Midweek action in Major League Soccer returns on Wednesday with an Eastern Conference-heavy docket that features a few teams looking to reverse their recent poor form.
New York City FC and Orlando City have the most to gain on Wednesday as they try to catch up with Toronto FC and the Chicago Fire at the top of the Eastern Conference table.
Out in the Western Conference, the Houston Dynamo are looking to rectify its awful form from the last two weeks in the only clash between two teams from the West.
Here’s a look at Wednesday’s action across MLS:
Seattle Sounders at Columbus Crew (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Live)
The Sounders make the midweek trip out East on the heels of a two-game winning streak, including a victory over the rival Portland Timbers on Saturday. Both wins by the Sounders have been of the 1-0 variety and plenty of credit has be to give to the back line. Still, a different challenge awaits on Wednesday without Clint Dempsey and Jordan Morris on the team’s quick stop into Columbus before heading back home for a match with the Dynamo on Sunday.
After a rip-roaring start to the campaign, the Crew have cooled off significantly with three losses in their last four matches. They suffered a brutal 5-0 defeat at the hands of Toronto on Friday, and Gregg Berhalter’s men would love nothing more than to erase that performance from their minds with a win over a weakened Sounders side.
New England Revolution at New York City FC (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Live)
We’re still trying to figure out the exact identity of the 2017 Revolution. They took care of business at home against Real Salt Lake and the Crew , but faltered on the road against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. A midweek win over NYCFC would take the Revs close to the red line before the weekend.
NYCFC opens up a three-game homestand after a rough loss at the hands of Atlanta United. Patrick Vieira’s men sit third in the East heading into the week with a chance to gain ground on the Fire and Toronto. However, NYCFC hasn’t had the best of luck against the Revs, as its only won one of its last five games with Jay Heaps’ men.
D.C. United at Orlando City (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Live)
All the talk surrounding D.C. United last weekend came from the atrocious dive by Jose Guillermo Ortiz, which rightly earned the forward a suspension from the MLS Disciplinary Committee. The good news for United is they are actually coming off a win for once, albeit an ugly victory in Vancouver heavily assisted by Ortiz’s dive.
To say Orlando City is struggling is a bit of an understatement. The Lions haven’t won since April 29 and they’ve only scored four goals during their six-game winless run. In addition to that misery, Orlando will be without Kaka due to a right calf strain.
Real Salt Lake at Houston Dynamo (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Live)
Real Salt Lake have reversed their form in the last two weeks with wins in two of their last three contests. A second two-game week in three weeks awaits the Claret and Cobalt, and a trip to Houston to face a hungry Dynamo team will be far from an easy task.
The Dynamo remained true to form with an awful three-game road swing that featured one loss and two draws. But thanks to tremendous results at home to start the season, the Dynamo are still in second place with 20 points. A win is a must for Wade Barrett’s men as they look to right the ship.