Phil Neville is hoping Portland Timbers can build some momentum with back-to-back victories when they take on Minnesota United FC at Allianz Field on Saturday.
The Timbers recovered from two goals down at half-time to beat San Jose Earthquakes 4-2 in their most recent match, snapping a three-game losing run and a nine-match wait for three points.
Portland are now back up to 11th in the Western Conference, but Neville accepts there is plenty to do if his side are to challenge for a play-off spot.
"The spirit in that second half [against San Jose] was bigger than anything I've seen in football, and I've seen an awful lot in football," Neville said.
"Those supporters willed the team, willed the ball into the back of the net and that’s what makes me proud to be the manager of this football club. We've got a hell of a lot of work to do. It's a big job and one we'll succeed in.”
Minnesota played out a 2-2 draw with LA Galaxy in their most recent match, as they let slip a half-time lead to trail 2-1 before hitting back late on.
The Loons have now won three and drawn one of their past four games and are second in the West after an impressive start to life under head coach Eric Ramsay.
The Welshman was particularly pleased with his side's first-half performance against Galaxy and is hoping for a full-90 performance when Portland visit.
"I think that's the most complete performance that we've had since I've been here," he told reporters.
"We're really frustrated overall because it's a game you felt we had complete control of at half-time. I just felt we've taken our foot off their neck in the second half."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Minnesota United - Bongokuhle Hlongwane
Hlongwane opened the scoring for Minnesota in the four-goal draw with Galaxy and enjoys playing against next opponents Portland.
Indeed, the South Africa international has scored in his first three MLS matches against the Timers - the only player in MLS history to do so.
Portland Timbers - Maxime Crepeau
The Timbers may have defeated San Jose in midweek, but they conceded multiple goals for a ninth straight game, equalling the longest streak in a single season in MLS history.
While it is down to the whole defensive unit to keep the opposition out, goalkeeper Crepeau's save percentage of 62 is the second lowest in MLS this season, behind only St. Louis City SC's Roman Burki (61.9 per cent)
MATCH PREDICTION: MINNESOTA UNITED WIN
Minnesota have won eight of their 13 regular-season meetings with the Timbers, averaging exactly two points per match in those games - the best of any Western Conference team against Portland since United joined MLS in 2017.
The Loons have lost only two of their opening 11 matches this season - never previously have they lost fewer than four games at this stage - and have scored multiple goals in each of their past four outings.
Portland showed great spirit in fighting back against San Jose - it was the second latest a team has come from two goals down in an MLS match to win by multiple goals - but that is only one of three wins in 13 MLS games this term.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Minnesota United - 48.9%
Draw - 26.6%
Portland Timbers - 24.5%
Nashville SC v New York City: Munthali's hosts in a good spot
Rumba Munthali believes his Nashville SC side are in a good spot ahead of Saturday's clash with New York City, having continued their climb up the standings by beating Toronto FC 2-1 in midweek.
Sam Surridge's 90th-minute strike handed Nashville their second win in their last four MLS matches on Wednesday, and they now sit eighth in the Eastern Conference.
Interim boss Munthali has overseen a resurgence since taking over from the fired Gary Smith last month, and he is excited by the chance to keep it going against NYCFC.
"It's really good to pick up more points and move up the standings," Munthali said.
"I thought the guys showed some heart and had a good second half and deserved to win.
"Now we just have to talk to our staff, make sure the guys are in a good place for Saturday in the space we have and hopefully again have good performances."
Nick Cushing's visitors sit six points clear of Nashville in fourth place, though they have lost ground on those above them by recording back-to-back losses.
Having gone down 3-2 at home to the Columbus Crew last week, they were beaten 2-0 at the LA Galaxy on Wednesday.
Cushing knows acclimatising to different conditions on their travels is somewhere his team can improve, saying: "We made changes, but we've got a squad that allows us to make changes.
"If you want to be a consistently winning team, a team that is successful in MLS, you have to cope with travel and time zones and all of those things, the heavy schedule too."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nashville SC – Sam Surridge
Surridge scored both of Nashville's goals in their midweek victory over Toronto, his third match with two or more goals in MLS.
Of Surridge's nine MLS goals, seven have arrived in the three matches where he scored more than once (one hat-trick, two braces).
New York City – Santiago Rodriguez
Rodriguez led NYCFC on Wednesday with five shot involvements (two chances created, three shots attempted), extending his team-leading shot involvements tally to 95 for the season.
If he maintains his lead, he will have led the team for shot involvements in each of the last three seasons, joining David Villa (2015 to 2017) as the only NYCFC players to do so in three straight campaigns.
MATCH PREDICTION: NASHVILLE SC WIN
The home team has not lost any of the four all-time meetings between these teams, with Nashville winning both of their home games and NYCFC recording a win and a draw on their own turf.
New York's 2-0 defeat to the Galaxy last time out was their fifth shutout defeat of the year, tied with the New England Revolution and Orlando City for the joint-most in MLS.
Nashville, meanwhile, have only lost one of their last seven regular-season games (three wins, three draws), and are chasing their first pair of consecutive wins since May-June 2023.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Nashville SC – 44%
New York City – 29.2%
Draw – 26.8%
Los Angeles FC v San Jose Earthquakes: Cherundolo aiming to live up to high expectations
Steve Cherundolo is expecting to get back to winning ways back at home against the struggling San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
LAFC's six-match winning streak in MLS ended in midweek, though Kei Kamara ensured they did not leave Austin FC empty-handed, salvaging a 1-1 draw.
Sitting second in the Western Conference, LAFC are flying high, though their last defeat, on May 5, did come against San Jose.
After two road matches on the bounce, Cherundolo is happy to be heading back to BMO Stadium.
"With a little more composure and connecting on a few more passes, you can get the three points," said Cherundolo.
"I still think we're in a good way, and we didn't get three points [against Austin] but we'll take it and carry this home to try and win on Saturday.
"San Jose have the ability to score goals, which they've shown, but also concede. It's going to be a tough task, but we're at home and our expectations are always great at home."
The Earthquakes sit bottom of the table, having won just three of their matches all season.
They have failed to win any of their last six, including a 2-1 defeat to Portland Timbers in midweek, and Luchi Gonzalez urged his team to keep up their fight.
"It's going to hurt because we had the game [against Portland] in our hands until we didn't," Gonzalez said. "It's about control.
"We control the next moment, and we're never going to give up. I'm not going to ever give up. These guys won't give up. We're going to learn and keep trying to figure this out. That's what we can control."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Los Angeles FC – Kei Kamara
Kamara scored his first goal of the season in the 90th minute of LAFC's 1-1 draw with Austin FC on Wednesday. It was the 150th goal of his MLS career (regular season and playoffs), the third player to reach that mark after Chris Wondolowski (173) and Landon Donovan (150).
San Jose Earthquakes – Paul Marie
Marie scored his second goal of the season with an outside-the-box finish against Portland Timbers.
Marie has scored in five straight seasons for San Jose, but 2024 is the first in which he has scored more than once.
MATCH PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES FC WIN
After San Jose lost each of their first six matches against Los Angeles in all competitions, they lost only three of the last 11 (W7 D1), including a 3-1 win on May 4. Still, LAFC have won seven of their nine all-time home matches against the 'Quakes (D1 L1).
Dating back to last season, Los Angeles are unbeaten in their last 13 home games in all competitions with 11 wins and two draws. LAFC have kept a clean sheet in each of their last four competitive matches at home – it is the longest such streak in the team's history.
Meanwhile, the Earthquakes have lost 13 of their 18 regular-season games in 2024 (W3 D2), including each of their last three. Dating back to last season, San Jose have conceded in 24 straight regular-season matches, one shy of their team record of 25 (in both 1999 & spanning 2017-18).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Los Angeles FC – 67.9%
Draw – 17.8%
San Jose Earthquakes – 14.4%
Orlando City v Chicago Fire: Klopas ready to put attacking unit to the test in Florida heat
Chicago Fire Frank Klopas is pleased with the impact his attacking players have been working together this season and is looking forward to seeing how they fare against Orlando City.
The Fire are level on points with their hosts heading into the game on Saturday but sit above them due to their superior goal difference.
Chicago are currently on a four-match unbeaten streak, winning each of their last two matches, with Klopas praising his players for finding their attacking groove in recent weeks.
"Going to Orlando, especially in this heat, we have to be good on the ball, it's so important, and we've worked hard on that," Klopas said. "The team is in a good moment, and they're also working extremely hard and that's very important to me.
"We've been dangerous in games when we work as a unit and quickly transition.
"It's been a big focus of ours from the beginning of the season to get more opportunities, and we've done a much better job with that, and we're showing our ability to finish chances."
Orlando are in 14th but will leapfrog their opponents with a win. However, they will need to snap a five-match winless streak in order to do that.
Head coach Oscar Pareja was once again left to lament late lapses of concentration in their 2-2 draw with Charlotte FC and is hoping to improve that against the Fire.
"It has happened in recent games where we dominate possession that we concede late goals," the head coach said.
"I think our vigilance is getting better, but [against Charlotte] we lost two duels, and they found a way to hurt us. We need to get better about controlling possession."
PLAYER TO WATCH
Orlando City – Facundo Torres
Torres, who scored Orlando's equalizer on Wednesday against Charlotte, has scored four goals in five career MLS matches against the Fire, tied for his most against any opponent (also four vs the New York Red Bulls).
Chicago Fire – Hugo Cuypers
Cuypers has recorded a goal contribution in each of his last four appearances for the Fire, the first player to do so for the club since Robert Beric in 2020 (five straight).
Chicago has posted a record of W3 D3 L1 in matches in which Cuypers has been involved in a goal this season and W1 D3 L7 when he has not.
MATCH PREDICTION: ORLANDO CITY WIN
Orlando are unbeaten in six straight matches against the Fire (W4 D2), though Chicago did manage a home draw when the sides met on May 29. The Lions have just one longer regular-season unbeaten run against a single opponent, going eight straight without defeat vs. Toronto FC from 2019-23.
However, Orlando have lost four of their last five home matches, including each of the last two. They had suffered just one defeat in their previous 16 regular-season home matches (W9 D6) before this run.
Meanwhile, Chicago have recorded back-to-back wins after winning just two of their first 16 matches this season (D6 L8). The Fire have netted six times over the two wins after scoring six total goals in their previous 11 games.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Orlando City – 54%
Draw – 23.6%
Chicago Fire – 22.4%
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