SOCCER MLS ARTICLES

There is a lot on the line when the Seattle Sounders play host to Sporting Kansas City this week. Sporting Kansas City have their eyes set on the top spot in the Western Conference and home field throughout the playoffs. They are currently a point behind FC Dallas for the top spot out west, but they have played one less game than their Texas rivals to this point. As for Seattle, they are looking to keep their nine-year playoff streak alive. The Sounders are currently in sixth place, and they would earn the final playoff spot if the season ended today. However, the Los Angeles Galaxy have the same amount of points as Seattle, and the Vancouver Whitecaps are just one point behind too. The Sounders know they need as many points as possible to move their playoff streak to 10. ... 

The second half of an MLS rivalry week doubleheader will commence late Friday when the Los Angeles Galaxy host Los Angeles FC. This will be the third Battle for Los Angeles this year and Los Angeles FC would love to pick up its first win in this derby. ... 

It’s been a banner year for Atlanta United. The club is on pace to finish with the best record in the MLS in only their second season. They are currently three points up on the next closest team, the New York Red Bulls, and they are just a few games away from already clinching a playoff spot. This Friday, Atlanta faces its biggest rival in Orlando City. The game is in the Sunshine State, but Atlanta United is likely to be favored as the Lions are the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference. ... 

The Seattle Sounders have made it to the playoffs in every season they have been in the MLS. For each of the last nine seasons, they have finished no lower than fourth in the conference at the end of the regular season, and the Sounders have made it to at least the conference semifinals every season. That streak is in jeopardy this year. The team is currently sitting in eighth place in the Western Conference, and the Sounders know they need to start to climb up the ladder with just 11 games remaining. Seattle is within three points of eighth place Real Salt Lake and will be looking for a win when it faces the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday. ... 

The MLS playoff race is heating up as the season winds down, and things are getting tight in the Western Conference. There are just 10 points separating first place from eighth place, and there is plenty of room for movement over the final couple months of the season. We’ll have some midweek action this Wednesday, when Los Angeles FC host Real Salt Lake in a clash between the teams that are currently in fourth- and sixth-place in the conference. ... 

Toronto FC are going to need to make a move now if they have any hope of repeating as MLS Cup champions. The club has had an abysmal year after dominating the Eastern Conference for each of the last two seasons. Toronto is currently sitting in 9th in the Eastern Conference, and they are six points out of the playoff picture. That makes getting a win over New York City FC paramount, even if NYCFC are one of the best teams in the league this season. ... 

Atlanta United are looking to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the Eastern Conference when they face Toronto FC this week. The second-year club has continued to reach stratospheric heights in a relatively short amount of time, and they are looking to follow up their playoff appearance in their inaugural season with a regular season first-place finish in 2018. ... 

Since 2005, the MLS has abandoned the traditional All-Star Game format for something that would appeal more to die-hard soccer fans. Rather than separate teams into some combination of conference versus conference, or choosing captains to pick teams, they have decided to have the best in the league team up to take on a major club from another country. It has been very successful, and this season the MLS All-Stars will take on Juventus. ... 

New York City FC continues to stay right there with city rival New York Red Bulls and Atlanta United in their quest for home field advantage and a crucial first round bye in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Currently, NYCFC is a point behind Atlanta United for the top spot in the East, but they have a game in hand on their counterparts. The script is flipped a bit on them when it comes to the Red Bulls, as they have a two-point lead on them but have played one more match. NYCFC will look to stay in the vanguard when they head cross-country to take on the Seattle Sounders. ... 

The Portland Timbers will look to continue their ascent up the Western Conference standings when they host the Houston Dynamo on Saturday. Portland has been able to rebound after a tough start to the season, and they are currently sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference standings. However, the Dynamo are close behind, sitting just four points back of the Timbers. ... 

Orlando City SC will have revenge on its mind when they host New York City FC on Thursday night. Orlando City has had a season to forget, and NYCFC soundly thumped them in the Big Apple back in early June. The Lions were only able to muster two shots on goal the entire match, while NYCFC was able to find the back of the net three times in a 3-0 win for NYCFC. The loss sent Orlando City further down the table, and it helped solidify a spot in the top half of the table for the hosts. ... 

The Cascadia Cup is one of the most important rivalries in Major League Soccer. The Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps, and Portland Timbers vie for Pacific Northwest supremacy every year, and the action on the field is intense even if the teams are relatively low in the standings. This weekend, Vancouver and Seattle will meet for the first time this season, and both teams will look to improve their position in the race for the Cascadia Cup. ... 

Things are off to a phenomenal start for the second MLS club in the City of Angels. Los Angeles FC was seen as an also-ran in the Western Conference coming into the year, but instead the club has had an expansion season for the ages. LAFC currently sit in second place in the Western Conference, and they are just one point behind Dallas for the top spot. A win over the Portland Timbers on Sunday could move them into first place. ... 

If you have caught World Cup fever and are in need of a fix at the end of the weekend, tune in to the Hudson River Derby for two of the best teams in the MLS Eastern Conference. The two New York teams are set to square off once more when the NY Red Bulls take on New York City FC in iconic Yankee Stadium. The New York Red Bulls have dominated this rivalry since its inception with eight wins in 12 matches, including a 7-0 win in this venue two years ago. NYCFC have been able to win the last two games in this venue though. ... 

In just their second season in the MLS, Atlanta United are out to prove that they are the best team in the East. Atlanta is sitting at the top of the table four months into the season and is looking like the favorite to win it all. They have one of the best home crowds in the MLS, and they would be able to use it to their full benefit if they were to finish the season No. 1 in the East. Meanwhile, Orlando City are just looking to be competitive once more. The Lions won six straight from the end of March to the beginning of May, but things have completely gone off the rails since then. They are outside of the playoff picture for now and are looking to claw their way back into the thick of things. ... 

The Portland Timbers are red hot and have shown no signs of slowing down. Portland was winless in its first five games of the season and was in the cellar of the Western Conference at the start of April. However, getting back on the West Coast proved to be just what the team needed. They have now won six straight matches and are sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference. Portland will look to make it seven in a row at home this Saturday. ... 

New York City FC are looking to take back the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The club is sitting one point behind Atlanta United right now for the leading spot in the East, and they will be home for six of their next seven matches following this one. ... 

It’s been a rough year for the Seattle Sounders. Seattle won the Western Conference in each of the last two seasons, but this year they are near the bottom of the table three months into their campaign for a threepeat. The Sounders were one of the favorites coming into this season, but they have been incredibly disappointing and have had a hard time scoring. Still, they are big favorites coming into their match with Real Salt Lake this week. ... 

The Portland Timbers are rocketing up the Western Conference standings. They are now right in the middle of the playoff picture after knocking off their biggest rival in a Cascadia Cup fixture last weekend. This week, they will look to keep that momentum going against a surprising Los Angeles FC team. LAFC are in their expansion year, but they have been playing great. They might be even better than Atlanta United were in their first season. ... 

The first match of the Cascadia Cup will take place this Sunday when the Portland Timbers host the Seattle Sounders. The rivalry between Portland and Seattle is one of the most intense ones in the MLS and it dates back to the USL. Although Seattle finished atop the Western Conference last year, they were not able to win the Cascadia Cup. The Sounders will look to take the first step to rectifying that on Sunday. ... 

The Hudson River Derby will see another chapter added to it when the New York Red Bulls host New York City FC this Saturday. NYCFC is currently sitting atop the Eastern Conference with 20 points, while the Red Bulls are currently in sixth place with 12 points. However, the Red Bulls have had the upper hand over the course of this series. They are 6-1-3 all-time and will look to pick up another win at home. ... 

There aren’t many teams hotter than Orlando City SC. The Lions have been fantastic over the last month, shooting up the standings. Orlando City was winless through three games, but after four straight wins they are now sitting in third-place in the Eastern Conference. ... 

The Seattle Sounders can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Seattle has seen its season disrupted by its participation in the CONCACAF Champions League, but now they can get back to the task at hand and focus on the MLS. The Sounders were the oddsmakers’ favorite to win the Western Conference coming into the season, but they are sitting at the bottom of the standings seven weeks in. ... 

The Philadelphia Union are in search of a win. Philadelphia hasn’t been able to pick up a victory since their season opener, falling on the road against Colorado and drawing at home with Columbus and San Jose. ... 

No team has been as disappointing as the Seattle Sounders this year. Seattle was seen as the team to beat out West after winning the conference last year and getting even stronger this offseason. Yet they have yet to even score a goal through the first month of the season, much less win a match. ...