CF Montreal have used their recent MLS bye week to get some injured players back to fitness, says coach Laurent Courtois.
Montreal were not in action last weekend, but kick-start the second half of their 2024 campaign against Real Salt Lake on Saturday.
And Courtois revealed that the break enabled Montreal to get three strikers, who had all been injured, healthy.
Josef Martinez, Matias Coccaro and Kwadwo Opoku are now back in the fold after lay-offs, as are Mason Toye and Lassi Lappalainen.
“A big part of it was to get people healthy and to fix a little bit the morale of the troops,” Courtois said of the break. “In that sense, these past two weeks have been really beneficial.
"Having all the people together brings a whole different dynamic. Everybody wants to win his spot.”
Not that Montreal went into the break in poor form. They are unbeaten in three games, having drawn with the Philadelphia Union and Nashville SC either side of beating D.C. United 4-2.
They sit 12th in the Eastern Conference, though going up against RSL presents a stern test.
Salt Lake are top of the Western Conference with 33 points from their 17 matches. They are unbeaten in 13 games in MLS.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
CF Montreal – Sunusi Ibrahim
Sunusi Ibrahim’s goal after 49 seconds on June 1 was the sixth first-minute goal Montreal have scored in MLS play. No team have scored more goals in the opening minute of matches since Montreal joined the league in 2012.
Real Salt Lake – Cristian Arango
Arango’s 16 goals and 10 assists for the season leave him one goal away from equalling Alvaro Saborio’s single-season club goals record of 17 set in 2012 and one goal contribution away from equalling Jeff Cunningham’s single-season record of 27 set in 2006.
MATCH PREDICTION: RSL WIN
RSL are on the second-longest single-season unbeaten run in club history (after going 14 straight games without defeat in 2010). The last team to go more than 13 straight games without defeat in a single regular season was the Portland Timbers (15) in 2018.
Montreal, though, are unbeaten in three straight matches (W1 D2) following a four-match regular-season losing streak. Montreal have not gone unbeaten in four straight league matches in over a year, since winning four straight games in April-May last season.
RSL recorded a 2-1 win at Montreal in the last meeting between the sides in May 2022. It was the first away win in the nine all-time meetings between the sides.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Montreal – 30.1%
RSL – 45.1%
Draw – 24.9%
Emerging Ireland secured a four-wicket win over the West Indies Academy to complete a 3-0 sweep of their 50-over series in Bready on Friday.
The tourists, after being out in to bat, were guilty of not using up their allotted overs as they were dismissed for 236 with all of seven overs to spare.
Ackeem Auguste led the way with a 68-ball 81 including 10 fours and two sixes while Joshua James hit 26* off 25 balls.
Skipper Gavin Hoey led the Irish charge with his leg-spin with 4-45 from his 10 overs while medium pacer Olly Riley took 3-38 from nine overs.
Emerging Ireland then needed only 39 overs to reach 238-6 and secure victory and a 3-0 series triumph.
Morgan Topping led the way for the hosts with 46 while Seamus Lynch hit 45* off just 28 balls including six fours and two sixes.
Chris de Freitas and Scott MacBeth also had solid contributions with 38 and 36, respectively.
Captain Nyeem Young took 3-56 from nine overs for the Academy.
The teams will now turn their attention to a pair of four-day games from June 18-21 in Comber and June 25-28 in Belfast.
Four-time Olympic 100m medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is set to open her 2024 season this Saturday at the JAAA's French Foray meet at the National Stadium in Kingston. The 38-year-old sprinting star will take on a relatively weak field of athletes as she tests her readiness to challenge for an unprecedented third Olympic 100m title in Paris this August.
Fraser-Pryce, who last competed in August 2023 when she ran 10.77 to win the bronze medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, is gearing up for the Jamaica National Championships, which begins in less than two weeks on June 27. To secure her place in the Olympic squad, Fraser-Pryce will need to finish in the top three at the national trials.
In an interview with Sportsmax.TV last October, Fraser-Pryce revealed plans to run more races leading up to the Olympics in 2024. However, for reasons unknown, she has not been able to compete before Saturday. As one of the most decorated sprinters in history, with five World Championships 100m titles to her name, Fraser-Pryce has faced a series of injuries since 2016. A toe injury in 2016 hampered her chances of winning a third consecutive Olympic 100m title, and she finished third.
After nearly two years off due to the birth of her son Zyon, Fraser-Pryce made a triumphant return by winning her fourth World 100m title in Doha in 2019. She followed this with a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics and a fifth world title in Oregon in 2022. During an injury-hit season in 2023, she followed up with a bronze at the World Championships in Budapest.
On Saturday, Fraser-Pryce will gauge her readiness for what she has indicated will be her final Olympic campaign. Fans and athletics enthusiasts will be watching closely as she begins her journey towards making history once again in Paris.
FC Dallas interim head coach Peter Luccin has urged his players to show their passion on the pitch when they welcome St. Louis City to the Toyota Stadium.
Dallas announced they had parted company with Nico Estevez on June 9 after a run of five matches without a win left them second from bottom in the Western Conference.
Peter Luccin was brought in as his interim replacement, with the Frenchman aiming to make a positive mark in his first game in charge.
"I think it's very important to understand that not everything was bad in the past. I think that we build some foundation," Luccin said.
"I can see the passion in their eyes. They see passion in my eyes, too. So, the passion for that game is a key factor, too. This is what I saw. This is what they see from me.
“To be honest, I will say that maybe it's not the best team to start to play against in my first game, but I'm looking forward to playing against St. Louis because I know that is going to be very demanding."
St. Louis City are just four points above Dallas in 11th after their own five-match winless run.
Head coach Bradley Carnell admitted it was not easy to plan for this game due to the unexpectedness a new opposing manager can create.
"It's a new manager with new tactics, so we don't know what to expect, but we've played some really good games against strong opponents and outshot those opponents," said Carnell.
"We have a process, we have a style, but we need to match the intensity they're going to come at us with. They have something to prove, but so do we."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
FC Dallas – Liam Fraser
After an MLS career that spanned three teams over six seasons, Fraser scored his first goal in his 77th regular-season appearance in Dallas' draw with Minnesota on Saturday.
Only one player this season, Portland's Eric Miller (186 games), scored his first career MLS goal after more regular-season games.
St. Louis City – Chris Durkin
St. Louis City won possession in the attacking third five times in their draw with Portland on Saturday, with Durkin responsible for two of those, the joint-most in the team.
St. Louis have now won possession in the attacking third 102 times this season, 11 more than any other MLS team.
MATCH PREDICTION: FC DALLAS WIN
Dallas and St. Louis split the first three meetings, with each team winning once and drawing once. A total of five goals have been scored over the three games with all of them coming in the 80th minute or later.
Dallas have lost only two of their last 19 home matches in all competitions (W8 D9) dating back to the beginning of the Leagues Cup last July. Those two losses came against Canadian sides (Montreal, Vancouver Whitecaps) as the last U.S.-based team to win in Dallas was D.C. United last July.
St. Louis earned a league-high ninth draw of the season in a scoreless match against Portland on Saturday. They have only four defeats all season, with only seven teams losing fewer matches than City since the club joined MLS last season.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
FC Dallas – 47.6%
Draw – 26.1%
St. Louis City – 26.3%
Saturday's MLS clash between the Philadelphia Union and Inter Miami will require both teams to cope without key players, but Jim Curtin is viewing it as an opportunity.
Miami will be without Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez for the match, with the duo preparing to represent Argentina and Uruguay, respectively, at the Copa America.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, will have to make do without 10-goal leading scorer Daniel Gazdag, who is part of Hungary's squad for Euro 2024.
Asked about the difficulties of coping without Gazdag, Curtin pointed out that Miami will also need to adjust and highlighted 20-year-old midfielder Jack McGlynn as an example of a player who could stand to benefit.
"He's not a 10 but he has the passing range to unlock a defence," Curtin said of McGlynn. "Maybe he does it from a deeper position, but we might need him to be a little more aggressive.
"Unfortunately, he won't be passing the ball to Daniel Gazdag so all these things weigh in, just like Jordi Alba won't be combining with Messi.
"Both teams aren't at full strength, so we have to make the most of what it is. I see this as an opportunity to bring out players' skills, like with Jack."
Miami lead the way in the Eastern Conference with 35 points, 15 clear of the eighth-placed Union having played two additional matches.
Since Messi joined the Herons last year, they have only won three of 14 matches without him, drawing five and losing six.
The Argentine's minutes were managed ahead of him linking up with Argentina, which coach Gerardo Martino says was necessary.
"With the passage of time, one sees the body does not recover in the same way," he told TyC Sports this week.
"He understands it, he sees that there are trips that are high-risk and long. That's why we started to agree on when it is necessary for him to stop."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Philadelphia Union – Jack McGlynn
McGlynn, who is expected to play a major role for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, has two goals and four assists this season.
That first figure is a joint career best, while the latter is a new personal benchmark. The cultured left-footer could be set to play a central role at Subaru Park.
Inter Miami – Sergio Busquets
With Messi and Suarez absent, it could be down to Busquets to lead the way for Miami.
The Barcelona great trails only Riqui Puig (1,330) for successful passes in MLS this year (1,115), and four of his 17 chances created have become assists.
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
Miami have won two of their last four away games against Philadelphia (one draw, one defeat).
They are one of just three teams (alongside New York City and Orlando City) with multiple road wins over the Union since the start of the 2021 season.
Philadelphia have struggled at home in general lately, going six regular-season matches without a win (two draws, four defeats) at Subaru Park.
Since last September, they have only won two of their 13 league games on home soil (seven draws, four defeats), with only two MLS sides collecting fewer home points than their 13 since that run began.
However, with both teams missing key players, it is difficult to have much confidence in either. A draw could be on the cards, with Miami lacking their usual firepower.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Philadelphia Union – 38.4%
Inter Miami – 35.2%
Draw – 26.5%
Atlanta United interim head coach Rob Valentino is hoping to get off to a positive start when they welcome Houston Dynamo to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Atlanta announced on June 3 that they had parted ways with Gonzalo Pineda, with Valentino stepping into his shoes with the Five Stripes sitting 13th in the Eastern Conference.
They have won just one of their last 11 matches in the MLS – beating Inter Miami 3-1 – but defeat to Charlotte FC last time out spelt the end for Pineda.
"I want to get back to that enjoyment," Valentino said. "How we can find that every day, on and off the field - and shared success.
"When you look at teams and organizations, it is not one person's fault, it is shared in terms of where we are. There is that responsibility and accountability.
"But on the other side of it, I want there to be shared success. We really want to enjoy the day-to-day. I think that is going to be the message going forward from myself."
Meanwhile, Houston are seventh in the Western Conference after losing just two of their seven matches before the mid-season break.
Having ended their scoreless run in May, head coach Ben Olsen is keen to ensure their good run in front of goal continues.
"Even on the road, we're putting up numbers," said Olsen. "We're constantly working to fine-tune some things and push the guys in making real actions and moving with conviction in the final third.
"[Not scoring] was a frustrating period for us, so now, hopefully, the goal stays big for us. There's a lot still to be desired, but I'm looking forward to being back at work."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Atlanta United – Thiago Almada
Almada scored his fourth goal of the campaign in Atlanta's defeat to Charlotte FC last time out, making him joint-second in the team’s scoring charts this season. He is now just one behind top scorer Giorgos Giakoumakis.
Houston Dynamo – Sebastian Kowalczyk
Kowalczyk has scored in consecutive games for the Dynamo after having found the net just once in his first 21 career MLS matches. Kowalczyk is the third Dynamo player to score in consecutive appearances this season after Latif Blessing, Ibrahim Aliyu.
MATCH PREDICTION: ATLANTA UNITED WIN
The home side has won all three meetings between Atlanta and Houston. The home side have outscored the visitors 13-1 in the three games, with the hosts scoring at least four times in all three meetings.
However, Atlanta have lost a club-record five straight regular-season home matches. Prior to this run, Atlanta had never lost more than two consecutive home league games before.
Since moving to the Western Conference in 2015, the Dynamo have managed just five wins in 41 away matches against Eastern foes (D9 L27). Since the start of the 2019 season, Houston have lost 14 of 19 away matches against the East (W2 D3).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Atlanta United – 44%
Draw – 26.8%
Houston Dynamo – 29.2%
The ties between Jamaica’s football and corporate Jamaica got stronger on Thursday as well-loved brand Wray & Nephew unveiled plans for a newly minted Wray & Nephew Football Programme.
The programme, inspired by the longstanding partnerships with the island’s most impactful sporting competitions, was developed to foster the technical advancement of football in Jamaica, with a special emphasis on coaching education and bolstering the journey of the Reggae Boyz and Reggae Girlz towards the World Cup.
The investment will be to the sum of approximately $200 million over the next three years.
“The Wray and Nephew Football Program has been created to support our commitment to advance football in Jamaica. To that effect, we have decided to increase and widen our support and investment in the beautiful game,” said Jean-Philippe Beyer, Managing Director at J. Wray & Nephew.
“Supporting football from grassroots programs to professional leagues is a privilege for us and I say this because, through this partnership, we are not only seeing the triumphs of our players and our coaches, we are also seeing the positive impacts their achievements have on their families and communities,” he added.
In addition to being the title sponsors of both the JPL and Major League, Wray & Nephew will also be the official spirit of the senior Reggae Boyz and Reggae Girlz, supporting them in their dream of qualifying for the World Cup.
Beyer also announced that Wray & Nephew are in the process of directly sponsoring some stadiums.
“We are still in discussions with a number of them but tonight I can announce that we are at the contract stage with Ferdi Neita Park and Waterhouse Mini Stadium,” he said.
Ferdi Neita Park is the home of Portmore United while Waterhouse Mini Stadium houses Waterhouse FC.
Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts, who was also on hand on Thursday, has always pleaded for corporate Jamaica to get more involved in the country’s football and he was understandably elated that Wray & Nephew has done just that.
“When we get a positive response from our daily calls from corporate Jamaica to come on board and help us use the sport of football to socially impact the well-being of boys and girls in this country, I am absolutely delighted,” he said.
The Hon. Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, recognised the importance of the partnership between corporate Jamaica and sport.
“This evening, we add another to the many partnerships between Jamaican companies and sporting bodies, communities and the Government over the years,” she said.
“This partnership with a Jamaican-born company, J. Wray & Nephew Ltd, is a cause for celebration because, not only are we stronger together, but this partnership also highlights our shared passion for football and our vibrant sporting culture which, together, have brought so much joy to our people,” she added.
Craig Simpson and Aliana McMaster were the top shooters last Sunday at the Jackson Bay Hunting & Fishing Club in Jackson Bay, Clarendon. Simpson, who secured 91 points, had nothing but praise for the venue and the targets, while giving his victory speech.
While acknowledging that it was more challenging than he had expected, that didn’t stop Simpson from putting in the mental work it needed to win. “The wind made it more challenging than you would expect, but still, there was something there for everybody. You had a mixture of targets, some of which were of international standards, testing the best of us. I’m happy that I came out on top,” he said.
Craig Simpson
Aliana McMaster, who scored 86 points, won the ladies section ahead of her mother, Wendy McMaster, with a score of 83, who was dethroned last year as the five-time national female champion. It was all love and support for the mother-daughter duo, as Wendy shared that at one point, she sensed that her daughter was withholding and she had to have a pep talk with her.
Wendy, after accompanying her husband to several bird shooting events in support before he took up clay shooting, said she eventually decided it didn’t seem that hard and she could try it too. She eventually ‘dragged’ her children into it.
For Aliana, while she has no recollection of the exact moment she decided to take up the challenge, she said being exposed to it eventually led to that decision. “To tell you the truth, I was just tired of watching. I was like, I’m going to be here anyway; I might as well participate. So that’s how I got into it, and I think it was maybe the following year that I did my first lesson”.
Fast forward to the 2024 event, and the duo both stated that they are not competing against each other; in fact, they are each other’s biggest supporters. “I’m not competing against my daughter; I’m really competing against all the men in the C class; she competes to win her class,” Wendy, who ended up in the third spot in the C class, shared.
Although, with a smile, she said when Aliana just started “to whop her bottom,” it was a little bit of shaky ground as she thought, ‘Looks like this girl plans to give me a run for my money!” She had no fear, as she said her victories made her proud.
Aliana McMaster
Aliana quickly dismissed the rivalry as she stressed how much she admires and supports her mother in the sport. “I am her biggest supporter.”.
The day was an overwhelming success, and president of the Jackson Bay Hunting and Fishing Gun Club, Sean Clacken, shared that there was a big improvement from last year, with over 150 gunners participating. They also did things a little different for this year’s event. “We created our own trophies; they are all made of wood and have clay on them,” he informed, giving credit to the creators, Chris Lee and Woodman 876.
He also shared that improvements were made to the course as the gunners wanted a shorter walking course, which he informed was ‘easier but trickier’. “We wanted to facilitate those young to the sport, but at the same time give challenges to the more experienced,” he informed.
Sable-Joy McLaren, Senior Manager of group marketing for First Rock Group, title sponsors for the competition, is thrilled with the success of the event. “We’re very pleased with this year’s staging of the competition. The incredible talent and sportsmanship displayed by all the participants made this a great experience.” She continued “It’s actually FirstRock’s second year sponsoring the event, and this time around we supported in a more expansive way, by including other members of our Group, Ultra Financier, Century 21 Jamaica and Optimum Distributors.”
Among the other winners for the day were Liam McConnel with 79 points in the Hunter category, Brian Kong with 83 points in the C category, and Chad Ziadie with 91 points in the A category.
Eric Ramsay is looking forward to the challenge Minnesota United face when they travel to Seattle Sounders in the MLS on Saturday.
Minnesota are third in the Western Conference, having lost just one of their last nine matches in the competition.
With leaders Real Salt Lake just four points in front of them, the Loons are looking to keep on the pressure, but they have never earned a point when travelling to Seattle.
However, Ramsey is confident his team can put that history behind them after watching them rise to challenges throughout the season.
"It's a challenge that we can go and meet head-on," he said. "We've met challenges all the way through this season in that way.
"I can only imagine it's a positive, if anything. I said to the group that every time they've been asked to rise to the occasion, largely they've done that.
"Going to a place like that, where we obviously find it difficult - we have a big few days that could arguably define the upcoming period."
Meanwhile, Seattle have won just one of their last five outings and sit outside the playoff places in the table.
Captain Stefan Frei admitted it is tough to look on the bright side after their poor run, but is hopeful they can get themselves out of trouble.
"Finding positive things has been hard this year. Finding frustration is very easy," said Frei. "Finding negatives is very easy.
"But you cannot succumb to that because no good will come from it. You've got to keep trying to find positives and, if not, create them so that we can all find a way out of this hole. Even as an individual, to find a way through it, so you can help the rest of the team."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Seattle Sounders – Stefan Frei
Seattle conceded the game-winning goal to Kansas City in the 85th minute on Saturday in a 2-1 defeat.
The Sounders have allowed a result-changing goal in the last 10 minutes five times this season, including in three of their last four regular-season matches (two equalizers, one winner). Stefan Frei will be aiming to avoid conceding another late goal on Saturday.
Minnesota United – Hassani Dotson
Dotson scored just his second goal of the season in Minnesota's 1-1 draw with FC Dallas last time out. Only five players for the Loons have netted more times than him this season.
MATCH PREDICTION: SEATTLE SOUNDERS WIN
The Sounders have won all eight of their home matches against Minnesota United (incl. playoffs). The longest home winning streak by one team over another in MLS play (incl. playoffs) is nine straight, done five times, most recently by Philadelphia Union against D.C. United (2015-22).
Six of Seattle's last eight home MLS matches have ended in draws (W1 L1), including the last three in a row. Dating back to last June, the Sounders have split the points in 10 of their last 15 home league games.
Meanwhile, Minnesota have lost only one of their last nine regular-season matches (W5 D3) following a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas on Saturday. The Loons enter their 17th match of the season with just three defeats this year after having never had fewer than five losses in the first half of a full season before.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Seattle Sounders – 41.6%
Draw – 26.7%
Minnesota United – 31.8%
LA Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida says the team are not satisfied with their position at the halfway stage of the MLS season, with Sporting Kansas City next up on Saturday.
The Galaxy's six-match unbeaten streak ended before the mid-season break, with the Chicago Fire coming from behind to beat them 2-1.
They sit fourth in the Western Conference, five points behind leaders Real Salt Lake, but Yoshida believes they should be challenging for the top spot.
"It's a big improvement on last season, but I'm still not satisfied. I'm still not happy enough," Yoshida said.
"Maybe, generally, people say the Galaxy are doing well, but I feel like we could play better and get more points. We should be top of the league. I'll always stay hungry and greedy, and I want to do more and more and more."
Head coach Greg Vanney echoed his thoughts, saying: "I'm pretty happy with the point total that we have from the first half of the season.
"We let a couple of opportunities to be a little higher go. I think we learned a lot about ourselves that we need to clean up or keep using as we understand ourselves better."
Sporting snapped a 10-match winless run last weekend with a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders, leaving them in 12th.
Peter Vermes is confident his team can use that victory as a platform to push them forward for the second half of the season.
He said: "This is a good team. The issue last year, which was different, was for the longest time, I had to be the one to tell them that. Our win over [Colorado] should reinforce that message that they're good. When they want to play, they can play."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LA Galaxy – Riqui Puig
Puig has found the net in three consecutive appearances for the Galaxy for the first time in his MLS career. The Spaniard has been involved in seven goals since the beginning of May with only four players in MLS involved in more in that time.
Sporting Kansas City – Johnny Russell
Russell scored his seventh career regular-season goal against Seattle Sounders in the win on Saturday, his most against any opponent, breaking a tie with three other teams against whom he has scored six times, including the Galaxy.
MATCH PREDICTION: LA GALAXY WIN
The Galaxy ended a six-match winless run against Kansas City (D3 L3) with a 3-2 road win on March 24. The win was just the Galaxy's third in their last 17 matches against Sporting dating back to October 2015 (D7 L7).
LA have lost only one of their last 17 regular-season home matches (W8 D8), including winning four of their last five in Carson (D1). The 17 matches in that run have seen a total of 67 goals for an average of 3.9 per match.
Meanwhile, Kansas City ended a seven-match losing streak with a 2-1 victory over Seattle on Saturday. Sporting came from 1-0 down in the match as they have gone behind in 10 straight league matches dating back to mid-April.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
LA Galaxy – 53.5%
Draw – 23.8%
Sporting Kansas City – 22.7%
Oscar Pareja believes it is important for Orlando City to rediscover their self-confidence ahead of Saturday's clash with in-form Los Angeles FC at Inter&Co Stadium.
The international break means Orlando have been out of action since a 1-0 defeat to the New York Red Bulls on June 2, their third straight game without a victory.
While they sit a lowly 11th in the Eastern Conference standings with 17 points, LAFC are second in the West with 30 points after winning five in a row in MLS play.
Asked about the value of having time off to reflect on their poor run, Pareja said: "It's important, because with the work we do, the intensity of how we do things is important.
"We are optimistic after having a refresh when we needed it."
On the challenge of facing LAFC, the Orlando coach added: "Many teams have challenges with players being away. We are professionals, we expect a team that is playing well.
"But at the same time, it's a great opportunity for us to play well and raise our confidence, to get the points we need right now."
In all competitions, LAFC have won their last six matches without conceding, becoming the first team from MLS to ever accomplish that feat.
Head coach Steve Cherundolo believes that achievement is the result of a team effort, saying: "I think the team is playing a mature, professional, complete 90 minutes.
"Some teams have better defensive solutions against us so we don't have quite as many chances, but in every game we are creating chances and we are not giving up many chances.
"Our collective defending is very good. You're seeing it all come together."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Orlando City – Nicolas Lodeiro
Lodeiro has been involved in nine goals in MLS play against Los Angeles (five goals, four assists, including playoffs).
Only Cristian Espinoza (15) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11) have been involved in more versus them.
Los Angeles FC – Denis Bouanga
Bouanga scored LAFC's goal in their 1-0 win over FC Dallas last time out on June 1.
The goal was Bouanga's 48th in all competitions since the start of last season, 16 more than any other MLS player in that time.
MATCH PREDICTION – LOS ANGELES FC WIN
LAFC are unbeaten in four all-time meetings with Orlando (two wins, two draws), though the Lions did eliminate them on penalties from the quarter-finals of MLS is Back in 2020.
Orlando are winless in their last five home matches, drawing two and losing three while failing to net in each of their last three – they had only previously gone three home matches without netting in their second, third and fourth home MLS games back in 2015.
LAFC, meanwhile, have won seven successive matches in all competitions, the last six of them to nil. They will fancy their chances of victory, even without home advantage.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Orlando City – 37.7%
Los Angeles FC – 35.9%
Draw – 26.4%
Caleb Porter praised his "evolving" New England Revolution side as they prepare to face Vancouver Whitecaps on the back of consecutive wins.
In their opening 13 games, New England only had two wins on the board in the Eastern Conference, sitting bottom with seven points.
Though they still prop up the standings, they are now on 13 points after wins over Nashville SC and New York Red Bulls, with Porter hopeful they can keep building on this momentum.
"The biggest key is our mentality has been stronger," Porter said, as quoted in The Blazing Musket substack.
"We're finding ways to get results. That evolution, I'm very pleased with, so I think, for me, it's unquestionable, we're evolving in every aspect."
"We know we're in a hole, there's no doubt about it. We have to continue to fight our way out, and it's going to take every game, and it's going to take until the end of the season."
Vancouver, meanwhile, are fifth in the Western Conference after back-to-back victories of their own against Sporting Kansas City and Colorado Rapids.
After their mid-season break, Vanni Sartini is aiming to improve on some of the weaknesses shown in the first half of the campaign.
"I think we did okay [in the first half]," he said. "We're doing well. I think that we were doing very well defensively - I'd say the best in my years as head coach here.
"I think we can do a little more in the final third. We are playing well, but we need to be better at finishing the action more. If we can do that, we can aspire to go to the top four positions."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New England Revolution – Carles Gil
Gil assisted Emmanuel Boateng on the lone goal of the match in New England's win Saturday. The Spaniard has been involved in seven (five goals, two assists) of the Revs’ 12 goals this season.
Vancouver Whitecaps – Ryan Gauld
Gauld assisted both of Vancouver's goals in their win over Colorado on June 1, taking him to 31 assists to go along with 30 goals in regular-season play.
The Scotsman is one of three players (Luciano Acosta, Hany Mukhtar) with at least 30 goals and 30 assists since he joined the MLS in August 2021.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
The Revolution have lost only two of their 11 all-time meetings with Vancouver (W5 D4), including winning four of the six meetings at Gillette Stadium (D1 L1).
New England have also won back-to-back matches for the first time since July last year after winning just two of their first 13 league matches this season. All four of New England's wins this year have been by a one-goal margin.
Meanwhile, the Whitecaps have won back-to-back matches, recording 2-1 wins against Sporting Kansas City and Colorado Rapids. This is Vancouver's sixth set of consecutive wins since the start of last season, though they have not won three league matches in a row since September-October 2022.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New England Revolution – 38.6%
Draw – 26.5%
Vancouver Whitecaps – 34.9%
New York Red Bulls captain Sean Nealis has vowed the team will learn from last week's defeat to the New England Revolution, when they were hamstrung by several absences.
The Red Bulls were beaten 1-0 in Foxborough following a run of four wins in five matches, with Lewis Morgan and Emil Forsberg among the big names missing due to international duty.
The result left them fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, six points adrift of Supporters' Shield frontrunners Inter Miami.
"We separated ourselves from the bottom half of the group and now we're kind of just lying there in the middle," centre-back Nealis said as he reflected on New York's last result.
"We'll learn from this. We'll get better from it. This is a young group out there.
"A lot got their first minutes of the season and I think we'll all learn how to get better and how to understand these environments and then get over the hump."
Nashville, meanwhile, sit ninth in the East, 10 points adrift of the Red Bulls.
They have taken four points from four games (one win, two draws, one defeat) since Rumba Munthali took over as interim head coach following the firing of Gary Smith.
They were also beaten by the Revs on their last MLS outing before the international break, and Munthali believes keeping players fresh will be key if they are to improve.
"It's a quick turnaround, and we have a lot of confidence in the group," Munthali said.
"We try to balance that, and we want to make sure guys are available for the whole season, not just game to game.
"It's about managing and making sure we're not straining guys and breaking them."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New York Red Bulls – Elias Manoel
Having seen the likes of Morgan and Forsberg go on international duty, the Red Bulls could be left to rely on Manoel.
He has three goals and three assists in MLS play this term, despite only making eight starts. Only Morgan (nine) and Forsberg (six) have outscored him for New York.
Nashville SC – Hany Mukhtar
Mukhtar scored Nashville's only goal in their defeat to New England on June 1 from the penalty spot.
He has been directly involved in each of Nashville's last four MLS goals (two goals, two assists, with the last Nashville goal without a Mukhtar involvement coming on May 15.
MATCH PREDICTION – NEW YORK RED BULLS WIN
Nashville ended a seven-game run without an away victory by beating FC Cincinnati 2-0 on May 29, just their second win in their last 16 away league matches.
However, they may struggle on Saturday against a team unbeaten in 10 straight home games (seven wins, three draws), dating back to last year's playoffs.
The Red Bulls are also unbeaten in their last five meetings with Nashville, winning two and drawing three while only conceding once in that sequence.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New York Red Bulls – 52%
Nashville SC – 23.5%
Draw – 24.5%
Nick Cushing has been impressed with New York City's preparations for their MLS return against the Columbus Crew on Saturday.
NYCFC headed into the international break having achieved their longest winning run in a single domestic campaign since 2019 (five games), leaving them third in the Eastern Conference and six points behind Inter Miami with two games in hand.
Cushing explained the break in play halted his side's momentum, but was pleased to see a renewed focus among the players upon their return to training.
“You can look at the break in two ways,” Cushing said. “It wasn’t the perfect timing because we had momentum and results, but at the same time, you have to take the rest when you get it because the schedule is so brutal.
“It was a great opportunity to rest and recover and give the players some family time as well as refresh and regenerate. I was really pleased with the focus they came back with.
“We know Columbus is going to be difficult, but I’m really pleased with the way the players have prepared this week.”
Columbus come into the fixture on a winning streak of their own, beating Orlando City 2-0 away from home to secure a third straight away success last time out in MLS.
The Crew have had two weeks to recover from their CONCACAF Champions Cup defeat against Pachuca, in which many of their players spent the two days leading up to the match suffering from food poisoning.
"It’s true that something happened over there," head coach Wilfried Nancy said. "We were all good, and suddenly when we woke up, we were all sick.
"So, it was difficult for me, during the game also, to assess and to do changes and to help my team to get better because they weren't in a normal state."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New York City – Alonso Martinez
Martínez came off the bench to score a hat-trick in nine minutes and 57 seconds in the second half of NYCFC’s win over San Jose Earthquakes last time out.
In doing so, Martínez became the seventh player in MLS history to score three goals from the bench.
Columbus Crew – Diego Rossi
Rossi has scored four goals in his last three MLS games, the fourth time he has managed to do so in his career.
New York City are one of only seven teams in MLS that Rossi has failed to score against since his move to America in 2023.
MATCH PREDICTION – COLUMBUS CREW WIN
The Crew have won their last three regular-season matches, all on the road, including a 2-0 win at Orlando in their last MLS match on May 25. Columbus have won four straight regular-season road matches just once before in club history, doing so in August-September 2015.
Columbus are unbeaten in their last three encounters against NYCFC, last tasting defeat against Saturday's opponents in August 2022.
But, New York have lost only one of their last 10 home matches against the Crew (seven wins, two draws, including playoffs) after losing the first meeting in 2015, also scoring in all 11 home matches against them.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New York City – 34%
Draw – 25.8%
Columbus Crew – 40.3%
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