Whether they're at Children's Mercy Park or watching from elsewhere, it's safe to say that Sporting Kansas City fans will have their eyes on Saturday's match against D.C. United. For MLS diehards, however, there are three other matches to be enjoyed on national television this Saturday. Let's jump right into them.
Orlando City SC vs. New York Red Bulls | 12 p.m. CT Saturday, Twitter & UniMas
These Eastern Conference foes enter Saturday under entirely different circumstances. Orlando reshuffled its roster during the offseason in a bid to become a playoff team for the first time ever. Yet the Lions (0-2-1, 1 point) are already on the brink of panic mode with a winless three-game start to the campaign. Meanwhile, the Red Bulls (2-1-0, 6 points) have expertly juggled regular season play with the CONCACAF Champions League, where they have reached the semifinal stage after an impressive defeat of Club Tijuana earlier this month.
New York head coach Jesse Marsch is likely to rotate his squad on Saturday with the first leg of the CCL semifinals looming next Wednesday against Chivas de Guadalajara. That will give Orlando even more impetus to deliver a sound performance and enter the win column in front of their home fans.
LA Galaxy vs. Los Angeles Football Club | 2 p.m. CT Saturday, FOX
Call it the LA Derby, call it "El Trafico," call it whatever. After months of anticipatory buildup, the LA Galaxy (1-1-1, 4 points) and LAFC (2-0-0, 6 points) will finally write the first chapter of their Los Angeles rivalry on Saturday. And to make the grand occasion even more spectacular, newly acquired Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be primed for his MLS debut. Ibrahimovic is one of the most recognizable soccer players in the world, having scored more than 400 career goals for some of the sport's biggest clubs. His pedigree speaks for itself, his quality is undeniable, and his celebrity will draw worldwide attention to Saturday's showdown at StubHub Center.
Ibrahimovic aside, this figures to be a fascinating battle on the pitch. LAFC have enjoyed a brilliant start to life in MLS, winning on the road in Seattle and Salt Lake behind talismanic 20-year-old forward Diego Rossi, who has already racked up three goals and three assists. On the opposite sideline, the Galaxy have endured an early-season injury bug and will rely on depth in order to land the first punch on their neighbors.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. New York City FC | 7 p.m. CT Saturday, ESPN2
No team has made a stronger claim for best team in MLS this month than New York City FC. Head coach Patrick Vieira's men (3-0-1, 10 points) defeated Sporting KC, the LA Galaxy and Orlando in convincing fashion before battling back to earn a 2-2 draw at New England last Saturday. Newcomers Ismael Tajouri (three goals) and Jesus Medina (one goal, three assists) have made instant impacts, while the likes of David Villa and Maxi Moralez have picked up where they left off last season.
The Earthquakes have a much smaller body of work thus far. San Jose had byes in Weeks 2 and 4, nestled among a season-opening 3-2 win over Minnesota United FC and a 3-2 loss at Sporting KC on March 17. Forward Danny Hoesen showed his capability with a Player of the Week performance against the Loons, but question marks remain along a backline that has leaked five goals in two games.
