Hey, last night was fun! And you know what, so was Wednesday! Austin FC got every possible result that it could have desired this week and now stands alone in 2nd place halfway through the season. But now the games are coming fast and furious, as there is a full slate of matches to ponder. Time to figure out who to cheer for this weekend besides Joey Chestnut!
Games That Make You Go Meh
NYCFC vs Atlanta United – Sunday @ 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
New England Revolution vs FC Cincinnati – Sunday @ 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Columbus Crew vs Philadelphia Union – Sunday @ 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Sporting KC vs New York Red Bulls – Sunday @ 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
San Jose Earthquakes vs Chicago Fire – Sunday @ 8:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Orlando City vs D.C. United – Monday @ 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Games That Matter
Toronto FC vs Seattle Sounders – Saturday @ 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Can Toronto make it a Canadian Couple? Montreal went into Lumen Field on Wednesday and handed the Sounders a home loss. Now Seattle has to fly across the continent and take on a Toronto squad that can be pesky at home. Easy decision for us here.
The Side: Toronto FC
ATX Impact Rating: 2.5
Vancouver Whitecaps vs LAFC – Saturday @ 9:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
This game could be fascinating. Vancouver has 17 points in their last nine games and hasn’t lost at home since April 16th. The Caps are just two points out of the playoffs right now after their abysmal start. LAFC is good. You knew that. They lead Austin by 5 points in the Supporters’ Shield race. The Black & Gold dropping points here would be nice.
The Side: Vancouver Whitecaps
ATX Impact Rating: 4
Minnesota United vs Real Sal Lake – Sunday @ 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Minnesota is weird. One game they look like total crap, the next they are beating Galaxy in L.A. Considering RSL is just two points behind ATX for 2nd place, we’ll hope that good Minnesota shows up at home Sunday.
The Side: Looooooonss
ATX Impact Rating: 4.5
Nashville SC vs Portland Timbers – Sunday @ 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Nashville didn’t play in MLS action this week, but they did play at Orlando, losing on PKs to get knocked out of the U.S. Open Cup. The Coyotes are currently in 5th, trailing Austin by five points. Meanwhile Portland is starting to knock on the door of the playoff picture, though they have played at least one more match than everyone else in the West except Sporting KC. Best thing we can hope for here is probably a draw, but a Timbers win wouldn’t hurt my feelings.
The Side: Draw
ATX Impact Rating: 2
Houston Dynamo vs FC Charlotte – Sunday @ 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Fuck Houston! Here’s hoping Charlotte picks up their first ever road win.
The Side: Mint City
ATX Impact Rating: 2
FC Dallas vs Inter Miami FC – Monday @ 8:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Frisco went to L.A. and got waxed Wednesday night, which is a good thing for us. Austin now has a five point buffer over Southern Oklahoma for 2nd place. Now we just hope that our good friends from Miami can play well enough to steal a point….or three.
The Side: Inter Pitbull FC
ATX Impact Rating: 3.5
L.A. Galaxy vs CF Montreal – Monday @ 9:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
I mentioned earlier that Montreal beat Seattle Wednesday night, vaulting them to first in the East. It sure would be cool if they went 2-0 on the road this week.
The Side: Club de Foot
ATX Impact Rating: 2.75