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The Pitch (Matchdays 22): Top Things to Watch in MLS this Week

June 27, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy Meet in 97th California Clásico

The California Clásico featuring the LA Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes is one of MLS' longstanding rivalries. The 97th edition of the matchup is set to take place this weekend at Stanford Stadium on Saturday, July 1 (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).

San Jose will look to separate itself from its current fifth-place position in the Western Conference table and move up the standings, while the LA Galaxy aim to win their third in a row against the Earthquakes.

San Jose's Cristian Espinoza has had a stellar season thus far, leading his team with eight goals and six assists. The midfielder has recorded just three assists in 11 career games against San Jose's bitter rivals and Espinoza will hope to produce another helper with sights set on surpassing Shea Salinas (50) for the most regular season assists in club history. San Jose holds a 5-2-2 record versus LA at Stanford Stadium, including four come-from-behind victories.

The LA Galaxy is 2-1-2 in its last five matches on the road across all competitions, and their last visit to Stanford Stadium in September 2022 saw them hold off a late resurgence from San Jose to claim a 3-2 victory. Forward Javier 'Chicharito' Hernández was the hero on the day with a brace, but with the former Mexican international out due to injury, the Galaxy will look toward midfielder Riqui Puig to provide a creative spark to get them on the front foot early.

High-Flying Houston Keep Climbing the West

Currently fourth in the Western Conference, the upstart Houston Dynamo FC find themselves in playoff position through 20 games of the 2023 season behind new head coach Ben Olsen and a well-rounded team effort. With a win against Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, July 1 (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass), they can continue their ascent up the conference table.

Olsen has freshened up the team in his first season in charge of the club, behind the dynamic play of midfielder Héctor Herrera. The former Mexican international has been instrumental to unlocking Houston's offensive potential this season with three goals and five assists in 17 appearances. The captain's three assists in the team's last four games have helped their recent ascension up the Western Conference as Houston went 3-1-0 over that stretch.

Among the club's newcomers in 2023, forward Amine Bassi has potentially had the biggest impact on the team's success. The Moroccan forward has scored eight goals in 16 games played, demonstrating a clinical approach with five penalty-kick goals. With goal contributions from across the field from the likes of forwards Corey Baird and Thor Ulfarsson, Houston also finds itself one win away from a U.S. Open Cup final appearance and two wins away from their first trophy since lifting the 2018 U.S. Open Cup.

This weekend, Olsen and his Houston side could make another statement with an away victory over the Sounders.

Cincinnati Eyes Home History Against Red-Hot Revolution

Winners of their first 10 home games of the 2023 season, Supporters' Shield-leading FC Cincinnati welcomes a formidable foe, the New England Revolution, to TQL Stadium on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass). Cincinnati (43 points, 13-2-4) and New England (36 points, 10-3-6) are the top two teams in both the Eastern Conference and league-wide tables and will jockey for positioning in front of a raucous crowd.

After winning just 11 home games in the first four years of its young history, FC Cincinnati sits on the verge of history as they look to become the first team in MLS annals to win 11 consecutive home matches in a single season. To do so, Cincinnati will look to dynamic midfielder Luciano 'Lucho' Acosta to drive the offense as they face one of the league's top goalkeepers in New England's Djordje Petrović with momentum on the line as the calendar turns to July.

MLS All-Star Roster Set to Unveil Today

With just 22 days remaining until the 2023 MLS All-Star Game, the 26-man roster of Major League Soccer all-stars is set to be announced today, Tuesday, June 27, at 2 p.m. ET. The 2023 MLS All-Star Game will be played on Wednesday, July 19, and feature the MLS All-Stars taking on Arsenal FC, the renowned 13-time English league champions, at Audi Field, home of D.C. United.

Featuring the league's top talent, including dynamic young starts and newcomers, the roster was selected through a combination of fan, player, and media voting (12 players), designations by All-Star head coach Wayne Rooney of host club D.C. United (12 players), and a pair of selections by MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

For more information on the 2023 MLS All-Star Game, visit https://www.mlssoccer.com/all-star/2023/.

Leagues Cup 2023 - Central Region Preview

Getting to know the Central:

The Central Region boasts two Concacaf Champions League-winning clubs in Club América (2015, 2016) and Chivas Guadalajara (2018) as well as 2021 Campeones Cup winner, the Columbus Crew. This region also features both Western Conference and Eastern Conference leaders St. Louis CITY SC and FC Cincinnati, respectively, as well as Apertura 2022 finalist Toluca.

The Groups:

Central 1: Club América, Columbus Crew, St. Louis CITY SC

Central 2: Club Puebla, Minnesota United FC, Chicago Fire FC

Central 3: Chivas Guadalajara, FC Cincinnati, Sporting Kansas City

Central 4: Nashville SC, Toluca, Colorado Rapids

Stories to Watch:

Goals Galore: Forwards from Central 1 will be instrumental to success in the group stage as the Crew and St. Louis, who are first and tied for second, respectively, in goals scored this season, will face an América side that led LIGA MX with 73 goals during the 2022-23 season.

All Roads Lead to Chivas: Alan Pulido will face his former club, Chivas, for the first time since joining Sporting KC in 2020 while Brandon Vázquez, who scored against Chivas during the 2022 Leagues Cup Showcase, will look to lead Cincinnati to another win over Chivas.

Timeless Goal Scorer: Kei Kamara is just two goals away from surpassing Landon Donovan for the second most regular season goals scored in MLS history, an achievement he'll hope to carry with him in the Fire's first intracontinental game since 2019.Players to Watch:

Henry Martín (Club América): The 2022-23 LIGA MX Balón de Oro and Clausura 2023 Golden Boot winner is a fierce forward who will punish MLS defenses if given the chance.

Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC): Mukhtar has produced 90 goals contributions in 99 regular season appearances since 2020, and the reigning Landon Donovan MLS MVP will be the driving force behind Nashville's first attempt to win an intracontinental title.

William Yarbrough (Colorado Rapids): Yarbrough spent 10 years playing professionally in Mexico, including a seven-year stint with Club León, and the game against Toluca will be his first against a LIGA MX side since joining Colorado in 2020.

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