Rob Valentino questioned Atlanta United's mentality after their recent drop in form and hopes to find a solution before meeting the New York Red Bulls in MLS.
The Five Stripes are winless in their last four matches, drawing three in a row before falling to a disappointing 2-1 loss to CF Montreal in midweek.
Sitting 12th in the Eastern Conference, they can still mathematically clinch a playoff spot, but they have to win their final two matches and hope other results go their way.
Valentino was not happy with what he saw from his players against Montreal though, questioning their desire.
"We should always be fighting to win the game, and you just can't give up," Valentino said.
"I'm not going to sugarcoat things, but at the end of the day, I also see that it looks like it doesn't really matter [to the players]. It should look different.
"It's about recovering and going again, but there's no easy solve."
Steve Cherundolo stated his pride in Los Angeles FC's defence and hopes they can put in another big performance against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.
LAFC have won their last three games in all competitions, starting with their US Open Cup win over Sporting KC before getting back on track in MLS.
They are second in the Western Conference with three games left, with their 1-0 win over St. Louis City, in which they did not concede a single shot on target, closing the gap to LA Galaxy.
Cherundolo lauded his defenders for that performance and is pleased to see their training sessions paying off.
"It's great to see we're growing and learning in certain situations and putting all the pieces together," Cherundolo said.
"The defensive side of the game is something we train a lot and take pride in. When our defenders have enough minutes together and continuity, we're quite good.
"They've done extremely well and adapted amazingly by applying their lessons from training into the matches."
Meanwhile, Kansas City will not be playing in the postseason as they sit 13th after just one win in their last five, losing 3-1 to St. Louis last time out.
However, head coach Peter Vermes has challenged his side to finish the regular season on a high.
"I'd like to win both games. This isn't like handing out free passes to go and play," Vermes said.
"Being in this spot isn't normal for our club, but I'm not changing the way I pick the team. We've still got two games to play, and we'll give it everything we have to make it tough."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sporting Kansas City – Stephen Afrifa
Despite dominating against St. Louis last time out, Kansas City failed to get a win, though Stephen Afrifa ensured they did not fire a blank.
He scored their only goal after having six shots, four of which were on target, while also having nine touches in the opposition box, more than anyone else on the pitch.
LAFC – Denis Bouanga
There is no doubt who has been one of the star performers for LAFC this season, with Denis Bouanga scoring 19 goals in MLS so far.
He does not just score goals though, as he can also dictate play – his five chances created against St. Louis last time out were the most of any player in the game.
MATCH PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES FC WIN
Kansas City have failed to win any of the six meetings with LAFC since September 2021 in MLS regular season and have only won four of their 12 matches overall against the club.
This will be the third meeting between the sides this season, with their previous MLS meeting ending in a 0-0 draw, before LAFC beat them 3-1 in extra time to clinch the US Open Cup final last month.
That win over Sporting in the final started a three-match winning streak for LAFC, who were winless in their five games prior to that run.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Sporting Kansas City – 28.8%
Draw – 24.5%
LAFC – 46.8%
Greg Vanney has his eyes on finishing top of the Western Conference with LA Galaxy this season, with Austin FC one of the teams in their way of the title.
The Galaxy are currently six points clear in the table with two games left and have won their last two matches against Vancouver Whitecaps and Colorado Rapids.
They are in fine form at home too, winning six in a row, with their last such 'home' defeat coming at the Rose Bowl against Los Angeles FC.
Vanney is enjoying life at the Galaxy this season and hopes they can extend their impressive recent run on Saturday.
"It's a great group of players and this whole season has been helping to read our guys and mould them into the group that can be the best they can be," Vanney said.
"We want them to be a contender for championships, and hopefully we can close this thing out in the West.
"When you're winning everything is better than when you're not, but things with this group are good. They're hungry and want to be successful, it's fun to coach them."
Meanwhile, Austin are mathematically still in with a chance of the playoffs, sitting six points behind Portland Timbers in ninth, though their chances are slim.
They snapped a five-match winless streak with a 1-0 victory over Portland last time out, and Josh Wolff is hopeful they can show the same mentality against the Galaxy.
"I talk to these guys about it all the time," Wolff said. "If there's a collective willingness, we've shown we can beat anybody.
"It has to be extremely committed by the group, and you've got to take care of your opportunities at the other end too."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LA Galaxy – Gabriel Pec
Gabriel Pec (28) and Riqui Puig (27) each have recorded at least 27 goal contributions this season.
They are only the second pair of teammates to reach that mark in a single season in the last 20 years after Robbie Keane (33) and Landon Donovan (29), also for the Galaxy, in 2014.
Austin FC – Daniel Pereira
On Wednesday against Portland, Daniel Pereira scored his first goal for Austin since June 2022, giving him three goals for his MLS career.
All three of Pereira's MLS goals have come in one-goal victories.
MATCH PREDICTION: LA GALAXY WIN
Austin ended a four-match winless run against LA Galaxy on April 27 with a 2-0 home win. The Galaxy have won all three meetings between the sides in Carson, however, outscoring Austin 8-1 in those games.
Austin have kept a clean sheet on the road in six regular-season matches in 2024, including Wednesday's 1-0 win at Portland. Entering this season, the team had six road shutouts total in their three MLS seasons (two in 2021, four in 2022, none in 2023).
Meanwhile, the Galaxy have won 10 consecutive regular-season matches at Dignity Health Sports Park dating back to late May, scoring multiple goals in all of those matches. The Galaxy have lost only one of their last 25 regular-season matches in Carson, dating back to June 2023.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
LA Galaxy – 55.2%
Draw – 23.1%
Austin FC – 21.7%
Vancouver Whitecaps defender Ranko Veselinovic believes their togetherness will get them through their tough spot as they prepare to welcome Minnesota United in MLS.
The Whitecaps have already clinched a playoff spot, but have struggled in recent weeks, drawing one and losing three, with their last league win coming against San Jose Earthquakes on September 15.
They sit seventh in the Western Conference, with Minnesota just one place and one point below them, and Veselinovic hopes they can find a solution to their recent blip to put a bigger gap between them.
"We feel like we can do better," he said. "Seattle was a really poor performance, so we need to find a way to be better on Saturday.
"Now it's all about the mental side. We need to find a way, we don't know how yet, but we need to push through.
"The most important thing is to stay together in the locker room and get sharper in the duels and wanting to put in a better performance."
Meanwhile, Minnesota drew 0-0 with Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, failing to make it three wins on the bounce.
However, the draw was enough to clinch their playoff spot with two games remaining, though head coach Eric Ramsay is not going to ease up on the team.
"We really want to make sure that we focus on us, the upcoming games, and I've said from day one of this trip that we came here with a real sense of a mission and purpose," Ramsay said.
"We want to make sure that when we play that final home game that we are really playing for something with something secured."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Vancouver Whitecaps – Pedro Vite
Vancouver failed to score in an MLS game for the first time since early September and struggled to assert themselves in front of goal.
Pedro Vite showed their biggest threat, registering the most shots on target (two), had one of their three big chances, and had the most final third entries on the team (11).
Minnesota United – Bongokuhle Hlongwane
Minnesota also drew a blank in their most recent outing, but despite an underwhelming performance, Bongokuhle Hlongwane caused some problems.
He was responsible for 0.42 of their 0.77 expected goals (xG) and had the joint-most shots, but their top scorer could not find a breakthrough.
MATCH PREDICTION: VANCOUVER WHITECAPS WIN
Vancouver are unbeaten in their last three matches against Minnesota (W2 D1), scoring three times in both of those wins, while they also got the better of the Loons in a pre-season friendly in February.
After a three-match unbeaten streak in MLS straight after the Leagues Cup break, the Whitecaps are now winless in four (D1 L3). They also drew the Canadian Championship final before prevailing on penalties last month.
Meanwhile, Minnesota have lost just one of their last six matches (W4 D1), but are unbeaten in their last three, keeping a clean sheet in each of those after a run of five without a shutout in the league.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Vancouver Whitecaps – 46.8%
Draw – 26.4%
Minnesota United – 26.8%
Troy Lesesne was full of praise for D.C. United's comeback win over Nashville SC but has urged the team to maintain their high level when they travel to New England Revolution.
D.C. came from behind, scoring two late goals to snatch a 4-3 victory over Nashville in midweek, moving them to 11th in the Eastern Conference.
They are one of three teams on 37 points and still have a chance of making the playoffs with two games remaining.
Lesesne is now keen to build on their latest run of form in what he describes as a tough place to visit.
"It's another situation where we need three points," Lesesne said. "We can go do it, but we just need to be in this mindset.
"New England are a very good team, I understand where they are in the table, but it's really hard to get points there and we need to be at our best again.
"I've been trying to communicate a clear message the entire season about the mentality, and how the players display themselves. That was on full display [against Nashville]."
Meanwhile, New England's slim chances of making the playoffs are still alive, despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to Houston Dynamo last time out.
They sit 14th in the table on 31 points with three games left, but head coach Caleb Porter acknowledged they need to improve the small details if they want to make it to the postseason.
"For me, where we fell short is the details [against Houston]," Porter said. "And that's the area of our team that we have to continue to work on.
"We have to finish our chances. We have to be smarter in those details of our decision-making. And the guys know that. So, for me, that's a real learning lesson."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New England Revolution – Carles Gil
Carles Gil scored for the first time since early September from the penalty spot against Houston, ending a run of four games without a goal.
He is the team's second top-scorer on seven goals, while he has also registered the most assists (five), and the Revs will be hoping he can provide the spark in their search for a vital three points.
D.C. United – Gabriel Pirani
Most of the headlines for D.C. will often go to Christian Benteke, who has a league-high 22 goals so far. However, Gabriel Pirani stepped up when it counted on Wednesday.
He sits second on their goalscoring charts with six for the season, getting two of those in stoppage time in midweek, to flip the game on its head and claim a superb victory.
MATCH PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WIN
New England were on a three-match unbeaten streak against D.C. but lost their most recent meeting with them this season, going down 3-1 in February. However, D.C. have lost their last four trips to Gillette Stadium.
The Revs have won just one of their last seven MLS matches (D2 L4), though that victory came in their last home game as they edged past Nashville 1-0.
Meanwhile, D.C. have lost just one of their last six outings (W3 D2) – that defeat did come on the road, but they bounced back, coming from behind to get their win over Nashville in midweek.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New England Revolution – 45.5%
Draw – 26.8%
D.C. United – 27.6%
Lionel Messi set his sights on MLS Cup success after leading Inter Miami to the Supporters' Shield.
Messi scored twice as Miami beat the Columbus Crew 3-2 on Wednesday and secured the Supporters' Shield for the first time in their history.
The regular-season points record in MLS is also on the cards for Miami, though they must win their remaining two games before the playoffs in order to surpass the tally of 73 set by the New England Revolution in 2021.
And Messi is now focused on the next task at hand.
"We suffered until the end," Messi told MLS Season Pass. "It shows what this team is about."
In quotes reported by BBC Sport, Messi said: "The first objective has been achieved and now we have to think about what's next.
"The first round is three games but then it's one game and anything can happen. But we have the great advantage of playing all the games at home, which is what we were looking for. We are very strong at home."
Messi's sentiment was echoed by Miami coach Gerardo Martino.
He said: "We reached the objective.
"We have good moments in the game, suffering moments in the game, and it happens to everybody to be able to achieve something.
“Now we can say, with our results and our game, we’re able to think that we've gotten to a higher level. I am not one of these people that strictly goes by results, that chases results. We are in a construction period and a building period, something similar.
"We are in the process of creating that thing, a franchise that thinks of more and that gets to win more than lose. And this is very essential, this is very important, that we've changed, and done so in a very short time. With today, we've got 20 wins in the league, and at other times we couldn't have thought of that. To change that dynamic for us is very important."
Lionel Messi scored twice and Luis Suarez got the winner as Inter Miami beat 10-man Columbus Crew 3-2 to claim the Supporters' Shield in MLS.
After three straight draws, Miami needed a victory to guarantee they got their hands on the shield, which is awarded to MLS' best team in the regular season, and they got over the line in frantic fashion on Wednesday.
Miami's goals came between the 45th and 48th minute, with Messi, who had not recorded a direct goal contribution in any of his last three away appearances, netting the opening two.
Having already teed up a Diego Gomez goal that was disallowed, Messi engineered space in the box to drill home and break the deadlock, before doubling his tally five minutes later with a sensational free-kick.
Diego Rossi dragged the Crew back into it straight after the restart, but parity lasted just two minutes as Suarez capitalised on an error from Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.
Cucho Hernandez, who had a goal ruled out for offside in the first half, converted a penalty to reduce the arrears yet again, only for the Crew to go down to 10 when Rudy Camacho picked up two bookings in the space of four minutes.
There was to be more drama, though, as Miami defender Ian Fray was judged to have handled in the area, yet this time, Drake Callender guessed correctly to deny Hernandez and ensure victory for Miami.
Data Debrief: Record points total within reach
That is Miami's second piece of silverware in the bag, after their Leagues Cup triumph last year, and the Herons' focus will now switch to an MLS record.
If they win their remaining two games before the postseason, against Toronto FC and New England Revolution, Miami will set the MLS regular-season points record, overtaking the tally of 73 set by the Revolution in 2021.
Lionel Messi scored twice and Luis Suarez got the winner as Inter Miami beat 10-man Columbus Crew 3-2 to claim the Supporters' Shield in MLS.
After three straight draws, Miami needed a victory to guarantee they got their hands on the shield, which is awarded to MLS' best team in the regular season, and they got over the line in frantic fashion on Wednesday.
Miami's goals came between the 45th and 48th minute, with Messi, who had not recorded a direct goal contribution in any of his last three away appearances, netting the opening two.
Having already teed up a Diego Gomez goal that was disallowed, Messi engineered space in the box to drill home and break the deadlock, before doubling his tally five minutes later with a sensational free-kick.
Diego Rossi dragged the Crew back into it straight after the restart, but parity lasted just two minutes as Suarez capitalised on an error from Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.
Cucho Hernandez, who had a goal ruled out for offside in the first half, converted a penalty to reduce the arrears yet again, only for the Crew to go down to 10 when Rudy Camacho picked up two bookings in the space of four minutes.
There was to be more drama, though, as Miami defender Ian Fray was judged to have handled in the area, yet this time, Drake Callender guessed correctly to deny Hernandez and ensure victory for Miami.
Data Debrief: Record points total within reach
That is Miami's second piece of silverware in the bag, after their Leagues Cup triumph last year, and the Herons' focus will now switch to an MLS record.
If they win their remaining two games before the postseason, against Toronto FC and New England Revolution, Miami will set the MLS regular-season points record, overtaking the tally of 73 set by the Revolution in 2021.
Pablo Mastroeni has urged his young Real Salt Lake team to be mentally ready for the challenge of facing Minnesota United, following their weekend slip-up at Austin FC.
RSL let a two-goal advantage slip in the final 10 minutes as they drew 2-2 in Texas, a result that represented a severe dent to their hopes of topping the Western Conference.
They sit third in the standings but have played a game more than Los Angeles FC in second, while the Colorado Rapids and Seattle Sounders are breathing down their necks.
"It was a point on the road but again, I think what we're chasing is performances," Mastroeni said. "I think it's a learning curve.
"We have a really young group and these are experiences that unfortunately, you have to go through to learn from. There's no other way.
"If we had 30-year-olds across the backline I'd be disappointed, but we've got a really young group and in this particular moment in the season it's about making plays.
"We've got a quick turnaround for Wednesday so we've got to make sure our heads are right."
Minnesota, meanwhile, have won four of their last five matches to climb into playoff contention, routing the Rapids 3-0 in a deeply impressive performance last time out.
Head coach Eric Ramsey believes that is the best he has seen his team, saying: "It think it's the best [performance] of the season, for sure. We've stood here and talked about the need for complete performances countless times.
"We were dominant in all phases of the game, you saw a really, really accomplished performance against a team right at the top of the table, that is a real threat."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Real Salt Lake – Diogo Goncalves
Goncalves has come off the bench to score in each of Real Salt Lake's last two matches. Only Anderson Julio (2023) and Jeff Cunningham (2006) have scored on three straight substitute appearances for RSL in the club's MLS history.
Minnesota United – Kelvin Yeboah
Yeboah is the first player in Minnesota's MLS history to score on four consecutive league appearances.
His six appearances to reach seven goals, meanwhile, equals the second fastest to that mark in MLS history, with only Adama Diomande in 2018 doing so faster (five games).
MATCH PREDICTION – REAL SALT LAKE WIN
Minnesota have won three straight away matches in all competitions for the third time in club history. However, the Loons have never won four straight away from home before.
Real Salt Lake have won 10 of their 15 home games in MLS this season, with only the LA Galaxy (41), Inter Miami and the Portland Timbers (39 each) bettering their 36 goals on their own turf.
They go in as favourites with home advantage behind them. Their last home match ended in a 3-3 draw with Portland, but they have not gone two home games without a win in over a year, enduring a six-match winless run from April to June 2023.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Real Salt Lake – 50.5%
Minnesota United – 24.5%
Draw – 25%
Jordi Alba says claiming the Supporters' Shield would be "a nice achievement" for Inter Miami, but his main goal is the MLS Cup.
A run of three straight draws has seen Miami's bid to wrap up the Supporters' Shield put on ice over recent weeks.
Miami face the Columbus Crew—the reigning MLS Cup champions—on Wednesday, knowing one more win would see them clinch the Shield.
It would also keep them on track to break the regular-season points record of 73, which was set by the New England Revolution in 2021. Miami must win all three of their remaining games before the playoffs in order to break that record.
But former Barcelona full-back Alba has one main goal in mind.
"We hope to win against a great team like Columbus, and we will go in with a winning mentality," Alba said.
"Winning the Supporters' Shield would be a nice achievement in the club's history, but in the end, what we want to win is the MLS Cup."
While his team have had a series of blips as of late, coach Gerardo Martino says Miami's accomplishments this season must not be underestimated, even if they have Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Alba among their ranks.
He said: "When a team like Inter has 65 points and has lost only four matches all season and you compare it with teams from previous seasons, we should recognise all the good things we have accomplished this season."
Midfielder Matias Rojas knows history beckons on Wednesday.
"It's a great opportunity for us," he said.
"We're taking it step by step. This team has built itself one step at a time. So, on Wednesday, we will go to win and achieve that goal."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Columbus Crew - Cucho Hernandez
Hernandez recorded a goal and an assist on Saturday to take his total to 28 goal contributions on the season (16 goals 12 assists).
Only Stern John (31 in 1998) and Kei Kamara (30 in 2015) have recorded more goal contributions for the Crew in a single regular season.
Inter Miami - Lionel Messi
Messi, who netted against Charlotte FC last time out, has not recorded a direct goal contribution in any of his last three away appearances for Miami, last directly contributing to a goal for the Herons away from Chase Stadium on April 27.
The Argentine great had contributed to at least one goal in 19 of his previous 21 road league matches dating back to 2022 and his time with Paris Saint-Germain (34 total).
MATCH PREDICTION: COLUMBUS WIN
This is certainly set to be a tough test for Miami, and Opta's predictive model actually backs the reigning MLS Cup champions Columbus.
The Crew have lost only two of their last 40 home matches in all competitions dating back to May 2023 (W27 D11). They have scored three or more goals in 16 of those 40 matches, including in their last home match, a 4-3 win over Orlando City on September 21.
Columbus have also won three of their four home matches against Inter Miami, including a 3-2 win in the Leagues Cup Round of 16 on August 13. Miami's lone triumph in Columbus was a 2-1 victory in April 2023.
Peculiarly, Miami have won only one of the last six matches in which Messi has appeared (D4 L1) including drawing the last three in a row. The last time Messi played four straight club matches without a win in a single season was in March-April 2013.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Columbus Crew - 52.8%
Inter Miami - 23.1%
Draw - 24.1%
Troy Lesesne believes D.C. United's ruthlessness could be what gets them over the line as they battle for an MLS Cup playoff spot, ahead of Wednesday's huge clash with Nashville SC.
D.C. sit 12th in the Eastern Conference standings with three games to play, one point and one place above Nashville and just three adrift of the final wild-card spot.
After watching his team fight back to earn a 2-2 draw against the MLS Cup holders, the Columbus Crew, last time out, Lesesne said their spirit could take them far.
"This group does not stop, that's a value we have throughout the club at the moment," Lesense said.
"I think that value of being relentless, that mindset that we're always going to keep going, that's what is going to carry us down to the wire with these three matches that are left.
"It's human nature when things are difficult to go into survival mode, or to make excuses or blame others. As a manager, you have to combat that.
"I just give our players and staff a tremendous amount of credit for not succumbing to that."
Nashville, meanwhile, found form at the right time under new boss B.J. Callaghan, taking seven points from three games before going down 1-0 to the New England Revolution on Saturday.
Callaghan remained upbeat as he looked ahead to Wednesday's match, saying: "The approach of the week is the same as usual.
"It's a good opportunity for us, we have plenty of positives that we can build on.
"D.C. have a really clear style of play, a clear way of doing things, and they're a team where we're going to have to be really sharp to get the result we want."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nashville SC – Sam Surridge
Surridge leads all Nashville players for goals in MLS this term, netting 11 times in the competition – five more than his closest team-mate Hany Mukhtar (six). He has also scored three goals in their last two home games.
D.C. United – Christian Benteke
Benteke's two goals on Saturday took him to 21 for the season, the second-most by a D.C. United player in a single MLS campaign (after Raul Diaz Arce – 23 in 1996).
It was Benteke's eighth multi-goal game since the start of last season, only Denis Bouanga (10) has more in that time.
MATCH PREDICTION – NASHVILLE SC WIN
D.C. claimed their first-ever victory over Nashville when the sides last met on July 13, winning 2-1 on home soil.
Nashville have, however, won all three of their home games against D.C. by an aggregate score of 8-2.
D.C. were thrashed 4-0 by the Philadelphia Union in their last road game on September 22, halting a four-match unbeaten run on their travels. With Nashville taking seven points from their last four games, another defeat could await them here.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Nashville SC – 47.9%
D.C. United – 26.1%
Draw – 26%
Vancouver Whitecaps clinched their playoff place at the weekend, and Vanni Sartini does not want his players to play differently against Seattle Sounders.
The Whitecaps may be winless in their last three matches, but their 1-1 draw with Portland Timbers on Saturday was enough to secure their place in the postseason for the third time in the last four seasons.
They are currently seventh in the Western Conference, but Sartini is hopeful they can return to winning ways to push higher up the table.
"We have the luck to be already qualified, so even though it's not like a do or die, we can't be scared," Sartini said.
"Now it's all about the prize that is in front of us. And the prize will hopefully make us perform in a way that is with no restraint, with no fear, with a lot of confidence and going there to try to win.”
"It's all about trying to get into that [postseason] kind of mentality and habits of being a team that can play and win games. We want to try to become playoff winners."
Meanwhile, Seattle, who are unbeaten in four, sit three points and two places above their opponents ahead of Wednesday's meeting.
They ground out a 1-0 victory over Houston Dynamo last time out, and now Brian Schmetzer is aiming to find consistency after securing their own playoff place.
"We're going to play our best team against Vancouver and then Colorado," he said.
"There's no more experimenting. We need to get some consistency and make sure the 11 players I believe are the best continue to grow together as a group."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Vancouver Whitecaps – Brian White
Brian White has scored 15 goals in back-to-back seasons after only Camilo Sanvezzo (22 in 2013) hit that mark in the Whitecaps first 12 MLS campaigns.
White joins Denis Bouanga and Cucho Hernandez as the only three players with 15 goals in each of the last two MLS seasons.
Seattle Sounders – Paul Rothrock
Paul Rothrock's goal in Seattle's 1-0 win over Houston on Saturday was the 23rd by an American player for the Sounders this regular season.
Only Colorado Rapids (30) have had more goals scored by American players in 2024.
MATCH PREDICTION: VANCOUVER WHITECAPS WIN
The Whitecaps have lost only one of their six meetings with Seattle since September 2022 (W3 D2). Prior to that, Seattle had won 10 of the previous 14 meetings (D4) between the sides.
Vancouver have lost only two of their last 12 regular-season matches (W6 D4) dating back to late June. The Whitecaps conceded eight total goals in the two defeats (four in each match) while allowing nine total goals in the other 10 matches in that time.
Meanwhile, Seattle have won seven of their last 11 away matches in all competitions (D1 L3), including a 4-0 win at Columbus Crew in their last away match. The Sounders had won just seven of their previous 34 on the road prior to this run.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Vancouver Whitecaps – 41.2%
Draw – 26.7%
Seattle Sounders – 32.1%
While the New York Red Bulls have accomplished their mission of reaching the playoffs, head coach Sandro Schwarz has laid down the law to his players ahead of their trip to Toronto FC.
The Red Bulls suffered a humiliating 5-1 home defeat against cross-city rivals New York City last time out, going 2-0 down within just six minutes and 55 seconds of kick-off.
They did, however, clinch a playoff place due to other results going their way, boasting a seven-point cushion over eighth-placed Toronto, who only have two games remaining.
"It was different emotions last weekend," Schwarz said. "We were very disappointed about the game, and on the other side we were satisfied with qualifying for the playoffs.
"When we see the big picture, this was good, but it's more about the emotions from the last game to be honest.
"We had a lot of individual talks, me with individual players, about the game and the behaviour. Now the feeling it was necessary to have this open communication."
Toronto conceded a late equaliser against the Chicago Fire – who are out of playoff contention – on Saturday to damage their postseason hopes.
After that 1-1 draw, John Herdman's side only occupy a wild-card place due to having more wins than the Philadelphia Union and CF Montreal, both of whom have a game in hand.
"We were six minutes away from taking three points, so it's a big missed opportunity," Herdman said.
"Results in MLS went our way. We could have been two points clear of the other teams. But it is what it is.
"That last goal, if we're fresh, that doesn't happen. All in all, given it's been a heavy week, I thought the lads put a hell of a shift in."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Toronto FC – Prince Osei Owusu
Owusu scored Toronto's lone goal in their draw with the Fire from the penalty spot. It was just their second penalty goal this season and first on the road since the opening day of the 2023 season. He will hope for a shorter wait for his next opportunity from the spot.
New York Red Bulls – Dante Vanzeir
Vanzeir has scored in each of the Red Bulls' last two matches. He has 13 goal involvements in MLS this term (four goals, nine assists), with only Lewis Morgan registering more for the Red Bulls (14 – 12 goals and two assists).
MATCH PREDICTION – NEW YORK RED BULLS WIN
The Red Bulls are unbeaten in 11 straight meetings with Toronto in all competitions (seven wins, four draws). New York have also kept clean sheets in each of the last five meetings.
They have won their last two games against Toronto by a 3-0 scoreline, including when the sides last faced off in June. With Toronto winless in four matches in all competitions, they may fancy their chances of another victory.
None of Toronto's last 27 home matches have ended in a draw (12 wins, 15 draws). This equals the longest streak without a home draw in all competitions for an MLS team in the post-shootout era (since 2000), along with the New England Revolution from 2001-02.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Toronto FC – 30.1%
New York Red Bulls – 45%
Draw – 24.9%
Colorado Rapids head coach Chris Armas is adamant his team will bounce back from defeat when they face LA Galaxy in MLS on Wednesday.
The Rapids suffered a 3-0 defeat to Minnesota United on Saturday, only managing one shot on target in an underwhelming performance.
They have already clinched a playoff spot, sitting fourth in the Western Conference, but have now lost two of their last three outings (winning the other one).
And Armas is confident his team will once again bounce back from defeat, based on their mentality throughout the season.
"I can tell you that our group responds, they respond when we have losses," Armas said. "We've done it all year in a big way.
"So, we'll look to do that again. We around here at the Rapids this year, from the very first game, we've not gotten too low, we've not gotten too high – this is another case of that.
"We rebound, take a hard look, we recover, and we get things ready for Wednesday."
Meanwhile, LA Galaxy bounced back from a 4-2 defeat to Portland Timbers with a 4-2 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps last time out.
They may have a six-point lead in the table, but head coach Greg Vanney is still looking to make improvements so they can finish the season strong.
"We have two on the road and one at home, and we'll take any advantage we can get to finish on top," Vanney said.
"Sometimes our unselfishness is that we're trying to make a more perfect moment to finish, but you want to try and just keep it as smooth as possible down the stretch."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Colorado Rapids – Djordje Mihailovic
Colorado's 3-0 loss at Minnesota United on Saturday was just the third time the club was shut out this season with only Inter Miami (twice) failing to score less often.
They were kept quiet in front of goal in that defeat, with only Djordje Mihailovic registering more than one shot (two), and he was the only one to hit the target.
LA Galaxy – Joseph Paintsil
Joseph Paintsil's goal against Vancouver Whitecaps on September 21 was his 10th of the regular season, joining teammates Dejan Joveljic (14), Gabriel Pec (13) and Riqui Puig (11) in double figures.
The Galaxy are the first team in MLS history with four double-digit goalscorers in a single season.
MATCH PREDICTION: COLORADO RAPIDS WIN
The Rapids are unbeaten in five straight home matches against the Galaxy (W3 D2). This is Colorado's longest home unbeaten run against LA in all competitions since a seven-match run (W6 D1) in 2006-09.
Indeed, Colorado are unbeaten in 10 straight regular-season home matches (W8 D2), including winning the last three in a row. The Rapids have had only three longer home unbeaten runs in a single season in club history, most recently a 16-match run in 2021.
The Galaxy have totaled 58 points this season, already their most in a single season since 2014 (61). The Galaxy are two points away from becoming the first team in MLS history to record four seasons with at least 60 points (1998, 2011, 2014).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Colorado Rapids – 42.1%
Draw – 26.7%
LA Galaxy – 31.2%
Caleb Porter says New England Revolution need to show they are fighters against Houston Dynamo as they look to build on their latest win.
The Revs beat Nashville SC 1-0 at the weekend to move off the foot of the Eastern Conference, snapping a five-match winless streak in the process.
They are just six points off a playoff spot with four games left to play, and Porter is hoping for more of the same mentality to come away with three points.
"We talked a lot last week about just having a better mentality, not being quite as emotional, and just being more steady and having ice in our veins a little bit more," Porter said, as quoted in the Blazing Musket substack.
"We are going to have to, at times, absorb. [Houston] are one of the best possession teams in the league.
"We are going to have to keep the game tight. From here on out, we have to be tough to play against. We are going to keep showing we are fighters, and we are going to be organized."
Meanwhile, Houston clinched their playoff spot at the weekend, despite a 1-0 defeat to Seattle Sounders due to FC Dallas' loss, as they sit sixth in the Western Conference.
It is the second year running they are in the postseason, and head coach Ben Olsen is hopeful they can use that as motivation to get back to winning ways.
"We are excited about being in the postseason and that's a big deal," Olsen said.
"These guys have worked really hard all year to get us into this position. We have a tough team in town in New England, so we have to focus on that as we turn the page on a disappointing result in Seattle."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Houston Dynamo – Griffin Dorsey
The Dynamo held 62.4% possession against the Sounders on Saturday, the 14th time Houston held at least 60% of the ball in 2024, the third-most games on record in an MLS season since Opta began detailed data collection of MLS in 2010.
Griffin Dorsey finished the game with a 100% pass completion rate in that defeat, not misplacing any of his 41 passes in the 80 minutes he was on the pitch.
New England Revolution – Aljaz Ivacic
After conceding multiple goals in each of their previous five league matches, New England secured a 1-0 win over Nashville on Saturday.
The Revolution have not kept consecutive regular-season clean sheets since the opening two matches of the 2023 season, with the second of those coming against Houston, and Aljaz Ivacic will be keen to get another shutout.
MATCH PREDICTION: HOUSTON DYNAMO WIN
New England have won seven of their last nine matches against Houston (D1 L1) dating back to the beginning of the 2014 season. However, the Dynamo's only win in that time came in the last meeting between the sides in Houston, a 3-1 victory in September 2022.
Houston's five-match unbeaten run came to an end on Saturday with a 1-0 loss at Seattle. The Dynamo have not lost consecutive matches in all competitions since losses to Austin FC and FC Dallas in late April.
Meanwhile, New England have lost 13 of their last 17 MLS away matches (incl. playoffs) dating back to the start of October 2023. The Revs have lost their last three on the road, being outscored 9-0 in those games.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Houston Dynamo – 61.1%
Draw – 20.5%
New England Revolution – 18.4%
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