MLS & MLS Next Pro preview, March 22-24

It's an early start for MLS action again this weekend with a pair of 6pm (all times GMT) kick-offs on the East Coast. New England Revolution - played four, lost four, but still in the CONCACAF Champions Cup - host a Chicago Fire side that just wouldn't give up last week and earned a wind-assisted 4-3 win over Montreal. NY Red Bulls have made an encouraging, if not spectacular, start under new head coach Sandro Schwarz but face a tough test when the ageing legs of Inter Miami come to town. There's a big gap then to the five 11.30pm kick-offs - and it should be said that, with MLS, the actual kick-off is 10 to 15 minutes after the advertised time for some reason - and an early start on the West Coast for Vancouver Whitecaps, welcoming Real Salt Lake (and the freeloaders who watch AppleTv rather than MLS Season Pass) to BC Place for another celebration of 50 years since their formation. 2023 Supporters Shield winners FC Cincinnati - unbeaten so far this season - play New York City in Ohio (offered free on AppleTV), while Austin FC make the trip to Florida to play Orlando City with both sides yet to win a game. Also at 11.30pm is Charlotte FC versus reigning champs Columbus Crew, and Atlanta United away at Toronto FC. Both clubs have two wins so far this season but United are not as good on the road as they are at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.


St Louis City versus DC United is a half-past-midnight game and should hold some interest for neutrals with both sides playing some good attacking football, although fans of mercurial Spanish playmakers might find LA Galaxy's visit to Sporting Kansas City - with Riqui Puig always interesting to watch - worth a look, also at 0.30am. There's just the one game at 1.30am when Colorado Rapids welcome Houston Dynamo to Dick's Sporting Goods Park and I wouldn't expect anyone outside the 303 and 281 area codes to be at all tempted. The weekend's final games - there are no Sunday games and three teams are sitting out this week instead of the usual one - are all at 2.30am, with the pick of the ties looking to be Phil Neville's Portland Timbers at home to Philadelphia Union. Timbers acquired Uruguayan striker Jonathan Rodriguez from Liga MX side America in the week and whether he'll be fit to start is another question, but they have a lively pair already in Anthony and Evander, while Union are always good value. The other 2.30am matches are Los Angeles FC versus Nashville SC, and San Jose Earthquakes versus Seattle Sounders, the latter two currently occupiying the bottom two slots in the Western Conference.


Both independent clubs are in action this week after differing fortunes in the US Open Cup in midweek. The MLS Next Pro action starts in Chicago tonight but Chattanooga FC are at home tomorrow night - a 7pm kick-off - to FC Cincinnati 2. Chattanooga were knocked out of the Open Cup by lower-league opposition in the week and will want to put that behind them as quickly as possible. Carolina Core, however, won their Open Cup tie with NoVA FC last night, their first ever home game. They're on the road again this weekend, travelling to Massachusetts to play New England Revolution II on Sunday, an 8pm kick-off.

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