Group B at the MLS is Back Tournament comes into view Sunday, with some teams wrapping up group-stage play and others approaching their second game after Nashville and FC Dallas withdrawing forced some reshuffling.
Whichever juncture teams find themselves in, here’s what to expect as Round 3 gets underway and the field in Orlando narrows:
Chicago Fire FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes
8:00 PM ET – FS1, TUDN in US; TSN in Canada
Chicago hope to build off a strong 2-1 win over Seattle, a match where DP striker Robert Beric and Homegrown defender/midfielder Mauricio Pineda got on the scoresheet. It’s too early to definitively say how the Fire will look under head coach Raphael Wicky, but there’s reason for confidence before possibly booking a Knockout Stage spot through two games. San Jose are coming off a wild 4-3 win over Vancouver that was capped by a Shea Salinas stoppage-time winner. They'll clinch Group B's top spot with a win, so Matias Almeyda’s group will look to channel that adrenaline-pumping performance into a 90-minute showing.
Seattle Sounders vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
10:30 PM ET – TUDN, streaming on Twitter in US; TSN in Canada
There’s some desperation from a Seattle Sounders' perspective, as the defending MLS Cup champions almost definitely need a win to advance to the Knockout Stage. They’ve gone 0-1-1 to this point, and could go winless in four regular-season matches stretching back to before the COVID-19 stoppage. Cascadia Cup rivals Vancouver also face some urgency after last week’s wild 4-3 loss against San Jose, so three points will be at a premium for both sides. The Whitecaps are missing some key pieces up front, and haven’t beaten Seattle since an April 14, 2017 match at BC Place.
