Valeri signs 1-day contract to retire with Portland Timbers
Diego Valeri has signed a one-day contract so he can officially retire as a member of the Portland Timbers. Valeri, a 2015 MLS Cup winner and the 2017 Landon Donovan MLS MVP, will also be inducted into the Timbers Ring of Honor during Saturday night's Matchday 26 showdown with the Columbus Crew at Providence Park (10:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
Inter Miami, Pizarro reach mutual contract termination
Rodolfo Pizarro has left Inter Miami CF via a mutual contract termination. Crucially, the 29-year-old Mexican midfielder’s departure opens a Designated Player spot for the Herons as they eye high-profile roster moves and begin play under new head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino. Pizarro is expected to join Greek top-flight side AEK Athens on a free transfer, reuniting him with former San Jose Earthquakes manager Matías Almeyda after they flourished together at Liga MX side Chivas.
FC Dallas transfer defender Che to Brøndby IF
FC Dallas have transferred homegrown defender Justin Che to Danish top-flight side Brøndby IF. The 19-year-old US youth international now heads to Europe permanently after spending the last year and a half on loan at German Bundesliga side TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (2022-23). He was also previously loaned to Bayern Munich II in 2021.
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The last matchday before the MLS All-Star Game/Leagues Cup break is upon us. Storylines upon storylines…
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?
CF Montréal vs. Charlotte FC - Sat., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 26/50
Montréal are sputtering right now. Ever since back-to-back wins against Minnesota and Nashville, they’ve picked up one point in the last four games and have dropped below the Audi MLS Cup Playoff line. They’re equal on points with three other teams for 10th place in the East, including… Charlotte. Even if it may not be the best game of the day, it has some weight to it.
Chicago Fire FC vs. Toronto FC - Sat., 8:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - Free
Plusometer Score: 23/50
Chicago are doing that thing where they give everyone some hope. They’re in ninth place and one point out of eighth place with a game in hand. If they can get a win over Toronto tonight (most teams do lately) they will come out of Leagues Cup with an 11-game sprint to their first playoff appearance since 2017.
St. Louis CITY SC vs. Inter Miami CF - Sat., 8:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 28/50
The last chance for Miami to grab points before the expected arrival of a certain Argentine World Cup champion. They can get to 21 points with a win. Then it’s a 12-game mad dash to grab enough points to make the playoffs. They probably really need to win. St. Louis very likely don’t care much about that.
Austin FC vs. Sporting KC - Sat., 9:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - Free
Plusometer Score: 25/50
A totally fine game that will probably be played relatively well, and I don’t think there’s really more to say about it.
Colorado Rapids vs. Houston Dynamo FC - Sat., 9:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 20/50
Houston are right on the edge of the playoff line and they haven’t even had Coco Carrasquilla for a few games now. It’s not a bad place to be all considered but they still need to take care of business against the Rapids.
Portland Timbers vs. Columbus Crew - Sat., 10:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 24/50
As good as the Crew have been this year they’ve only been able to put together two road wins. And one of those came on a midfield buzzer beater. They have a good chance to correct some road woes against a Timbers team that isn’t in the best place right now.
New England Revolution vs. D.C. United - Sat., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 30/50
The Revs took care of Atlanta midweek. Now they have a chance to do the same against another good, but not quite great team. If they can get it done, they can continue to be the last hope in the rest of the league’s still kind of fruitless effort to try and catch FC Cincinnati in the Supporters’ Shield race.
Philadelphia Union vs. NYCFC - Sat., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 32/50
This is technically a matchup of the two most consistently successful teams in the East over the last five years or so. However… well, NYCFC aren’t quite holding up their end of the bargain. Still, they’re not doomed yet. There’s still time to salvage things. A road win over the Union would go a long way toward that. Philly have lost just once at home this year, though.
Atlanta United vs. Orlando City SC - Sat., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: FS1, Apple TV - Free, FS1
Plusometer Score: 37/50
These two teams and fanbases don’t care for each other much. On top of that, this one actually feels like it has stakes. It’s a rare occurrence in this rivalry for both teams to actually be something close to pretty good. A loss for either team is going to inspire a lot of dread in the losing fanbase, which makes this the best kind of rivalry game.
Minnesota United vs. LAFC - Sat., 8:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 35/50
You probably know we’re pretty bullish on the Loons around here. This is a different kind of test, though. Teemu Pukki, Bebelo Reynoso and Bongokuhle Hlongwane willl have to be at their best. And Minnesota will finally have to get it together at home. The Loons have just two home wins all year, the second-worst mark in the league.
Real Salt Lake vs. New York Red Bulls - Sat., 9:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - Free
Plusometer Score: 36/50
You probably know we’re even more bullish on both RSL and the Red Bulls. RSL have already come good though. I’m starting to be convinced the Red Bulls are set to somehow make it through an entire season with near-historically good underlying numbers and miss the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Still, this is a fun matchup between two teams I’m convinced are good at soccer. Should be a good game.
Seattle Sounders vs. FC Dallas - Sat., 10:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - Free
Plusometer Score: 30/50
To be honest, I kind of end up frowning a lot watching both teams right now. Seattle can’t put together consistent results and Dallas have kind of sort of been faceplanting. Luckily for both teams, you can get away with these kinds of things in the West. Still, typically, these are two of the better teams in the conference.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. LA Galaxy - Sat., 10:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - Free
Plusometer Score: 30/50
The Galaxy seem to be putting it together. They haven’t lost since late May and are coming off a week in which they took down LAFC and Philadelphia back to back. That kind of outstanding performance has been enough to take them all the way up to… uh, well, 13th place in the West. Still, they’re far more alive than they were a few weeks ago. And Vancouver come out and lay an egg for no explainable reason every other game or so. This is winnable for LA. Things just might get really, really interesting for them down the stretch.
FC Cincinnati vs. Nashville SC - Sat., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 42/50
By far the best game of the day. Even if Nashville have all but lost their chance at catching Cincy in the Shield race. The Coyotes have lost four of their last five and have been shut out in each of those losses. Still, they’re a surefire playoff team. Cincy won’t be able to just roll over them… probably.
MLS clubs receive over $7 million in FIFA World Cup 2022 benefits: As part of the FIFA Club Benefits Program (CBP) for player participation in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, 25 different Major League Soccer clubs will receive nearly $7.2 million in combined payments. The rounded per-player daily amount of $10,950 – regardless of how many minutes they played during the tournament – is divided and distributed to the club(s) with which the player was registered in the two years leading up to the final competition. In its entirety, the CBP will pay out $209 million following the release of 837 players from 440 clubs.
- The San Jose Earthquakes' Miguel Trauco won the AT&T 5G Goal of the Matchday.
- Here’s what you need to know for Matchday 26.
Good luck out there. Just kick it and see what happens.
