Mls (Usa)

The Crown were beaten 2-1 in their last MLS fixture against Inter Miami last time out, with goalscorer Patrick Agyemang sent off late on at the Bank of America Stadium.

The result leaves them in sixth place, three points behind New York City, a position Smith believes could be significantly better had his side taken their opportunities in recent weeks.

“I think we are missing too many chances in too many games,” Smith said. “If we were taking those chances we would be in the top three for sure.

“With the way we’ve played in games and the way we have restricted the opposition and some of the big chances we’ve missed, that has been our biggest problem.

“We are always looking to bring people in who can come and improve the team. But we’re working hard with the players on the roster to improve them as well.

“That’s part of the coaching job.”

Cincinnati, however, enjoyed a positive result against the same opponents in their top of the table clash at the TQL Stadium last time out.

The Orange and Blue thumped Inter Miami 6-1 to go to the summit of the Eastern Conference, earning them a third consecutive victory in the process. 

However, head coach Pat Noonan believes their battle with the Herons in August will be a completely different affair as they were without Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, who were both away on international duty at the Copa America.

“You have to beat good teams if you want to be at the top of the table, at the top of the conference, and playing home games in the playoffs," Noonan said.

"Guys stepped up tonight with both teams missing key pieces. We won't look past that.

"We'll see them at the end of August. It'll look entirely different based on likely personnel. So, they still have a very strong team. And that's why I'm very pleased about the performance."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta

In Cincinnati’s triumph over Inter Miami, Acosta was the star man for the home side, scoring a goal and providing two assists during the encounter at the TQL Stadium.

Acosta now has 10 goals and 17 assists this season, the third time he has registered over 25 goal contributions in the MLS. The only other player in MLS history to hit those marks in three seasons was Sebastian Giovinco in 2016, 2017 and 2019.

Charlotte FC – Kerwin Vargas

With top scorer Patrick Agyemang suspended for the trip to the TQL Stadium, Kerwin Vargas looks likely to lead the line for Charlotte.

The Colombian has four goals and two assists so far this season and will be key for Smith’s side to end their losing streak. Should he find the back of the net, he will take his overall tally for the Crown into double figures on his 72nd appearance for the club.

MATCH PREDICTION: CINCINNATI WIN

Cincinnati come into the game on the back of an impressive run in the league, winning 12 of their previous 14 MLS fixtures, becoming only the second team in the post-shootout era (since 2000) to do so after Seattle in 2018.

Nine of those 12 wins have been by a one-goal margin, and their record against Charlotte will give them confidence of remaining top of the Eastern Conference table having gone unbeaten in their previous four encounters (W2 D2).

Charlotte’s defeat to Inter Miami last time out saw them record back-to-back losses after losing just one of their previous 10 matches (W6 D3). It’s been over a year since Charlotte lost three straight matches, doing so in its first four matches of the 2023 season.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Cincinnati – 59.6%

Draw – 21.1%

Charlotte FC – 19.3%

The Orange and Blue produced arguably their worst performance of their season during Sunday's 3-1 home defeat against Charlotte FC.

Cincinnati will have another chance to respond at TQL Stadium, bidding to remain top of the Eastern Conference standings after a surprise defeat in their last encounter.

Home head coach Noonan acknowledged his side must perform better.

"Our first 35 minutes were probably the worst of the year," Noonan said of the Charlotte showing. "We weren't ready, and that starts with me.

"I have to look at why it was so flat… A lot of poor performances and some avoidable mistakes on the two goals that really put the momentum in their favour.

"I think the warning signs, in terms of how we've conceded, have been there for a couple weeks now.

"There was loss of concentration, lost a mark, set pieces again… some things that we will continue to try to find answers to. Yeah, the way we're conceding goals is concerning."

The Fire, in stark contrast to Cincinnati at the summit, are just one spot from the bottom of the East table.

Chicago did manage a goalless draw with New York City FC, however, in their last match and keeping them ahead of bottom side Philadelphia Union.

Frank Klopas' side have accumulated 10 points from their last seven outings, though their away form is the worst in the Eastern Conference – with just seven points from 33 available on the road.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta

Luciano Acosta has been the leading light for Cincinnati's attack this year, sitting top of the club's scoring charts with 11 goals from 23 MLS appearances.

The Orange and Blue forward will be integral once more if the hosts are to down the struggling Fire here.

Chicago Fire – Hugo Cuypers

It remains to be seen whether Xherdan Shaqiri will return from Euro 2024 in time for this one, having announced his international retirement for Switzerland on Monday.

Hugo Cuypers will be expected to step up in his absence again, with the striker scoring nine goals for Chicago in MLS this season – at least four more than any other team-mate.

MATCH PREDICTION – FC CINCINNATI WIN

The home side are the dominant favourites for this clash, with the Opta supercomputer backing their victory chances at a hefty 66.1% from their data-led pre-match simulations.

Cincinnati have triumphed in 12 of their last 15 MLS matches, although three defeats have come in their past eight such outings.

That trio of losses have all come on their home ground, too, yet Cincinnati will be confident of getting over the line in this one.

Klopas' visitors have failed to score in their last two outings, and that will only boost the hosts' hopes heading into this midweek clash.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Cincinnati win – 66.1%

Draw – 18.4%

Chicago Fire win – 15.5%

Colorado sit fourth in the Western Conference with 15 points from nine games, winning three of their last four after an inconsistent start to the year.

They benefitted from two own goals as they beat FC Dallas 2-1 last time out, and Armas has no issue with his players enjoying their place in the standings, particularly given they finished rock bottom of the West in 2023.

"I see the boys looking at the TV where we have the standings posted, and they see that we're climbing, so it's all good stuff," Armas said.

"From day one the message that I preached is that everything we do will be based on hard work and that we will never get too low on ourselves.

"We don't get too high, the boys are realistic. That part's not that hard and our group is hungry and looking to improve every day."

Supporters' Shield holders Cincinnati have had an up-and-down start, going unbeaten through their first five games of the year before suffering back-to-back defeats against the New York Red Bulls and CF Montreal (both 1-2).

However, Pat Noonan's men bounced back with a statement 2-1 victory over Atlanta United last week, and defender Matt Miazga hopes that result will be a turning point.

"I look at everybody and I'm like, 'Alright, I see in his face, I see in his face. We want it,'" Miazga said. 

"We all realised we are a top team, with big personalities, big characters, and it's time to show up in big moments."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta

Acosta assisted Cincinnati's equaliser against Atlanta last Saturday before scoring the winner two minutes later. 

That was Acosta's 13th regular-season match with a goal and an assist since the start of the 2022 season, three more than any other player in MLS has managed during that time.

Colorado Rapids – Djordje Mihailovic

Mihailovic has created at least twice as many chances as any other Colorado player in MLS this term (16), with Keegan Rosenberry and Sam Vines creating eight apiece.

He also has two goals and one assist to his name, while only Rafael Navarro (16) has bettered his 10 successful dribbles among his team-mates.

MATCH PREDICTION – FC CINCINNATI WIN

Cincinnati earned their first win over the Rapids last May, triumphing 1-0 on the road. The Rapids had won the first two meetings between the sides, including a 2-0 victory on their only previous trip to Cincinnati.

The Rapids also enter Saturday's game having won successive regular-season matches for the first time since September 2022, eyeing their first three-game winning streak since August 2021.

However, Cincinnati ended their poor run by beating Atlanta last time out and have, despite some underwhelming performances, only lost two of their nine league games this term (four wins, three draws). On home soil, the Supporters' Shield holders are favourites.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Cincinnati – 49.3%

Colorado Rapids – 23.3%

Draw – 27.4%

Cincinnati have won their last seven league games to surge up the Eastern Conference standings, and they currently sit just one point adrift of leaders Inter Miami with a game in hand.

They overcame fellow high-fliers Toronto FC by a 4-3 scoreline in a thriller last time out, and Noonan has praised his players for being adaptable in the face of different challenges. 

"It's hard to win in this league and it's hard to win consecutively like we've done," Noonan said. 

"I think what we're able to do is adapt in games and win in different ways. When we need to have the quality with the ball and score goals, we were able to do that. 

"We've seen the one-goal wins, and finally being able to win a game by two goals last week against St. Louis City. So we can win in different ways, which is important."

Nashville, meanwhile, are still awaiting their first win under interim coach Rumba Munthali, having played out back-to-back draws with Atlanta United (1-1) and CF Montreal (0-0) since they fired Gary Smith.

"It's been good, it's been positive," Munthali said of the team's work on the training ground. 

"The guys have done the work that was asked of them and have been really positive and receptive, especially at a tough time in this transition."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta

Acosta assisted Cincinnati's winner last Saturday, his ninth straight regular-season match with a goal contribution, equalling the longest run in MLS since the start of the 2023 season. 

Since 2000, only six players have recorded a double-digit streak of regular-season games with a goal contribution.

Nashville SC – Hany Mukhtar 

Mukhtar created five chances for team-mates in Nashville's draw with Montreal last time out, his most in a match this season. 

Nine of the 19 chances Mukhtar has created this year have come in two games against Montreal, with just 10 in his other 10 matches. Will that performance be a turning point? 

MATCH PREDICTION – FC CINCINNATI WIN

Nashville have only won only one of their last 16 MLS away matches (six draws, nine defeats including playoffs), including going winless in their last eight (four draws, four losses). 

Nashville's last road win over an Eastern Conference foe came over a year ago, a 2-1 victory at Charlotte FC on May 20, 2023.

Cincinnati's 4-3 win at Toronto last time out was their 31st victory in their last 50 regular-season matches dating back to October 2022, the most wins in a span of 50 regular-season matches in MLS in the post-shootout era (since 2000).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Cincinnati – 56.5%

Nashville SC – 21.6%

Draw – 21.9%

Cincinnati edged a seven-goal thriller in their latest MLS fixture against the Philadelphia Union, with Luciano Acosta scoring in the 10th minute of injury time to secure a 4-3 win. 

Noonan's side have now won nine of their last 10 league games and sit second in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Inter Miami. 

But there were some concerns at the back, with Cincinnati having now conceded eight goals in their last four games, something Noonan is keen on addressing. 

“Certainly, how we have gotten results has shifted to scoring goals and struggling defensively from an early stretch when defensively we were much stronger and didn’t need four goals to win a game,” Noonan said.

“We gave another set-piece goal which has been a little bit of a theme. Against Philadelphia, it was defending crosses.

“We will continue to look at the best combination of guys to help us from the frontline to the backline to be better defensively because I think right now, with how we are creating chances, that hasn’t been a concern. But we need to get better defensively.”

Meanwhile, New England continued their impressive recent form with a 3-2 win over Vancouver Whitecaps last Sunday and have now won three in a row. 

The Revolution have closed the gap at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and are now two points behind Orlando City and the Chicago Fire. 

Head coach Caleb Porter was pleased with his side's reaction to conceding late in their latest fixture and believes the mentality within his squad has significantly shifted. 

“We have still got to score more though,” Porter said. “But I loved that we scored three goals and I loved that we responded after conceding to take the game to 1-1.

“That shows mentality is changing. I also loved that the guys were a little ticked off at the end of the game. We have won three in a row, and they were kind of mad that they didn’t score more and they conceded.

“That’s a great mentality to have. We’re not relieved to win; we’re expecting to win now. If we play like we did against Vancouver, we can beat anybody in this league.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta

The Argentine took his assist tally to 13 in MLS this season during Cincinnati's win over Philadelphia, more than any other player in the division this season. 

Acosta has now assisted 92 goals since arriving at Cincinnati in 2021, moving up to ninth in the all-time assist charts in MLS. 

New England – Giacomo Vrioni

The Albanian scored his second goal in three games during New England's victory over Vancouver, taking his tally to 16 for the club since arriving in 2022.

Of his 10 goals scored in the MLS, Vrioni has scored against just seven sides, with Cincinnati being one of those. 

MATCH PREDICTION: CINCINNATI WIN

The Revs should enter this game in high spirits, having won three straight matches after only collecting seven points from their first 13 games in MLS this year. 

Their last four-game winning streak came in August 2021, and the fourth win in that run came against Cincinnati.

A repeat is not expected here, though, with Cincinnati winning nine of their last 10 matches (one defeat). No team in the post-shootout era has ever won 10 games in a span of 11 regular-season outings before. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Cincinnati – 64.6%

Draw – 18.9%

New England – 16.4%

The Orange and Blue come into the contest as the overwhelming favourites having won eight of their last nine matches, the latest coming in a 4-2 win over San Jose Earthquakes last time out.

Noonan's side are just two points behind the Eastern Conference league leaders, Inter Miami, but have played two games less than the side directly above them.

However, Noonan was quick to look past the two sides' differing recent form, insisting the game will be a tougher encounter than many will expect.

“They've been stable for a long time, and when you're stable and at the top of the league for so long, anytime there's a stretch where you're not winning games, you're not getting results, there's going to be criticism,” Noonan said.

“That's a part of what we're all dealing with. So I think the compliment there is it's been so long since we've seen them have struggles. But I can tell you, with Jim (Curtin) and with some of those leaders, they're going to be fine.”

“That's my view of it, and it doesn't make me any more comfortable about Wednesday. If there's anything that you know, anytime their backs are against the wall, these guys step up. Jim knows how to lead that group, so we have to be very cautious about an opponent that, while they might be struggling with results, has been in these situations before and come out on top.”

The Union come into the encounter at the TQL Stadium having won one of their last 11 league matches, leaving them in eighth place in the East table following their 2-1 defeat to Inter Miami last Saturday.

Their recent meetings with their opponents have also ended on the wrong end of the scoreline, losing their last three meetings.

Prior to this run, the Union were unbeaten in their first seven meetings with Cincinnati (W5 D2) and they will be hopeful of gaining a much-needed triumph to gain some belief back into their squad.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta

Acosta's creative spark shone in Cincinatti's win victory over San Jose, recording three assists for the second time in his MLS career, last coming in September 2018 with DC United.

The Argentine became the 13th player in MLS history to have two such games, something no player has done three times, hoping to add to 19 goal contributions from 17 league games this season.

Philadelphia Union – Mikael Uhre

Uhre netted his sixth goal of the season on Saturday, becoming the third different Union player with six or more goals (Daniel Gazdag – 10, Julian Carranza – six).

The only other team with three players with six or more goals this season are Portland (Felipe Mora, Evander, Jonathan Rodriguez).

MATCH PREDICTION: FC CINCINNATI WIN

FC Cincinnati have won three of their last five matches against the Union (D1 L1), including eliminating Philadelphia from last season's playoffs.

FC Cincinnati have won eight of their last nine matches (L1), and are looking to become just the fourth team in the post-shootout era (since 2000) to win nine times in a span of 10 league matches.

Meanwhile, The Union have won one of their last 11 league matches (D5 L5) following their loss to Inter Miami on Saturday. The eight points Philadelphia have collected over that span are their fewest in any 11-game stretch of league play since 2015.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Cincinnati – 50.8%

Draw – 25%

Philadelphia – 24.3%

Kevin Kelsy's seventh-minute strike was enough to earn Cincinnati a 1-0 win over Atlanta to make it five straight MLS victories.

Cincinnati currently sit second in the Eastern Conference, but Noonan is still demanding more from his side than Wednesday's performance.

"I wouldn't say 'negatives' but [there are] things we could have done better, and here we are with the guys keeping a clean sheet and winning the game," Noonan told reporters.

"They deserve credit and to be proud of the fact that they're still walking off the field with a win tonight."

St. Louis saw a five-game unbeaten streak end as they lost 2-0 to Los Angeles FC in midweek.

The defeat leaves St. Louis ninth in the Western Conference, though they are just three points off sixth-placed Austin FC.

Bradley Carnell is looking to get players back fit and raring to go for the visit to Cincinnati at the weekend, saying: "It's about how we manage over the next couple of days to get a solid, fit line-up for Cincinnati.

"We don't have much time to sit and dwell, and we have to be brave and positive to head to Cincinnati."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Cincinnati – Kevin Kelsy

In his first MLS start, Kelsy scored Cincinnati's lone goal on Wednesday. The 19-year-old has scored in consecutive games, making him the first teenager to score multiple MLS goals for Cincinnati, and if he gets the nod from the off again here, he will once more hope to mark it with a goal.

St. Louis City – Joao Klauss

Having netted four in his previous four games, Klauss drew a blank against LAFC as St. Louis slumped to defeat. He is clearly a key man in St. Louis' attack, and he will hope to get back among the goals this weekend, and with a win too.

MATCH PREDICTION – CINCINNATI WIN

St. Louis beat Cincinnati 5-1 in the lone previous meeting between the sides last April. The four-goal margin is Cincinnati’s largest defeat since the start of last season and equals St. Louis' largest ever margin of victory.

But St. Louis are winless in eight straight away matches in all competitions (four draws, four defeats). St. Louis have won three of their last 23 on the road after winning the first three away matches in club history.

Cincinnati have won five straight regular season matches with all five wins coming by one-goal margins, the first team to do so since the Red Bulls in 2012, and though it may be a tight game again this weekend, the hosts will fancy their chances of coming out on the right side of the result and collecting another three points.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Cincinnati: 44.3%

St. Louis: 28.2%

Draw: 27.5%

Dallas overcame Houston 2-0 on their last home outing in MLS, though they were then beaten 3-1 by in-form Toronto FC on their travels last week.

Estevez's team sit 13th in the Western Conference with eight points, some eight adrift of Austin in sixth, but he feels there are things they can replicate from the Houston game in their next derby match. 

"It would be nice for our fans and everyone if the games were a little bit more spread out, right?" he said on Thursday.

"When you have back-to-back, I feel like it is difficult to get that assignment and motivation and everything right, but for us, it is important. 

"Austin uses more of the wings and it's a different type of approach. They defend in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-2, which is similar."

Austin, meanwhile, have won four of their last six MLS games (one draw, one loss) to surge up the standings, leaving boss Josh Wolff encouraged ahead of a busy few weeks. 

"There's no way we can look past one opponent and towards the next," Wolff said. 

"We have to see who comes through Dallas in a good way and see where we're at physically and where the opponent is at physically.

"These guys are fit, they're strong and they're in a good space."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Dallas – Sam Junqua

Junqua has recorded a goal contribution in consecutive matches (one goal, one assist), including scoring Dallas’ lone goal at Toronto last Saturday.

Junqua had only recorded two goal contributions in his previous 35 MLS appearances going back to August 2022.

Austin FC – Brad Stuver

Austin’s goalless draw at Vancouver on Saturday was their third consecutive clean sheet, their longest shutout streak in team history. Stuver started in goal in all three games and will be looking to continue that run against Dallas.

Austin had kept just one clean sheet in their previous 25 matches in all competitions dating back to last July.

MATCH PREDICTION – DALLAS WIN

FC Dallas won each of their first three meetings with Austin FC – all in the 2021 season. Since then, Dallas have managed just two wins in seven against Austin (two draws, three losses), including a 2-1 loss at Q2 Stadium on March 30.

With eight points, Dallas are off to their second-worst 10-match start to a season in club history with only their start in 2009 (six points from 10 matches) being worse. However, seven of their eight points have come in their five home matches.

Meanwhile, Austin have collected 13 points in their last six MLS matches after totalling just 10 points in their previous 16 league matches dating back to their return from the Leagues Cup last August. The form book often goes out of the window on derby day, however, so their positive run could end here. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Dallas – 46.4%

Draw – 28.2%

Austin – 25.4%

Dallas bounced back from a 3-2 defeat to Sporting Kansas City by claiming a surprise 2-0 win over the high-flying Los Angeles Galaxy last time out.

Having seen his team lose late on against Kansas City, Luccin was delighted with Dallas' response against the Galaxy, with Petar Musa and Logan Farrington on target.

Dallas accumulated 1.38 expected goals (xG) and had 18 shots to the Galaxy's nine, though Luccin did point out to one area where his side can improve.

"I'm still hurt a bit about our last game versus Kansas City to be honest," he said.

"Coming off a loss against Kansas City, we saw that it could be different. It says a lot about this team. I told you from the very first day, I'm very proud of them, with all of the adversity we face right now like injuries. 

"I will say that maybe having more of the ball in those important moments. I think we did that in the last 10 minutes, in the first half we were rushing too much.

"We should've pushed up higher and sustained a little bit more of the ball. Even if we want to go more vertical, we need to understand the timing and moments to go vertical.

"For me, how to manage the game with the ball. We knew the Galaxy were very good with the ball but in the end, we controlled well. We were compact in the low block. We need to manage the ball better and have possession for longer."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Dallas - Jesus Ferreira

Ferreira has scored in each of his last three home MLS appearances, including in the 2-0 win over the Galaxy on Saturday.

Only one Dallas player has scored in four straight home matches since the start of the 2020 season – Ricardo Pepi in June-July 2021.

Austin FC - Julio Cascante

Cascante won eight of nine aerial duels in Austin's loss to the Seattle Sounders on Saturday, the third time he has won at least eight aerial duels in an MLS match since joining Austin FC in 2021.

The only other player to win eight or more aerial duels in a match for Austin FC is Leo Vaisanen (twice).

MATCH PREDICTION: DALLAS WIN

Austin have managed just two wins in their last 18 regular-season road matches dating back to last July, but one of those wins came in a Texas Derby, a 1-0 victory against the Houston Dynamo on April 20.

Dallas recorded their eighth home win in all competitions this season, and fourth in five matches, with the win over the Galaxy. A league-high 88% (23/26) of Dallas' points this season have been earned at home.

Dallas are unbeaten in five home matches against Austin (W4 D1), including a 2-1 victory at Toyota Stadium on May 11. Three of Dallas' four home wins over Austin have been by one-goal margins.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Dallas - 51.8%

Austin FC - 23.6%

Draw - 24.6%

Colorado sit fourth in the Western Conference standings as they resume MLS action after finishing third in the Leagues Cup, beating the Philadelphia Union in the bronze-medal match.

Chris Armas has the Rapids eyeing home advantage in the playoffs in his first year at the helm, and Steffen says it is all about mental strength as they enter the run-in.

"It's been a long month with a lot of games and travel and everything. It's been good to come home and have a full week to look ahead to Dallas," Steffen said.

"It's back to MLS for us now, so we're fully focused on Dallas and making sure we pick up three points on Saturday. 

"We're getting better every day, it's been fun. We have a great group of guys who are hungry to compete and to grow. It's been a great start but now it's about finishing strong."

Dallas, meanwhile, are down in 10th, albeit just one point of Austin FC, who occupy the final play-in spot in the West.

Interim coach Peter Luccin oversaw a thrilling 4-3 victory at D.C. United last time out – Dallas' third win in four regular-season games, and he thinks it could be a major turning point.

"For us to win on the road, it wasn't easy," said Luccin. "We knew that they were going to fight until the end, they fought hard. 

"We need to stay focused. We need to have the same energy. We need to keep playing the football that we have been playing."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Dallas – Sebastian Lletget 

Lletget had a goal and two assists in FC Dallas' win at D.C. United last Saturday, his second career match with three goal contributions in MLS, having also achieved the feat in September 2019 versus Sporting Kansas City.

Colorado Rapids – Rafael Navarro 

Navarro (11) and Djordje Mihailovic (10) are the second pair of Rapids team-mates to each score 10 goals in a single regular season since 2010, after Kei Kamara and Diego Rubio in 2019).

MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW 

Colorado have won five of their seven meetings with Dallas since the start of 2021 (one draw, one defeat), including a 2-1 home win when the sides last faced off on April 20. 

The Rapids had won just five of their previous 24 meetings with Dallas from July 2012 through 2020 (eight draws, 11 defeats).

It appears difficult to split the teams for this one, with Dallas winning three of their last four regular-season matches (one draw), but not inspiring much hope in defence, conceding five times in their last three matches.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Dallas – 39.1%

Colorado Rapids – 34.3%

Draw – 26.6%

The Orange and Blues were beaten 2-1 by New England Revolution last time out, not helped by the sending off Obinna Nwobodo three minutes after Yamil Asad had halved the deficit for the home side.

Cincinnati travel to FC Dallas this Sunday, and Noonan expects his players to give their supporters a much-improved display to ensure they remain within touching distance of league leaders Inter Miami.

"We didn't give (the fans) much to cheer about in the first 45 (minutes)," Noonan said. "But it starts with me. I don't think that was a version of our group that we should have seen tonight, so I can't blame those guys for anything.

“I don't think in the first half we were able to take the space in an efficient way to then open up different ways of breaking pressure because it was too predictable.

"But we can't feel sorry for ourselves, we have to keep going."

Meanwhile, Dallas suffered their first defeat in three matches at the hands the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field last time out.

Peter Luccin’s side had taken a two-goal lead heading into the final 20 minutes of the game, but a late turnaround from the home side saw them score three times in the final 12 minutes of the game to secure the triumph on a disappointing night for the Toros.

The result leaves them in 11th place in the Western Conference heading into the encounter, but they will be hopeful of kickstarting another unbeaten run to close the gap to the play-off places.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Dallas – Luciano Acosta

Acosta’s influence in the Dallas side as his assist took his tally to 15 for the season, the third time he has reach this number in the MLS (17 in 2018, 19 in 2022).

The Argentine became just the fifth player in MLS history to have three or more seasons with at least 15 assists, and he shows no sign of stopping.

Cincinnati – Peter Musa

The Croatian scored his ninth goal of the season for FC Dallas last Saturday and is on the cusp of achieving a record that has stood since 2017.

Should he find the back of the net against Dallas, Musa will become the first FC Dallas player to represent a country other than the United States with a 10-goal season since Maximiliano Urruti (Argentina) and Roland Lamah (Belgium).

MATCH PREDICTION: CINCINNATI WIN

This will be just the second meeting between the two sides, with Cincinnati out to avenge their defeat to Dallas in their first encounter back in August 2019.

Noonan’s side have won five straight away matches for the first time in club history. There have only been two longer road winning streaks in MLS in the post-shootout era (since 2000): CF Montreal (7 straight) in 2022 and San Jose (6 straight) in 2005.

However, the Toros are unbeaten in their last seven home matches (W5 D2) in all competitions, including winning their last two in a row. They have suffered just two defeats in their last 21 home matches in all competitions dating back to the beginning of last year’s Leagues Cup (W10 D9).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Dallas – 32%

Draw – 25.4%

Cincinnati – 42.6%

Dallas sit 13th in the Western Conference standings with just five points from eight matches in 2024, their only victory coming against the San Jose Earthquakes in their season opener.

They have only taken two points from seven matches since then, putting head coach Nico Estevez under pressure. 

However, Arriola says a clash with their biggest rivals at Toyota Stadium represents a chance to put things right.

"Our fans have been great all season, we haven't shown up for them. It is motivation for us to go and beat Houston on Saturday and obtain three points," he said. 

Dallas were beaten 2-1 by the Colorado Rapids last time out, leading Estevez to question his players' character. 

"We turned up with fear, lacking in determination and character," the Dallas boss said after that match.

"It is very difficult to play like that because Colorado are one of the hardest working teams in the league on both sides of the ball."

Houston, meanwhile, are preparing for a second straight meeting with a state rival, having suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Austin FC – their third loss of the year – last week.

Star midfielder Hector Herrera made his first appearance of the season from the bench in that match, playing 30 minutes after recovering from a groin injury.

Head coach Ben Olsen said of the Mexican's return: "You can see when he comes on the field, the game changes for the better in some areas.

"Right after he came on, the pressure was turned up on them. We got into so many dangerous spots, but still that connection in the box just wasn't there."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

FC Dallas – Petar Musa

Musa is the only Dallas player with multiple goals to his name in MLS this season, having netted his second goal of 2024 in last week's loss to Colorado. 

Can he provide attacking inspiration for a team with just seven goals in eight games this year? 

Houston Dynamo – Hector Herrera 

While it remains to be seen whether Herrera is ready for a start, he could have a sizeable impact upon his return to action.

Last season, the Mexican led all Houston players for chances created (77), passes into the final third (835) and assists (13) in MLS play.

MATCH PREDICTION – FC DALLAS WIN

Dallas have made their second-worst start to an MLS campaign, only taking fewer than five points by this stage of a season when they earned four in 2009. They did, however, go on to make the playoffs that year.

With home advantage on their side, perhaps things will start to turn on Saturday. The Dynamo haven't won consecutive away MLS matches within a single season for almost 11 years, and they won their last road game 2-1 against Minnesota United.

Dallas tend to turn up for the derby, having gone unbeaten through their last 13 regular-season home matches against Houston (eight wins, five draws) in a run which stretches back to September 2011.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Dallas – 44.6% 

Houston Dynamo – 26.5%

Draw – 28.9%

The Galaxy played two home games in quick succession, losing to rivals Los Angeles FC and beating Minnesota United, before a break ahead of this match.

But the July heat means Vanney sees this next task being little easier for his side, with another home double-header quickly following as the Colorado Rapids and the Portland Timbers visit LA.

"We have a couple of days from a busy and emotional week, just to reset physically and mentally, and then you start to prepare for what's going to be another busy week after," he said.

"We start off in Dallas. Dallas is always tough, especially this time of year. It's a special kind of tough with the weather.

"Then we come back for two more at home. We'll road map out how we want to approach next week and prepare the group."

After the setback of the LAFC defeat, a win over Minnesota at least lifted spirits ahead of this stretch.

Vanney continued: "It's nice doing that coming off a win. It feels a lot better as you go into this week and everybody can kind of relax and enjoy a couple of days, and then we get right back to work."

The Galaxy have also had time to get back on the training pitch before playing Dallas, with Vanney acknowledging he was focusing solely on the result against Minnesota given the quick turnaround.

"I think sometimes in the third games you put away some of the stuff that you normally are really, really picky on," he said.

"You've just got to suffer through it a little bit, and we did enough to get the three points [against Minnesota].

"We'll take it, and we'll talk about how we want to keep improving and get better and attack the next week, so just I'm glad we managed to get the three points."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Dallas – Petar Musa

Musa missed out on Croatia's squad for Euro 2024, but while his international team-mates were exiting at the group stage, he has been tearing it up in MLS.

The forward has scored in four of his past five matches for six total goals across that span.

He is only the eighth Dallas player to score six or more goals across a run of five matches in MLS history.

LA Galaxy – Gabriel Pec

The Galaxy have their own in-form star in Pec, who scored both goals in the 2-1 win over Minnesota.

He is not just a goalscorer, however, adding seven assists to his nine MLS goals this season.

Indeed, Pec has either scored, assisted or provided a secondary assist in six straight games, the longest such streak from a Galaxy player since Javier Hernandez's eight across 2021 and 2022.

MATCH PREDICTION: DALLAS WIN

It is little wonder Vanney was not exactly relishing this trip, as Dallas have won seven in a row at home against the Galaxy. An eighth would make this the outright longest winning run for any team at home to the Galaxy in the MLS regular season.

And Dallas' home form is imperious right now, too. They have won six of their past eight at home.

The Galaxy are at least themselves in good shape, winning seven of nine for the first time in a single regular season since 2019, but only league leaders FC Cincinnati have won at Dallas since the start of April.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Dallas – 38.8%

LA Galaxy – 34.7%

Draw – 26.5%

The Frenchman earned a victory in his first game in charge of the Toros over St. Louis City last Sunday, ending a run of five games without a win.  

Dallas occupy 12th in the Western Conference table and will be looking to win consecutive matches within a single league season in over a year on home turf.

Luccin was pleased with his new side returning to winning ways, and insists that allowing his players freedom on the pitch is equally as important as the tactics he implements.

"In the end, I think that is the only way," Luccin said. “I think you saw that the best way is to give them the freedom to play.

"We are talking so much about tactics, and tactics are very important, but the freedom, I will say sometimes, with the ball, is even more important.

"We have some players who are very creative. I am not going to tell them how to pass a ball, but the only thing I can help them with is to read moments and what phase we are in."

Meanwhile, Minnesota suffered just their fourth defeat of the season in a 2-0 defeat away to Seattle Sounders, leaving them in fourth place and two points behind LA Galaxy with a game in hand.

The Loons travel to Dallas unbeaten in their last five visits to North Texas, winning twice and drawing three times and will be looking to continue that run this time around.

But an uncharacteristic part of their most recent defeat was their failure to find the back of the net. It was just the fifth time in Minnesota's last 40 league matches that they did not score.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Dallas – Petar Musa

The Croatian is Dallas' top scorer this season with five goals, but has failed to find the back of the net since their draw with Houston in May. However, he will be hopeful of returning to the scoresheet in front of his home supporters.

Minnesota United – Robin Lod

Lod has continued to impress for Minnesota, not only in the wide positions but centrally too. The 31-year-old has five goals and eight assists this season for Ramsay's side.

MATCH PREDICTION: DALLAS WIN

Having gone five games without a win, Dallas halted their winless run with a victory over St. Louis last time out but have failed to win consecutive matches in a single season in over a year against Austin and Vancouver, but are well-placed to buck that trend.

Nkosi Tafari's headed goal against St. Louis was the sixth time Dallas have scored from a corner this season, tied for the second most in the MLS and two behind San Jose Earthquakes.

But Minnesota will be confident of returning to winning ways against their opponents, having lost one of their last 11 games against Dallas. The Loons are also unbeaten in their last five visits to Dallas (W2 D3), the club’s longest road unbeaten run against a team in the MLS.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Dallas – 41%

Draw – 26.7%

Minnesota – 32.3%

The Timbers extended their unbeaten run to seven matches in the MLS following their 3-2 victory over Minnesota United at Providence Park last time out. 

Neville's side are now fifth in the Western Conference table but are among a cluster of teams tightly packed in the middle of the division. 

However, the Portland head coach said that despite his side's recent form, they have achieved nothing but is confident his side will continue to push up the standings. 

"We are keeping our feet on the ground, I think that is massively important," Neville said. 

"If we hadn't scored that last minute goal, we would probably have been down in eighth or ninth. There are a number of teams jostling for positions in the league, so there is a long way to go. 

"We've got now four games before the Leagues Cup. We have a mini points target that we have set ourselves. 

"We want to keep pushing, we know the teams below us are pushing. We have to keep concentrating on ourselves. We are now in fifth, but we have achieved nothing.

"At this moment in time, fifth is not competing. Competing is being up at the top of the league. We are on the climb, we have momentum, we have confidence, we have belief but there is still a long way to go."

For Dallas, they suffered back-to-back league defeats in a narrow defeat to Cincinnati last time out, courtesy of Luca Orellano's second half strike. 

The result leaves Peter Luccin's side in 11th place in the Western Conference table, a point ahead of St. Louis City and seven behind Austin FC. 

However, the Toros will be hopeful of continuing their impressive home record against their opponents at the Toyota Stadium and build momentum ahead of their important league meeting with Kansas City three days later. 

pic.twitter.com/ySE1b0WqfU

— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) June 30, 2024

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Dallas – Petar Musa

Petar Musa has been in fine goal-scoring form since his arrival from Benfica in February, notching 11 goal involvements from 19 games for Dallas.

The Toros’ top scorer has four goals in his last three league games, including a hat-trick against Minnesota United, and will be confident of taking his tally into double figures.

Portland Timbers – Evander

Evander grabbed a goal and an assist in the Timbers’ win over Minnesota on Saturday, his seventh match this season with multiple goal contributions.

In doing so, the Brazilian equalled Diego Valeri (2013, 2017) for the most such games in a single regular season by a Timbers player in MLS.

MATCH PREDICTION: FC DALLAS WIN

Dallas will be looking for an immediate return to winning ways following their defeat to FC Cincinnati last time out. The loss was just their third in their last 22 home matches in all competitions (W10 D9) dating back to the start of the Leagues Cup last July. It was also only the second time in that span that Dallas failed to score in a home match.

Luccin’s side hold a favourable record against their opponents and have lost just one of their previous 11 encounters against Portland at the Toyota Stadium (W6 D4), dating back to 2015.

However, the visitors will come into the fixture with confidence following their comeback win over Minnesota. They came from two goals down to win 3-2, having also come back to win the previous time they trailed by two goals (vs. San Jose in May). Prior to these two comebacks, Portland had a record of W1 D11 L100 when trailing by multiple goals in an MLS match.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Dallas – 44.2%

Draw – 26.8%

Portland Timbers – 28.9%

Dallas head into Saturday’s match sitting 12th in the Western Conference, while RSL top the standings on 28 points.

A 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo in last week’s Texas derby followed on from a 2-1 win over Dallas’ other state rival, Austin FC, so they do at least head into the meeting with the West’s best team in some kind of form.

But Estevez, whose team overcame the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the U.S. Open cup in midweek, knows this is only the start.

Reflecting on the draw with the Dynamo, Estevez said: “We felt like we could win this game. We had one of the best first halves on the road this season. We just had a moment late in the first half after the water break where we dropped our level.

“Overall, the first 30 minutes were the best that we have played on the road combining good defensive work, good possessions and good plays. In the second half, we started a little bit slow but as the second half went on, we did a very good job creating chances and playing in their half, keeping the ball moving from one side to the other. The subs did a really good job coming in and provided the new energy that we needed. We wanted to win tonight, but we feel good about it.

“We need to recover really well, we need to rest. We want to improve every game.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Dallas – Jesus Ferreira

Ferreira will have been disappointed to miss out on the United States’ Copa America squad, and will now be out to prove Gregg Berhalter wrong. He has scored seven goals in 10 career MLS matches against Real Salt Lake, his most against any opponent. No player has scored more goals for either side against the other in the history of the rivalry.

Real Salt Lake – Cristian Arango

Arango (six goals, five assists) has contributed to at least one goal in six straight away matches, the longest streak in MLS since the beginning of last season. Arango is the second player since the start of the 2006 season to record 11 goal contributions in a span of six away matches (Carlos Vela – 2019).

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

RSL are unbeaten in 10 straight regular-season matches (W7 D3) for the fourth time in club history and the first since 2013-14 (16 straight). No team has had a longer unbeaten run in league play since Cincinnati went 11 straight without a loss in July-September 2022.

Dallas have won three straight home matches in all competitions for the first time since July-August 2022. Dallas had won only two of its previous 10 at home (D6 L2) prior to winning each of its last three at Toyota Stadium.

Dallas have lost only two of 24 all-time home matches against Salt Lake in all competitions (W16 D6). Dallas’ 2-1 home win over RSL last April, however, ended a five-match unbeaten run for RSL at Toyota Stadium (W1 D4).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Dallas – 36.5%

RSL – 35.9%

Draw – 27.6%

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%

The Frenchman joined the club in July 2021 from Chelsea, winning the Serie A title in his first season.

Giroud has scored 48 goals in 130 games in all competitions for Milan, netting 16 of those this season to help them to a second-place finish.

In an emotional interview with the club’s media channels, Giroud said: "I'm here to tell you that the next two games will be my last for Milan. My career will continue in MLS.

"I'm very proud of everything I've done here at Milan across three seasons. It's the right time to announce it. I'm a bit emotional. My story with Milan ends this season, but Milan will forever remain in my heart."

Though Giroud did not confirm which team he would be joining in the MLS, previous reports suggested he could be moving to LAFC to link up with his France international team-mate, Hugo Lloris. 

The Frenchman joined the club in July 2021 from Chelsea, winning the Serie A title in his first season.

Giroud has scored 48 goals in 130 games in all competitions for Milan, netting 16 of those this season to help them to a second-place finish.

In an emotional interview with the club’s media channels, Giroud said: "I'm here to tell you that the next two games will be my last for Milan. My career will continue in MLS.

"I'm very proud of everything I've done here at Milan across three seasons. It's the right time to announce it. I'm a bit emotional. My story with Milan ends this season, but Milan will forever remain in my heart."

Though Giroud did not confirm which team he would be joining in the MLS, previous reports suggested he could be moving to LAFC to link up with his France international team-mate, Hugo Lloris. 

Toronto staged a second-half comeback to beat the Philadelphia Union 2-1 on Saturday, snapping a seven-match losing streak across all competitions.

The Reds had been winless in nine ahead of their victory over the Union, which dragged them up to eighth in the Eastern Conference, three points adrift of the top seven. 

With a number of players returning from injury and confidence restored, Herdman hopes that result can be something of a turning point.

"We can go into that match now against Miami with one of my best starting XIs for the first time since the beginning of the season," Herdman said. 

"We're never too high and never too low, and we just keep our feet on the ground, stay focused. 

"It's one win – and I thank the fans, they have been brilliant with us, they kept us going – but it's just the start, the start of a playoff push."

Miami, meanwhile, have been knocked off the top of the Eastern Conference, losing 6-1 to FC Cincinnati on their last outing on July 7.

Cincinnati then won their subsequent match to leapfrog Miami, who have been without Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez due to the Copa America, at the summit.

Boss Gerardo Martino highlighted the Herons' defensive issues after their last match, saying: "We had a period early in the season where we were vulnerable at the back.

"We started to fix that, the previous five or six games we did a solid job defending, but then we reverted defensively to how we played early in the season. 

"We are still not there despite our good results and performances. We have to keep working and hoping in the final part of the season we can improve with our full roster."

However, Miami may have to wait to reintroduce Messi after he exited Argentina's Copa America final victory over Colombia with an ankle injury.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Inter Miami – Julian Gressel 

Gressel has eight assists in MLS this season, a tally only bettered by Messi (nine) among Miami players.

His tally of 4.19 expected assists (xA), meanwhile, is better than Messi's 3.59. With the Herons still missing some of their key men, they may need Gressel to supply the chances.

Toronto FC – Federico Bernardeschi

Only nine players have bettered Bernardeschi's tally of 53 chances created in MLS this year, while he also has 12 goal involvements (eight goals, four assists).

Ranking fourth for shots attempted (79) but just 34th for expected goals (6.5 xG), the Italian is not afraid to try his luck from any position.

MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN

Toronto halted a nine-game winless streak by beating Philadelphia last time out, but their last pair of back-to-back victories in MLS came in late April and early May.

They are winless in their last seven away games, losing their last four in a row and conceding multiple goals in six of their last seven.

Miami, meanwhile, have only lost one of their last eight home matches in MLS, winning four of their last six. Despite their absences, they approach the game as favourites.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Inter Miami – 72.4%

Toronto FC – 11.7%

Draw – 15.9%