Your Tuesday Kickoff: Top games from MLS’ first midweek matchday of 2023

What you need to know

MLS unveils pre-match Pride Top

In celebration of Pride Month in June, MLS and adidas have partnered to release the fourth edition of the pre-match Pride Top. MLS athletes will wear the bold, bright kits before Pride Games which take place from May through August as the league continues to work towards a more inclusive reality for all. As part of MLS’s support of the LGBTQ+ community, and in celebration of Pride month, the League will make donations to Athlete Ally and Play Proud.

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A WILD CARD WATCHGRIDOMETER

You know the drill at this point (but on a Tuesday!). We’re here to make your viewing decisions easier (but on a Tuesday!). This is service journalism (but on a Tuesday!). You’re welcome (but on a Tuesday!).

*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?

Tier One: The delightful hum of a soccer broadcast on television

Soccer is nice to have on. And sometimes you look up and see something fun.

Atlanta United vs. Colorado Rapids - Wed., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - Free
Plusometer Score: 25/50

Atlanta are reeling after their third straight loss. Colorado are doing the same after a seven-game unbeaten streak came to a close this weekend. Both are looking to bounce back. Atlanta kind of sort of need this one though. This either turns into a big moment for the Five Stripes or rubbernecking.

Charlotte FC vs. Chicago Fire FC - Wed., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 27/50

Charlotte have won three of the last four! Chicago are riding a totally real and definitely not made-up new manager bounce! Something’s got to give.

Toronto FC vs. New York Red Bulls - Wed., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 22/50

I think we can officially call this a Down Bad Derby. The two teams at the bottom of the East go head to head, one having just parted ways with their manager, the other dealing with serious questions about their own manager. Then again, y’all should know about the Red Bulls underlying numbers at this point. And it still feels like there’s too much talent for Toronto to be this rough. Even with injuries mounting up.

Minnesota United FC vs. Houston Dynamo FC - Wed., 8:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - Free
Plusometer Score: 24/50

The Loons have hit a wall. A home game against a good, but not great Houston side is a chance to get their first win in a month and a half. A chance, not a given.

Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami CF - Wed., 8:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 28/50

Inter Miami are looking for their fourth straight win, and, if they pull this one off, we’ll genuinely have to start talking about their future playoff chances. That’s even while dealing with a couple of critical injuries. It’s never easy to go to Nashville and pull out three points against one of the best defensive teams in the league – especially not when the Coyotes are as hot as they’ve been as of late.

Real Salt Lake vs. Portland Timbers - Wed., 9:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 25/50

Evander is suddenly setting the world on fire, and Portland’s season feels saved because of it. It's worth checking in and seeing what else he’s got in the tank after picking up three goals and two assists in the last three games.

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Austin FC - Wed., 10:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 21/50

Austin are in a bad place right now. This could get ugly. And on paper, it probably should. Which is exactly why Austin will win.

Tier Two: The joy of stumbling onto a match you previously weren't invested in but now are

Every now and then, you go into a game not asking for much and come away with more than you ever imagined.

FC Cincinnati vs. CF Montréal - Wed., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - Free
Plusometer Score: 36/50

Montréal have won four straight games by a 2-0 scoreline. It doesn’t matter who you beat in MLS, that’s tough to do. But, still, they haven’t been tested like this. Cincy have won every game at home this year and are coming off a bye week.

Orlando City SC vs. NYCFC - Wed., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - Free
Plusometer Score: 31/50

This one has some weird psuedo-rivalry vibes from time to time. Not saying we’ll get another Rodrigo Schlegel goalkeeping masterclass, but it could get weird. Both teams are definitely in a tough stretch at least where the results aren’t what they want. NYCFC are floundering and Orlando City are doing their best to be as .500 a team as possible. None of it quite lines up with what we thought the quality of each roster would be.

Philadelphia Union vs. D.C. United - Wed., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - Free, FS1
Plusometer Score: 30/50

D.C. are playing well right now! Unfortunately for them, so are the Union. And given the rosters and recent history, that’s a bad sign for D.C. United. With CCL out of the way, the Union are beginning the process of looking a little more like themselves. We’ll see how that manifests, but Philly look to be a tough task for a D.C. team that followed up a three-game win streak against some lower-table sides with a loss to Cincy and a draw to Nashville.

FC Dallas vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - Wed., 8:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - Free
Plusometer Score: 30/50

This will be well-played and probably provide a playoff preview between teams that feel like they’re definitely good while also not quite being good enough to challenge for trophies.

LAFC vs. Sporting Kansas City - Wed., 10:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 35/50

If you haven’t noticed, SKC have won two straight. They took down Seattle in Seattle a couple of weeks ago and no one thought they’d be able to do that. Who's to say they can’t do the same against LAFC?

Me. It’s me to say. But still, it’d be really cool if they did. Would hate for you to miss that. And, ya know, don’t forget, LAFC might rotate a bit with the CCL final on the way soon.

Tier Three: The satisfaction of expectations being met

Sometimes you want the best and you get it.

Columbus Crew vs. LA Galaxy - Wed., 7:30 pm ET
WATCH ON: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
Plusometer Score: 36/50

Despite some recent results for the Crew and…uh…the entire season’s results for LA, both teams have some of the best underlying numbers in the league. The Galaxy definitely have a little more juice than their place in the standings indicates, and the Crew are just a solid team. This could easily end up being one of the most well-played games of the matchday.

Other Things

Portland Timbers' Evander named Player of the Matchday: Evander, signed in the offseason for a reported club-record $10 million transfer from Danish Superliga side FC Midtjylland, produced his first career MLS brace in a 3-1 Cascadia Cup victory against Vancouver Whitecaps FC to win Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire honors.

The Reading Rainbow