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Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Five games you must watch in MLS this weekend
MLS is back this weekend after the All-Star festivities and it is certainly back with a bang. The stars of the league have now returned to their clubs after the mini-break, and the business end of the 2025 season truly gets going as we enter the dog days of summer. Here are five games you simply must watch this weekend. Inter Miami vs CincinnatiTwo of the best teams in the Eastern Conference come to grips with each other in South Florida when Inter Miami faces visiting Cincinnati. One of the biggest questions coming into the evening will be whether or not star man Lionel Messi will feature after bowing out of MLS All-Star Weekend as he faces the possibility of a one-game suspension. Should he feature, it will be another chapter in what some have billed a budding rivalry between him and Evander, who led Cincy to a resounding 3-0 win over the Herons when they squared off last week. With Cincy atop the East and Inter Miami one of the form sides of late and owning three matches in hand on those above them, this is the match of the weekend. LAFC vs Portland TimbersIf there was ever an advert for the entertaining side of MLS, this fixture probably tops the playbill, with LAFC relying on their recent four-match undefeated run during a left coast showdown against the Portland Timbers later tonight. Phil Neville's outfit have struggled of late and are hoping to get back on track against a Black and Gold outfit who sit just two points ahead of them in the Western Conference while boasting two matches in hand over those around them. Sitting just six points outside the top two, Steve Cherundolo's troops will be hopeful of seeing their recent gap-closing run continue, and if history is anything to go by, there will be goals in this one. The last five meetings between the pair have featured a combined 22 goals, 11 of which have come in the most recent two clashes. Strap in for this one. San Diego vs NashvilleBoth San Diego FC and Nashville are two of the biggest stories of the 2025 season, and for all the right reasons. As the newest MLS franchise, SDFC have taken the league by storm in their inaugural campaign out of Snapdragon Stadium and come into the weekend topping the Western Conference, with new league star Anders Dreyer leading the way. B.J. Callaghan continues to show that he may be the best manager in the US pool on the back of guiding the Boys in Gold to an unexpected seat at the head of the Eastern table, with Nashville second and just a point behind Cincinnati as the race at the top remains red hot. Sam Surridge has once again been key in their efforts as well, with the English sniper level with Messi at the top of the goals pile (18) and pushing hard for a Golden Boot in just his second full season stateside. This could be a preview of a possible MLS Cup Final meeting. Columbus vs Orlando CitySeparated by six points in the East and looking primed for an appearance in the post-season should the train remain on the tracks, but Columbus and Orlando City come into the weekend with two different realities of late. The Crew rebounded from a heavy defeat against Nashville by dispatching D.C. United last time out and remain in the conversation near the top of the pile in the East, while the Lions, who won last time out, can only boast a single win in their last five outings in MLS. It could be a question of which Orlando shows up when they travel to Field, as only two clubs in the East (Inter Miami and the Chicago Fire) can boast a better goal return than Óscar Pareja's side (43), but recent inconsistency in front of goal would be far more costly against a Crew outfit that remain one of the elite names in the East. Chicago Fire vs New York Red BullsOften sporting rivals across a broad plain, playoff fortunes are at the front of the queue when Chicago host the NY Red Bulls in the Windy City, with the final spot in the top nine on the line. With just one win in their last five attempts, the Red Bulls may find it hard going against the Fire, who have given a very good account of themselves against difficult opposition in recent weeks, with a win over Charlotte and narrow-margin defeats against Cincinnati and San Diego. Both sides will be hoping their leading men can make the difference, with NYRB's Emil Forsberg and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting being one of the best attacking duos anywhere in the league, and the Fire's Hugo Cuypers still among the Golden Boot conversation with 13 goals. This one could go either way come the full-time whistle. 📸 Sean M. Haffey - 2025 Getty Images


New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba in question vs. FC Cincinnati
Inter Miami will host FC Cincinnati in a matchup of two of the top five teams in the Eastern Conference on Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. FC Cincinnati (15-6-3, 48 points) blanked Inter Miami 3-0 on July 16 and surged to the top spot in the conference following a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake last Saturday. Inter Miami (12-4-5, 41 points) rebounded from its loss to Cincinnati with a 5-1 win over the New York Red Bulls last Saturday and sit in fifth place with three more matches to play than each of the East's top four teams. FC Cincinnati held Lionel Messi without a goal in the previous matchup, snapping the superstar's league-record streak of five matches with a brace. But Miami enters Saturday's clash with some uncertainty surrounding two of their biggest stars after Messi and Jordi Alba did not participate in Wednesday's All-Star Game. MLS rules state that any All-Star player who does not participate in the game without either a reported injury or a league-granted exemption faces a one- match suspension. The league has yet to announce such a move. "Most of our teams had a 10-day break. Miami hasn't," MLS commissioner Don Garber said Wednesday. "So we have to manage that as a league. At the same time, we do have rules, and we have to manage through that as well." Cincinnati superstar Evander, who scored two goals in the recent victory over Miami, served as team captain in the MLS All-Stars' 3-1 win over the Liga MX All-Stars. Evander also set a record in the All-Star Game Skills challenge for points scored. He enters Saturday's game with the third-most goal contributions in the league (23). "Just playing (and) just enjoying the moment," Evander said on the Apple TV broadcast. "I was kind of focused on the targets, and I did it." Luca Orellano, who scored the lone goal in the win over Real Salt Lake, also continues to be a force in terms of creating scoring chances. For Cincinnati, Ahoueke Denkey (leg), Obinna Nwobodo (leg) and Yuya Kubo (ankle) remain out. Miami is expected to again be without injured goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and likely will turn to Rocco Rios Novo in net again. Maxi Falcon also is out due to yellow card accumulation.


Reuters
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba in question vs. FC Cincinnati
July 25 - Inter Miami will host FC Cincinnati in a matchup of two of the top five teams in the Eastern Conference on Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. FC Cincinnati (15-6-3, 48 points) blanked Inter Miami 3-0 on July 16 and surged to the top spot in the conference following a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake last Saturday. Inter Miami (12-4-5, 41 points) rebounded from its loss to Cincinnati with a 5-1 win over the New York Red Bulls last Saturday and sit in fifth place with three more matches to play than each of the East's top four teams. FC Cincinnati held Lionel Messi without a goal in the previous matchup, snapping the superstar's league-record streak of five matches with a brace. But Miami enters Saturday's clash with some uncertainty surrounding two of their biggest stars after Messi and Jordi Alba did not participate in Wednesday's All-Star Game. MLS rules state that any All-Star player who does not participate in the game without either a reported injury or a league-granted exemption faces a one-match suspension. The league has yet to announce such a move. "Most of our teams had a 10-day break. Miami hasn't," MLS commissioner Don Garber said Wednesday. "So we have to manage that as a league. At the same time, we do have rules, and we have to manage through that as well." Cincinnati superstar Evander, who scored two goals in the recent victory over Miami, served as team captain in the MLS All-Stars' 3-1 win over the Liga MX All-Stars. Evander also set a record in the All-Star Game Skills challenge for points scored. He enters Saturday's game with the third-most goal contributions in the league (23). "Just playing (and) just enjoying the moment," Evander said on the Apple TV broadcast. "I was kind of focused on the targets, and I did it." Luca Orellano, who scored the lone goal in the win over Real Salt Lake, also continues to be a force in terms of creating scoring chances. For Cincinnati, Ahoueke Denkey (leg), Obinna Nwobodo (leg) and Yuya Kubo (ankle) remain out. Miami is expected to again be without injured goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and likely will turn to Rocco Rios Novo in net again. Maxi Falcon also is out due to yellow card accumulation. --Field Level Media


Winnipeg Free Press
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Cincinnati takes shutout streak into matchup against Inter Miami
FC Cincinnati (15-6-3, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Inter Miami CF (12-4-5, fourth in the Eastern Conference) Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Saturday, 7:15 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Inter Miami CF -104, FC Cincinnati +221, Draw +309; over/under is 3.5 goals BOTTOM LINE: Cincinnati comes into a matchup against Inter Miami after recording two straight shutout wins. Miami is 10-2-4 against Eastern Conference teams. Miami has a +16 goal differential, scoring 49 goals while allowing 33. Cincinnati is 11-6-2 in Eastern Conference games. Evander leads the seventh-ranked scoring team in the Eastern Conference with 15 goals. Cincinnati has scored 39. The teams meet Saturday for the second time this season. Cincinnati won the last meeting 3-0. TOP PERFORMERS: Lionel Messi has scored 18 goals and added seven assists for Miami. Luis Suarez has three goals and three assists over the past 10 games. Evander has scored 15 goals with five assists for Cincinnati. Kevin Denkey has four goals and one assist over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Miami: 6-2-2, averaging 2.8 goals, 5.1 shots on goal and 3.4 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.8 goals per game. Cincinnati: 6-3-1, averaging 2.0 goals, 5.6 shots on goal and 3.9 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.6 goals per game. NOT EXPECTED TO PLAY: Miami: Yannick Bright (injured), David Ruiz (injured), Obando (injured), Baltasar Rodriguez (injured), Noah Allen (injured), Ian Fray (injured), Drake Callender (injured). Cincinnati: Obinna Nwobodo (injured), Kevin Denkey (injured), Yuya Kubo (injured). ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.


Associated Press
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Cincinnati takes shutout streak into matchup against Inter Miami
FC Cincinnati (15-6-3, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Inter Miami CF (12-4-5, fourth in the Eastern Conference) Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Saturday, 7:15 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Inter Miami CF -104, FC Cincinnati +221, Draw +309; over/under is 3.5 goals BOTTOM LINE: Cincinnati comes into a matchup against Inter Miami after recording two straight shutout wins. Miami is 10-2-4 against Eastern Conference teams. Miami has a +16 goal differential, scoring 49 goals while allowing 33. Cincinnati is 11-6-2 in Eastern Conference games. Evander leads the seventh-ranked scoring team in the Eastern Conference with 15 goals. Cincinnati has scored 39. The teams meet Saturday for the second time this season. Cincinnati won the last meeting 3-0. TOP PERFORMERS: Lionel Messi has scored 18 goals and added seven assists for Miami. Luis Suarez has three goals and three assists over the past 10 games. Evander has scored 15 goals with five assists for Cincinnati. Kevin Denkey has four goals and one assist over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Miami: 6-2-2, averaging 2.8 goals, 5.1 shots on goal and 3.4 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.8 goals per game. Cincinnati: 6-3-1, averaging 2.0 goals, 5.6 shots on goal and 3.9 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.6 goals per game. NOT EXPECTED TO PLAY: Miami: Yannick Bright (injured), David Ruiz (injured), Obando (injured), Baltasar Rodriguez (injured), Noah Allen (injured), Ian Fray (injured), Drake Callender (injured). Cincinnati: Obinna Nwobodo (injured), Kevin Denkey (injured), Yuya Kubo (injured). ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.