D.C. United coach Troy Lesesne has called on his team to seize their opportunity to close the gap to fellow playoff hopefuls Toronto FC when they visit BMO Field on Saturday.
D.C. prop up the Eastern Conference standings with 26 points from as many games this term, but the congested nature of the table means they are within two points of a wild-card place.
Toronto currently occupy the first of those places, sitting five points clear of D.C. having played one additional game, and Lesesne knows that fact gives Saturday's matchup additional importance.
"We're all well aware of the table and we do try to bring that into view for the players," Lesesne said.
"But also, with eight games left, there's a lot still to be played for. This week, we have another opportunity right in front of us.
"We have to stick to what we want to do as a team. We have Toronto this week, they're in eighth place and a few points ahead of us, so closing that gap has to be our focus right now."
Toronto have won both of their matches since returning from the Leagues Cup break, beating the Houston Dynamo 1-0 in MLS last week then triumphing 1-0 versus Forge in the Canadian Championship semi-finals on Wednesday.
Youngster Kosi Thompson has impressed in central midfield for the Reds lately despite coming through the ranks as a winger, and he now has one eye on making it on the international scene.
"I've learned that it's a man's game," Thompson said. "I was born in Toronto, and it's one of the biggest hotspots in Canada for football, so I would love to represent the national team.
"It's just about being patient and putting the work in to get there."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Toronto FC – Federico Bernardeschi
Bernardeschi (eight goals, eight assists) is the fourth player in Toronto's MLS history to record at least eight goals and eight assists in a single regular-season campaign, after Sebastian Giovinco (four times), Alejandro Pozuelo and Victor Vazquez (twice apiece).
D.C. United – Christian Benteke
Benteke headed home D.C. United's opening goal as they lost 4-3 to FC Dallas last week, his 11th headed goal in regular-season play, more than any other D.C. player over the last 15 MLS seasons.
MATCH PREDICTION – TORONTO FC WIN
Toronto have only lost one of their last seven home matches against D.C. (four wins, two draws, including playoffs), including winning the last two in a row.
Toronto have never won three straight home matches against D.C. United, but after recording two straight shutout wins in regular-season play for the second time this term, could they achieve that feat here?
D.C. won 3-2 at Minnesota United on their last away outing in MLS, but that is their only road win in the competition since early May, losing four and drawing one of their last six.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Toronto FC – 43.5%
D.C. United – 29.7%
Draw – 26.8%
'Everybody called me a liar' - LeBron thrilled by impressive Knecht
LeBron James heaped praise on Dalton Knecht after he tied the NBA's single-game rookie record in the Los Angeles Lakers' win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.
He scored nine 3-pointers, including going 6-for-6 in the third quarter, while scoring a career-high 37 points in the Lakers' 124-118 win, their sixth on the bounce.
Knecht now shares the record with Rodrigue Beaubois (2010), Yogi Ferrell (2017) and Utah's Keyonte George (2024).
The Lakers' six-game winning streak is their longest since February 2021, while they have also extended their perfect home record this season to 7-0.
James, who had 26 points and 12 assists, had previously said that he was a fan of Knecht, having watched him at Tennessee while he was in college.
"Same s*** I saw last year," said James, when asked about being ahead of the curve in praising Knecht.
"Everybody on the internet called me a liar. So, what am I now?
"I watched him. I watched Tennessee a lot. I did not think he would fall to us. I thought it would be impossible."
Knecht was the 17th overall in the 2024 NBA draft, and James brushed off the suggestion that the Lakers 'found' him.
"They [The Lakers] didn't 'find' DK," he added. "The other 16 teams f***** it up. Did anybody watch him? You don't 'find' an SEC player of the year."
Martino: Miami fell 'too short' with early MLS playoff exit
A frustrated Gerardo Martino admitted Inter Miami fell "too short" after being knocked out in the first round of the MLS playoffs by Atlanta United.
Miami won the first match in the best-of-three series at Chase Stadium, but subsequently lost the next two, being beaten 3-2 in the decider on Saturday.
Bartosz Slisz netted the winner in the 76th minute, but the hosts struggled to find an equaliser that would have forced penalties, with Brad Guzen in inspired form as he thwarted their attack.
It is arguably one of the biggest upsets in playoffs history, with Miami the favourites to lift the MLS Cup after a record-breaking regular season saw them claim 74 points in the Eastern Conference.
"In this last part of the year, we get used to achieving the objectives that we set for ourselves, and we have not been able to achieve the most important one," Martino told reporters.
"If you think about where we were in November last year, obviously there is progress as far as the club is concerned, not just the team.
"If you think about the expectations we had for this playoff, obviously we have fallen too short."
While the loss has come as an obvious shock, Atlanta have actually now won three matches against Miami this season.
Jamal Thiare scored two goals in two minutes to give the Five Stripes the lead in the first half, having also hit the post moments before Miami had opened the scoring.
They face another trip to Florida to face Orlando City in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, and the forward is excited to see what else Atlanta can do.
"It took everyone's special amount of running and giving everything that they got," said Thiare. "Everyone's held each other accountable, fighting when we're basically backs against the wall.
"We didn't want to finish the season like this, so it was a good effort in training, but it was really something that the group discovered along the lines of the last few games. And something great is igniting from all of this."
Inter Miami 2-3 Atlanta United: Slisz completes comeback to upset favourites
Atlanta United stunned MLS Cup favourites Inter Miami, coming from behind to win 3-2 and setting up another trip to Florida to face Orlando City in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Bartosz Slisz scored the all-important winner to ensure Atlanta overturned the deficit in the series, having lost their first trip to Chase Stadium.
The hosts started brightly, with Matias Rojas sharply turning in the rebound of Lionel Messi's saved shot moments after Jamal Thiare was denied by the post.
However, the Senegalese striker would soon turn things around with two goals in two minutes – he powered his first shot past Drake Callender after some chaos in the box and was left with a simple tap-in from close range for his second.
Diego Gomez was denied an equaliser by VAR shortly after, having drifted offside before receiving Luis Suarez's pass, while Brad Guzen made a string of fine saves to keep Atlanta's lead intact.
He could not keep them out forever though, with Messi peeling away at the back post to nod in an equaliser in the 65th minute.
It was Slisz who would have the last say though, leaping high to power a header past Callender against the run of play, with Atlanta causing the biggest upset of the playoffs so far.
Data Debrief: One for the books
Miami were classed as the favourites to win the MLS Cup this year, but their defeat to Atlanta maybe should not be too big of a surprise, with this their third loss against them this season.
The Five Stripes ended a six-match winless run on the road in the play-offs (D1 L5), but have still conceded multiple goals in each of their last six such games.
Slisz is not known for his goalscoring, but he stepped up at the right time for Atlanta - it was just his second goal in MLS this season, and his first since May 18.
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