Clubs hope late Transfer Window additions provide postseason boost

• With Secondary Transfer Window closing, clubs hopeful new additions lift them to postseason
• FC Cincinnati’s Jans to debut at Crew SC in Heineken Rivalry Week prelude
• Four semifinalists in hunt for first U.S. Open Cup; Toronto opens Canadian Championship defense
• Week 23 Notes

Top Things to Know in MLS This Week:
Transfer deadline is tomorrow:
MLS clubs have until the close of the Secondary Transfer Window on Wednesday, Aug. 7, at 11:59 p.m. CT to add new players to official rosters eligible for match selection.
More than 70K in the “A”:
Last week, Atlanta United’s home match drew 75,548 fans, ranking among the two highest attended soccer games in the world on Aug. 3. Atlanta is now a perfect 12-for-12 in the win column for home games featuring more than 70,000 fans.

LAFC is close to clinching:
The Los Angeles Football Club (16-3-4, 52 points) have the best record in MLS, and they are on pace to match the 2018 Atlanta United side that in Week 27 became the fastest in MLS history to punch a ticket to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup destined for a new champion:
Of the four remaining semifinalists: Orlando City SC, Atlanta United, Minnesota United FC, and the Portland Timbers, none have made it to the tournament final, which guarantees that a first-time champion will be crowned. 
Can Josef Martinez break his own MLS record?
Notching 13 goals in his past nine games, the Atlanta United striker has tied both Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers) and himself for most consecutive games with a goal. Could he be the first to make it 10 straight games?
Inter Miami CF is signing young South Americans:
Miami has taken a future-forward approach to building its roster, starting with a pair of 19-year-old Argentines in Julián Carranza (formerly of Club Atlético Banfield) and Matias Pellegrini (formerly of Estudiantes de la Plata) as the first two signings.
With Secondary Transfer Window closing, clubs hopeful new additions lift them to postseason
Clubs across MLS have brought in impactful players during the Secondary Transfer Window and now have one final day to alter rosters before the final push to the postseason begins. The Secondary Transfer window is set to close tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 7, at 11:59 p.m. CT.
Among the top players to come to MLS during the Secondary Transfer Window is New England Revolution forward
Gustavo Bou
who was transferred from Liga MX side Club Tijuana for a club-record transfer fee. In four matches with the Revolution, Bou has compiled two goals and one assist, helping lead the club to a 3-1-0 record. New England sits tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference and will be reliant on the 29-year-old Argentine to keep the club in contention for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
Tied with New England at sixth in the Eastern Conference is the Montreal Impact, who have immediately benefitted from the arrival of 20-year-old midfielder
Lassi Lappalainen
who arrived on loan from Serie A club Bologna. A member of the Finland National Team, Lappalainen has two goals in two starts for Montreal after joining the club on July 25.
While 25-year-old defender
Jose Bizama
has yet to play for the Houston Dynamo since signing with the club in July, he is expected to heavily contribute after breaking out with the Chile National Team following five seasons with Chile first division team Huachipato.
FC Cincinnati’s Jans to debut at Crew SC in Heineken Rivalry Week prelude
Expansion FC Cincinnati
introduced their new head coach
Ron Jans
on Monday, and he will be thrown into the fire when he debuts at Columbus Crew SC on Saturday in the Hell is Real Derby (7:30 p.m. ET / ESPN+). The matchup serves as a prelude to Heineken Rivalry Week, when the two sides square off again on Aug. 25.
A native of Zwolle, Netherlands, Jans is a former striker who tallied 76 professional goals in 389 games – mostly for Dutch clubs – before moving into coaching in the 1990s. Jans’ coaching staff in Cincinnati will continue with Frenchman
Yoann Damet
, who will be Jans’ top assistant after serving as the interim head coach over the past three months, as the youngest head coach in MLS history at age 29.
The Hell is Real Derby began in 2017, when the former USL side Cincinnati defeated Columbus 1-0 on June 14 in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, in front of more than 30,000 fans at Nippert Stadium.
Four semifinalists in hunt for first U.S. Open Cup; Toronto opens Canadian Championship defense
The semifinals of the
2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
are underway this week, and all four remaining teams are in search of their first tournament title.
The Portland Timbers reached the semifinals for the second time in their history (2013) and head to Minnesota United FC’s Allianz Field for the second time in a four-day stretch this Wednesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+). Minnesota edged Portland 1-0 on Sunday in MLS play.
Tuesday’s semifinal features Orlando City SC hosting defending MLS Cup winners Atlanta United (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+). Orlando has enjoyed tremendous buzz over the past week, hosting the
2019 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target
, winning the
inaugural MLS All-Star Skills Challenge
on
Nani
’s final crossbar kick, and most recently garnering a 2-0 victory against FC Dallas.
Seven-time
Canadian Championship
winners Toronto FC begin their title defense when they head to Ottawa on Wednesday for the first leg of their semifinal series with Fury FC (7:30 p.m. ET, OneSoccer.ca). Toronto has won the past three tournaments. The Montreal Impact, three-time Canadian Championship winners, take on Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET, OneSoccer.ca). The semifinal second legs are Wednesday, Aug. 14.
MLS Regular Season: Week 23 Notes
Thursday, Aug. 8
New York City FC vs. Houston Dynamo, 7 p.m. ET

• NYCFC had their two-game winning streak put to an end, falling 3-1 to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday evening.
  
• The Dynamo went down to a second consecutive 1-0 loss on their home ground, falling to the Chicago Fire at BBVA Stadium on Saturday evening.
  
• The teams met once a season ago, the Dynamo taking a 3-1 win on May 25 at BBVA Stadium. It was the Dynamo’s first win against NYCFC, in four meetings all-time.
  
• Both meetings as NYCFC home games have resulted in 1-1 draws, first in 2015 at Yankee Stadium, also in 2017 at the Univ. of Connecticut’s Rentschler Field. NYCFC’s lone win in the series came in 2016 in Houston, a 2-0 triumph.
  

Saturday, Aug. 10
Seattle Sounders FC vs. New England Revolution, 4 p.m. ET

• Sounders FC suffered a 3-2 loss to Sporting Kansas City last time out, on Sunday evening at CenturyLink Field. Jordan Morris scored both Seattle goals, now with seven goals on the season; he has scored each of the past three Sounders FC goals.
  
• The Revolution saw their three-game winning streak and 11-game undefeated run put to an end, falling 2-0 to the Los Angeles Football Club at Gillette Stadium on Saturday evening. The 11-game undefeated streak was the second-longest in the club’s 24-year history.
  
• The teams have reached draws in each of their past two meetings. A year ago, they played to a goalless draw at Gillette Stadium on July 7; in 2017, the teams played to a 3-3 draw at CenturyLink Field, Sounders FC coming back from a three-goal deficit to secure a draw.
  
• Sounders FC have scored three goals in back-to-back meetings in Seattle. Sounders FC won 3-0 on March 8, 2015, at CenturyLink Field; the opening Seattle goal ended a 259-minute goalless streak vs. New England, the first goal scored by Sounders FC in the series since 2012.
  
• The Revolution are undefeated in the past four meetings at Gillette Stadium, with back-to-back wins in 2014 and 2016. When the Revolution took a 5-0 victory in 2014 in Foxborough, it was the heaviest defeat in the six-year history of the all-time series, the Revolution’s first victory against Sounders FC since 2010, with two Seattle wins and two draws in between.
  

Columbus Crew SC vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. ET

• Crew SC extended their undefeated streak to four games with a second draw in that time, reaching a 1-1 result with the San Jose Earthquakes at Avaya Stadium on Saturday evening. Gyasi Zardes netted the Columbus goal, his eighth of the season.
  
• FC Cincinnati fell to a fourth defeat in a row, dropping a 2-1 decision to Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Nippert Stadium on Saturday evening. Allan Cruz scored the FCC goal, his fourth of the year.
  
• The Columbus match will be the first in charge for new FC Cincinnati head coach Ron Jans, named as the club’s bench boss on Sunday evening.
  
• The teams are meeting for the first time in their histories in MLS, the first of two league meetings this season. They will meet again in two weeks’ time, on Aug. 25 at Nippert Stadium.
  

Toronto FC vs. Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m. ET (TSN)

• Toronto FC will be coming off a 2-0 defeat by the New York Red Bulls in their last league match, Saturday evening at Red Bull Arena. They play the first leg of their Canadian Championship semifinal vs. USL Championship side Ottawa Fury on Wednesday evening.
  
• Orlando City SC snapped a brief two-game losing slide, defeating FC Dallas 2-0 on Saturday evening at Exploria Stadium. Tesho Akindele scored a goal and added an assist, his second consecutive game with a goal, now with eight goals for the season.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Jonathan Osorio and Jay Chapman netted goals in the second half as TFC took a 2-0 win on May 4 in Orlando.
  
• Toronto FC have won eight of the 11 meetings all-time, with one draw. TFC has won four of the five meetings all-time at BMO Field, without defeat; Orlando City’s lone result in Toronto came in a goalless draw on Sept. 28, 2016. Both of OCSC’s wins have come on their home ground; TFC has now won there four times, in six visits.
  

FC Dallas vs. Minnesota United FC, 8 p.m. ET

• FC Dallas had their two-game undefeated run come to end, falling 2-0 to Orlando City SC at Exploria Stadium on Saturday evening.
  
• Minnesota United FC extended their MLS club-record undefeated streak to seven games, defeating the Portland Timbers by the game’s only goal at Allianz Field on Sunday afternoon. Ethan Finlay netted the game’s only goal on a penalty kick in stoppage time, MNUFC winning a second consecutive game by shutout.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Mason Toye netted the game’s only goal in second-half stoppage time as MNUFC claimed the victory on July 13 at Allianz Field.
  
• FC Dallas won both meetings between the clubs a year ago, without conceding a goal. FCD took a victory by the game’s only goal June 29 at TCF Bank Stadium, then won 2-0 at Toyota Stadium on Aug. 18.
  
• The teams split their two meetings in MNUFC’s inaugural season in MLS, each winning at home. FCD took the first encounter between the clubs, a 2-0 win on April 8 in Frisco, Texas; Minnesota United then claimed a 4-2 victory on Sept. 23 in Minneapolis.
  

Sporting Kansas City vs. Real Salt Lake, 8:30 p.m. ET

• Sporting snapped a quick two-game losing slide, defeating Seattle Sounders FC 3-2 at Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday evening. Felipe Gutiérrez scored a pair of goals, now with 10 goals on the season, his third two-goal game this season.
  
• Real extended their undefeated run to four games with a second victory in that time, defeating New York City FC 3-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday evening. Matt Besler scored his first goal of the season for the 88th-minute game-winner, the second of his MLS career.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Sam Johnson scored goals 14 minutes apart in the opening half-hour for both goals in the game as RSL took the victory June 29 at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real are now undefeated in their past seven home meetings with Sporting in league play (5-0-2), dating back to 2015.
  
• RSL have come away with points on five of their last six trips to Kansas City, including a 1-1 draw there last Sept. 30 in the last meeting at Children’s Mercy Park. Sporting’s 3-0 win there on April 29, 2017, snapped a seven-game winless streak in league play in the all-time series vs. RSL (0-4-3), their first victory since 2013.
  

Chicago Fire vs. Montreal Impact, 9 p.m. ET (TVA Sports)

• The Fire made it two games without loss, defeating the Houston Dynamo 1-0 at BBVA Stadium on Saturday evening. Nemanja Nikolic scored the game’s only goal for the match-winner, his eighth of the season.
  
• The Impact went down to a 6-3 defeat by the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. Saphir Taïder scored his eighth goal of the season.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Omar Browne netted the game’s only goal on his MLS debut, giving the Impact the victory April 28 at Stade Saputo. It was a second consecutive win in the series in Montréal for the Impact.
  
• The Fire win in the last meeting in Bridgeview, Ill., a 1-0 win there last May 9, ended a two-game winless streak in the series on their home ground, their first Bridgeview victory vs. the Impact since 2015. The Impact’s 2-1 win there April 16, 2016, was their first ever at Toyota Park; the visiting team had never won in the series before that season.
  

Colorado Rapids vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 9 p.m. ET

• The Rapids set a team record over their 24-year history with six goals in their 6-3 win vs. the Montréal Impact at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening.
  
• Kei Kamara netted a hat trick, the second of his MLS career, now with 123 goals for his league career, the fifth-most all-time. Kamara also scored an own goal, the first player in MLS history to net a hat trick and an own goal in the same game.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Vako Qazaishvili and Shea Salinas each netted goals as the Quakes claimed a 3-1 win July 27 at Avaya Stadium.
  
• The Rapids are undefeated in the past seven meetings with the Quakes in Commerce City, the last San Jose win there coming in 2013. The Rapids have won three times, with four draws. The Rapids win at home on Oct. 13, 2016, ended a 14-game overall winless streak in the series.
  
• The Quakes are undefeated in the five meetings all-time at Avaya Stadium, winning four of those. The Rapids goal in this year’s meeting was their first at San Jose since May 18, 2013, snapping a span of 692 scoreless minutes for the Rapids in the Bay Area.
  

Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 11 p.m. ET (TSN)

• The Timbers saw their two-game winning run put to a halt, falling by the game’s only goal to Minnesota United FC at Allianz Field on Sunday afternoon.
  
• Whitecaps FC put an end to their nine-game winless skid, defeating FC Cincinnati 2-1 at Nippert Stadium on Saturday evening. Felipe Martins netted his first goal of the season, the 84th-minute game-winner, while Hwang Inbeom scored his second goal of the campaign.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Fredy Montero scored the game’s lone goal after just nine minutes as Whitecaps FC took the victory May 10 at BC Place.
  
• Vancouver’s win in the last meeting at Providence Park, a 2-1 win last Aug. 11, was the first for Whitecaps FC in Portland since June 1, 2014, ending a six-game winless streak there. Whitecaps FC have now won the last three meetings in the series, after the Timbers won the prior three matchups. Whitecaps FC have won seven times in 25 all-time MLS meetings between the teams, all coming in the past 17 meetings.
  
• The teams first met on May 16, 1975, in the old North American Soccer League, with the Timbers winning 2-0 at Empire Stadium in Vancouver. The teams have met 93 times in all, across a number of competitions – the Whitecaps hold a 40-35-18 advantage in the all-time record between the clubs. The teams met twice in the NASL playoffs, in 1978 and 1980, with each team advancing on one occasion.
  

Sunday, Aug. 11
Atlanta United vs. New York City FC, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)

• Atlanta United won a third consecutive home game – all by shutout – defeating the LA Galaxy 3-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
  
• Josef Martínez scored for a ninth consecutive game, netting a late penalty kick, equaling the MLS league record for consecutive games with a goal, which he set in 2017 (then was equaled last year by Diego Valeri).
  
• Alexander Ring netted the NYCFC goal in the 3-1 defeat at Real Salt Lake, his fourth of the season and second in as many games. He has been involved in each of NYCFC’s last four goals over the last two games (two goals, two assists).
  
• The teams reached a pair of draws in league play a year ago, a pulsating 2-2 result on April 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, then a 1-1 deadlock June 9 at Yankee Stadium.
  
• The teams then met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Atlanta United advancing 4-1 on aggregate, winning the first leg 1-0 in the Bronx before taking the home leg by a 3-1 scoreline.
  
• The teams split their two encounters in Atlanta United’s inaugural MLS campaign, each winning by a 3-1 scoreline on their home ground, three weeks apart. NYCFC took their victory on May 7 at Yankee Stadium, before Atlanta United won May 28 at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
  

Philadelphia Union vs. Houston Dynamo, 6 p.m. ET

• The Union regained first place in the Eastern Conference in dominant fashion, rolling to a 5-1 win against D.C. United at Audi Field on Sunday evening. Marco Fabian netted a pair of goals, his first multiple-goal game in his MLS career.
  
• The Union won the lone meeting between the teams a year ago, a 3-1 win on July 25 at BBVA Stadium. The win ended a five-game home winning streak for the Dynamo in the series, after the Union won on their first two visits ever to Houston.
  
• The Union are undefeated in the past four meetings between the teams at Talen Energy Stadium, taking a 2-0 win in the last meeting there between the teams on May 17, 2017. The Union have won the past two games in Chester, Pa.; the Dynamo last won there in 2013.
  

D.C. United vs. LA Galaxy, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN)

• D.C. United went down to defeat in league play at their Audi Field for the first time since April, dropping a 5-1 decision to the Philadelphia Union on Sunday evening.
  
• The Galaxy suffered a second defeat in a row, falling 3-0 to Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
  
• The teams are meeting for the first time at Audi Field. They reached a goalless draw on June 3, 2017, in their final meeting ever at RFK Stadium – which began with United’s first-ever home match, April 20, 1996 (a 2-1 Galaxy win).
  
• The Galaxy are riding a 10-game home undefeated streak vs. D.C. United in Carson, after they reached a 2-2 draw there last year in the lone meeting between the clubs. D.C.’s last victory vs. the Galaxy in Carson came on July 23, 2005, a 2-1 triumph.
  
• United’s last win in the series, a 1-0 victory on March 28, 2015, at RFK Stadium, ended a 10-game Galaxy undefeated streak. The Galaxy had won five of the matches in between, with five draws, dating back to 2008.
  

Los Angeles Football Club vs. New York Red Bulls, 10 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN)

• LAFC claimed a second consecutive victory, defeating the New England Revolution 2-0 at Gillette Stadium on Saturday evening. Diego Rossi scored his 13th goal of the season, his single-season high in his two MLS campaigns.
  
• The Red Bulls rebounded for a third victory in five outings, defeating Toronto FC 2-0 at Red Bull Arena on Saturday evening. Kemar Lawrence returned from the MLS All-Star Game and scored his first goal of the season.
  
• The teams met once a season ago in LAFC’s inaugural campaign, the Red Bulls taking a 2-1 win on Aug. 5, 2018, at Red Bull Arena.