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%

Saturday's MLS clash between the Philadelphia Union and Inter Miami will require both teams to cope without key players, but Jim Curtin is viewing it as an opportunity.

Miami will be without Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez for the match, with the duo preparing to represent Argentina and Uruguay, respectively, at the Copa America.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, will have to make do without 10-goal leading scorer Daniel Gazdag, who is part of Hungary's squad for Euro 2024.

Asked about the difficulties of coping without Gazdag, Curtin pointed out that Miami will also need to adjust and highlighted 20-year-old midfielder Jack McGlynn as an example of a player who could stand to benefit. 

"He's not a 10 but he has the passing range to unlock a defence," Curtin said of McGlynn. "Maybe he does it from a deeper position, but we might need him to be a little more aggressive.

"Unfortunately, he won't be passing the ball to Daniel Gazdag so all these things weigh in, just like Jordi Alba won't be combining with Messi. 

"Both teams aren't at full strength, so we have to make the most of what it is. I see this as an opportunity to bring out players' skills, like with Jack."

Miami lead the way in the Eastern Conference with 35 points, 15 clear of the eighth-placed Union having played two additional matches.

Since Messi joined the Herons last year, they have only won three of 14 matches without him, drawing five and losing six. 

The Argentine's minutes were managed ahead of him linking up with Argentina, which coach Gerardo Martino says was necessary. 

"With the passage of time, one sees the body does not recover in the same way," he told TyC Sports this week. 

"He understands it, he sees that there are trips that are high-risk and long. That's why we started to agree on when it is necessary for him to stop."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Philadelphia Union – Jack McGlynn

McGlynn, who is expected to play a major role for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, has two goals and four assists this season.

That first figure is a joint career best, while the latter is a new personal benchmark. The cultured left-footer could be set to play a central role at Subaru Park.

Inter Miami – Sergio Busquets

With Messi and Suarez absent, it could be down to Busquets to lead the way for Miami. 

The Barcelona great trails only Riqui Puig (1,330) for successful passes in MLS this year (1,115), and four of his 17 chances created have become assists. 

MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW

Miami have won two of their last four away games against Philadelphia (one draw, one defeat). 

They are one of just three teams (alongside New York City and Orlando City) with multiple road wins over the Union since the start of the 2021 season.

Philadelphia have struggled at home in general lately, going six regular-season matches without a win (two draws, four defeats) at Subaru Park. 

Since last September, they have only won two of their 13 league games on home soil (seven draws, four defeats), with only two MLS sides collecting fewer home points than their 13 since that run began.

However, with both teams missing key players, it is difficult to have much confidence in either. A draw could be on the cards, with Miami lacking their usual firepower. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY 

Philadelphia Union – 38.4%

Inter Miami – 35.2%

Draw – 26.5%

Atlanta United interim head coach Rob Valentino is hoping to get off to a positive start when they welcome Houston Dynamo to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Atlanta announced on June 3 that they had parted ways with Gonzalo Pineda, with Valentino stepping into his shoes with the Five Stripes sitting 13th in the Eastern Conference.

They have won just one of their last 11 matches in the MLS – beating Inter Miami 3-1 – but defeat to Charlotte FC last time out spelt the end for Pineda.

"I want to get back to that enjoyment," Valentino said. "How we can find that every day, on and off the field - and shared success.

"When you look at teams and organizations, it is not one person's fault, it is shared in terms of where we are. There is that responsibility and accountability.

"But on the other side of it, I want there to be shared success. We really want to enjoy the day-to-day. I think that is going to be the message going forward from myself."

Meanwhile, Houston are seventh in the Western Conference after losing just two of their seven matches before the mid-season break.

Having ended their scoreless run in May, head coach Ben Olsen is keen to ensure their good run in front of goal continues.

"Even on the road, we're putting up numbers," said Olsen. "We're constantly working to fine-tune some things and push the guys in making real actions and moving with conviction in the final third.

"[Not scoring] was a frustrating period for us, so now, hopefully, the goal stays big for us. There's a lot still to be desired, but I'm looking forward to being back at work."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Atlanta United – Thiago Almada

Almada scored his fourth goal of the campaign in Atlanta's defeat to Charlotte FC last time out, making him joint-second in the team’s scoring charts this season. He is now just one behind top scorer Giorgos Giakoumakis.

Houston Dynamo – Sebastian Kowalczyk

Kowalczyk has scored in consecutive games for the Dynamo after having found the net just once in his first 21 career MLS matches. Kowalczyk is the third Dynamo player to score in consecutive appearances this season after Latif Blessing, Ibrahim Aliyu.

MATCH PREDICTION: ATLANTA UNITED WIN

The home side has won all three meetings between Atlanta and Houston. The home side have outscored the visitors 13-1 in the three games, with the hosts scoring at least four times in all three meetings.

However, Atlanta have lost a club-record five straight regular-season home matches. Prior to this run, Atlanta had never lost more than two consecutive home league games before.

Since moving to the Western Conference in 2015, the Dynamo have managed just five wins in 41 away matches against Eastern foes (D9 L27). Since the start of the 2019 season, Houston have lost 14 of 19 away matches against the East (W2 D3).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Atlanta United – 44%

Draw – 26.8%

Houston Dynamo – 29.2%

Eric Ramsay is looking forward to the challenge Minnesota United face when they travel to Seattle Sounders in the MLS on Saturday.

Minnesota are third in the Western Conference, having lost just one of their last nine matches in the competition.

With leaders Real Salt Lake just four points in front of them, the Loons are looking to keep on the pressure, but they have never earned a point when travelling to Seattle.

However, Ramsey is confident his team can put that history behind them after watching them rise to challenges throughout the season.

"It's a challenge that we can go and meet head-on," he said. "We've met challenges all the way through this season in that way.

"I can only imagine it's a positive, if anything. I said to the group that every time they've been asked to rise to the occasion, largely they've done that.

"Going to a place like that, where we obviously find it difficult - we have a big few days that could arguably define the upcoming period."

Meanwhile, Seattle have won just one of their last five outings and sit outside the playoff places in the table.

Captain Stefan Frei admitted it is tough to look on the bright side after their poor run, but is hopeful they can get themselves out of trouble.

"Finding positive things has been hard this year. Finding frustration is very easy," said Frei. "Finding negatives is very easy.

"But you cannot succumb to that because no good will come from it. You've got to keep trying to find positives and, if not, create them so that we can all find a way out of this hole. Even as an individual, to find a way through it, so you can help the rest of the team."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Seattle Sounders – Stefan Frei

Seattle conceded the game-winning goal to Kansas City in the 85th minute on Saturday in a 2-1 defeat.

The Sounders have allowed a result-changing goal in the last 10 minutes five times this season, including in three of their last four regular-season matches (two equalizers, one winner). Stefan Frei will be aiming to avoid conceding another late goal on Saturday.

Minnesota United – Hassani Dotson

Dotson scored just his second goal of the season in Minnesota's 1-1 draw with FC Dallas last time out. Only five players for the Loons have netted more times than him this season.

MATCH PREDICTION: SEATTLE SOUNDERS WIN

The Sounders have won all eight of their home matches against Minnesota United (incl. playoffs). The longest home winning streak by one team over another in MLS play (incl. playoffs) is nine straight, done five times, most recently by Philadelphia Union against D.C. United (2015-22).

Six of Seattle's last eight home MLS matches have ended in draws (W1 L1), including the last three in a row. Dating back to last June, the Sounders have split the points in 10 of their last 15 home league games.

Meanwhile, Minnesota have lost only one of their last nine regular-season matches (W5 D3) following a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas on Saturday. The Loons enter their 17th match of the season with just three defeats this year after having never had fewer than five losses in the first half of a full season before.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Seattle Sounders – 41.6%

Draw – 26.7%

Minnesota United – 31.8%

LA Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida says the team are not satisfied with their position at the halfway stage of the MLS season, with Sporting Kansas City next up on Saturday.

The Galaxy's six-match unbeaten streak ended before the mid-season break, with the Chicago Fire coming from behind to beat them 2-1.

They sit fourth in the Western Conference, five points behind leaders Real Salt Lake, but Yoshida believes they should be challenging for the top spot.

"It's a big improvement on last season, but I'm still not satisfied. I'm still not happy enough," Yoshida said.

"Maybe, generally, people say the Galaxy are doing well, but I feel like we could play better and get more points. We should be top of the league. I'll always stay hungry and greedy, and I want to do more and more and more."

Head coach Greg Vanney echoed his thoughts, saying: "I'm pretty happy with the point total that we have from the first half of the season.

"We let a couple of opportunities to be a little higher go. I think we learned a lot about ourselves that we need to clean up or keep using as we understand ourselves better."

Sporting snapped a 10-match winless run last weekend with a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders, leaving them in 12th.

Peter Vermes is confident his team can use that victory as a platform to push them forward for the second half of the season.

He said: "This is a good team. The issue last year, which was different, was for the longest time, I had to be the one to tell them that. Our win over [Colorado] should reinforce that message that they're good. When they want to play, they can play."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

LA Galaxy – Riqui Puig

Puig has found the net in three consecutive appearances for the Galaxy for the first time in his MLS career. The Spaniard has been involved in seven goals since the beginning of May with only four players in MLS involved in more in that time.

Sporting Kansas City – Johnny Russell

Russell scored his seventh career regular-season goal against Seattle Sounders in the win on Saturday, his most against any opponent, breaking a tie with three other teams against whom he has scored six times, including the Galaxy.

MATCH PREDICTION: LA GALAXY WIN

The Galaxy ended a six-match winless run against Kansas City (D3 L3) with a 3-2 road win on March 24. The win was just the Galaxy's third in their last 17 matches against Sporting dating back to October 2015 (D7 L7).

LA have lost only one of their last 17 regular-season home matches (W8 D8), including winning four of their last five in Carson (D1). The 17 matches in that run have seen a total of 67 goals for an average of 3.9 per match.

Meanwhile, Kansas City ended a seven-match losing streak with a 2-1 victory over Seattle on Saturday. Sporting came from 1-0 down in the match as they have gone behind in 10 straight league matches dating back to mid-April.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

LA Galaxy – 53.5%

Draw – 23.8%

Sporting Kansas City – 22.7%

Oscar Pareja believes it is important for Orlando City to rediscover their self-confidence ahead of Saturday's clash with in-form Los Angeles FC at Inter&Co Stadium.

The international break means Orlando have been out of action since a 1-0 defeat to the New York Red Bulls on June 2, their third straight game without a victory.

While they sit a lowly 11th in the Eastern Conference standings with 17 points, LAFC are second in the West with 30 points after winning five in a row in MLS play.

Asked about the value of having time off to reflect on their poor run, Pareja said: "It's important, because with the work we do, the intensity of how we do things is important.

"We are optimistic after having a refresh when we needed it."

On the challenge of facing LAFC, the Orlando coach added: "Many teams have challenges with players being away. We are professionals, we expect a team that is playing well.

"But at the same time, it's a great opportunity for us to play well and raise our confidence, to get the points we need right now." 

In all competitions, LAFC have won their last six matches without conceding, becoming the first team from MLS to ever accomplish that feat.

Head coach Steve Cherundolo believes that achievement is the result of a team effort, saying: "I think the team is playing a mature, professional, complete 90 minutes.

"Some teams have better defensive solutions against us so we don't have quite as many chances, but in every game we are creating chances and we are not giving up many chances.

"Our collective defending is very good. You're seeing it all come together."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Orlando City – Nicolas Lodeiro 

Lodeiro has been involved in nine goals in MLS play against Los Angeles (five goals, four assists, including playoffs). 

Only Cristian Espinoza (15) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11) have been involved in more versus them.

Los Angeles FC – Denis Bouanga 

Bouanga scored LAFC's goal in their 1-0 win over FC Dallas last time out on June 1. 

The goal was Bouanga's 48th in all competitions since the start of last season, 16 more than any other MLS player in that time.

MATCH PREDICTION – LOS ANGELES FC WIN

LAFC are unbeaten in four all-time meetings with Orlando (two wins, two draws), though the Lions did eliminate them on penalties from the quarter-finals of MLS is Back in 2020.

Orlando are winless in their last five home matches, drawing two and losing three while failing to net in each of their last three – they had only previously gone three home matches without netting in their second, third and fourth home MLS games back in 2015.

LAFC, meanwhile, have won seven successive matches in all competitions, the last six of them to nil. They will fancy their chances of victory, even without home advantage.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Orlando City – 37.7%

Los Angeles FC – 35.9%  

Draw – 26.4%

Caleb Porter praised his "evolving" New England Revolution side as they prepare to face Vancouver Whitecaps on the back of consecutive wins.

In their opening 13 games, New England only had two wins on the board in the Eastern Conference, sitting bottom with seven points.

Though they still prop up the standings, they are now on 13 points after wins over Nashville SC and New York Red Bulls, with Porter hopeful they can keep building on this momentum.

"The biggest key is our mentality has been stronger," Porter said, as quoted in The Blazing Musket substack.

"We're finding ways to get results. That evolution, I'm very pleased with, so I think, for me, it's unquestionable, we're evolving in every aspect."

"We know we're in a hole, there's no doubt about it. We have to continue to fight our way out, and it's going to take every game, and it's going to take until the end of the season."

Vancouver, meanwhile, are fifth in the Western Conference after back-to-back victories of their own against Sporting Kansas City and Colorado Rapids.

After their mid-season break, Vanni Sartini is aiming to improve on some of the weaknesses shown in the first half of the campaign.

"I think we did okay [in the first half]," he said. "We're doing well. I think that we were doing very well defensively - I'd say the best in my years as head coach here.

"I think we can do a little more in the final third. We are playing well, but we need to be better at finishing the action more. If we can do that, we can aspire to go to the top four positions."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New England Revolution – Carles Gil

Gil assisted Emmanuel Boateng on the lone goal of the match in New England's win Saturday. The Spaniard has been involved in seven (five goals, two assists) of the Revs’ 12 goals this season.

Vancouver Whitecaps – Ryan Gauld

Gauld assisted both of Vancouver's goals in their win over Colorado on June 1, taking him to 31 assists to go along with 30 goals in regular-season play.

The Scotsman is one of three players (Luciano Acosta, Hany Mukhtar) with at least 30 goals and 30 assists since he joined the MLS in August 2021.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

The Revolution have lost only two of their 11 all-time meetings with Vancouver (W5 D4), including winning four of the six meetings at Gillette Stadium (D1 L1).

New England have also won back-to-back matches for the first time since July last year after winning just two of their first 13 league matches this season. All four of New England's wins this year have been by a one-goal margin.

Meanwhile, the Whitecaps have won back-to-back matches, recording 2-1 wins against Sporting Kansas City and Colorado Rapids. This is Vancouver's sixth set of consecutive wins since the start of last season, though they have not won three league matches in a row since September-October 2022.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New England Revolution – 38.6%

Draw – 26.5%

Vancouver Whitecaps – 34.9%

New York Red Bulls captain Sean Nealis has vowed the team will learn from last week's defeat to the New England Revolution, when they were hamstrung by several absences.

The Red Bulls were beaten 1-0 in Foxborough following a run of four wins in five matches, with Lewis Morgan and Emil Forsberg among the big names missing due to international duty.

The result left them fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, six points adrift of Supporters' Shield frontrunners Inter Miami.

"We separated ourselves from the bottom half of the group and now we're kind of just lying there in the middle," centre-back Nealis said as he reflected on New York's last result.

"We'll learn from this. We'll get better from it. This is a young group out there. 

"A lot got their first minutes of the season and I think we'll all learn how to get better and how to understand these environments and then get over the hump."

Nashville, meanwhile, sit ninth in the East, 10 points adrift of the Red Bulls. 

They have taken four points from four games (one win, two draws, one defeat) since Rumba Munthali took over as interim head coach following the firing of Gary Smith.

They were also beaten by the Revs on their last MLS outing before the international break, and Munthali believes keeping players fresh will be key if they are to improve.   

"It's a quick turnaround, and we have a lot of confidence in the group," Munthali said. 

"We try to balance that, and we want to make sure guys are available for the whole season, not just game to game.

"It's about managing and making sure we're not straining guys and breaking them."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New York Red Bulls – Elias Manoel

Having seen the likes of Morgan and Forsberg go on international duty, the Red Bulls could be left to rely on Manoel.

He has three goals and three assists in MLS play this term, despite only making eight starts. Only Morgan (nine) and Forsberg (six) have outscored him for New York.

Nashville SC – Hany Mukhtar 

Mukhtar scored Nashville's only goal in their defeat to New England on June 1 from the penalty spot. 

He has been directly involved in each of Nashville's last four MLS goals (two goals, two assists, with the last Nashville goal without a Mukhtar involvement coming on May 15.

MATCH PREDICTION – NEW YORK RED BULLS WIN

Nashville ended a seven-game run without an away victory by beating FC Cincinnati 2-0 on May 29, just their second win in their last 16 away league matches. 

However, they may struggle on Saturday against a team unbeaten in 10 straight home games (seven wins, three draws), dating back to last year's playoffs.

The Red Bulls are also unbeaten in their last five meetings with Nashville, winning two and drawing three while only conceding once in that sequence. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York Red Bulls – 52%

Nashville SC – 23.5%

Draw – 24.5% 

Nick Cushing has been impressed with New York City's preparations for their MLS return against the Columbus Crew on Saturday. 

NYCFC headed into the international break having achieved their longest winning run in a single domestic campaign since 2019 (five games), leaving them third in the Eastern Conference and six points behind Inter Miami with two games in hand. 

Cushing explained the break in play halted his side's momentum, but was pleased to see a renewed focus among the players upon their return to training. 

“You can look at the break in two ways,” Cushing said. “It wasn’t the perfect timing because we had momentum and results, but at the same time, you have to take the rest when you get it because the schedule is so brutal.

“It was a great opportunity to rest and recover and give the players some family time as well as refresh and regenerate. I was really pleased with the focus they came back with.

“We know Columbus is going to be difficult, but I’m really pleased with the way the players have prepared this week.”

Columbus come into the fixture on a winning streak of their own, beating Orlando City 2-0 away from home to secure a third straight away success last time out in MLS.

The Crew have had two weeks to recover from their CONCACAF Champions Cup defeat against Pachuca, in which many of their players spent the two days leading up to the match suffering from food poisoning. 

"It’s true that something happened over there," head coach Wilfried Nancy said. "We were all good, and suddenly when we woke up, we were all sick.

"So, it was difficult for me, during the game also, to assess and to do changes and to help my team to get better because they weren't in a normal state."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New York City – Alonso Martinez

Martínez came off the bench to score a hat-trick in nine minutes and 57 seconds in the second half of NYCFC’s win over San Jose Earthquakes last time out.

In doing so, Martínez became the seventh player in MLS history to score three goals from the bench.

Columbus Crew – Diego Rossi 

Rossi has scored four goals in his last three MLS games, the fourth time he has managed to do so in his career. 

New York City are one of only seven teams in MLS that Rossi has failed to score against since his move to America in 2023. 

MATCH PREDICTION – COLUMBUS CREW WIN

The Crew have won their last three regular-season matches, all on the road, including a 2-0 win at Orlando in their last MLS match on May 25. Columbus have won four straight regular-season road matches just once before in club history, doing so in August-September 2015.

Columbus are unbeaten in their last three encounters against NYCFC, last tasting defeat against Saturday's opponents in August 2022. 

But, New York have lost only one of their last 10 home matches against the Crew (seven wins, two draws, including playoffs) after losing the first meeting in 2015, also scoring in all 11 home matches against them. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York City – 34%

Draw – 25.8%

Columbus Crew – 40.3%

Lionel Messi has ruled out the possibility of participating in the Paris Olympics, conceding "it would be too much to play two straight tournaments".

Messi is gearing up for Argentina's Copa America title defence, which begins against Canada on June 20, while they will also face Chile and Peru in Group A.

The final takes place on July 14, with the Olympic tournament beginning in Paris 10 days later. 

With three overage players allowed per team in the primarily under-23 event, leading to speculation that Messi could feature for La Albiceleste.

However, the 36-year-old, who was a gold medallist in Beijing 16 years ago, revealed he would not be partcipating following a discussion with Argentina under-23s coach - and former team-mate - Javier Mascherano.

"I talked to Mascherano and the truth is we both understood the situation," Messi told ESPN.

"It's hard [to think about the Olympics right now] because we're in Copa America. It would be two, three straight months of not being with the club, and more than anything, I'm not at an age to be in everything.

"I have to choose carefully, and it would be too much to play two straight tournaments. I've been very lucky to play in the Olympics, and win it together with [Mascherano].

"It was a wonderful experience on a football level. Olympics, under-20s, memories I'll never forget."

Lionel Messi knows his illustrious career is running out of time as the Argentina great suggested his club playing days will end with Inter Miami.

The Barcelona legend completed a switch to MLS side Miami last year after two decades of European football with the Blaugrana and Paris Saint-Germain.

As Messi starts to prepare for Argentina's Copa America defence this month, retirement remains a pertinent question for the global superstar.

The 36-year-old, speaking to ESPN, acknowledged Miami will likely "be my last club" as the fear sets in over ending his playing career sooner rather than later.

"I've done this all of my life; I love playing ball," the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner said on Wednesday. 

"I enjoy the practices and the day-to-day, the games. There's a bit of fear that it's all ending. It's always there. It was a difficult step leaving Europe to come here [Miami].

"The fact we won the World Cup helped, it helped a lot, to see things in another way. But I try not to think about it, I try to enjoy it.

"I do that more now because I'm aware that there's not a lot of time left. So I have a good time with the club, being lucky to have good team-mates and friends at my side.

"I enjoy my time with the national team, where I also have good friends, too, and a lot. I enjoy those small details that I know I'll miss when I stop playing."

Messi is Barcelona's all-time top scorer with 672 goals, as well as lifting four Champions League trophies amid a glittering career.

Yet the ageing forward insists World Cup glory in 2022 remains his crowning moment, following in the footsteps of late Albiceleste great Diego Maradona.

"Obviously, I was sad that he couldn't experience what we experienced [winning the 2022 World Cup], because I know what he felt for the national team and what he would say about Argentina being world champion again," he added.

"We went through a World Cup together which aside from the result was an impressive experience, going through that day-to-day with him, how happy he was, seeing him enjoy being the manager.

"So I try to remember all the good times that we had together. I know that he loved me a lot, and I loved him, despite what was said in the media.

"The reality is we had a lot of affection for each other, and since he met me he was always supportive and wanted the best for me.

"It was a shame that he couldn't live to experience it like the rest of the country did."

Bradley Carnell is taking last week's 3-3 draw with Inter Miami as a sign of St. Louis City making huge strides in attack, as they prepare to host the Portland Timbers on Saturday.

St. Louis sit 11th in the Western Conference, three points behind the improving Timbers, after playing out a thrilling draw with Lionel Messi and company.

That result ended a three-match losing run for Carnell's team, and he hopes it will represent something of a turning point in their season.

"When you score three goals and create the amount of chances we did, I saw a lot of good things against a counter-pressing Miami team with a full roster," Carnell said.

"To go away from home and score three goals, it gives me a lot of hope. We've been working hard on exploiting space in transition as that's our bread and butter.

"We're excited about the development of some of the guys, we're happy for the success they're now getting. That gives me hope for the games coming up."

The Timbers, meanwhile, have taken seven points from their last three games to move into a playoff position, drawing 2-2 with the Houston Dynamo following wins over Sporting Kansas City (2-1) and Austin FC (2-0).

Boss Phil Neville said: "We're looking forward to the game, it's always tough to go to St. Louis. They're a high-pressing team that don't give you a moment on the ball.

"The players have trained well all week, coming off the back of a really good week. We put in a massive effort.

"We're focused for tomorrow. It's going to be a good game and we're really looking forward to it."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

St. Louis City – Indiana Vassilev

Vassilev scored just his second goal of the year against Miami last time out. 

Only Celio Pompeu (34) and Joao Klauss (21) have topped his 20 key passes this term among St. Louis team-mates, so he could hold the key to opening up the Timbers.

Portland Timbers – Evander

Evander assisted two of the Timbers' goals last time out, taking his total to seven assists this season, along with seven goals.

No Portland player had ever reached seven goals and seven assists in fewer than 18 appearances at the start of an MLS season before this year (Diego Valeri doing so in both 2017 and 2018).

MATCH PREDICTION – ST. LOUIS CITY WIN

St. Louis and Portland both recorded 2-1 away wins over one another last season, with both games being played before the end of April. Three of the six goals in those matches were scored in the 75th minute or later.

St. Louis' 3-3 draw with Miami last week was their 15th regular-season game with at least three goals scored, two more than any other team since they joined MLS last year.

Coming up against a leaky Portland defence, which has shipped 32 goals in just 17 matches this term, Carnell's men could get some joy.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

St. Louis City – 43.5%

Portland Timbers – 29.7%

Draw – 26.8% 

Peter Vermes is hoping for a competitive match when Sporting Kansas City face off against rivals Seattle Sounders in the MLS on Saturday.

Sporting KC have struggled so far this season, sitting bottom of the Western Conference on just 11 points after winning just two of their games.

They are currently on a 10-match winless streak, but Vermes wants his team to use past grudges against Seattle to inspire a win.

"Seattle have always had a very good team, a solid nucleus," Vermes said. "We always have battles with them no matter where we're playing. They're an explosive team that can defend very well. It'll be a tough battle.

"We're two very competitive teams that are in the middle of competing for the same things. You end up playing each other a lot and having grudges that roll over. It's healthy.

"Everybody's form comes into play at some point. Not just as individuals, but as a team. We will win together for sure."

Seattle are seven points better off in the table, but their home form has let them down of late, leaving them sitting just below the playoff places.

Head coach Brian Schmetzer is aiming to continue their winning streak on the road in Kansas City.

"We've been pretty good on the road, more road wins than home wins," Schmetzer said. "It's a confident team. I think we have been playing better as of late.

"We've talked about closing out games, we'll be ready for them. Execution is critical. We've got a good team with plenty of confidence - we just need to execute plays more regularly."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sporting KC – Johnny Russell

Russell, who scored Kansas City's lone goal on Saturday, has scored six times in 11 career regular-season matches against the Sounders.

No player has scored more goals against Seattle than Russell since he joined MLS in 2018 (tied with Sebastian Blanco and Cristian Espinoza).

Seattle Sounders – Jordan Morris

Morris has scored seven career regular-season goals against Sporting, including four in his last visit to Kansas City. Only against LA Galaxy (nine) has Morris scored more regular-season goals during his MLS career.

MATCH PREDICTION: SPORTING KANSAS CITY WIN

Seattle have lost a lead in the 90th minute or later twice this season, including doing so against Real Salt Lake on May 30. The Sounders had only failed to win when leading in the 90th minute or later twice in the previous six seasons combined (2018-23).

Seattle have won six of their 13 regular-season visits to Kansas City (D2 L5), including winning two of the last three. The Sounders' .462 winning percentage in Kansas City is the best of any team that has visited Sporting six or more times in the post-shootout era (since 2000).

Kansas City equaled the longest true losing streak (excl. breakaway shootout losses) in the club's regular-season history at seven with a 3-1 loss at Minnesota on Saturday. It was the first defeat in the streak by more than a one-goal margin, and they will be aiming to avoid creating a new record.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Sporting KC – 40.9%

Draw – 26.6%

Seattle Sounders – 32.5%

Nico Estevez believes FC Dallas are building towards a big result against a top team as they travel to Minnesota United on Saturday.

Dallas are winless in their last four games and have not won on the road yet this season, leaving them 12th in the Western Conference with 13 points.

Estevez said he was pleased with the performances he has seen away from home so far and is hopeful they can turn that into their first win.

"I think it's important because overall, we have performed very well against the top teams in the West," said Estevez, as quoted by the Big D Soccer substack. 

"I think we were unlucky not to have more points than we have. We have to take those positives, but as I said to the guys, is all these little steps that we are making, and we're feeling better about how we're competing against top teams."

Meanwhile, Minnesota got back to winning ways last Saturday with a 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City.

With other teams around them not playing this weekend, the Loons have the opportunity to leapfrog Los Angeles FC into second and close the gap to leaders Real Salt Lake to two points.

They are missing players due to international duty, but head coach Eric Ramsay is confident his side are in a good position to get a positive result.

"We will do what we can [against Dallas] with a group of very hungry players, but it's a testing position [to be without so many players through internationals]," said Ramsay.

"Hopefully our squad is stronger for that. We've given ourselves a bit of breathing space [with the win last weekend], but I'm genuinely excited about how we shape up and see what we can produce."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Minnesota United – Robin Lod

Lod came off the bench to score against Kansas City on Saturday, his seventh straight regular-season home match with a goal contribution, tying Darwin Quintero for the second-longest run in club history.

Only Lod himself has had a longer streak, contributing to a goal in 13 straight at home in 2020-21.

FC Dallas – Asier Illarramendi

Illarramendi completed 91 of his 99 pass attempts at Los Angeles FC on Saturday. The last Dallas player to complete more passes in an away match was Javier Morales (96) at Colorado in October 2017.

MATCH PREDICTION: MINNESOTA UNITED WIN

Minnesota have only lost one of their last 10 meetings with Dallas (W5 D4, incl. playoffs) dating back to September 2020. Dallas had won five of the first seven meetings between the sides prior to September 2020 (L2).

The Loons’ win over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday took them to 28 points from 15 matches this season, six more than they have ever had at this stage of a season in club history.

Meanwhile, Dallas are winless in their first eight away matches this season (D2 L6), equaling the second-longest road winless run to begin a season in club history (also eight in 2012). Dallas only went longer before a road win in 2000, failing to win any of their first 11 away from home that year.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Minnesota United – 53%

Draw – 24%

FC Dallas – 23%

Caleb Porter wants to use New England Revolution's win last weekend as a springboard to turn their season around as they prepare to face the New York Red Bulls.

The Revs had won just one of their previous seven matches in the MLS before travelling to Nashville SC and held out for a much-needed 2-1 victory.

They remain bottom of the Eastern Conference, and Porter's main aim is to find some consistency, but admits that might be hard with players leaving to go on international duty.

"We want to keep continuity as much as we can because we're finally getting some continuity in our understanding," Porter said, as quoted in the Blazing Musket substack.

"That's going to breed more and more consistency in our play. So, we'll keep continuity as much as we can, but we have a couple of ideas on what we're going to do."

"It will be our execution against their execution. I don't think there will be a tonne of mysteries about what they're looking to do. It's going to come down to who executes better," he added in a press conference.

Meanwhile, New York Red Bulls sit fourth in the table having won back-to-back home games, but have struggled on the road of late, something Sandro Schwarz is keen to change.

"We need our home mentality and our whole energy for Saturday. We didn't change the first days in our week or our preparation," Schwarz said.

"Even with all the changes as players go off internationally, we haven't let it affect us. It's an opportunity for us to get the next three points, it's our chance, we have to be focused and bring the intensity on Saturday."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New England – Carles Gil

Gil's first-half goal in Saturday's win at Nashville was his sixth goal from outside the box in regular-season play since the beginning of last season. Only Thiago Almada (seven) has scored more goals from outside the box than him in that time.

New York RB – John Tolkin

Tolkin scored his third career direct free-kick goal for the Red Bulls (incl. playoffs) in the win over Orlando on Saturday, more than any other player for the side since the start of the 2010 season.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEW YORK RED BULLS WIN

New England have lost only three of their last 33 home MLS matches against the Red Bulls (W21 D9, incl. playoffs) dating back to September 2002, including winning eight of the last 11 (D1 L2).

However, the Revolution have lost their last three home matches, their first such losing streak since June-July 2014. The Revs have only one longer losing streak (excluding breakaway shootouts) in all competitions in club history, losing five straight in July-September 1999.

Meanwhile, New York's 1-0 win over Orlando on Saturday took them to 29 points from 16 matches this season (W8 D5 L3). The Red Bulls could equal the club record of 32 points in the first half of a season with a win over the Revs, reaching that total in the Supporters' Shield-winning 2018 campaign.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New England – 29.5%

Draw – 24.7%

New York RB – 45.7%