Canada roster for Copa América prep matches vs. France, Netherlands released
Ten MLS players are on Canada's 26-man roster that awaits Copa América 2024 tune-up friendlies in June against FIFA-ranked top-10 opponents France and the Netherlands, marking head coach Jesse Marsch's first matches at the helm.
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All MLS games are worth watching. Some are worth watching more. Especially on a Wednesday. 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.
LAFC vs. Minnesota United FC
WATCH: Apple TV - Free, FS1| Wednesday, 10:45 pm ET
Watchability Score: 45/50
For me, LAFC are the best team in the West. Minnesota United are third and haven't quite convinced me they have the top-level talent to push their way to an MLS Cup. But a road win over LAFC could sure do a lot.
No matter what the outcome, this is going to be a war of a game. Both teams are just fine playing against the ball and trying to beat you over the head with a hammer. The intensity of this one should be at a playoff level. With elite players like Denis Bouanga and (potentially) Tani Oluwaseyi on the field, it might come down to which game-changers step up.
I’m serious about Oluwaseyi, by the way. He’s only played a little over 500 minutes this season, but he’s leading the league in non-penalty xG per 90 and is tied with Lionel Messi for the best goals per 90 mark in MLS.
Inter Miami CF vs. Atlanta United
WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass | Wednesday, 7:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 35/50
Inter Miami have genuine competition at the top of the Supporters’ Shield standings. We’re still not quite halfway through the season, but it feels like we’re reaching the point where the Herons and FC Cincinnati are ready to push each other for the top spot in the league. We could be set for the best Shield race we’ve had in a long time. You have to figure it’s going to bring out the best in Miami.
Meanwhile, it’s desperation time in Atlanta. And a team led by Tata Martino and featuring Julian Gressel running over the Five Stripes to make it 10 straight games without a win would be painful.
Philadelphia Union vs. Toronto FC
WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass | Wednesday, 7:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 34/50
The general vibe around both these teams is vastly different.
The Union have won once in their last eight games. That one win came against New England. There are genuine questions about whether this particular group of Union players still has enough juice together to be a contender.
Toronto, on the other hand, seem to have turned a corner from a disappointing Spoon contender to a high-upside team that’s just a few pieces away from contending.
Do those trends slow down here or continue?
FC Cincinnati vs. Nashville SC
WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass | Wednesday, 7:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 32/50
Do you like defense? Well here, here’s some defense. Enjoy this defense.
New York Red Bull vs. Charlotte FC
WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass | Wednesday, 7:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 30/50
Do you super like defense to the point you make other people uncomfortable talking about how much you like it? Well here, here’s just an absolute ton of defense. Enjoy this absolute ton of defense.
Seattle Sounders FC vs. Real Salt Lake
WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass | Wednesday, 10:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 37/50
Seattle haven't officially gotten their life together, but they’ve at least started to empty the dishwasher and pick their clothes up off the floor. Baby steps, right?
They’ve taken seven points from their last four games with their lone loss coming to this same RSL side a couple of Wednesdays ago. That’s all I need to be convinced this is a relatively tough road trip for the West’s top team. We’ll see how tough Chicho Arango and Andrés Gómez think it is, but on paper, they should have to work a little bit.
LA Galaxy vs. FC Dallas
WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass | Wednesday, 10:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 31/50
Speaking of getting it together, FC Dallas haven't quite opened up a Roth IRA and started wearing suits to work, but they’ve at least started to shower and open the curtains in their house again. They’ve earned eight points over the last five games and even went up 3-0 on RSL on Saturday.
Don’t… don’t ask what happened after that. What matters is they’re starting to find really good moments and look vaguely like the kind of team we expected them to be at the start of the season. Progress isn’t linear, but they’re at least pushing toward a better them.
We’ll see what Riqui Puig thinks about that.
CF Montréal vs. D.C. United
WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass | Wednesday, 7:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 27/50
Montréal just won’t be back to Tier Two games until they get healthy. For now, it’s all about survival until that point.
We’ll see what Christian Benteke thinks about that.
Houston Dynamo FC vs. Colorado Rapids
WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass | Wednesday, 8:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 27/50
Man, this would normally be at least Tier Two, but Houston are kind of a bummer to watch right now. Their lone win in the last eight games across all competitions (including a loss to Detroit City FC) came against Sporting KC. It’s the only game against an MLS team in that span where they’ve scored more than one goal.
Austin FC vs. Portland Timbers
WATCH: Apple TV - Free, FS1 | Wednesday, 8:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 27/50
The “something weird could happen” quotient is very high, but the “soccer game played at a high level” quotient is low.
Sporting Kansas City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass | Wednesday, 8:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 24/50
Sporting KC are genuinely in Wooden Spoon territory now. They’re sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference standings and it’s getting tough to see a way out.
The ‘Caps aren’t anywhere near a Spoon, but they’re not anywhere near their standard. They have one win in their last six MLS games.
Chicago Fire FC vs. Orlando City SC
WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass | Wednesday, 8:30 pm ET
Watchability Score: 18/50
Do you know those side effect lists at the end of pharmaceutical commercials that are read at like 200 words per minute and still last for longer than the actual ad?
FC Cincinnati's Orellano named Player of the Matchday: Luca Orellano struck for his first MLS brace to help lead FC Cincinnati to a come-from-behind 4-3 victory at Toronto FC, earning him Player of the Matchday honors for Matchday 16. The Argentine midfielder, who leveled the match in the 53rd minute and then put the visitors in front 3-2, now has three goals and three assists in his last seven matches. That coincides with FC Cincinnati’s seven-match winning streak, becoming the fourth team in MLS history to do so in a single season (excluding the shootout era).
- Sacha Kljestan looked at whose stock is up and whose stock is down.
- Matt Doyle’s Sunday column is up and good.
- Here’s your Team of the Matchday presented by Audi.
- Voting for the AT&T Goal of the Matchday is now open.
Good luck out there. Give the people a show.
