FC Dallas interim head coach Peter Luccin has urged his players to show their passion on the pitch when they welcome St. Louis City to the Toyota Stadium.
Dallas announced they had parted company with Nico Estevez on June 9 after a run of five matches without a win left them second from bottom in the Western Conference.
Peter Luccin was brought in as his interim replacement, with the Frenchman aiming to make a positive mark in his first game in charge.
"I think it's very important to understand that not everything was bad in the past. I think that we build some foundation," Luccin said.
"I can see the passion in their eyes. They see passion in my eyes, too. So, the passion for that game is a key factor, too. This is what I saw. This is what they see from me.
“To be honest, I will say that maybe it's not the best team to start to play against in my first game, but I'm looking forward to playing against St. Louis because I know that is going to be very demanding."
St. Louis City are just four points above Dallas in 11th after their own five-match winless run.
Head coach Bradley Carnell admitted it was not easy to plan for this game due to the unexpectedness a new opposing manager can create.
"It's a new manager with new tactics, so we don't know what to expect, but we've played some really good games against strong opponents and outshot those opponents," said Carnell.
"We have a process, we have a style, but we need to match the intensity they're going to come at us with. They have something to prove, but so do we."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
FC Dallas – Liam Fraser
After an MLS career that spanned three teams over six seasons, Fraser scored his first goal in his 77th regular-season appearance in Dallas' draw with Minnesota on Saturday.
Only one player this season, Portland's Eric Miller (186 games), scored his first career MLS goal after more regular-season games.
St. Louis City – Chris Durkin
St. Louis City won possession in the attacking third five times in their draw with Portland on Saturday, with Durkin responsible for two of those, the joint-most in the team.
St. Louis have now won possession in the attacking third 102 times this season, 11 more than any other MLS team.
MATCH PREDICTION: FC DALLAS WIN
Dallas and St. Louis split the first three meetings, with each team winning once and drawing once. A total of five goals have been scored over the three games with all of them coming in the 80th minute or later.
Dallas have lost only two of their last 19 home matches in all competitions (W8 D9) dating back to the beginning of the Leagues Cup last July. Those two losses came against Canadian sides (Montreal, Vancouver Whitecaps) as the last U.S.-based team to win in Dallas was D.C. United last July.
St. Louis earned a league-high ninth draw of the season in a scoreless match against Portland on Saturday. They have only four defeats all season, with only seven teams losing fewer matches than City since the club joined MLS last season.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
FC Dallas – 47.6%
Draw – 26.1%
St. Louis City – 26.3%
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%
New York Red Bulls v Toronto FC: Herdman says big changes needed for Reds
John Herdman says Toronto FC need to make big changes amid a five-match winless streak, promising to banish their old ways ahead of Saturday's visit to the New York Red Bulls.
Wednesday's 2-1 defeat to Nashville SC was the third time in five games that Toronto have dropped a match due to goals in the 90th minute or later.
They have slipped to seventh in the Eastern Conference, seven points behind the Red Bulls and only four clear of the Philadelphia Union, who are outside the playoff spots.
Reflecting on Toronto's latest disappointing result, Herdman said: "I was proud of about 60 minutes but that last 30 again, it just feels like old TFC is back.
"We just wobble, we look unsure, we look timid. We look like we can score. But when we look like we can score we look like they're going to score the either way very quickly, and that's a challenge.
"I can point fingers at the players but the staff have got to take a big responsibility as well. We're making those changes."
The Red Bulls, meanwhile, are flying high in third place, having fought back from two goals down in a 2-2 draw with CF Montreal in midweek.
Head coach Sandro Schwarz said after that match: "Especially in the second half it was a great mentality, and there was great energy from the whole team.
"I'm not frustrated because I want us to play the way I like, to be dominant. If you want to be successful, you have to learn that you don't lose your energy and stay at the highest level.
"That is important for us, not to lose our principles."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New York Red Bulls – Dante Vanzeir
Vanzeir's seven assists are more than any other Red Bulls player has managed in MLS this season, while only Emil Forsberg (29) and John Tolkin (27) have bettered his 19 chances created for the team.
Toronto FC – Federico Bernardeschi
Bernardeschi has been involved in 12 goals in his last seven MLS matches dating back to late April (seven goals, five assists).
Only Sebastian Giovinco (14 between July and August 2016) has recorded more goal contributions in a span of seven matches in Toronto's MLS history.
MATCH PREDICTION: NEW YORK RED BULLS WIN
Toronto have only won one of their last 29 regular-season away matches dating back to late 2022, though they have taken a point from their last two road trips.
The Red Bulls, meanwhile, are unbeaten in 11 home matches in all competitions dating back to the end of last season (seven wins, four draws), their longest home unbeaten streak since a 16-match stretch in 2016.
They have also won their last six home games against Toronto by an aggregate score of 13-1.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New York Red Bulls – 63.6%
Toronto FC – 17%
Draw – 19.4%
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