James Sands equalised five minutes into second-half stoppage time as New York City fought back for a 1-1 draw with Inter Miami in MLS on Saturday.
Miami entered the game with an eight-point lead over the chasing pack in the Supporters' Shield standings, but they opened the door to their rivals by letting a lead slip at the death.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez returned to their lineup after being rested in their midweek draw with Atlanta United, but it was substitute Leonardo Campana who put them on the brink of victory with his goal 15 minutes from time, only for Sands to rescue a point for the hosts.
New York started brighter and saw Santiago Rodriguez strike the post with a curling free-kick early on, before Matt Freese was called into action by Messi at the other end.
The first half saw few other clear-cut opportunities, then Keaton Parks and Alonso Martinez both went close for Nick Cushing's hosts in the early stages of the second period.
But it was Gerardo Martino's men who went ahead in the 75th minute, with Jordi Alba cutting the ball back for substitute Campana to convert.
There was a twist to come five minutes into stoppage time, however, with Sands getting across his man to head Rodriguez's corner home. It was his first goal in MLS, sparking wild celebrations at Yankee Stadium.
Data Debrief: Miami fall short of record pace
Miami approached Saturday's game with 63 points from their first 29 games of the MLS campaign, and with Messi and Suarez restored to their lineup, they will have fancied their chances of earning a place in history.
The only previous team to collect 66 points through 30 matches of a regular season was the New England Revolution, who did so in their record-breaking 2021 campaign.
Miami were on the brink of matching that pace before Sands popped up with his late intervention, maintaining NYCFC's strong record against the Herons.
They have only lost one of their 11 all-time meetings with Miami (seven wins, three draws), with the last three matches between the teams all finishing level.
Top of the table Barbados Royals played a match to forget in Providence as they scored 96/9 in a match that saw them well beaten by 7 wickets by the St. Lucia Kings at Providence on Saturday.
The win means the Kings have now secured a spot in the 2024 CPL Playoffs.
The Royals elected to bat first upon winning the toss but Alzarri Joseph soon had them ruing that decision as he sent Quinton de Kock’s bails flying skywards with a delicious in-ducker that started the struggles from which the Royals never recovered.
Wickets fell steadily as Joseph and Roston Chase impressed with the ball in hand for the Kings, taking seven wickets between them as the Royals only just managed to bat out their overs – largely thanks to some lower order resistance from Keshav Maharaj and Maheesh Theekshana.
Johnson Charles was caught and bowled by Jason Holder as the Kings set about hauling in the total and secure the win that would see them book a place in the latter stages of the tournament. Faf du Plessis looked good for his 26 off 19 balls before attempting to open the shoulders to Maharaj and being stumped by de Kock, but in truth, the Kings never looked in any trouble.
Roston Chase and Tim Seifert made 39 and 21 respectively to knock off the runs with 37 balls remaining. Alzarri Joseph was duly awarded the Player of the Match award for laying the groundwork with his four wickets earlier in the piece.
It was an off day for the Royals who have looked imperious for most of the tournament so far. They’ll have to dust themselves down with the 2024 competition heading towards the final stages and a handful of teams seemingly hitting peak form at just the right time.
Regional youth cricket has long been a pathway for a number of young cricketers to make the transition to the senior ranks.
While developing the cricketing skills of the region’s young players is paramount, their development off the field is equally as important.
The latest initiative from the Jamaica Cricket Association is further emphasis of that fact.
To honour last year’s successful Jamaica under-19 double champions, the association, along with long-time partners Kingston Wharves Limited, handed out tertiary scholarship grants to two crucial members of the team, Brian Barnes and Steven Wedderburn.
Barnes, a left-handed top order batsman, was the team’s captain, a role he returned to in 2024.
Wedderburn, also a southpaw, was one of the top scorers during last year’s regional tournament and went on to represent the West Indies at the ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa from January 19-February 11 this year.
The pair was chosen from a shortlist of five under-19 players, following the application process, which required the cricketers to be accepted at a recognised tertiary institution.
The four-year scholarship grant will see Barnes and Wedderburn studying marketing at the University of the West Indies.
On the heels of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup held in the Caribbean in June, the Men in Maroon will welcome decades-long rivals, England back to the region’s shores.
On the heels of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup held in the Caribbean in June, the Men in Maroon will welcome decades-long rivals, England back to the region’s shores.
The series, dubbed The Rivalry, is set to kick off from Thursday 31st October, and will be played in both T20I and ODI formats until Sunday 17th November. Antigua, Barbados and St. Lucia are the three islands chosen to host the highly anticipated match-up.
Starting the action at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium Antigua, the home team takes on England with two ODIs, sponsored by CG United, on the 31st of October and 2nd of November at 2pm and 9:30am, respectively.
Both teams then travel to Barbados where the action continues at the Kensington Oval for the 3rd ODI on Wednesday 6th November at 2pm. The World Cup final hosts will also see the first T20I games on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th November, both at 4pm.
The tour wraps up at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St. Lucia with three T20I matches on Thursday 14th, Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th November. All matches begin at 4pm.
Fans can purchase tickets securely in advance from https://tickets.windiescricket.com to save tickets directly to their mobile device or print at home for presentation at the venue, avoiding the need to travel to or queue at the box offices. Fans can also take advantage of other benefits such as exclusive advance ticket windows and discounts.
Box offices will open several days in advance of the first match in each series.
Glenmuir High and Happy Grove High extended their unbeaten records in the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association/Wata daCosta Cup when they registered a fifth-consecutive win in their respective zones on Friday.
Orane Watson and Orelle Miller continued their rich scoring forms with braces in Glenmuir High’s 4-2 win over Foga Road, as Andrew Peart’s side opened a six-point lead over second-placed Garvey Maceo in Zone I.
The reigning Champions Cup kings have maximum 15 points, while Garvey Maceo and Kemps Hill both sit on nine points each, separated by goal difference. Foga Road (seven points), Old Harbour (five points), Vere Technical (four points), Winston Jones (three points) and the pointless Porus High complete the standing.
Meanwhile, Happy Grove blanked Yallahs High 5-0 in their Zone L game at Hector’s River.
Shevone Miller (29th and 70th), Oshane Chambers (17th), Jabari Ellis (31st), and Tajay McZanna (90th) did the damage for Happy Grove.
With the win, Happy Grove moved to maximum 15 points, eight ahead of Seaforth High (seven points), while Paul Bogle (six points) and Yallahs (six points) follow. Morant Bay (four points) sit fifth, with St Thomas Technical and Robert Lightbourne yet to get off the mark.
Friday’s Results
Maldon 3, Irwin 0
Herbert Morrison 0, Green Pond 2
Green Island 1, Anchovy 3
Christiana 7, Bellefield 0
Glenmuir High 4, Foga Road 2
Happy Grove 5, Yallahs 0
Saturday’s Games
St James High vs Cornwall @ Jarrett Park
Cambridge vs Knockalva @ Cambridge High
Frome vs Rusea’s @ Frome Technical
Grange Hill vs Little London @ Llandilo Community Centre
Spot Valley vs Muschett @ Trelawny Stadium (1:15 pm)
William Knibb vs Cedric Titus @ Trelawny Stadium (3:30 pm)
Holland vs Discovery Bay @ Holland High
Munro vs STETHS @ Munro College
Lacovia vs Newell @ Lacovia High
Maggotty vs BB Coke @ Lacovia Community Centre
Belair vs Manchester High @ Belair
May Day vs deCarteret College @ May Day High
Alphansus Davis vs Alston High @ Alphansus Davis High
Mile Gully vs Holmwood @ Mile Gully Community Centre
Thompson Town vs Claude McKay @ Thompson Town High
Central High vs Clarendon College @ Effortville Centre
Edwin Allen vs Lennon @ Edwin Allen High
Garvey Maceo vs Old Harbour @ Garvey Maceo High
Kemps Hill vs Porus @ Kemps Hill High
McGrath vs Dinthill @ McGrath High
Aabuthnott Gallimore vs Marcus Garvey @ Aabuthnott Gallimore High
Ocho Rios vs York Castle @ Drax Hall
Paul Bogle vs Morant Bay @ Paul Bogle High
St Thomas Technical vs Robert Lightbourne @ Golden Grove
Iona vs Horace Clarke @ Rio Nuevo
Titchfield vs Wycliffe Martin @ Carder Park
St Mary High vs St Mary Technical @ Highgate Community Centre
Guyana Amazon Warriors inflicted a seventh defeat on the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in this year’s Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL), running out winners by 30 runs in Providence to boost their own chances of progression in this year’s competition.
Electing to field first the Patriots restricted their opponents to 137/8, Ashmead Nedd impressing with four wickets including bagging both openers Tim Robinson and Kevin Sinclair for ducks. Tabraiz Shamsi’s flight and guile kept the Warriors tied down too, only 13 runs were scored off his left-arm wrist spin and the South African removed both Moeen Ali and Shimron Hetmyer.
Hetmyer took a liking to the rest of the Patriots bowling however, a decisive and destructive innings of 63 off just 33 balls saw him scoop Player of the Match.
Despite a dogged 49 off 46 balls from Evin Lewis at the top of the order the Patriots never truly looked like pulling off the victory. Moeen Ali caused all sorts of problems with the ball and the Patriots left themselves with too many runs to chase in the latter half of the innings and a the chance to pull off only their second victory in the competition eluded them.
Rilee Rossouw’s run-out in the 15th over seemed to extinguish the last vestiges of hope and Shamar Joseph was clinical for the Warriors, a rapid spell of fast bowling saw him end up with 3/9 in just 2.3 overs.
“Words can’t explain how great it is to play at home, knowing you have the support of everyone – it’s just amazing,” said Hetmyer after the match. He was particularly impressed with the performance of Joseph. “I think it was only a matter of time for him to start picking wickets. He is an exceptional bowler; we have already seen it in his short career so far. He is really exciting and all he has to do is just keep doing what he is doing and sky is the limit for him.”
A solid performance sees the Guyana Amazon Warriors keep their hopes of retaining the title they won last year very much alive.
The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has launched an incentive scheme for ground staff at the host venues across the region. The scheme will provide a cash payment of US$5,000 for each location to be shared amongst the ground staff at each venue to reward them for their hard work in providing pitches and outfields that produce entertaining cricket.
The criteria by which this incentive will be awarded are based on the presentation, look and feel of the pitch square and the outfield, and the performance of the pitches used during that leg of the tournament.
The performance will be measured by the consistency of pace and bounce of pitches, the quality of the outfield, and the achievement of average first-inning scores of more than 160.
Michael Hall, CPL’s Tournament Operations Director, said: “One of the many ways that cricket is so unique is the reliance on ground conditions for how the match unfolds. The ground staff teams across CPL venues work tirelessly to produce the best possible facilities for the cricketers who take part in our league. I am very pleased that we can find a way to reward this hard work with this incentive scheme.”
Troy Lesesne admitted D.C. United's trip to Philadelphia Union could have huge playoff implications, but played down the significance of a win.
D.C. are level on points with Philadelphia but sit one place below them in the Eastern Conference in 10th due to their inferior goal difference.
Lesesne's team are currently unbeaten in three, having come from behind to draw 1-1 with New York City FC last time out after back-to-back wins.
A win on Sunday would move D.C. above their opponents, but Lesesne is not resting their end-of-season hopes on one match.
"This is a big match, there's no way around that," Lesesne said.
"Regardless of the outcome, there are still going to be four matches after this weekend that will be equally as important.
"Clearly, we can position ourselves in a great way if we can pick up three points, but it's not in this mindset of a 'must-win' by putting the weight of the world on this result.
"We need to recognise the importance, but not go over the top by putting too much significance on it with five left to play."
Meanwhile, Philadelphia bounced back from defeat to Inter Miami by thrashing NYCFC 5-1 in midweek.
Head coach Jim Curtin was buoyed by that result and is keen to keep that momentum going at the weekend.
"I think we've had a playoff mindset and a playoff mentality because we've put ourselves in a situation where we've had to," Curtin said.
"We have to find ways to take points in hard games. The win [against NYCFC] means nothing if we don't go home and take care of business there in our next two big games."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Philadelphia Union – Tai Baribo
Tai Baribo had both a goal and an assist in Philadelphia's win on Wednesday.
It was Baribo's first assist as a member of the Union to go with his 15 career goals for the club in all competitions.
D.C. United – Christian Benteke
Christian Benteke scored in D.C. United's last away match, a 2-1 win at Chicago Fire, his 10th road goal of the regular season.
The only D.C. player to score more goals on the road in a single regular season was Roy Lassiter (11) in 1999.
MATCH PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA UNION WIN
The Union have won 12 of their last 16 regular season matches against D.C. United (D3 L1) dating back to May 2017. Philadelphia outscored D.C. 46-14 over those 16 matches.
However, Philadelphia have lost seven of their last 12 regular season home matches (W2 D3) after losing just six of their previous 78 such games at Subaru Park dating back to March 2019 (W53 D19).
Meanwhile, D.C. have collected 13 points from their last six regular season matches (W4 D1 L1) after earning just 11 points from their previous 17 league matches (W2 D5). This is the first time they have collected 13 points in a span of six regular season matches since August-September 2021.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Philadelphia Union – 57.1%
Draw – 22.2%
D.C. United – 20.7%
Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff challenged his team to fight against "adversity" when they host derby rivals Houston Dynamo on Saturday.
Austin are 10th in the Western Conference, and are 10 points behind the playoff spots, with the Dynamo currently sitting in seventh place.
They have won just one of their last seven MLS outings (a 2-0 win over Nashville SC), and are winless in three, though they did draw 1-1 with Los Angeles FC last time out.
When asked if he was still targeting the playoffs, Wolff insisted that his team would fight to the last game.
"More adversity, bring it on," he said. "It's what we have to deal with.
"These guys compete, they have nothing but confidence in what we're doing. We should have more points based on some of the performances, but we keep looking forward and powering on.
"We need a big, big push at home and a big performance, but it's certainly attainable."
Meanwhile, Houston are unbeaten in each of their last four outings, winning two and drawing two, but were unable to hold onto their lead in a 1-1 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps in midweek.
They can make history on Saturday though – a win would set a new record for road victories in a single season, and it would be their first-ever triumph at Q2 Stadium, having lost all five previous visits.
"We're thinking of the game in front of us right now, and we owe Austin," Griffin Dorsey said. "They took six points from us.
"It's a rivalry game in a good atmosphere. It'll be a great night to take three points from them, and [making history] would make it more special."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Austin FC – Jader Obrian
On Wednesday, Jader Obrian notched his team-leading sixth goal of the season, but it was his first road goal in 2024.
The only MLS player with at least six goals this season to have a higher percentage of them coming at home than Obrian (83.3%) is William Agada of Sporting Kansas City (88.9%).
Houston Dynamo – Ezequiel Ponce
Ezequiel Ponce scored Houston's lone goal on a penalty kick in their 1-1 draw with Vancouver on Wednesday.
It was just the Dynamo's second penalty attempt in the regular season in 2024. The club had at least four penalty-kick attempts in each of the previous seven seasons entering 2024.
MATCH PREDICTION: HOUSTON DYNAMO WIN
The Dynamo have recorded three straight road wins in all competitions for the first time since a six-match winning streak away from home in 2011-12. That six-match run is Houston's only road winning streak longer than three matches.
Austin have won three straight matches against the Dynamo, keeping clean sheets in all three wins. The Black and Verde have never recorded four straight regular-season wins against a single opponent.
However, Austin have won just one of their last six regular-season home matches (D2 L3) dating back to late May. They had won five straight at Q2 Stadium prior to this drought.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Austin FC – 33.8%
Draw – 25.7%
Houston Dynamo – 40.5%
Eric Ramsay is hopeful Minnesota United's latest defeat has not dented their momentum as they prepare to travel to Sporting Kansas City in MLS.
Minnesota have won two and lost two of their last four MLS matches, with those two victories both coming on the road.
They are ninth in the Western Conference after losing to FC Cincinnati in their last outing, failing to mount a comeback after two first-half goals from their visitors.
Ramsay was slightly disappointed by the result but is determined to take the positives from that game as they continue their playoff push.
"We showed some naivety [against Cincinnati] with the goals we conceded, but the game as a whole was largely very good," he said.
"We went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the whole division. We have to take that as a positive and use that as a step forward, as a continuation of the momentum that we've built so far and not let it dent what we've already done."
Meanwhile, Sporting are 12th in the league, having lost just one of their last five league matches.
They beat Colorado Rapids 4-1 last time out, with Alan Pulido netting a brace, and head coach Peter Vermes was delighted to see him getting in on the goals.
"Alan has this level in him and has great form over the past two months, but we're playing him in better places on the field," Vermes said. "We haven't found enough chances to get him in on goal, and we need to keep improving that.
"The good thing is that we have options, we're not stuck. We're limitless right now, we have a lot of different ways in which we can put different combinations of players on the field."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sporting KC – Alan Pulido
Pulido scored twice in Kansas City's win over Colorado on Wednesday, his seventh multi-goal game for Sporting.
The only two players in club history with more multi-goal regular season games are Dom Dwyer (10) and Digital Takawira (eight).
Minnesota United – Kelvin Yeboah
Kelvin Yeboah scored from the penalty spot on Wednesday, with three of his four goals this season have been via penalty kicks.
Yeboah is the fourth player to have 3+ penalty kick goals in a season for Minnesota, with Darwin Quintero being the only Loons player with more (four in 2019).
MATCH PREDICTION: SPORTING KANSAS CITY WIN
Sporting KC have won 10 of their 11 all-time home matches against Minnesota, including the last four in a row. Minnesota's lone result at Sporting was a 3-0 victory in the 2020 playoffs.
Indeed, Kansas City have won three straight home matches across all competitions, with all three victories coming by multiple goals. This is the first time Sporting have won three straight home games, all by 2+ goals, since a four-game run to start the 2019 season.
However, after going winless in eight straight on the road (D2 L6), Minnesota have recorded back-to-back wins away from home. The longest road winning streak in club history in all competitions is three matches, achieved in both 2022 and 2023.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Sporting KC – 46.8%
Draw – 26.4%
Minnesota United – 26.8%
St. Louis City interim head coach John Hackworth says they will treat San Jose Earthquakes with respect as he is wary of their fighting spirit.
St. Louis sit 13th in the Western Conference, one place above Saturday's opponents, but are 10 points better off than San Jose on 28.
Their four-match unbeaten streak came to an end last weekend, as they failed to defend their early lead in a 3-1 defeat to Minnesota United.
Hackworth is still without an away win since stepping into the hot seat, and he expects a big challenge as he attempts to change that weekend.
"[San Jose] have a lot of consistency, and I've been really impressed by their spirit," Hackworth said.
"They don't look like a team that should be last in the west right now. They have a lot of fight left in them.
"They are not a team that we can take lightly, we need to give them our full respect, but focus on us because we believe we are a much better team than our record shows."
Meanwhile, San Jose returned to MLS after the Leagues Cup with a shock win over Real Salt Lake but are winless in three since.
They snatched a late 2-2 draw against Seattle Sounders on Wednesday, and interim head coach Ian Russell is targeting a strong finish to the season.
"We always come out and plan to try and push the game," Russell said. "As a coach, I want to be on the front foot and I want to attack, but you have to understand that being pressed is part of it.
"But you also have to hurt them as well. We always want to start fast. We've never had a gameplan where we're set up to absorb pressure, that's not part of it."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
San Jose Earthquakes – Cristian Espinoza
Cristian Espinoza delivered his 11th and 12th assists of the regular season on Wednesday against Seattle Sounders.
This is Espinoza's fourth regular season with more than 10 assists for San Jose (also 2019, 2022, 2023), with no other player in team history having more than two such seasons.
St. Louis City – Cedric Teuchert
Cedric Teuchert's fourth-minute goal for St. Louis on Saturday was the club’s sixth goal in the opening five minutes of matches.
The only team with more goals in the first five minutes of matches since St. Louis City joined MLS in 2023 is the Vancouver Whitecaps (seven).
MATCH PREDICTION: ST. LOUIS CITY WIN
St. Louis have won all three meetings with San Jose, outscoring them 7-1 over the three games. The Earthquakes are the only team St. Louis have faced more than once and won every match.
However, St. Louis are winless in 17 straight away matches in all competitions (D8 L9) dating back to the end of last season, though their last three on the road have all been drawn. They have never gone unbeaten in four straight away matches in all competitions before.
Meanwhile, San Jose came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at Seattle on Wednesday. It marked the first time the Earthquakes had earned a point from a losing position since a come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Colorado Rapids in May, after losing their previous 13 regular-season matches when going behind.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
San Jose Earthquakes – 34.3%
Draw – 25.8%
St. Louis City – 39.9%
Jamaica's men’s netball team, "The Suns," have successfully defended their title at the America's Netball Championships, leaving Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis, as the only unbeaten team in the tournament. Their dominant performance across seven matches reaffirmed their status as the reigning champions, having first claimed the title in 2022.
The Suns opened the tournament with a thrilling 30-27 victory over England in what was their closest match of the competition. From there, they never looked back. They followed that up with a commanding 56-27 win over Grenada before a resounding 76-20 thrashing of the host nation, St. Kitts & Nevis. However, their most emphatic victory came against the United States, where they posted a staggering 109-10 scoreline. Antigua & Barbuda fell 83-14, and despite a more competitive match against Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica pulled through with a 62-49 win. They capped off the tournament with a decisive 75-28 win over St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
As the dust settled, "The Suns" stood tall as the only unbeaten team in the second edition of the tournament, proving once again that they are the team to beat in men’s netball. Their commanding performances reflect the resilience and unity that defines Jamaican sports across all disciplines.
Richard Hendricks, one of the standout players for Jamaica, was named the Tournament MVP, a testament to his brilliant performances throughout the competition. His leadership on the court was pivotal in guiding the team to victory.
Phil Neville heaped praise on Portland Timbers' star man Evander and has urged him to bring his fighting spirit to their clash with Real Salt Lake on Saturday.
The Timbers have lost just one of their last four MLS matches, though that did come in their last road match against Colorado Rapids.
They sit eighth in the Western Conference after beating leaders LA Galaxy 4-2 in midweek.
Evander was the star of that game, and Neville is hoping he can make a similar impact when they travel to Salt Lake.
"In Evander, we've got someone playing to an MVP level," Neville said.
"I said it from probably the first month of the season that he's the best number 10 in the league and people laughed at me, but what I've seen is someone who is an incredible footballer with an incredible talent.
"We're proud to have him in our organisation. He's fighting like mad for the team."
Meanwhile, RSL are up to second in the table following their midweek win over FC Dallas.
They have alternated between a win and a loss since the MLS restarted after the Leagues Cup, and head coach Pablo Mastroeni is wary of the threat they will face from Portland.
"I think if there's an early goal it will open a little bit, but Portland defend really well as a team and their front four are some of the best in the league," he told KSL Sports.
"The onus is on us to be defensively tight, compact, to not allow easy chances for these guys. More important for us is to take advantage of our opportunities.
"We need to finetune that defensive mentality because games are getting tighter, so for us, it's about doing everything really good."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Real Salt Lake – Anderson Julio
Anderson Julio notched his second brace of the season in Real Salt Lake's win over FC Dallas.
Julio is the third RSL player with multiple games with 2+ goals in 2024 (Cristian Arango – five, Andres Gomez – four), making this season the first time the club has had three different players with 2+ multi-goal games.
Portland Timbers – Evander
Evander had two goals and an assist on Wednesday to move his regular season totals for 2024 to 14 goals and 17 assists.
This is the 23rd time an MLS player has had 17 or more assists in a single regular season with Evander's 14 goals being the most during any of those (next-most, 12 by Preki in 1997 & 2003).
MATCH PREDICTION: REAL SALT LAKE WIN
Salt Lake have hit the 50-point mark for the second consecutive season after reaching the milestone just once in the previous seven full seasons (2015-22). This is the second time RSL have recorded 50 points in consecutive seasons, also doing so in five straight years from 2010-14.
However, they have often struggled against Portland, who have lost only two of their last 14 regular season meetings with Salt Lake (W9 D3) dating back to the start of the 2017 season. Only Los Angeles FC (11) has more wins over RSL in that time.
Portland have won only two of their last 14 road matches in all competitions though (D3 L9), including losing the last four away from home. Seven of the nine defeats in that time have been by one-goal margins.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Real Salt Lake – 45.6%
Draw – 26.8%
Portland Timbers – 27.6%
Chicago Fire head coach Frank Klopas was left to rue missed opportunities in their 1-0 defeat to Nashville SC in their last MLS encounter.
The Fire travel to face an in-form CF Montreal side at the Stade Saputo this weekend, a ground they have found relative success at over the past couple of seasons.
Klopas’ side currently occupy 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings but are four points from the playoffs.
Sam Surridge’s only goal compounded Chicago to a 15th loss of the season, and Klopas explained how his side’s lacklustre approach cost them in midweek.
“They scored the goal, but we still had a whole second half where we dominated the ball, but the speed of play had to be better,” said Klopas.
“When you have 10 guys behind the ball you have to move the ball quicker. They needed to do it in those moments, and we needed to get crosses in but we didn’t.
“It’s always difficult on the road but look who the first goal came. I think we could have done better all round as a team. We had our moments but didn’t take advantage of them.”
Montreal, meanwhile, came from two goals down to salvage a point in their 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution last time out, leaving them a place ahead of this weekend’s opponents.
One of Montreal’s scorers was new arrival Tom Pearce after making the move to the MLS in July from League One side Wigan Athletic.
The 26-year-old’s first career goal in the division saw him become the first player from the United Kingdom to score a regular season goal in MLS for Montreal.
And Pearce believes that despite Montreal being two points behind the playoffs, they can make it to the right side of the line in the final five games of the campaign.
“Playoffs are the goal. Maybe it wasn't in the best form, but in the end, we are picking up a point," Pearce said.
"We came into this game confident, ready to play our own game.
"Everyone tries their best, whenever the players are called on, we are always ready, and we are always giving it our best.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
CF Montreal – Josef Martinez
After returning from a knee injury with three goals in his last 10 appearances, Martinez will be keen to strike against a side he has enjoyed recent fixtures against.
The Venezuelan has eight goal contributions (six goals and two assists) against the Fire, a total he has only bettered against four other sides in the MLS.
Chicago Fire – Tobias Salquist
Salquist completed 104 passes in the Fire’s defeat at Nashville SC, the second-most by a Fire player in an MLS match since Opta began detailed data collection of the league in 2010 (Bastian Schweinsteiger – 117 vs. Orlando City in June 2017).
MATCH PREDICTION: CF MONTREAL WIN
Montreal has lost only two of their last 11 home matches in all competitions (W5 D4), including winning three of the last five. Montreal have not won consecutive home matches in a single season since an eight-match home winning streak from April to June last year.
Chicago was held scoreless in their loss to Nashville, the Fire’s ninth time being shutout in an MLS game this season. The only team to be held without a goal in more MLS matches in 2024 is the Coyotes (10).
However, the Fire have lost only two of their 14 all-time visits to Montreal (W9 D3), including winning four of the last five trips. Chicago have not lost in Montreal since a 1-0 defeat in 2017.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
CF Montreal – 45.9%
Draw – 26.7%
Chicago Fire – 27.4%
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