New England Revolution are still on top of the Eastern Conference with a game in hand. The talisman, Gil, is expected to return for this weekend’s game against NYCFC.
2:52 p.m. Eastern
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Kyle Bonagura is an actor who has been in many films.
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ESPN Contributor
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Carlisle, Jeff
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Correspondent for the United States of America’s soccer team- ESPN FC’s Jeff Carlisle covers Major League Soccer and the United States National Team.
ESPN ContributorThe MLS All-Stars defeated their Liga MX counterparts on penalties on Wednesday, marking the metaphorical halfway point of the season, and the business end of the 2023 campaign is now upon us. New England suffered a surprising loss over the weekend, but one misstep isn’t nearly enough to dethrone the greatest team in Major League Soccer this season.
In our Week 17 Power Rankings, see where your team stands after the All-Star break.
– Watch FC Daily on ESPN+ – Watch MLS games live and on demand on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
1st place previously
Next MLS match: Sept. 3 @ 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+, vs Philadelphia Union.
There’s a risk in reading too much into the Revs’ 2-0 loss to NYCFC since they were missing five players from their starting lineup, including Gustavo Bou, Carles Gil, and Tajon Buchanan. At the very least, Gil has returned to New England after rehabilitating in Spain, indicating that he is nearing a comeback. Carlisle, United Kingdom
3rd place before.
Next MLS match: Sept. 11 @ 5 p.m. ET, ESPN+, against. Minnesota.
The Sounders were unable to complete the sweep for Seattle as the OL Reign of the NWSL defeated the Portland Thorns in the first match of a doubleheader. The Sounders had many opportunities to tie the game against the Timbers, but they struck the post four times and lost 2-0 in stoppage time. Bonagura’s
Previous position: 4
The next MLS match is on September 4 at 10 p.m. ET in San Jose.
Jonathan Lewis’ early goal was enough for the Rapids to earn a draw against Sporting Kansas City in a game dominated by the hosts. Kellyn Acosta, a midfielder, will miss the club’s trip to San Jose this week due to national team duty. Bonagura’s
Previous position: 5
Next MLS match: Nashville SC at 7:30 p.m. ET on September 3; ESPN+
Valentin Castellanos continues to underperform in terms of anticipated goals (16.59) vs. actual goals (10), but his two goals against a depleted New England side provided NYCFC a 2-0 win and cut the distance to 15 points with the Eastern Conference leaders. Maxi Moralez now has eight assists on the season thanks to his two assists. Carlisle, United Kingdom
3rd place before.
The next MLS match will be on September 3 against LAFC. 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Sporting Kansas City undoubtedly thought it earned three points, but the team had to settle for a 1-1 tie with Colorado. In the 41st minute, Johnny Russell equalized for SKC, who had the most of the opportunities throughout the game, particularly in the second half. Bonagura’s
Previous position: 7
The team’s next MLS encounter is against New York City FC on September 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Nashville has been outstanding this season, but there was one area where the club struggled: away from home performances. With a 2-0 victory against Atlanta, you can cross that item off your list. Daniel Rios scored in first-half stoppage time to make the most of his first start of the season. Carlisle, United Kingdom
Previous position: 6
The next MLS encounter is on September 4 against Columbus at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Orlando’s offense has struggled recently, scoring just four goals in its last five games. Even Daryl Dike’s comeback for the first time since July 3 couldn’t save the team from a 0-0 tie with Miami. Fortunately for the Lions, their defense has stayed up, allowing just three points in that time frame. Carlisle, United Kingdom
Previous position: 9
The next MLS match is on September 11 at Seattle, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Minnesota defeated Houston 2-1 thanks to a brace from Adrien Hunou. The victory was crucial for the Loons, who had just two points in their previous three games. Bonagura’s
Previous position: 8
The team’s next MLS encounter is against the New England Revolution on September 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Even after going up, the Union just about got what they deserved in a 3-1 defeat to D.C. United. The second leg of the Concacaf Champions League semi-final against Club America is still on the horizon, but first comes a difficult game against New England at home. Carlisle, United Kingdom
Previous position: 10
The next MLS encounter is on September 10th at 7:00 p.m. against Orlando City. ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ET
Gonzalo Pineda’s managing debut was marred by a 2-0 loss to Nashville, who only managed two attempts on goal. The highlight of the evening for Atlanta was Josef Martinez going full Hulk Hogan on his game shirt. While it’s easy to believe Atlanta took a step back with this outcome, Nashville’s defense has done the same thing to a number of clubs this season. Carlisle, United Kingdom
Previous position: 11
The next MLS encounter is on September 4 against Colorado at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
San Jose’s 17-year-old striker Cade Cowell played in the All-Star Game, but the rest of the Quakes were off this week and will face Colorado on Saturday with a 10-match undefeated run. Bonagura’s
Previous position: 12
The next MLS match is on September 11 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Colorado.
The Galaxy earned a draw against LAFC thanks to a brace from Dejan Joveljic and a late equalizer from Kevin Cabral in another exciting El Trafico match. The Galaxy have fared well in Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez’s absence, who claimed last week that he was “very close” to recovering from a calf injury. Bonagura’s
14th place before.
Next MLS match: Sept. 11 @ 7:00 p.m., ESPN+, at New York Red Bulls.
Yordy Reyna scored two goals in a 3-1 victory against Philadelphia, earning a penalty in the first half and then storming the net to smash home a rebound. The win broke the Black and Red’s three-game losing skid, enabling them to keep a precarious grip on the Eastern Conference’s seventh and last playoff berth. Carlisle, United Kingdom
15th place before.
The next MLS match is on September 4 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Goalkeeper Nick Marsman went unnoticed as a mid-season addition, but he came up huge in a 0-0 away tie against Orlando City, saving Tesho Akindele’s penalty and Antonio Carlos’ late header. Miami, often a postseason irrelevance, is flashing indications that it isn’t quite out of the race. Carlisle, United Kingdom
Previous position: 16
The next MLS encounter is on September 4 against Austin at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Marc Dos Santos was fired after his team was eliminated from the Canadian Championship by Pacific FC of the Canadian Premier League. Without him, the Whitecaps won 4-1 over Real Salt Lake, extending their MLS undefeated run to nine games. Bonagura’s
Previous position: 17
Next MLS match: Sept. 11 @ 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+, vs Nashville SC.
Montreal was handed a gift in the shape of Noble Okello’s fifth-minute red card, and they took full advantage with a 3-1 victory. Now, due to a four-game undefeated streak, a season that was on the verge of unraveling is back on track. Carlisle, United Kingdom
Previous position: 18
Next MLS match: Real Salt Lake at 8 p.m. ET on September 4th.
Ricardo Pepi has had quite a week. The 18-year-old won the MLS All-Star Game with a penalty kick, was called up to the US national team for World Cup qualification, and scored a brace in Dallas’ 5-3 victory against Austin. Dallas, which is just a point behind San Jose for the last playoff place in the Western Conference, also got a brace from Jesus Ferreira. Bonagura’s
Previous position: 20
The next MLS match is on September 3 at Houston, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Portland defeated Seattle 2-0 thanks to Felipe Mora’s goal and assist. The victory extended Portland’s undefeated run in Seattle to six games, with Sebastian Blanco scoring the game’s only goal. Bonagura’s
Previous position: 13
The next MLS match is on September 4th at 8 p.m. ET against FC Dallas.
Freddy Juarez’s unusual move to Seattle as an assistant coach last week may have averted a firing at the conclusion of the season, but it’s still odd timing with Real Salt Lake solidly in the playoff race. The team’s retaliation, a 4-1 defeat to Vancouver, could not have been more disastrous. Bonagura’s
22nd in the previous ranking
The next MLS match is on September 11 at Kansas City, at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
The Fire were in dire need of an away win and eventually earned one with a 1-0 victory against the Red Bulls thanks to Robert Beric’s strike. In the Eastern Conference standings, Chicago has gained ground on New York, but the Fire are still seven points off of the last playoff berth. Carlisle, United Kingdom
Previous position: 23
Next MLS match: 4 September, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+, vs Orlando City.
After losing six games in a row, the Crew will be unconcerned that they required some poor goalkeeping from the opponent to defeat Cincinnati 3-2. Miguel Berry, a late substitute, was in the right position at the right time to score two late goals, and Lucas Zelarayan, oh by the way, is still a free-kick maestro. Carlisle, United Kingdom
Previous position: 21
The next MLS encounter is on September 3rd at 10 p.m. ET vs Kansas City.
Brian Rodriguez, a Uruguayan international, had his finest game in a LAFC shirt, but his two goals — one of the best in MLS this year — were in vain in a 3-3 tie with the Galaxy. LAFC continues to be plagued by late goals surrendered. Bonagura’s
Previous position: 19
Next MLS match: Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. ET vs D.C. United; ESPN+
The Red Bulls dropped lower down the Eastern Conference rankings after losing for the second time in three weeks against the Fire. New York has now lost nine games by a single goal this season, and only Toronto and Cincinnati are lower in the Eastern Conference rankings than the Red Bulls. —Carlisle
Previous position: 24
Next MLS match: Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. in Vancouver. ESPN+, 8:00 p.m. ET
What do you think of this as an out-of-character performance? Austin FC has not conceded more than two goals in a game all season until facing FC Dallas on Sunday. So the 5-3 defeat, which had been 5-1 at one point, was unexpected. Austin got goals from Julio Cascante, Diego Fagundez, and Alex Ring, who is becoming a more regular danger in front of goal. Bonagura’s
Previous position: 25
The next MLS match is on September 4 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Houston’s 15-match winless run is the longest in Major League Soccer since Philadelphia’s 16-match winless stretch during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. The Houston Dynamo have the poorest record in the Western Conference, and their support seems to have given up on the season. Bonagura’s
Previous position: 26
The next MLS match is on September 4 against Inter Miami at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer, who coughed up a series of rebounds, two of which Columbus converted into goals to consign FCC to a 3-2 loss in the Hell is Real Derby, will be scrutinized by manager Jaap Stam. Cincinnati has now gone 11 games without a victory. Carlisle, United Kingdom
Previous position: 27
The next MLS encounter is on September 11 against Cincinnati at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Toronto’s season has continued to be a disaster. Toronto didn’t have much of a chance against Montreal when Noble Okello was sent off after less than five minutes, and the Reds lost 3-1. It’s time to go forward with your management hunt. Carlisle, United Kingdom
