After a hectic Week 20 of the MLS season that caused some shape-shifting in the standings, Week 21 will have a hard act to follow. Yet this weekend’s action might be set to do just that.
Here are five storylines to know ahead of Week 21 in MLS action.
Old Rivalry Renewed
The Chicago Fire will head down to Kansas City for a powerful interconference meeting that has just as powerful of a background.
Some Sporting KC fans will remember when Tony Meola held off a ferocious Fire offense to win the 2000 MLS Cup at RFK Stadium, as well as the extra-time capture of their 2004 Open Cup title against Chicago at Arrowhead Stadium.
Chicago fans, on the other hand, will take pride in the fact that the club has a 26-14-11 all-time regular season record against Kansas City.
Regardless of the history, the two clubs have both had a tremendous 2017 campaign. With both teams sitting in second place in their respective conferences, Saturday’s match should be a fun one. Kickoff at Children’s Mercy Park is set for 7 p.m. CT with a limited number of tickets available at SeatGeek.com.
Red Bulls Try to Ride Hot Streak
The New York Red Bulls might not be at the top of the standings, but they’re playing like they are.
The East Coast club has gone 9-1-0 in its last 10 matches and is riding a five game winning streak across all competitions. Along with its success as a team, three Red Bull midfielders — Felipe, Sacha Kljestan and Daniel Royer — were named to the latest MLS team of the week.
With former Sporting KC striker Dom Dwyer joining the Lions’ ranks, Orlando City FC will be the ones trying to extinguish New York’s trail. The match is set to start at 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday at Red Bull Arena.
Potential Playoff Preview?
Based on how the table looks today, there’s a decent chance of FC Dallas and Vancouver Whitecaps facing each other in the early rounds of the MLS Cup Playoffs. And that exact matchup is in store this Saturday at 7 p.m. CT in Frisco, Texas.
FC Dallas remains the top-dog in the West with 34 points, followed closely by Sporting KC (33 points) and Houston Dynamo (32 points). Dallas remains one of only two Western Conference teams to boast goal differential of over 10. With Michael Barrios’ league-leading 10 assists and Max Urruti being in the top 5 in MLS player index, Dallas can create sparks at any time.
Vancouver comes in as the underdog and is looking to avenge its recent 2-1 home loss against Portland. The Whitecaps are led by Cristian Techera, who has started all but two games for Vancouver and sits at second place in both goals and assists on the team leaderboard.
West Coast Feud
Another battle taking place in the Lone Star state will be between Houston Dynamo and Portland Timbers at Houston’s BBVA Compass Stadium.
The Dynamo and Timbers sit at third and fourth place, respectively, in the Western Conference standings. The two sides met earlier this past March in Portland, when Houston took a 2-1 lead to halftime, but surrendered three second-half goals to allow the Timbers to take a 4-2 win. Now, the Dynamo are holding on to third place by just two points. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. CT Saturday.
Can LA Rebound?
Things in Los Angeles have been rough, as the Galaxy have yet to pull out a victory in July. Rumored Mexican signing Jonathan Dos Santos can’t get to LA soon enough.
Its Week 21 opponent will be no walk in the park, as Seattle Sounders FC has won its last three MLS matches. A sign of hope for the Galaxy is that Seattle holds a 1-5-0 record in its last six road matches. After a skid that has severely crippled LA’s playoff hopes, the Galaxy will need to bounce back as soon as possible. The matchup at StubHub Center kicks off at 9 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
