Road to 2026 Starts on Saturday for the Bay Area
The Bay Area’s buildup to the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on Saturday when the San Jose Earthquakes host LAFC at Levi’s Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass). The ‘Quakes last played a regular season match at Levi’s Stadium on Aug. 2, 2014, a 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC in the first sporting event in the stadium’s history. Saturday’s game against the 2022 MLS Cup champions will feature one of the club’s best crowds in the past decade with over 40,000 people expected in attendance.
As the soccer craze in the Bay Area continues to heighten, so does the number of matches leading up to 2026. Later this summer, Levi’s Stadium will host two Concacaf Gold Cup matches on July 2 between Jamaica and a winner of the prelims along with Mexico vs. Qatar. Additionally, the stadium is also in the running to host 2024 Copa América matches, which will be the second version of the tournament with six Concacaf teams included.
On Saturday, San Jose puts their unbeaten home record (4-0-1) on the line away from PayPal Park as they aim to take down the league’s last unbeaten team, LAFC (5-0-3). With Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate Cristian Espinoza (six goals) in scintillating form, the Earthquakes aim to upset LAFC, potentially mirroring their 2014 upset over the then-first place Sounders at Levi’s Stadium. Nevertheless, the energy in the Bay Area for the ‘Quakes will be pulsating in front of a big crowd as the road to 2026 begins.
Berth in the Concacaf Champions League Final on the Line in LA
A berth in the 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League final is on the line as the Los Angeles Football Club welcomes the Philadelphia Union to BMO Stadium for the second leg of the CCL Semifinals on Tuesday night (10 p.m. ET, FS1 / TUDN). The two clubs played to a 1-1 draw in the opening leg in Philadelphia, with a 91st-minute Kellyn Acosta equalizer neutralizing a Philadelphia penalty-kick conversion that occurred just five minutes earlier.
The second leg of the competition returns to the site of the dramatic 2022 MLS Cup, which saw LAFC emerge victorious in kicks from the penalty mark after 120 minutes of brilliant back-and-forth action. Like acclaimed prize fighters battling for the title of MLS’ best squad, LAFC and Philadelphia have battled blow for blow in their last two meetings, as each of the last three go-ahead goals have been matched within five minutes of game time, dating back to the 83rd minute of the 2022 MLS Cup.
2022 MLS Cup
- 83rd Minute: LAFC’s Jesús Murillo scores to give LAFC a 2-1 lead
- 85th Minute: Philadelphia’s Jack Elliott scores to tie game, 2-2
- 124th Minute: Philadelphia’s Jack Elliott scores to give Union a 3-2 lead
- 128th Minute: LAFC’s Gareth Bale scores to tie game, 3-3
2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League
- 86th Minute: Philadelphia’s Dániel Gazdag scores penalty kick to give Union a 1-0 lead
- 91st Minute: LAFC’s Kellyn Acosta scores to tie game, 1-1
Both clubs will be looking to break from recent history, as each of the last five meetings between the two clubs have ended in a draw at the conclusion of regulation.
In addition to earning a place in the CCL Final, MLS bragging rights are on the line in this emerging East vs. West Coast rivalry, as the Union look to pen a different ending than last year’s MLS Cup. Meanwhile, LAFC will look to maintain their homefield supremacy, having won 17 of their last 19 home matches in MLS (including postseason) and CCL play dating back to May 18, 2022.
Dynamo Shaping Shell Energy Stadium into a Fortress
Historically, the Houston Dynamo have built a fortress at home in MLS play, earning a win or draw in nearly 80% of all home matches, which is one of the best marks in league history. In 2022, that was not the case as the club struggled mightily in front of their home supporters. However, under the guidance of new head coach Ben Olsen and a reenergized Héctor Herrera, the Dynamo have been dominant at Shell Energy Stadium in 2023.
Houston made MLS history to start 2023, becoming the first club to produce four shutout victories in each of their first four home matches of a season. The atmosphere at Shell Energy Stadium has been lively, with Herrera pulling the midfield strings and Olsen making the precise late-game changes needed to secure victories and energize the home crowd.
As the calendar begins the turn to summer and temperatures rise, the Dynamo’s home form will make visitor’s trips to Lone Star State one of the most difficult. Houston will look to make it five consecutive home victories on Saturday night when they host Real Salt Lake (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).
Rooney’s Recruits Raising Standard in D.C.
D.C. United have won three consecutive regular-season games for the first time since October 2020, and a trio of recent arrivals have been instrumental to the team’s early-season success under head coach Wayne Rooney’s stewardship.
Star forward Christian Benteke has provided the fire power with five goals in 10 games – his most recent being a spectacular bicycle kick in front of a sold-out crowd at Audi Field on Matchday 10 (WATCH). The towering Belgian international was brought in midway through 2022 to score goals, and, currently sitting in a tie for fourth in the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi standings, Benteke is in contention to be the first D.C. United player to win the Golden Boot since Dwayne De Rosario in 2011.
Pulling the strings from midfield are Designated Player Mateusz Klich and Englishman Lewis O’Brien, each of whom have recorded two goal contributions over the club’s current three-game winning streak. Klich has continued to dazzle with his passing range for D.C., contributing a team-leading four assists to four different players so far this season. O’Brien, meanwhile, has been a sparkplug on either side of the field, contributing a goal and assist in just four games.
With the MLS All-Star Game presented by Target coming to D.C. on Wednesday, July 19, D.C. United’s trio of stars are hopeful their performances can earn them a ticket to represent the host city alongside Rooney, who will coach the All-Stars when they take on Arsenal FC in a star-studded affair.
By the Numbers
Below is a sampling of notable stats and figures entering Matchday 11, including a 10-game check-in across the league and a match-up between two of the all-time greats in the MLS coaching ranks.
- 3: The top three teams in the Western Conference – Seattle, St. Louis CITY SC, and LAFC – are the only clubs in MLS with a goal differential of at least plus-10 this season. No other club has a goal differential of plus-seven or higher. St. Louis leads MLS with 22 goals scored this season, while LAFC is tied with Nashville SC for the fewest goals allowed (six).
- 8: With eight goals, Seattle Sounders FC forward Jordan Morris leads the race to the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi, one goal ahead of LAFC’s Dénis Bouanga (seven). On ten occasions in MLS history, the player leading MLS in goals after his team’s first 10 games of a season has gone on to win the Golden Boot, with the most recent being LAFC’s Diego Rossi in 2020.
- 11: Atlanta United’s Thiago Almada leads MLS with 11 goal contributions (five goals, six assists) through Matchday 10 and is one of only two players in the league with at least 10 goal contributions, joining Dániel Gazdag (three goals, seven assists).
- 60%: Goalkeeper Stefan Frei and the Western Conference-leading Sounders have recorded clean sheets in six of ten matches this season, the highest shutout percentage in the league through Matchday 10. Seattle has allowed just seven goals in 10 games in 2023, tied for the third fewest in the league.
- 499: Two of the all-time MLS coaching greats – New England’s Bruce Arena and Toronto FC’s Bob Bradley – square off for the seventh time in their MLS careers this week, including the postseason. The two coaches have combined for 499 career regular and postseason wins in their MLS careers, the most by a pair of coaches facing off in a match.
Tap-ins: Matchday 11
A look at other headlines and activity around Major League Soccer ahead of Matchday 11:
- Notable Impact: Sola Winley on an unlikely path to becoming the first Chief DEI Officer at Major League Soccer (Sports Business Journal)
- MLS celebrates historic moment in Vancouver Whitecaps vs Colorado Rapids with first female officiating trio (Goal.com)
- Portland Timbers: Big-money signing Evander is "finding his way" in MLS (MLSsoccer.com)
- A Canadian soccer star and his underground origins as a b-boy named Timex in the Toronto subway (CBC)
- Purina and St. Louis CITY SC Introduce New, Dedicated Dog-Friendly Space In CITYPARK for Fans and Their Furry Friends to Catch All of the Action (St. Louis CITY SC)
MLS Season Pass Broadcast Schedule: Matchday 11
Below is the MLS Season Pass broadcast schedule for Matchday 11, including English-language commentators for each match with the play-by-play talent listed first, followed by the match analyst.
How to Cover MLS in 2023
To assist in your coverage of the 2023 MLS season, the MLS Communications staff has provided the following media resources, all of which are available on MLSSoccer.com/Media-Resources.
