Reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champion Columbus Crew and Supporters’ Shield winner FC Cincinnati headline opening weekend of rivalry matchups
NEW YORK (Monday, May 6, 2024) – Games are worth more than three points when bragging rights are on the line, and MLS Rivalry Week presented by Continental Tire will shine a spotlight on some of the league’s most fiery fixtures from Saturday, May 11 through Saturday, May 18.
Over the course of seven days, MLS Rivalry Week presented by Continental Tire will take center stage, pitting some of the best rivalry matchups across the league on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. The Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati will kick things off on May 11 (7:45 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / FS1) as the reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi and Supporters’ Shield winners, respectively, go head-to-head in a battle of champions. Midweek action pits Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Inter Miami CF against Orlando City SC in what could be a statement victory for the Herons as they chase a road win against their in-state rivals on Wednesday, May 15 (7:30 p.m. ET).
MLS Rivalry Week presented by Continental Tire will also feature matches between sides who introduced new club-record signings during the MLS Primary Transfer Window, as Liel Abada (Charlotte FC) faces off against both Hugo Cuypers (Chicago Fire FC) on May 15 and Gabriel Pec (LA Galaxy) on May 18, while Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids) goes toe-to-toe with Hernán López (San Jose Earthquakes). Petar Musa, who was FC Dallas’ club-record signing this offseason, will lead the front line during the club’s run of Copa Tejas matches against Austin FC on May 11 and Houston Dynamo FC on May 18.
The full schedule of games that comprise MLS Rivalry Week presented by Continental Tire can be found here, which includes marquee matchups, including:
Saturday, May 11
- Columbus Crew vs. FC Cincinnati (7:45 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / FS1)
- FC Dallas vs. Austin FC (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
- St. Louis CITY SC vs. Chicago Fire FC (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
Sunday, May 12
- Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC (4:45 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / FOX)
Wednesday, May 15
- D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
- Orlando City SC vs. Inter Miami CF (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
- Austin FC vs. Houston Dynamo FC (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
Saturday, May 18
- Nashville SC vs. Atlanta United (1:45 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / FOX)
- New York City FC vs. New York Red Bulls (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
- Toronto FC vs. CF Montréal (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
- Houston Dynamo FC vs. FC Dallas (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
- Real Salt Lake vs. Colorado Rapids (9:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
- Seattle Sounders FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
Ohio: The State of Champions
The reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi and Supporters’ Shield champions – Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati, respectively – reside in the same state for just the third time in league history. Champions collide in the Hell is Real Derby, and stars lead both sides in reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi MVP Cucho Hernández and Landon Donovan MLS MVP Luciano ‘Lucho’ Acosta. The last installment of this rivalry saw the Crew come back from two goals down at Cincinnati in last year’s Eastern Conference Final, fueling Cincinnati’s vengeful fire heading into this game.
Austin Set Sights on Third Straight Copa Tejas Title
It has been tough to come by in-state bragging rights for FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo FC since Austin FC’s inaugural 2021 MLS season, as Los Verdes have won two of the last three Copa Tejas titles. All three sides know their stars can push them to victory, and it will be a three-way showdown between Austin’s Sebastián Driussi, Houston’s Héctor Herrera, and Dallas’ Petar Musa for who can stamp their authority on this Texas-sized rivalry and shake things up in the hunt for the Copa Tejas.
Portland’s Claim to the Cascadia Cup Crown
The Portland Timbers host Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday, with the Timbers riding the longest unbeaten stretch of this rivalry’s MLS history at six games (4-0-2), and Sunday’s game presents the opportunity to be the first of these two sides to earn 15 regular season wins over the other. This recent winless drought has not gone unnoticed by Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer, as he called out the need for his side to, “get back to understanding that this is a rivalry,” after a loss to Portland in 2023 and emphasized the need to beat Portland.
Seattle, Vancouver Celebrate 50 Years of Cascadia Cup Rivalry
The start of the 2024 MLS regular season marked both the Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s 50th anniversaries as professional soccer teams. Since 1974, these Cascadia Cup rivals have gone back and forth for dominance in the Northwest, with 2011 being the first time they met in MLS action. The Whitecaps won the first meeting between these sides in April with goals from star duo Brian White and Ryan Gauld, though, and they will look to secure multiple regular season victories over the Sounders for the first time since 2020.
Messi’s Miami Going for the Double in Orlando
Inter Miami CF made a statement in their 5-0 win over Orlando City SC earlier this season, and the club will look to take over bragging rights in the rivalry behind the goal scoring prowess of Messi, who leads the league in goal contributions with 22 (10 goals and 12 assists), and Suárez (10 goals, five assists). Orlando, though, have never lost to Miami at home, and the pressure will be on U.S. Olympic hopeful Duncan McGuire and Uruguay international midfielder Facundo Torres to rise to the occasion against Miami’s stars.
A Peak into the Hudson River Derby’s Future
Queens will be indoctrinated into Hudson River Derby history next Saturday when New York City FC hosts the New York Red Bulls in these sides’ first-ever meeting at Citi Field. The stadium is within walking distance of where NYCFC’s new soccer-specific stadium will stand starting in 2027. South American duo Santiago Rodríguez and Julián Fernández will look to dazzle for New York City FC with their youthful creativity while the experienced Red Bull duo of Lewis Morgan and Emil Forsberg try to spoil their noisy neighbor’s party.
Fresh Faces on the Sidelines Make Canadian Classique Debut
It will be the first Canadian Classique under the direction of Toronto FC head coach John Herdman and CF Montréal head coach Laurent Courtois as both coaches continue to shape their sides in their first year in charge of their clubs. Courtois will hope to extend Montréal’s four-game regular-season winning streak next Saturday, but the formidable Italian duo of Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi are no strangers to finding the back of the net when the stakes are raised during this rivalry matchup.
Race to the Rocky Mountain Summit
The Rocky Mountain Cup will feature two clubs who are riding early-season momentum, as the Colorado Rapids travel to take on Real Salt Lake. The Rapids boast U.S. Men’s National Team talents in Mihailovic and goalkeeper Zack Steffen as well as U.S. Olympic hopeful Cole Bassett. For RSL, Colombian duo Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango and 21-year-old midfielder Andrés Gómez have led the charge to the top of the Western Conference, combining for 13 goals and 10 assists through 11 games played this season.
