Rivalry Week in MLS is a special time. Chaos wrapped in pandemonium served with a side of unpredictability. The best sides find a way to rise above the volatility, to keep their heads when all about them are losing theirs. Rivalry week separates the wheat from the chaff, and MLS Matchday 14 embodied that.
A week on from international matches and MLS has returned to full strength. The superstars have reappeared, replacing the excuses that swam in their wake and results are once again indicative of each team’s true ability.
Life under new manager Wilfried Nancy left a bit to be desired for the Crew. The former CF Montréal boss saw his new side secure just four points from its first four matches, but back-to-back dominant displays have given this marriage a new outlook.
A grain of salt. Perhaps the perfect idiom for MLS Matchweek 5. As teams traversed the FIFA-recognized international break, it became abundantly clear that some squads were better at handling life without their superstars than others. This imbalance made for some surprising results, but overall, a thoroughly entertaining week of games.
And so it begins. The newness has worn off and we're fully back into the thick of it. Matchweek 2 of the 2023 MLS Season saw quite a few surprising results that help fans gauge what to expect from each team. Seattle showed its class once again, Inter Miami put together a statement win over Philadelphia, but most importantly, Apple TV made considerable strides with its MLS 360 coverage. Unfortunately, the commercials appear to be here to stay.
The 2023 MLS season is finally underway and we've already learned a great deal from the league's opening fixtures. From the on-field play to the coverage and other adjacent news surrounding kick-off, MLS fans will certainly have lots to talk about before the match week has even finished.
The 2023 MLS season kicks off this Saturday and we couldn't be more excited. A full slate of matchups greets fans on Feb. 25, beginning when Nashville SC hosts NYCFC at 4:30 p.m. ET and ending with Real Salt Lake traveling north to take on the Vancouver Whitecaps at 10:30 p.m. ET. All 12 matches will be available to stream on Apple TV via the MLS Season Pass.
Looking ahead to the new campaign on the horizon, several games jump out from the page. So as you plan your weekends and months around following Major League Soccer, here are ten games you’re not going to want to miss.
The Leagues Cup this summer featuring Liga MX and MLS teams will be a historic tournament and crossover between the two leagues. For the first time every team from both leagues will compete in the same tournament at the same time.
Usually, the only time an MLS and Liga MX team faced off was in the Concacaf Champions League for just a select few. Now every team is involved and guaranteed to play at least one opponent from the rival league.
Wondering who your favorite team will play? Let’s look at the Leagues Cup draw that happened on Friday.
The MLS Cup Playoffs have never been set in stone. In the league’s 27 seasons, no fewer than four playoff formats have been used to varying degrees of success. The current system, which features a single elimination format with seven teams from each conference, is easy to understand and follow but could definitely use some improvement, at least according to MLS.
It's only Decision Day but the MLS Cup Playoffs have started in mind, body and spirit with the Eastern Conference picture now clear.
In a remarkable winner-take-all showdown between Orlando City and Columbus Crew at Exploria Stadium on Sunday, the Crew — needing only a league-leading 17th draw to qualify for the playoffs — threw away a 1-0 lead to crash out of the main event.
Here we are. Decision Day. A season potentially summed up in one moment. For the seven teams whose campaigns still hang in the balance, defeat is simply not an option. For spectators, the tension has been turned up to the max as six of the seven sides play each other in their final games of the season. After 90 minutes of intensity, stress will give way to both elation and agony. As we go into Decision Day, let’s break down what every team is playing for.