Two of the form teams in MLS's Western Conference will go head to head on Saturday when the Portland Timbers host Real Salt Lake.
The Timbers have won four of their past five matches to climb to fifth, showing signs they have got to grips with Phil Neville's system in his first season with the club.
But Portland are still some 10 points behind RSL, one of the league's standout teams this year.
Without defeat at home in two months, the Timbers are at least in confident mood heading into this next tough test.
"I think now the team is very confident in the system we are playing," said captain Diego Chara.
"From my point of view, we have to just continue, getting more games, more wins and get to the playoffs."
Neville will have to find a way for Portland to handle Diego Luna, who missed out on a place in the United States' squad for the Olympics but responded in stunning fashion.
Luna scored one and assisted three more in a 5-2 win over Atlanta United, taking the 20-year-old to five goals and eight assists for the season.
Two-time MLS Golden Boot winner Bradley Wright-Phillips told This is MLS: "To me, [Luna not making the US squad] is wild.
"How he's not in the squad, I don't understand. It may be something personal, because who's playing better than him right now in this country at his age in that position? There's no one."
Luna will be looking for a repeat performance against the Timbers, keeping his focus on RSL's fine form.
"Decisions are made in soccer. There are different teams with different coaches," he said. "There's nothing you can do about that, and I'm grateful to be here and to be able to stay here with RSL in this great run of form.
"I'm happy, focused, here with RSL and will continue to work hard."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Portland Timbers – Jonathan Rodriguez
It is difficult to pick out Portland's star man as, right now, they have three.
Rodriguez (11 goals), Felipe Mora (10) and Evander (10) are the first trio of team-mates in MLS history to each have 10 or more goals for the season before the beginning of August.
However, Rodriguez is the man in form, having netted twice in last week's 4-1 win over Nashville.
Real Salt Lake – Andres Gomez
Although he did not net against Atlanta, Luna's outstanding form is good news for Gomez. Three of his 11 goals this season have been created by Luna.
Indeed, Gomez is himself at the centre of much of RSL's best work, providing three assists for top scorer Chicho Arango and receiving a further three in return.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
RSL might be one of the league's best this year, but they are winless in seven straight games at Providence Park.
In fact, RSL have only two away wins against Portland in the MLS regular season, with those coming back in 2012 and 2017.
However, seven of their other 14 meetings in Oregon have been drawn, and that might be a result both sides would settle for.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Portland Timbers – 37.1 per cent
Real Salt Lake – 36.6 per cent
Draw – 26.3 per cent
Bradley Wright-Phillips believes football in North America can become “unstoppable” on the back of Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami and the 2026 World Cup.
It is a decade since the former Manchester City and Southampton striker swapped English football for Major League Soccer to join New York Red Bulls.
Wright-Phillips last year retired in sixth on the MLS all-time goals list having enjoyed a ringside seat to the sport’s growth in North America and says the best is yet to come.
Having signed an eye-catching broadcasting deal with Apple in 2022, further developments will be fuelled by Messi’s move to Miami and the World Cup being hosted in the USA, Canada and Mexico in three years’ time.
“My first reaction to Messi coming out was I just couldn’t believe it,” Wright-Phillips told the PA news agency.
“Honestly, even now until I see him run out on an MLS pitch, I can’t really fathom what it’s going to be. It’s hard to even picture that. Even now it doesn’t seem real to me. It’s Messi!
“Unbelievable time. I feel like I retired at the perfect time, just to be involved in what’s going on.
“Messi obviously, Apple taking over and then you’ve got the World Cup coming in ‘26. What more can you ask for?”
Put to Wright-Phillips that the sport in North America seems to be going from strength to strength, he said: “Yeah, it does. The potential and the ceiling is higher than ever.
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“If it’s done right, it can be unstoppable – best league and country in the world for football, right? Wouldn’t you say so?”
MLS is certainly on an exciting trajectory and Messi’s arrival will spark unparalleled interest in the competition.
“The league is not only getting the best player in the world,” says Wright-Phillips, who played for LAFC and Columbus Crew as well as the Red Bulls.
“If you just think about the average fan that doesn’t watch MLS, but now because Messi’s here they’re going to watch MLS.
“They now get see a Carles Gil, a Hany Mukhtar, young players like Noel Buck – these are players that we know are good.
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“But now you’re watching because you want to see Messi and the average fan gets to see that player or they get to see the atmosphere in St Louis or Austin.
“That’s what’s exciting about it. It’s not just that we’re going to see Messi play, it’s what Messi exposes globally.”
As well as Messi’s macro impact, Miami will be desperate for the Argentina star to improve fortunes at DRV PNK Stadium.
The David Beckham co-owned team languish bottom of the Eastern Conference thanks to a difficult campaign that led to Phil Neville’s recent sacking.
Ex-Barcelona boss Tata Martino has come in, while Messi’s former Nou Camp team-mates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are expected to join him in Florida.
“That tells me that they don’t just want Messi to come here and lose games,” Wright-Phillips added.
“The Inter Miami team isn’t doing very well this season, they’ve suffered a lot of injuries, they’ve had a change in the manager.
“There’s a lot of things they have to do but if you bring a Busquets, a Jordi Alba, you’re giving yourself, you’re giving Messi a chance to succeed.”
Former New York Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips has re-signed with the club on a one-day contract, in order to officially finish his career and retire with the MLS outfit.
The ex-attacker is set to move to a new role in Harrison as Special Assistant to the Sporting Director, after two seasons with Los Angeles FC and Columbus Crew respectively.
After confirming his retirement this week, the two-time Golden Boot winner has now officially signed off with the side he helped fire to a hat-trick of Supporters' Shield triumphs over a seven-year stint.
"It wouldn’t have felt right retiring somewhere else, especially in America, it wouldn’t have felt right," Wright-Phillips said in a statement. "I am honoured to get the opportunity to retire here, it means a lot to me."
Sporting Director Denis Hamlett, who Wright-Phillips will link up with, paid further tribute, adding: "There was no question in our minds to bring Brad back to the club following his retirement.
"The expansive experience that Brad brings from the field will be helpful in the development with our young players, while at the same time, Brad getting crucial experience on the sporting side for his own professional development."
Having broken through alongside brother Shaun at Manchester City, Wright-Phillips spent several seasons in the second and third tiers of English football, claiming the League One crown with Charlton Athletic in 2011-2012.
But it was in MLS where he made his name, joining the Red Bulls ahead of the 2013 season and helping to establish them as regular contenders.
He still holds the record for the most goals at the club, with 125, and won the Supporters' Shield on three occasions, in 2013, 2015 and 2018.
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