conference opponents while Charlotte is 1-2-1 in their four games against Western Conference opposition.
• Charlotte have scored at least one goal in each of their last five games – the longest run they have put together during their inaugural season – with five different players scoring at least one of the seven goals they have scored during that stretch. Ben Bender and Andre Shinyashiki are the only two players to score twice during this goal-scoring run.
• Austin has been on a six-game scoring streak in which seven players have scored at least one of their nine goals during this stretch. Sebastián Driussi and Diego Fagúndez – Austin’s leaders in goals and assists, respectively – each scored two goals over these six games, with Driussi scoring last time out against FC Dallas
• Austin is one of just four teams to have a player in the top five of the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi and assist charts this season, with Driussi tied for the most goals with nine and Fagúndez tied for the most assists with eight in 2022. However, Owen Wolff is the youngest player to register a goal contribution this season at 17 years and 150 days old when he assisted Fagúndez against the LA Galaxy on May 29.
• Kristijan Kahlina has been a stalwart in between the sticks for Charlotte this season, keeping five clean sheets, which is tied for the seventh most in the league this season. Additionally, Kahlina is one of just four goalkeepers to keep five clean sheets, make at least 50 saves, and maintain a save percentage of over 70 percent in 2022. Philadelphia Union’s Andre Blake, Houston Dynamo’s Steve Clark, and Real Salt Lake’s Zac MacMath are the other three goalkeepers to do so.

New York Red Bulls (7-5-5) vs. Atlanta United FC (5-6-4)

(8 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)

• The New York Red Bulls host Atlanta United FC in the 11th all-time regular season meeting between these clubs. The Red Bulls are yet to lose a regular season game against Atlanta and hold a 6-0-4 record over the Five Stripes since they first met at the inaugural home opener at Mercedes Benz Stadium in 2017. New York’s Aaron Long and Atlanta’s Josef Martinez are the only two starters from that 2-1 Red Bulls win still on their respective teams’ rosters.
• Since failing to win their first six home games of the season (0-2-4), the Red Bulls have won consecutive games at Red Bull Arena by multiple goals for the first time since they did so from May 1-8, 2021, with back-to-back 2-0 wins over Chicago Fire FC and Toronto FC.
• Atlanta have scored at least one goal in each of their last eight games, which bodes well against a Red Bulls side that has kept just one clean sheet in their last nine games. Luiz Araújo has catalyzed Atlanta’s offensive production over that stretch as well, scoring three goals and providing two assists across his last six appearances for the club.
• Through 17 games played this season, Sean Nealis is tied for the third most minutes played in MLS this season, appearing in all 1,530 for the club. Charlotte FC’s Guzmán Corujo (1,530) and Sporting Kansas City’s Rémi Walter (1,553) are the only other field players to cross the 1,500-minute threshold in 2022. Nealis also leads all MLS defenders in duels contested with 205.
• Atlanta’s Caleb Wiley is the youngest goal scorer in MLS this season at 17 years and 189 days old, and he’s also played the third-most minutes (376) of all players currently under the age of 18. New York’s John Tolkin has also made headlines for his role in the team’s starting lineup, playing the most minutes of any teenage outfield player (1,322) and is only behind Chicago’s Gabriel Slonina (1,440) for the most minutes played by a teenager.