Interim San Jose Earthquakes boss Ian Russell is keen to carry the momentum from last week's crucial victory over the Chicago Fire into Saturday, when Sporting Kansas City visit PayPal Park.
The Earthquakes halted a nine-match winless run and recorded their first victory in three games under Russell last time out, Hernan Lopez's goal proving enough to beat Chicago.
San Jose remain six points adrift of their nearest rivals – Saturday's opponents Sporting – at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, but Russell hopes last week's win can be a turning point.
"We needed a win. The Clasico was disappointing and against St. Louis we were flat. I thought we were on the front foot and deserved to win," Russell said.
"We're happy with how the players responded and got after it. We've had some close ones go the other way.
"Depending on the opponent, the main objective for us was to stop conceding goals. We needed to grind out a game like that and it gives us confidence moving forward.
"We just need to build momentum from that last game and carry it on to Sporting."
Sporting were also victorious last week, beating FC Dallas 3-2 in a game that saw William Agada score twice and Zorhan Bassong sent off late on.
Having then needed extra time to overcome the same opponents in the U.S. Open Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, coach Peter Vermes will leave it until the last minute to pick Saturday's starting lineup.
"We go back to 20 guys now and I can't bury a bunch of guys. One issue is Bassong being out for the next game, that hurts a bit," Vermes said after their Dallas double-header.
"We'll have some challenges that we'll have to deal with and it'll be Saturday morning when we see how some of the players are."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
San Jose Earthquakes – Cristian Espinoza
Espinoza provided the assist on the lone goal in San Jose's win over Chicago last Sunday, his 10th assist of the season.
This is Espinoza's fourth career double-digit assist season, something no other Earthquakes player has done more than twice.
Sporting Kansas City – William Adaga
After scoring twice against Dallas last weekend, Agada has netted in 12 different matches in MLS, and half of those contests have seen him score a brace.
Of players that have scored in 10 or more MLS matches, only Miguel Almiron (53.8%, 7/13) has had multiple goals in a higher percentage of them.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Sporting KC have only lost two of their last 18 matches against the 'Quakes in all competitions, winning 10 and drawing six in a run dating back to September 2016.
One of San Jose's two victories in that span, however, did come when the teams last faced off at PayPal Park last April, a 3-0 win.
With Sporting losing eight straight regular-season road matches, their longest losing streak away from home in the post-shootout era (since 2000), this fixture may come at a good time for San Jose. Whether they have the quality to take three points, though, is a big question.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
San Jose Earthquakes – 35.9%
Sporting Kansas City – 38%
Draw – 26.1%
Philadelphia Union v New England Revolution: Curtin looking to end 'unacceptable' winless streak
Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin has urged his team to find a way to grind out a vital win when they meet the New England Revolution in MLS on Wednesday.
The Union sit bottom of the Eastern Conference having failed to win any of their last 10 matches, extending that streak against Toronto FC on Saturday as they conceded two quickfire second-half goals in a 2-1 defeat.
Their last win came against the Revs in mid-May, and Curtin has set the simple target of getting three points after admitting his team have not been good enough in the last two months.
"We've made some big mistakes and been punished for them. We haven't been able to make the little plays to get over the hump," Curtin said.
"It's unacceptable how many games we haven't been able to find a way to win and the way we've done it has been really disappointing. We've become very fragile, which is uncharacteristic of this group.
"It really comes down with us just finding a way to grind out a win, ugly, pretty, whatever it takes to put it behind us."
Meanwhile, the Revs are one point better off than their opponents, sitting 13th in the table having lost their previous two matches.
They let a lead slip against Orlando City in their 3-1 defeat at the weekend, and head coach Caleb Porter hopes they can put their injury troubles behind them to get back to winning ways.
"We've got to find a way to get some points out of these next two games, even under the circumstances of where we're at," Porter said, as quoted in The Blazing Musket substack.
"And I believe 100% when we're healthy – and we showed it in the four-game stretch – when we have our group healthy, that we can beat anybody in the league."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Philadelphia Union – Daniel Gazdag
Daniel Gazdag has scored five career regular-season goals against New England, more than against any other team in his MLS career.
The five goals are also the most by any player against the Revs since the Hungarian joined MLS in 2021.
New England Revolution – Giacomo Vrioni
Giacomo Vrioni scored New England's lone goal in their loss to Orlando City on Saturday and has now scored six of the club’s last seven goals, including the last three in a row.
MATCH PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA UNION WIN
The Union have won five of their last six matches against New England (L1, incl. playoffs) dating back to July 2022. The Revs had gone unbeaten in the previous five meetings between the sides (W3 D2).
However, the Union (D4 L6) are winless in 10 straight matches within a single regular season for the first time in club history. Philadelphia have won one of their last 17 matches, but that win came over New England in May.
Meanwhile, none of New England's last 16 MLS matches have ended in a draw (W7 L9) dating back to the start of April. In fact, only one of the Revs’ last 26 league matches dating back to late September last season has ended level.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Philadelphia Union – 48.2%
Draw – 25.9%
New England Revolution – 25.9%
FC Cincinnati v Chicago Fire: Noonan desperate for response after 'flat' performance
FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan is desperate to find a remedy for his side's "flat" performance last time out, ahead of Chicago Fire's midweek MLS visit.
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%
Shearer expects Southgate departure after gut-wrenching Euro 2024 failure
Gareth Southgate will likely leave England with his last game as the Euro 2024 final defeat, according to former Three Lions talisman Alan Shearer.
England suffered another European Championship heartbreak on Sunday, falling to Mikel Oyarzbal's 86th-minute winner in Berlin as Spain snatched a deserved 2-1 victory.
Southgate's side are the first side in history to lose consecutive Euros finals, while the England manager is the first boss to ever suffer defeat in two European Championship showpieces.
With Southgate's current contract ending in December, speculation remains rife over his future with reports linking Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino as potential replacements.
Shearer, a former England team-mate of Southgate, believes the Spain defeat may mark his last at the helm of the national side.
"My guess is – and it is only a guess – he may now say to someone else that it is their turn to try to get England over the line," Shearer wrote in his BBC Sport column.
"If he does, then he has put the team in an excellent position for someone to take the team forward, to take that next step and win a major tournament."
Southgate transformed England's fortunes, steadying the ship to take them to unprecedented ground in the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and the Euros finals in back-to-back editions.
"Gareth came in and put a smile on everyone's faces – bringing the squad together," the former Newcastle United striker added.
"He put the team in a much better position mentally and the spirit he nurtured helped us get to the final again.
"For achieving all of those things he deserves a huge amount of respect and gratitude, but it's just unfortunate that – for all his excellent work – Gareth just wasn't quite able to get the best out of this team in Germany, and that was the difference between us reaching another final and winning one."
With the World Cup to follow in 2026, a new era may await England, who must bounce back once more after another setback on the biggest stage.
Regardless of who takes charge in that tournament, Shearer insists Southgate should be proud of his achievements.
"Gareth will be hurting like hell after what happened in Berlin but my feeling is that, when the dust settles on the final of Euro 2024, he will decide he's had enough," Southgate's Euro 1996 team-mate said.
"It should be his decision to stay or go – and I think it will be – but it is a tiring job and he has been doing it for a long time.
"If he does leave, he should go with his head held high because England are in a completely different place now compared to where they were when he took over in 2016."
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