D.C. United head coach Troy Lesesne has praised his side for "still fighting" as they look to turn their poor results around against Orlando City.
D.C. sit bottom of the Eastern Conference on 20 points, four off the playoffs.
They have not won any of their last 10 MLS matches, with their last victory coming nearly two months ago against Atlanta United.
Lesesne was candid about the mistakes his team has made in recent games but was confident they would be able to dig themselves out of trouble.
"Our group's not giving in, that's clear everyone can see that," Lesesne said. "But we're not getting the points we need.
"We've got to credit the group for continuing through really hard circumstances to say we're still fighting every single second.
"But we have to do better - all of us. That's plain and simple.
"I'm right there with these guys all the way through and the same guys going through this now are going to get us out of it."
Meanwhile, Orlando sit four points above their opponents in 10th, having lost just one of their four matches.
After getting back to winning ways against Atlanta, head coach Oscar Pareja praised his side’s confidence.
"They demonstrated the commitment that they have with the club. So, we're very proud of these results and the effort they had in the pitch," Pareja said.
"We're happy. This is a good step for us in this moment. Now we're looking forward to going back home and then winning there."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Orlando City – Facundo Torres
Despite not getting on the scoresheet against Toronto FC, Facundo Torres did orchestrate the match-winning moment as his cross was turned in by Nicksoen Gomis.
He scored a brace in his last match at Inter & Co Stadium and will be keen to get more on Saturday.
D.C. United – Christian Benteke
Christian Benteke will return after a two-match suspension (one for a straight red card against Houston Dynamo and the other for yellow card accumulation).
D.C. have not won either of those games and will be pleased to have their top-scorer, with 14 goals, back on the field.
MATCH PREDICTION: ORLANDO CITY WIN
Orlando's 4-2 win over the Chicago Fire in their last home match snapped a six-game winless streak at Inter & Co, having also failed to score in all but two outings in that run.
D.C. have won 10 of their 20 matches against Orlando (drawn three and lost seven), but given their current run of form, they look unlikely to get a surprise win here.
D.C.'s last victory was in a road game when they beat Atlanta 3-2. Since then, they have only picked up one point on their travels (a 2-2 draw with New York Red Bulls in their last such match).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Orlando City – 58.2%
Draw – 21.8%
D.C. United – 20.1%
Argentina v Canada: Marsch says Copa underdogs need greatest performance yet
Canada must produce the performance of their lives to have any chance of upsetting holders Argentina to reach the Copa America final, acknowledges Jesse Marsch.
Marsch's team will face the World Cup winners for a final berth at the MetLife Stadium on Tuesday, having overcome Venezuela in a penalty shoot-out in the last eight.
They are just the fourth CONCACAF team to reach the Copa semi-finals and the third to do so on their debut, after Mexico (1993 runners-up), Honduras (third in 2001) and the United States (third in 1995).
They face the sternest of tests next up, however, having already lost to Lionel Messi and the rest of Argentina's stars in their opening group-stage game.
Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez were on target in that match as Lionel Scaloni's team triumphed 2-0 in Atlanta, rifling off 19 shots worth 3.02 expected goals (xG) to Canada's 10 (1.16 xG).
While Canada have won plenty of admirers on their run to the last four, Marsch knows they need to step up further on Tuesday.
"Argentina will have to be the best match we've ever played and it still might not be enough," he said. "But whatever. We're going to go for it."
Captain Alphonso Davies echoed those sentiments but pointed out Canada had given Argentina a scare in their earlier game, saying: "It's going to take everything. We played them in the group stage and we played well but didn't get the win we wanted."
Argentina boss Scaloni hit out at the quality of the pitch after that earlier meeting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and Messi says the surfaces have had an impact throughout the tournament.
"The pitch always has an influence. It's a reality that the pitches aren't good," he told reporters, as quoted by The Athletic.
"I think the best one was the one in Miami, which was good from what you saw from the outside at least. It's natural and that's already different. Of course, it has an influence."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Argentina – Alexis Mac Allister
Mac Allister assisted Lisandro Martinez's opener versus Ecuador in the last eight, then held his nerve from the spot as the world champions triumphed in a shoot-out after a 1-1 draw.
The Liverpool midfielder has two assists at this year's tournament. Since such data began in 2011, only Lionel Messi (in 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2021) has ever provided three or more assists for Argentina at a single edition of the Copa America.
Mac Allister has completed 122 of his 135 passes at this tournament, with 70 of those being played in the opposition half. With Canada likely to sit deep, it could fall on him to keep things ticking over and provide service for Messi and his fellow attackers.
Canada – Maxime Crepeau
Crepeau was forced into six saves in Canada's Copa America opener versus Argentina, and he could be busy again here.
However, he has been in excellent form throughout this tournament, conceding three goals from 4.95 expected goals on target (xGoT) faced, with only Claudio Bravo (3.66 goals prevented) and Rafael Romo (2.36) overperforming their underlying goalkeeping statistics by a greater margin.
Only Sergio Rochet and Emiliano Martinez (three each) have bettered his two clean sheets at this tournament. He will have his work cut out to keep another, though.
MATCH PREDICTION: ARGENTINA WIN
Argentina have now reached the semi-finals at seven of their last eight major tournaments, with the 2018 World Cup being the only exception.
They have won their last 10 matches against CONCACAF opponents in official competitions, not conceding a goal in any of their last six such games.
Additionally, the defending champions have reached the last four at five of the last seven editions of the Copa America, and only two of them – Colombia in 2004 and Chile in 2019 – failed to make the final. The omens, then, are not good for Canada.
It will be the fifth time Argentina have faced the same opponents twice at a single edition of the Copa America since the current format was introduced in 1993. Two of the previous four instances included a semi-final meeting (Colombia in 1993 and Paraguay in 2015), with the other two including the final (Mexico in 1993 and Chile in 2016).
La Albiceleste did, however, only win one of those four editions, lifting the trophy in 1993, then waiting 28 years to reclaim their place as South America's finest in 2021.
They are assigned an 84% chance of reaching the final by the Opta supercomputer, with Canada out to cause one of the greatest upsets in the history of the competition.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Argentina – 76.7%
Canada – 9.8%
Draw – 13.6%
LA Galaxy 2-1 Minnesota United: Pec late show gets hosts back to winning ways
LA Galaxy maintained the pace at the top of MLS' Western Conference as Gabriel Pec's double earned a 2-1 win over Minnesota United.
Having opened the scoring in the 25th minute, Pec was on hand to tuck home the winner from close range in the 90th minute.
Teemu Pukki had come off the bench to restore parity for Minnesota, who looked set to snap a five-game losing streak.
But it was not to be for the Loons, as Pec's late show ensured the Galaxy returned to winning ways on the back of their defeat to Los Angeles FC in El Trafico.
The Galaxy are level on 43 points with LAFC and Real Salt Lake at the top of the West, while Minnesota are 10th.
Data Debrief: Loons' losing run rolls on
It is now six successive MLS defeats for Minnesota, which marks their worst-ever run in the competition since they joined the league in 2017.
Pec, meanwhile, continues to steal the show for the Galaxy. His two goals came from four shots, three of which he got on target, while the winger also completed six of his seven dribble attempts.
Bayern complete Olise signing as Palace winger moves to Bundesliga
Bayern Munich have signed winger Michael Olise from Crystal Palace on a five-year deal worth around £45m plus £5m in add-ons.
Olise ends a three-year stay at Selhurst Park having joined from Reading back in 2021.
The Frenchman, who is currently on international duty with France ahead of the Paris Olympics, made 90 appearances for the Eagles, scoring 16 times, 10 of which came last season.
Olise becomes Vincent Kompany's fourth signing since taking over in May, following Hiroki Ito, Bryan Zaragoza, Nestory Irankunda and Armindo Sieb through the doors at the Allianz Arena.
“The talks with FC Bayern were very positive, and I’m very happy to now be playing for such a big club," Olise said upon signing with the 33-time Bundesliga champions.
"It's a great challenge, and that's exactly what I was looking for.
"I want to prove myself at this level and play my part in ensuring that we win as many titles as possible with our team in the coming years.”
Olise is seen as an integral part of new boss Kompany's plans as he looks to overhaul the side that finished second behind Bayer Leverkusen last season, ending a run of 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles.
Christoph Freund, Bayern's sporting director said: “Michael is quick, tricky, a goal threat and very versatile in attack. His goals and assists stats are already outstanding.
"At the age of 22, Michael is already very advanced, but is also hungry and still has a lot of potential. Fans come to the stadium to see players like Michael Olise.”
Bayern are also set to complete the signing of Fulham's Joao Palhinha in a deal worth £42m plus £4m in add-ons.
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