CF Montréal, Renard mutually part ways
CF Montréal announced Thursday that they've mutually parted ways with vice president and chief sporting officer Olivier Renard. Club president and CEO Gabriel Gervais will take over Montréal's sporting direction on an interim basis. Renard originally joined Montréal in September 2019 as technical director.
Philadelphia Union sign 14-year-old homegrown star Sullivan
The Philadelphia Union have signed midfielder Cavan Sullivan through 2028 to the largest homegrown player deal in MLS history. Sullivan, at 14 years and 224 days, is the fifth-youngest signing in MLS history. The United States youth international standout is the younger brother of fellow Union homegrown midfielder, Quinn Sullivan.
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All MLS games are worth watching. Some are worth watching more. Especially when it’s Rivalry Week presented by Continental Tire. The Watchgridometer is here to help you plan your matchday by giving each game a potential watchability score. A 50/50 game has “best game of all time” potential. Games are ranked in order compared to their time slot.
Columbus Crew vs. FC Cincinnati
WATCH: **Apple TV - Free**, FS1, FOX Deportes | Saturday, 7:45 pm ET
Watchability Score: 48/50
We went over it in detail on Wednesday, but this is an all-time great rivalry matchup in MLS history. The reigning Supporters’ Shield winners take on the reigning MLS Cup winners for the first time since the MLS Cup winners came back from a 2-0 deficit to the Shield winners in the Eastern Conference final. It’s a revenge game and a rivalry game, and it just so happens to feature the two teams holding the two biggest annual trophies in MLS. You can’t ask for more.
LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake
WATCH: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass** | Saturday, 10:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 42/50
The 10:30 pm ET slot is stacked with matchups between the top teams in the West. A genuine road test for first-place Real Salt Lake is the best of the bunch. Chicho Arango and RSL will have to find a way to slow down LA’s vaunted attack while the Galaxy will try to be one of the few teams to slow down Arango. If the last couple of games are any indication, RSL may have the advantage in both cases. The Galaxy have been held scoreless in their last two matches.
LAFC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
WATCH: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**; TSN 5, RDS | Saturday, 10:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 40/50
If you can find a way to split screen this one with LA-RSL, do it. These two aren’t quite as high in the standings but are still clearly two of the best rosters in the West. Neither team will want much of the ball, so we could see an end-to-end, transition-based game with plenty of chances. With Brian White and Denis Bouanga involved, I’d imagine a few of those chances find the back of the net.
CF Montréal vs. Inter Miami CF
WATCH: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**; TSN 5, RDS | Saturday, 7:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 35/50
Montréal aren’t at their best right now, and they’ve invited even more instability after parting ways with chief sporting officer Olivier Renard. The season isn’t trending in the right direction, even if Saturday's match is just their third at home through 11 so far.
But as long as Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are out there, it’s never going to be much about the other team, is it?
Philadelphia Union vs. Orlando City SC
WATCH: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass** | Saturday, 7:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 34/50
Throw Philadelphia and Orlando onto the growing list of Eastern Conference fanbases stressing about their recent results. Expectations were high for both heading into the year. Neither have lived up to them. The Union are winless in their last four games, and Orlando have nine points and a negative seven goal differential through their first 10 games. This is an Anxiety Derby.
Atlanta United vs. D.C. United
WATCH: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass** | Saturday, 7:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 32/50
Speaking of anxiety, there’s a lot in Atlanta right now. A visit from an ultra-direct side with Christian Benteke winning every ball that comes his way in the air isn’t going to ease those anxieties. It’s a tough matchup for a team that really needs a win and a few breaks to go their way.
D.C. are just looking to snag more road points and maybe even road wins. They have four draws in five road trips so far this year.
Toronto FC vs. New York City FC
WATCH: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass** | Saturday, 7:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 30/50
The homestand is over for New York City. We’ll see if they can take some of the good vibes from the last month and translate them to points on the road. It’ll be a tough ask against a Toronto team that keeps getting the job done. The Reds have quietly worked their way up to third place in the East despite a goal differential of zero and a long-term injury to Lorenzo Insigne. They aren’t an elite side, but they have been an effective one. A whole lot of sides would love to take down bad teams consistently the way Toronto have.
Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC
WATCH: **Apple TV - Free**, FOX, FOX Deportes | Sunday, 4:45 pm ET
Watchability Score: 38/50
An actual derby of an Anxiety Derby. It’s going to be tinged with desperation, and, for me, that makes it something close to can’t-miss TV. In practice…well, maybe Portland’s defense can drag Seattle’s attack into a more chaotic game than we’ve seen this year from one of the league’s least exciting teams.
Charlotte FC vs. Nashville SC
WATCH: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass** | Saturday, 7:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 28/50
An SEC game that doesn’t quite have SEC talent on the field. Still, it should be a great crowd in Charlotte for a potential rivalry game that’s still finding its footing.
New York Red Bulls vs. New England Revolution
WATCH: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass** | Saturday, 7:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 25/50
The Revs…just don’t have it right now. This could be a nice bounceback game for the Red Bulls after last week’s trip to Miami.
FC Dallas vs. Austin FC
WATCH: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass** | Saturday, 8:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 27/50
It feels like we’ve had a whole lot of Texas matchups lately. It’s still worth checking in on Austin, though, to see if they can keep up an impressive run of 13 points over their last six games. Two of those wins came against Dallas and Houston.
Sporting KC vs. Houston Dynamo FC
WATCH: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass** | Saturday, 8:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 26/50
I don’t think both these teams are cooked or anything, but both are certainly in a rut. Houston haven’t scored in three consecutive MLS games and just lost to Detroit City FC in midweek US Open Cup action. Sporting KC haven’t won an MLS game since March. Both teams need this.
St. Louis CITY SC vs. Chicago Fire FC
WATCH: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass** | Saturday, 8:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 26/50
There’s a lot of bad blood between these two cities. It hasn’t translated to their soccer teams yet, but there’s always a chance that starts this weekend.
Colorado Rapids vs. San Jose Earthquakes
WATCH: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass** | Saturday, 9:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 29/50
The Quakes have suddenly become a lot more interesting after a huge win over LAFC last weekend and the arrival of new DP attacker Hernan Lopez. Not quite interesting enough to drag them out of Tier I status on the Watchgridometer, but they’re close. A win over an increasingly intriguing Colorado side would go a long way.
Charlotte FC sign Vargas to new contract: Charlotte FC have signed forward Kerwin Vargas to a new contract through the 2027 MLS season with an option for 2028. The 22-year-old Colombian will no longer occupy a U22 Initiative spot once his new deal goes into effect next year.
- Diego Rossi is seeking bragging rights in Hell is Real.
- Charlotte FC midfielder Brandt Bronico is supporting his community.
- Miles Robinson is preparing for his first Hell is Real.
- Cavan Sullivan and Quinn Sullivan may get to realize their dream of playing together professionally.
- Cavan Sullivan is the latest in an impressive line of Philadelphia homegrowns.
- Take a look at the 10 youngest players to sign an MLS contract.
- Here’s what you need to know for Matchday 13.
Good luck out there. Share some brotherly love.
