Leagues Cup Final tomorrow
Nashville SC host Inter Miami CF at 9 pm ET on Apple TV with a Leagues Cup title on the line. If you need an appetizer for that, Philadelphia Union host CF Monterrey in the Third-Place Game at 6 pm ET on Apple TV. If Philly win, they’ll earn a 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup spot.
Sign up for The Daily Kickoff in your inbox! The Daily Kickoff is more than an article – it can be delivered to your email account as well.
IT’S BACK.
Leagues Cup on Saturday with a nearly-full MLS slate on Sunday calls for a Watchgridometer.*
*The Plusometer is a scientific way to quantify the potential watchability of any given game on Apple TV - MLS Season Pass, but can and will also be used for all other channels. Using the elements of "Potential for very good/entertainingly bad soccer," "Chances created," "Narrative," "Aesthetics" and "Totally subjective bonus points," I assign each element a score out of 10 and each game a score out of 50. Twenty-five is average potential. Fifty is greatest game of all-time potential. Yes, I do calculate each game. No, I don't know why. Respect for the form, maybe?
New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United - Sun., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - Free**
Plusometer Score: 23/50
The race to see which of these teams will finally live up to their underlying numbers is officially on. If either can finally put it together, they’ll likely end up as an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs-level team. For now, we have to keep operating under the assumption that we’re going to be stuck waiting for a while.
Toronto FC vs. CF Montréal - Sun., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - Free**
Plusometer Score: 25/50
This only reached “exactly average” scores because the most recent matchups between these two rivals have been delightfully messy. Pushing and shoving and fans throwing megaphones and whatnot. Normally I wouldn’t encourage watching this Toronto team amid their struggles, but Montréal might just pull some life out of them.
Chicago Fire FC vs. Orlando City SC - Sun., 8:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 29/50
There are genuine stakes here! For a Chicago team! In mid-August!
Just a reminder: Chicago are eighth in the East with 11 games remaining. They’re either about to pull the rug out from their fans in spectacular fashion or finally break a playoff drought that’s lasted since 2017. Chicago either self-immolating or igniting is one of the single-most intriguing storylines of this post-Leagues Cup stretch.
Unfortunately for them, this Orlando team is good. Maybe really good. It’s not a gentle welcome back to MLS.
Houston Dynamo FC vs. Portland Timbers - Sun., 8:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 26/50
I really don’t think this will be…like...what’s the word… "fun," but it will be important to the Western Conference playoff race. Houston sit ninth with 29 points and 11 games to go. Portland are 12th, but just three points behind the Dynamo. This could have a serious impact on the playoff picture down the line.
LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake - Sun., 10:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 27/50
EDITOR'S NOTE: This game has been postponed due to inclement weather in the Los Angeles area.
In the way Houston-Portland seems not fun, this one seems fun. RSL are a playoff team. The only question is where they finish in the top four in the West. The Galaxy are, in my opinion, not a playoff team. But they do have Riqui Puig. That’s enough to make this one entertaining.
LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids - Sun., 10:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 21/50
EDITOR'S NOTE: This game has been postponed due to inclement weather in the Los Angeles area.
I dunno, feels like it may say a lot about who you are as a person if you’re just tuning in to see how lopsided this could get. (It’s me, I’m tuning in.)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes - Sun., 10:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 27/50
Both these teams feel like they should be pretty good, but neither have put all the pieces together. Tune in to see if either makes the leap.
NYCFC vs. Minnesota United FC - Sun., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 31/50
The Loons were playing some of their best ball in their history during Leagues Cup until a red card against Nashville sent things spiraling a bit. Still, there was a lot to like about what Minnesota put together over the last few weeks. Now we get to find out if they can build on that momentum and turn it into a playoff run.
Meanwhile, this will potentially be our first look in MLS at a revamped attack for NYCFC. They added two U22 forwards and re-acquired Maxi Moralez over the transfer window. Will that be enough to finally kickstart one of the most disappointing teams of the season so far?
St. Louis CITY SC vs. Austin FC - Sun., 9:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - Free**, FS1
Plusometer Score: 35/50
The last time these two teams faced each other, St. Louis introduced themselves to MLS with a 3-2 win over one of 2022’s most surprising teams. Now, it’s St. Louis sitting improbably atop the Western Conference. But Austin are working their way back up the ladder. At least a bit. They’ve been far from perfect (and were outright terrible in Leagues Cup), but are still sitting fifth in the West with a chance to make it to the top four if things break right. A win over St. Louis would help with that and, ya know, maybe provide some well-earned revenge for Kipp Keller.
Seattle Sounders FC vs. Atlanta United - Sun., 10:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 37/50
Neither team is at their best right now. But, c’mon, it’s Seattle-Atlanta. And both sides have the potential to have a solid home stretch if they can get off on the right foot on Sunday night in a battle of two of the league’s best-supported clubs.
Philadelphia Union vs. CF Monterrey - Sat., 6:00 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 40/50
It doesn’t quite have the same weight we thought it might, but this Third-Place Game is still a shot at a 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup spot for Philadelphia (and a shot at Monterrey). The Union should be ready for a fight and should be eager to bounce back after getting dismantled by Miami.
Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami CF - Sat., 9:00 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 49/50
Nashville’s incredible, giant-killing run has reached the end, and now they face their biggest boss battle yet. If they can pull this out, we’ll be talking about their run through Leagues Cup for years. If it’s Miami, we’ll all have to concede that Lionel Messi is good at soccer. Both outcomes are incredibly fascinating in their own way. You can’t miss this one.
Columbus Crew vs. FC Cincinnati - Sun., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - Free**, FS1
Plusometer Score: 47/50
After all this Leagues Cup fun, we’ve been blessed with a Hell Is Real derby right off the bat as we get back to MLS play. Diego Rossi and the newish-look Crew take on the league’s best team over the first two-thirds of the season. It’s an amazing weekend when this isn’t the most exciting game on the slate.
- Lionel Messi said that MLS clubs are "competing as equals" against Liga MX and that he feels at home in Miami.
- Here’s what to know and how to watch Matchday 27 on MLS Season Pass.
- Wilfried Nancy says Columbus Crew’s new DP Diego Rossi "has his own quality" that sets him apart from former Columbus DP Lucas Zelarayán.
Good luck out there. Make something worth recreating.
