Charlotte FC sign midfielder Arfield after Rangers exit
Charlotte FC have signed midfielder Scott Arfield after he departed Scottish giants Rangers FC. Arfield, 34, is under contract through the 2024 MLS season with an option for 2025. He’ll be available for roster selection once the league’s Secondary Transfer Window opens on July 5. The former Canadian international scored 43 goals and added 19 assists in 233 matches across all competitions for Rangers.
Orlando City secure loan extension for Angulo
Orlando City SC have extended Iván Angulo's loan through the end of the 2023 MLS season. The 24-year-old Colombian winger, acquired last summer from Brazilian Serie A powerhouse Palmeiras on a 12-month loan, has become a key piece for the Lions in his nearly year-long stint in Central Florida. In addition to contributing 3g/6a over 27 league appearances (21 starts), Angulo proved equally essential for Orlando in their 2022 US Open Cup-winning campaign.
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A full MLS slate and Gold Cup all in one day. You need the Watchgridometer now more than ever. And maybe it needs you too.
*The Plusometer is a scientific way to quantify the potential watchability of any given game on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 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 actually calculate each game. No, I don't know why. Respect for the form, maybe?
Charlotte FC vs. CF Montréal - Sat., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 24/50
Montréal’s whole deal where they win every game at home and lose every game on the road is hilarious but it also makes things a little too predictable right now.
New England Revolution vs. Toronto FC - Sat., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - Free**
Plusometer Score: 28/50
It’s always interesting to see Bruce Arena take on Bob Bradley. Their clubs are trending in different directions right now though, and Arena has the upper hand by a large margin. Toronto will be looking for their first road win of the season here.
New York Red Bulls vs. Atlanta United - Sat., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 20/50
I’ve watched a lot of these games over the years. No one is legally requiring any of you to keep watching these games.
Sporting KC vs. Chicago Fire FC - Sat., 8:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - Free**
Plusometer Score: 25/50
Neither of these teams are above the Audi MLS Cup Playoff line, but I bet they’re closer than you think. A win for either could put them in a playoff spot. Plus, ya know, it’s fun to tune in and see Alan Pulido become everything SKC fans have ever hoped for right now. He’s scored in four straight games and has six goals over that stretch.
Real Salt Lake vs. Minnesota United- Sat., 9:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 26/50
Damir Kreilach might be back? He took home Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire honors earlier this week after a brace and a huge win for RSL over St. Louis. That’s a great sign for a Salt Lake team who were already trending up. In a diluted Western Conference, they’re just three points out of second place. The Loons need to course correct, and this matchup isn’t ideal.
Colorado Rapids vs. LA Galaxy - Sat., 9:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - Free**
Plusometer Score: 15/50
You are a very special kind of person if you’re a neutral prepared to watch the two teams at the bottom of the Supporters’ Shield standings go head to head. And by a “very special person,” I mean “a Daily Kickoff reader.”
Portland Timbers vs. NYCFC - Sat., 10:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 23/50
(Let’s see if this works again like it did for Portland-Chicago earlier this week)
BOY. SURE SEEMS LIKE A 0-0 GAME. BET NO ONE SCORES IN THIS ONE. ANDDDD HOW.
D.C. United vs. FC Cincinnati - Sat., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - Free**
Plusometer Score: 31/50
FC Cincinnati are not quite (emphasis on quite) as invincible on the road. I mean, they’re still extremely good, but they've at least drawn four times and lost once on the road this season. D.C. are better than people realize, I think, and should be ready to give Cincy a genuine challenge here… unless Wednesday’s 3-0 beatdown of Toronto was a precursor to the Garys finally taking things up a level.
Philadelphia Union vs. Inter Miami - Sat., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 35/50
Five games to go for Inter Miami before he presumably arrives. And if they don’t get points in any of those five games, they’ll need something like 27 points over their last 12 to make the playoffs. It’s really not a great time for them to be playing Philadelphia, but it will at least be interesting to see if they can put anything together.
Austin FC vs. Houston Dynamo FC - Sat., 9:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 37/50
This one suddenly got a lot of juice after the last couple of weeks. Houston are just two points out of the second spot in the Western Conference and Austin finally conquered FC Dallas earlier this week. This should be a ton of fun.
USMNT vs. Jamaica - Sat., 9:30 pm ET
Plusometer Score: 38/50
Jamaica have a bunch of talent, and the USMNT, as a whole, have been on a bit of a heater lately. This should be one of the better group-stage games of the tournament. Tune in to watch an entire country be frustrated by Andre Blake.
LAFC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps - Sat., 10:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 31/50
It didn’t go so well for the ‘Caps when these two met in CCL, but I feel comfortable saying this will be one of the most well pla— oh man, I forgot Julian Gressel is at the Gold Cup. This one could be not so fun for Vancouver. LAFC’s post-CCL hangover seems like it might have started and stopped with games against Houston.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. St. Louis CITY SC - Sat., 10:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - MLS Season Pass**
Plusometer Score: 30/50
Anyone in St. Louis a little stressed yet? The first runout without João Klaus and Eduard Löwen didn’t go so well. RSL steamrolled St. Louis earlier this week. It’s not going to get any easier against San Jose. The good news for St. Louis, though, is that San Jose will try and be on the ball a little more than RSL. That could be enough to give St. Louis a boost.
Columbus Crew vs. Nashville SC - Sat., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - Free**
Plusometer Score: 47/50
Hany versus Zelarayán. Columbus’ aesthetically pleasing game model versus Nashville’s… uh… Nashville are also a good soccer team and beauty is in the eye of the beholder if you really think about it. These are two of the best teams in the league and they feature two of the best players in the league, and this should be the best crowd in the league on Saturday night. It’s the highest score we’ve given out in a while for a reason.
Seattle Sounders vs. Orlando City - Sat., 10:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: **Apple TV - Free**
Plusometer Score: 40/50
Seattle are putting up great underlying numbers and not-so-great overlying results. Orlando are maybe playing some of their best soccer in the last couple of years? This should be an excellent nightcap between two playoff teams.
- Real Salt Lake's Kreilach named Player of the Matchday: Damir Kreilach is the Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 20. The 34-year-old Croatian netted a brace to inspire Wednesday night's 3-1 victory at St. Louis CITY SC as RSL extended their unbeaten run to four games (3W-0L-1D) while also earning their league-leading fifth win away from home this year.
- Jonathan Sigal picked out the best young-player performers in MLS Matchday 20.
- Here’s how to watch and stream the USMNT versus Jamaica.
- Charles Boehm’s Thursday column is up and good.
- Check out the Team of the Matchday presented by Audi for Matchday 20.
Good luck out there. Why waste time getting closer to the goal when you can just shoot?
