Race for Audi MLS Cup Playoffs spots wide open with four weeks left: Week 28 MLS News & Notes

RACE FOR AUDI 2019 MLS CUP PLAYOFFS SPOTS WIDE OPEN WITH FOUR WEEKS LEFT

With four weeks still to play in the regular season, the race for the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs is still wide open. While three teams have clinched their postseason places – the Los Angeles Football Club in the Western Conference, and New York City FC and the Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference – 22 of the 24 teams in the league come into the week still in the playoff hunt.

Just eight points separate seven teams in the Eastern Conference – from fourth to 10th place. In the Western Conference, just four points divide the seven teams ranked second through seventh. The top seven teams in each conference will qualify for the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs.

In the East, the race could see significant tightening in the coming weeks. While the teams just above the playoff line – the New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC and the New England Revolution – all have one game in hand compared to the teams below them, it’s those teams – notably Orlando City SC, as well as the Montréal Impact and Chicago Fire – who all face opponents who have earned fewer points per game for the 2019 season than the teams just above the line.

In the West, it’s a particularly big week for Minnesota United FC, the San Jose Earthquakes and Real Salt Lake, all of which have two matches in Week 28 – their games in hand ahead of most of the other teams in the conference. Below the line, the LA Galaxy also have two matches this week (also their game in hand) – and the points per game gained by their opponents over the remainder of the campaign is the lowest of any club in the West.

Here’s a look at the state of play in each conference with four weeks to play, including the games remaining (GR) for each club, their home (H) and away (A) matches still to be played, the number of games remaining against conference opposition (vConf), and the total average points per game this season of the teams each club still has yet to face (OppPPG).

SHINYASHIKI MOVES INTO POLE POSITION AMONG ROOKIES IN SCORING

With his two-goal game for the Colorado Rapids last weekend, netting both goals in his club’s 2-0 win against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena, Andre Shinyashiki has moved well to the top of the table among rookie goalscorers this season.

Shinyashiki now has seven goals in his 26 appearances this season, having jumped well ahead of the next rookies in the list, Hassani Dotson (Minnesota United FC) and Brenden Aaronson (Philadelphia Union), each of whom have three goals each.

The seven goals for Shinyashiki have also moved him up the charts for all-time single-season leaders for goals by a rookie. The rookie record was set in 2015, when Cyle Larin netted 17 goals for Orlando City SC. Corey Baird of Real Salt Lake led last year’s rookie goalscorers with eight, tied for seventh-most in a season by a rookie in MLS history.

LAFC MOVES CLOSER TO GREATEST OFFENSIVE MLS SEASON

The Los Angeles Football Club continued their inexorable march toward the greatest attacking season in MLS history, with their 2-2 draw against Orlando City SC at Exploria Stadium last weekend.

LAFC have now scored 76 goals from their 29 matches so far, already the second-most in a season in MLS history (with five games still to be played). The LAFC per game average of 2.62 goals per game is also currently the second-most in a season in league history; the record for both was set in 1998, when the LA Galaxy scored 85 goals in 32 games, an average of 2.66 goals per game.

LAFC is also currently on track for the greatest goal differential in a season. With a plus-44 differential (76 goals for, 32 goals against), LAFC is three goals ahead of the 1998 LA Galaxy’s total of plus-41 (85 goals scored, 44 goals allowed), with five games still remaining in the regular season.

MLS WEEK 28 – LOOK AHEAD

NEW YORK CITY FC vs. TORONTO FC

Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #348)

Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.

7 p.m. ET (TSN 4/5; YES)

REFEREE: Chris Penso. AR1 (bench): C.J. Morgante; AR2 (opposite): Logan Brown; 4th: Lorant Varga; VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero; AVAR: Ian McKay

MLS Career: 165 games; FC/gm: 23.7; Y/gm: 3.8; R: 49; pens: 62

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: NYCFC 4 wins, 18 goals … Toronto FC 2 wins, 20 goals … Ties 4

AT YANKEE STADIUM: NYCFC 2 wins, 12 goals … Toronto FC 0 wins, 9 goals … Ties 3

• New York City FC won a club-record fifth consecutive match, defeating the New England Revolution at Yankee Stadium on Saturday evening. Jesús Medina scored both NYCFC goals, the first multiple-goal game of his MLS career, converting a penalty kick deep in stoppage time for the game-winner.
• Toronto FC extended their undefeated streak to five matches with a second win in that time, defeating FC Cincinnati 5-1 at Nippert Stadium on Saturday evening. Marky Delgado scored one goal and set up another, while Alejandro Pozuelo collected two assists, now with 11 assists for the campaign, the fifth-most in a season in TFC club history.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Pozuelo scored a pair of goals and set up a third as Toronto FC rolled to a 4-0 win on March 29 at BMO Field.
• The win in the first meeting for TFC ended a two-game NYCFC winning streak in the series, their second victory in 10 meetings all-time in the series. Both TFC league wins have come by 4-0 scorelines at BMO Field.
• The teams did also meet in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2016 – and Toronto FC won 7-0 on aggregate, winning 2-0 at BMO Field, then 5-0 at Yankee Stadium.

NYCFC: Anton Tinnerholm recorded his seventh assist of the season, his second in the last three games, the seven assists a single-season career-high in his two MLS campaigns. … Alexander Ring collected his fifth assist of the season, a single-season career-high in his three MLS campaigns.

TFC: Nick DeLeon scored his sixth goal of the season, matching his single-season career-high set in his rookie season of 2012 while with D.C. United. … Nicolas Benezet scored his second goal, both in the last two games, making his fifth MLS appearance. … Michael Bradley scored his third goal of the season, his first since his two-goal game in the season opener on March 2. … Patrick Mullins netted his second goal since coming to TFC, over the last five games.

HOUSTON DYNAMO vs. MINNESOTA UNITED FC

Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #349)

BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas

7:30 p.m. CT (KUBE 57; FS-North)

REFEREE: Timothy Ford. AR1 (bench): Jeremy Kieso; AR2 (opposite): Jose da Silva; 4th: Baldomero Toledo; VAR: Malik Badawi; AVAR: Peter Balciunas

MLS Career: 13 games; FC/gm: 22.9; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 2; pens: 1

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Dynamo 2 wins, 8 goals … MNUFC 2 wins, 6 goals … Ties 2

AT HOUSTON: Dynamo 2 wins, 7 goals … MNUFC 0 wins, 3 goals … Ties 1

• The Dynamo had their winless run extended to seven games in their last match, a 1-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park on Aug. 31.
• Minnesota United FC grabbed a famous road victory in their last match, defeating the Los Angeles Football Club 2-0 at Banc of California Stadium on Aug. 31. Mason Toye scored both MNUFC goals for the victory.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Romain Métanire scored the game’s only goal in the first half as Minnesota United took the victory on May 25 at Allianz Field.
• The home team has won each of the past four meetings in the series. The teams split their two league meetings a year ago. Minnesota United took a come-from-behind 2-1 win on April 28 at TCF Bank Stadium, their first victory vs. the Dynamo. Then, the Dynamo captured a 3-0 victory July 7 at BBVA Stadium.
• The teams met three times in MNUFC’s inaugural MLS season, and the Dynamo claimed the only win, a 2-1 victory on Sept. 30 at Houston. The teams played to draws in the first two meetings, once at each ground – a 2-2 result on April 15 at BBVA Stadium, and a goalless match July 19 at TCF Bank Stadium.

DYNAMO: Alberth Elis has scored in each of his four appearances vs. MNUFC, over the past two seasons.

MNUFC: Jan Gregus recorded his ninth assist of the season, his last coming July 20.

COLORADO RAPIDS vs. LA GALAXY

Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #350)

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colo.

7 p.m. MT (TSN5; Altitude; SpecSN)

REFEREE: Fotis Bazakos. AR1 (bench): Matthew Nelson; AR2 (opposite): Jeffrey Greeson; 4th: Marcos de Oliveira; VAR: Alejandro Mariscal; AVAR: Jeff Muschik

MLS Career: 89 games; FC/gm: 26.2; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 18; pens: 35

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Rapids 27 wins (1 shootout), 85 goals … Galaxy 37 wins (2 shootout), 118 goals … Ties 11

AT COLORADO: Rapids 19 wins (0 shootout), 50 goals … Galaxy 13 wins (1 shootout), 45 goals … Ties 5

• The Rapids won for a second consecutive match, defeating Seattle Sounders FC 2-0 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. Andre Shinyashiki scored both Rapids goals, his first professional two-goal game; Shinyashiki leads all MLS rookies with seven goals this season.
• The Galaxy saw their three-game undefeated run put to an end last time out, falling 4-3 to Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field. Zlatan Ibrahimović scored a goal and added an assist, his 23rd goal of the season, tied for second in the MLS Golden Boot standings.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Shinyashiki netted the game’s only goal in the 82nd minute as the Rapids took the victory on May 19 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
• The Rapids have come away with points in the last three meetings between the teams, with two victories. The Rapids’ victory in the first meeting last year, a 2-1 win on Aug. 4 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, snapped a four-game winless streak, and two-game losing streak, in league play in the series, their first vs. the Galaxy since March 12, 2016.
• The Rapids win in the first meeting this year snapped a six-game Galaxy undefeated streak in Carson, Calif., in the series, with two wins and four draws over the span, their first win there since Sept. 7, 2013, a 1-0 victory.

RAPIDS: Jonathan Lewis recorded his fourth assist of the season; he has two goals and an assist in the last two games. … Nicolás Mezquida collected his fifth assist of the season, his last on July 20. … Keegan Rosenberry recorded his second assist of the season, both coming in the last six games. … Sam Nicholson collected his fourth assist, his second in the last four games. … Clint Irwin was credited with two saves in recording his first shutout of the season, in his eighth appearance; his last shutout in an MLS game came May 6, 2017, for Toronto FC at Seattle Sounders FC.

GALAXY: Uriel Antuna scored his third goal of the season, his first since netting in back-to-back games April 28-May 4. … Cristian Pavón recorded his third assist, to go with a goal, in his fifth MLS appearance. … Diego Polenta added his fifth assist of the season, leading the Galaxy. … Jorgen Skjelvik scored the first league goal of his MLS career, making his 50th appearance over two seasons. … Sebastian Lletget contributed his fourth assist, second over the last three games.

REAL SALT LAKE vs. SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #351)

Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah

7:30 p.m. MT (KMYU-12; NBCS-CA)

REFEREE: Joseph Dickerson. AR1 (bench): Jeff Hosking; AR2 (opposite): Kevin Klinger; 4th: Allen Chapman; VAR: Edvin Jurisevic; AVAR: TJ Zablocki

MLS Career: 23 games; FC/gm: 26.3; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 18; pens: 35

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Real 10 wins, 44 goals … Earthquakes 11 wins, 39 goals … Ties 11

AT SALT LAKE: Real 5 wins, 24 goals … Earthquakes 3 wins, 12 goals … Ties 7

• Real had a two-game undefeated streak on the road put to an end last time out, falling by the game’s only goal to Portland Timbers at Providence Park on Aug. 31.
• The Quakes won for a second consecutive match in their last outing, a 3-0 win against Orlando City SC at Avaya Stadium. Chris Wondolowski netted a pair of goals, now with 13 for the league campaign, 157 for his MLS league career.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Danny Hoesen netted the game’s only goal in stoppage time, giving the Quakes the victory July 6 at Avaya Stadium.
• The Quakes now own a five-game undefeated streak in the series in San Jose, with four wins in that span, the last RSL win there a 1-0 triumph on April 5, 2015.
• Real are undefeated in their past five home meetings with the Quakes, with two wins and three draws in that time, the last San Jose victory in Sandy, Utah, coming in 2013.

REAL: Real have conceded five goals over their last 10 home games, dating back to May 18, with six shutouts (going 8-1-1 over the span).

QUAKES: Cristian Espinoza recorded his 12th assist of the season, a second consecutive game with an assist, the 12 assists tied for fifth place in the MLS assist standings. … Magnus Eriksson scored his sixth goal of the season, matching his season total from his first MLS campaign last year. … Jackson Yueill collected his fourth assist of the season, a single-season career-high in his third MLS season.

NEW YORK CITY FC vs. SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #353)

Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.

12:30 p.m. ET (YES; NBCS-CA)

REFEREE: Rubiel Vazquez. AR1 (bench): Claudiu Badea; AR2 (opposite): Philippe Briere; 4th: Lukasz Szpala; VAR: Caleb Mendez; AVAR: Gjovalin Bori

MLS Career: 25 games; FC/gm: 20.7; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 6; pens: 5

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: NYCFC 3 wins, 7 goals … Earthquakes 0 wins, 4 goals … Ties 1

AT YANKEE STADIUM: NYCFC 2 wins, 5 goals … Earthquakes 0 wins, 3 goals … Ties 0

• NYCFC have never lost to the Quakes in four meetings all-time, winning three, including victories each of the last two years. NYCFC won the lone meeting a year ago, a 2-1 victory on March 31 at Avaya Stadium.
• NYCFC have won both meetings all-time at Yankee Stadium, including a 2-1 win there on April 7, 2017, in the last matchup in the Bronx.

NYCFC: Play Toronto FC at Yankee Stadium at midweek.

QUAKES: Play Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium at midweek.

CHICAGO FIRE vs. FC DALLAS

Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #352)

SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, Ill.

2:30 p.m. CT (Univision / TUDN)

REFEREE: Jair Marrufo. AR1 (bench): Jose da Silva; AR2 (opposite): Chris Elliott; 4th: Silviu Petrescu; VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero; AVAR: Peter Manikowski

MLS Career: 253 games; FC/gm: 23.1; Y/gm: 2.8; R: 42; pens: 81

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Fire 16 wins (1 shootout), 65 goals … FC Dallas 22 wins (2 shootout), 77 goals … Ties 4

AT CHICAGO: Fire 12 wins (1 shootout), 38 goals … FC Dallas 8 wins (1 shootout), 31 goals … Ties 2

• The Fire concluded a two-game road run in their last match, with a 1-1 draw vs. Columbus Crew SC at Mapfre Stadium. Przemyslaw Frankowski netted his second goal of the season for the Fire goal.
• FC Dallas won a second consecutive match and extended their undefeated run to three matches, defeating FC Cincinnati 3-1 at Toyota Stadium on Aug. 31. Zdenek Ondrasek scored a goal and set up another, his third consecutive game with a goal.
• FC Dallas won the lone meeting between the teams a year ago, a 3-1 win on July 17 at Toyota Stadium, their second win in the last three matchups between the clubs. Both wins came in Frisco, FCD’s first home victories in the series since 2010.
• The Fire have won each of the last four meetings in Bridgeview, including a 2-1 win on May 25, 2017 in the last meeting there.
• FC Dallas have won the Brimstone Cup two of the past three years – awarded by the two supporters’ clubs of the two teams so named when it matched the Fire and the Burn. FCD had won the season series between the clubs every year from 2001-11, before the Fire won it the next four years in a row.

FIRE: Aleksandar Katai recorded his sixth assist of the season, his second in the last five games. … Djordje Mihailovic collected his second assist of the season, both coming in the last five matches.

FCD: Michael Barrios scored his fourth goal of the season, a second consecutive game with a goal. He has a goal and/or an assist in each of the last three games, with two goals and two assists in that span. … Ryan Hollingshead scored his sixth goal of the season, his third in the last five games; he had five goals total in league play over his first five MLS seasons entering this year. Hollingshead has a goal or an assist in each of the last three matches. … Jesús Ferreira recorded his fifth assist of the season; he has a goal and an assist in the last two games.

ATLANTA UNITED vs. COLUMBUS CREW SC

Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #354)

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.

7 p.m. ET (FS-South; FS-OH)

REFEREE: Alan Kelly. AR1 (bench): Logan Brown; AR2 (opposite): Eric Weisbrod; 4th: Ismail Elfath; VAR: Edvin Jurisevic; AVAR: Peter Balciunas

MLS Career: 121 games; FC/gm: 24.3; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 17; pens: 47

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: ATLUTD 4 wins, 10 goals … Crew SC 1 win, 4 goals … Ties 0

AT ATLANTA: ATLUTD 2 wins, 6 goals … Crew SC 0 wins, 2 goals … Ties 0

• Atlanta United saw their four-game winning streak come to an end last time out, falling 3-1 to the Philadelphia Union at Talen Energy Stadium on Aug. 31. Josef Martínez scored his 23rd goal of the season, tied for second place in the MLS Golden Boot standings, extending his league-record goalscoring streak to 13 games.
• Crew SC extended their home undefeated streak to four games with a third consecutive draw there last time out, reaching a 1-1 result with the Chicago Fire on Aug. 31 at Mapfre Stadium. Pedro Santos netted his 10th goal of the season for the Columbus goal.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Santos and Gyasi Zardes scored first-half goals as Crew SC took a 2-0 win on March 30 at Mapfre Stadium.
• The win was the first for Crew SC in five league meetings between the clubs, after Atlanta United won each of the first four. ATLUTD have won both league meetings in Atlanta, last a 3-1 win last Aug. 19. They had won the first two meetings in Columbus both by 2-0 scorelines.
• The teams met in the Knockout Round of the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2017, Crew SC advancing via a dramatic penalty kick shootout after the teams played to a scoreless draw over 120 minutes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

ATLUTD: Darlington Nagbe collected his third assist of the season, his last coming July 21.

CREW SC: Luis Argudo collected his third assist of the season, his last coming July 27.

MONTREAL IMPACT vs. FC CINCINNATI

Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #355)

Stade Saputo, Montréal, Qué.

7:30 p.m. ET (TVA Sports; WSTR – Star 64)

REFEREE: Ramy Touchan. AR1 (bench): Brian Dunn; AR2 (opposite): C.J. Morgante; 4th: Armando Villarreal; VAR: David Barrie; AVAR: Robert Schaap

MLS Career: 19 games; FC/gm: 24.8; Y/gm: 3.8; R: 0; pens: 2

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Impact 0 wins, 1 goal … FCC 1 win, 2 goals … Ties 0

AT MONTRÉAL: First meeting.

• The Impact weren’t able to build upon a first victory in five games in their last match, suffering a 3-0 loss to D.C. United at Stade Saputo on Aug. 31.
• FC Cincinnati had their winless run extended, falling 5-1 to Toronto FC at Nippert Stadium on Saturday evening.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season, and the second time in their histories. Allan Cruz and Fatai Alashe scored goals on either side of halftime as FC Cincinnati took a 2-1 win on May 11 at Nippert Stadium.

IMPACT: Following the FC Cincinnati match at the weekend, the Impact will take on Toronto FC in the first leg of the Canadian Championship final on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at Stade Saputo.

FCC: Emmanuel Ledesma scored the FCC goal, his sixth of the season, a second consecutive game with a goal and a third in a row with a goal or an assist.

PHILADELPHIA UNION vs. LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL CLUB

Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #356)

Talen Energy Stadium, Chester, Pa.

7:30 p.m. ET (PHL 17; YouTube TV [LA] / KVMD)

REFEREE: Nima Saghafi. AR1 (bench): Adam Wienckowski; AR2 (opposite): Corey Rockwell; 4th: Sergii Demianchuk; VAR: Hilario Grajeda; AVAR: Craig Lowry

MLS Career: 57 games; FC/gm: 26.9; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 8; pens: 21

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Union 0 wins, 1 goal … LAFC 1 win, 4 goals … Ties 0

AT UNION: First meeting.

• The Union clinched a berth in the 2019 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in their last match, a 3-1 win against Atlanta United at Talen Energy Stadium on Aug. 31.
• Kacper Przybylko scored a goal and added an assist, now with 13 goals for the season, tied for sixth in the MLS Golden Boot standings.
• LAFC played to a second draw in three matches, reaching a 2-2 deadlock with Orlando City SC at Exploria Stadium on Saturday evening.
• Diego Rossi netted his 15th goal of the season, making LAFC just the second team in MLS history to have a 20-goal scorer and a 15-goal scorer in the same season (Carlos Vela has 27 this season).
• LAFC won the lone meeting between the teams in their inaugural season, a 4-1 win on June 30 at Banc of California Stadium.

UNION: Brenden Aaronson scored his third goal of the season, a second consecutive game with a goal. He has two goals and an assist in the last two games. … Haris Medunjanin recorded his 10th assist of the season, his fourth in the last five games. … Kai Wagner recorded his eighth assist of the season, a second consecutive game with an assist and his fourth over the last six matches. … Sergio Santos scored his fourth goal of the season and also added an assist, his first in MLS. … Ilsinho collected his eighth assist; he has a goal and an assist in the last two games.

LAFC: Adrien Perez scored his first goal in MLS, making his ninth appearance of the season. … Adama Diomande collected his seventh assist of the season, his last coming July 26.

ORLANDO CITY SC vs. NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #357)

Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Fla.

7:30 p.m. ET (YouTube TV [ORL] / My65; NBCS-Bos)

REFEREE: Fotis Bazakos. AR1 (bench): Brian Poeschel; AR2 (opposite): Jason White; 4th: Marcos de Oliveira; VAR: Victor Rivas; AVAR: Jeff Muschik

MLS Career: 89 games; FC/gm: 26.2; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 18; pens: 35

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Orlando City 2 wins, 19 goals … Revolution 4 wins, 24 goals … Ties 4

AT ORLANDO: Orlando City 2 wins, 16 goals … Revolution 0 wins, 9 goals … Ties 3

• Orlando City SC put an end to a two-game losing slide, reaching a 2-2 draw with the Los Angeles Football Club at Exploria Stadium on Saturday evening. Nani scored his 10th goal of the season, and Homegrown Player Benji Michel added his third.
• The Revolution saw their four-game undefeated run come to an end, dropping a late 2-1 decision to New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Saturday evening. Juan Caicedo gave the Revolution the lead after two minutes with his fifth goal of the season.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Carles Gil scored one goal and set up another as the Revolution cruised to a 4-1 win on July 27 at Gillette Stadium.
• The away team has never won in the all-time series, in eight meetings. The Revolution have won four of the five meetings at Gillette Stadium, including each of the past three years. Orlando City had won their previous two home matches vs. New England, before last year’s 3-3 draw.

OCSC: Ruan recorded his fifth assist of the season, his second in the last seven games. … Cristian Higuita recorded his second assist of the season, his first coming June 1.

REVOLUTION: Andrew Farrell collected his first assist of the season, his last coming July 14 of last year.

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC vs. HOUSTON DYNAMO

Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #358)

BC Place, Vancouver, B.C.

7 p.m. PT (TSN; KUBE 57)

REFEREE: Robert Sibiga. AR1 (bench): Frank Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Jeremy Hanson; 4th: Joseph Dickerson; VAR: Dave Gantar; AVAR: Chris Wattam

MLS Career: 96 games; FC/gm: 22.0; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 24; pens: 27

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Whitecaps FC 7 wins, 22 goals … Dynamo 5 wins, 19 goals … Ties 3

AT VANCOUVER: Whitecaps FC 6 wins, 15 goals … Dynamo 0 wins, 6 goals … Ties 2

• Whitecaps FC fell to their third reversal on the trot in their last match, a 3-1 loss to New York City FC at BC Place. Yordy Reyna scored his seventh goal of the season, a second consecutive game with a defeat.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Memo Rodríguez scored a pair of goals, including the 73rd-minute game-winner, as the Dynamo claimed a 3-2 win on March 16 at BBVA Stadium.
• The win in the first meeting for the Dynamo snapped a three-game Whitecaps FC undefeated streak in the series. The Dynamo have now won five of the seven encounters in Houston (with one draw).
• Whitecaps FC have won six of the eight meetings all-time in Vancouver, with two draws, including a 2-2 result last year on May 11 in the last matchup there. The Whitecaps FC 2-1 victory in Houston last year was the first ever in the series by the visiting team.

WHITECAPS FC: Tosaint Ricketts collected an assist for a second consecutive game, making his first start in his return to MLS (his third appearance).

DYNAMO: Play Minnesota United FC at BBVA Stadium at midweek.

PORTLAND TIMBERS vs. D.C. UNITED

Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #362)

Providence Park, Portland, Ore.

12:30 p.m. PT (ESPN / ESPN Deportes)

REFEREE: Drew Fischer. AR1 (bench): Kathryn Nesbitt; AR2 (opposite): Felisha Mariscal; 4th: Alejandro Mariscal; VAR: Ricardo Salazar; AVAR: Cameron Blanchard

MLS Career: 119 games; FC/gm: 25.5; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 17; pens: 31

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Timbers 4 wins, 15 goals … D.C. United 3 wins, 13 goals … Ties 2

AT PORTLAND: Timbers 3 wins, 11 goals … D.C. United 1 win, 6 goals … Ties 1

• The Timbers won a second consecutive match in dramatic fashion, getting a pair of late goals for a come-from-behind 2-1 win against Sporting Kansas City at Providence Park on Saturday evening.
• Jeremy Ebobisse put the Timbers level in the 83rd minute with his ninth goal of the season. Then, Brian Fernandez scored the winner in stoppage time with his 11th MLS goal (in 16 appearances), the assist coming from Diego Valeri, his 16th of the season (second-most in MLS this season).
• United put an emphatic end to a three-game losing slide in their last match, a 3-0 win against the Montréal Impact at Stade Saputo on Aug. 31.
• Ola Kamara netted a pair of goals for D.C., now with three goals in his three appearances since coming to the club.
• D.C. United won the lone meeting between the teams last season, a 4-1 victory on Aug. 15 in the first meeting ever at Audi Field. It was their second consecutive home win in the series, the two wins United’s first in the series since 2011.
• The Timbers won the last meeting between the teams in Portland, a 4-0 win on Oct. 15, 2017, their third consecutive victory at home in the series.

TIMBERS: Diego Valeri now has a goal or an assist in three consecutive games, with two goals and one assist. … Tomas Conechny recorded his third assist of the season, all coming over the last six matches.

UNITED: Paul Arriola scored his sixth goal of the season, his last coming Aug. 11. … Felipe Martins collected his first assist of the season, his last coming last Aug. 18 while with Vancouver. … Fréderic Brillant recorded his second assist of the season, his single-season career-high in his fourth MLS campaign. … Bill Hamid was credited with four saves in recording his 10th shutout of the season, matching his MLS single-season career-high recorded in 2014. Hamid is tied for second in shutouts in MLS.

TORONTO FC vs. COLORADO RAPIDS

Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #360)

BMO Field, Toronto, Ont.

5 p.m. ET (TSN4; Altitude)

REFEREE: Alex Chilowicz. AR1 (bench): Kyle Atkins; AR2 (opposite): Corey Parker; 4th: Pierre-Luc Lauziere; VAR: Kevin Terry Jr.; AVAR: Gianni Facchini

MLS Career: 23 games; FC/gm: 24.3; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 4; pens: 7

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Toronto FC 8 wins, 19 goals … Rapids 7 wins, 18 goals … Ties 2

AT TORONTO: Toronto FC 7 wins, 17 goals … Rapids 1 win, 9 goals … Ties 1

• The Rapids won the lone meeting between the teams a year ago, a 2-0 victory on April 14 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. It was their third consecutive home win in the series.
• The Rapids have come away with points on two of their past three trips to BMO Field, including a 1-1 draw in the last meeting there, July 22, 2017. TFC has won seven of nine meetings in Ontario; the Rapids win in 2014 in Toronto is their only league victory there against TFC (the Rapids did win MLS Cup 2010 there).

TFC: Play New York City FC at Yankee Stadium at midweek.

RAPIDS: Play LA Galaxy at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park at midweek.

MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. REAL SALT LAKE

Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #361)

Allianz Field, St. Paul, Minn.

4:30 p.m. CT (FS-North; KMYU-12)

REFEREE: Rosendo Mendoza. AR1 (bench): Ian Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Andrew Bigelow; 4th: Christopher Penso; VAR: Kevin Stott; AVAR: Cory Richardson

MLS Career: 1 game; FC/gm: 21.0; Y/gm: 1.0; R: 0; pens: 0

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: MNUFC 2 wins, 9 goals … Real 1 win, 7 goals … Ties 2

AT MINNESOTA: MNUFC 2 wins, 7 goals … Real 0 wins, 4 goals … Ties 0

• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Darwin Quintero gave MNUFC the lead in the 57th minute, but Marcelo Silva responded 13 minutes later for RSL, leaving the teams in a 1-1 draw on July 20 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
• Minnesota United FC have won both meetings between the clubs at home, a 3-2 victory last July 14, and a 4-2 win on April 1, 2017, in the first-ever matchup in the series. The teams have reached draws in the last two meetings in Sandy, after Real won the first matchup there in 2017.

MNUFC: Play Houston Dynamo at BBVA Stadium at midweek.

REAL: Play San Jose Earthquakes at Rio Tinto Stadium at midweek.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC vs. NEW YORK RED BULLS

Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #361)

CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Wash.

3 p.m. PT (JOEtv / YouTube TV [SEA]; MSG)

REFEREE: Allen Chapman. AR1 (bench): Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho; AR2 (opposite): Nick Uranga; 4th: Thomas Snyder; VAR: Timothy Ford; AVAR: Thomas Supple

MLS Career: 157 games; FC/gm: 22.1; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 38; pens: 68

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Sounders FC 5 wins, 19 goals … Red Bulls 5 wins, 18 goals … Ties 3

AT SEATTLE: Sounders FC 4 wins, 13 goals … Red Bulls 1 win, 6 goals … Ties 1

• Sounders FC had their two-game winning run come to a halt, falling 2-0 to the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening.
• The Red Bulls had a two-game home undefeated run come to an end in their last match, a 2-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids on Aug. 31 at Red Bull Arena.
• The Red Bulls won the lone meeting between the teams a season ago, a 2-1 victory on June 13, extending their undefeated streak in the series at Red Bull Arena to five games, with four wins in that time.
• Sounders FC have a four-game home undefeated streak in the series, with three wins in that time, including a 3-1 win on March 19, 2017, in the last matchup at CenturyLink Field.

SOUNDERS FC: Academy product Shandon Hopeau, brought in from the Tacoma Defiance as an Extreme Hardship call-up, made his MLS debut after coming on in the 57th minute.

RED BULLS: The Red Bulls saw a streak of 10 consecutive games with a goal come to an end, blanked at the offensive end for a fifth time this season.

LA GALAXY vs. SPORTING KANSAS CITY

Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019 (Week 28, MLS Game #363)

Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, Calif.

7 p.m. PT (FS1 / FOX Deportes)

REFEREE: Ted Unkel. AR1 (bench): Eduardo Mariscal; AR2 (opposite): Mike Rottersman; 4th: Greg Dopka; VAR: Dave Gantar; AVAR: Michael Kampmeinert

MLS Career: 93 games; FC/gm: 23.5; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 32; pens: 51

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Galaxy 25 wins (0 shootout), 92 goals … Sporting 23 wins (2 shootout), 76 goals … Ties 15

AT GALAXY: Galaxy 16 wins (0 shootout), 49 goals … Sporting 7 wins (1 shootout), 30 goals … Ties 7

• Sporting saw their three-game winning run put to an end, falling to a late game-winner in a 2-1 defeat by the Portland Timbers at Providence Park on Saturday evening. Benny Feilhaber netted the SKC goal, his fourth of the season.
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Zlatan Ibrahimović set up a goal from Favio Alvarez then scored one himself, as the Galaxy took a 2-0 victory on May 29 at Children’s Mercy Park.
• The win for the Galaxy snapped an eight-game undefeated streak for Sporting KC in the series, their first win vs. SKC since April 18, 2015, a 2-1 victory in Carson, Calif.
• The win was also the first for the Galaxy in Kansas City since 2007; Sporting won five of the 11 home games in between, with six draws. Sporting have won the past two meetings in Carson, coming away with points on their last three trips to face the Galaxy, including a 2-0 win last April 8 in their last visit.

GALAXY: Play Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park at midweek.

SPORTING: Daniel Salloí recorded his first assist of the season, his last coming Aug. 18 of last season.