Week 10 gives us the second taste of major rivalries in Major League Soccer, as the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC clash for the first time this season.
Saturday marks a busy May for most MLS clubs, as midweek action ramps up Wednesday and more rivalry clashes come to the forefront next weekend.
The weekend slate begins in Toronto, where the defending champion tries to right the ship against the Philadelphia Union, and it concludes in Orlando with Jason Kreis reuniting with one of his former clubs.
Below is a look at every game taking place across North America over the next three days.
Game of the Week
New York City FC at New York Red Bulls (Saturday, 1:55 p.m. ET, ESPN)
New York turned a shade of blue in 2017, as NYCFC won two derby matches over the Red Bulls, with the third ending in a tie.
The Red Bulls hold a 6-3 advantage in wins in the rivalry, but NYCFC is gaining momentum in the competitive clash.
Patrick Vieira’s built one of, if not the best, squads in MLS and it’s shown early on, with NYCFC leading the Supporters’ Shield race on 20 points.
The Red Bulls continue to build from within, and they possess the most successful player in the Hudson River derby. Bradley Wright-Phillips has 10 goals against NYCFC, while David Villa leads the fourth-year club with four tallies versus the Red Bulls.
Other Games to Watch
FC Dallas at LAFC (Saturday, 3:55 p.m. ET, Univision)
After being served the entree of the Hudson River derby, FC Dallas and LAFC get together for the second game at Banc of California Stadium.
FC Dallas struggled against NYCFC in Week 9, while LAFC pulled out a win in its home opener over Seattle.
Saturday could mark the debut of Lee Nguyen in an LAFC jersey after his trade at the end of the transfer window from the New England Revolution.
Real Salt Lake at Orlando City (Sunday, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Real Salt Lake heads to Orlando City Stadium in search of its first win in four matches with the Lions.
A victory would not only put an end to Orlando’s five-game winning streak, it would be Nick Rimando’s 200th in goal.
Orlando scored 14 goals in the last five games, and it could give Kreis his second win over RSL in charge of the Lions after a 1-0 win in Utah last season.
Atlanta United at Chicago Fire (Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
The showdown of Eastern Conference contenders at Toyota Park takes a backseat to some of the high-profile games in Week 10, but it’s still an intriguing clash.
Atlanta United comes into the match with the Chicago Fire on a seven-game unbeaten run, while Veljko Paunovic’s team stole a draw by way of Alan Gordon in Toronto in Week 9.
The victorious team in two meetings last season recorded a clean sheet.
The Rest
Philadelphia Union at Toronto FC (Friday, 8 p.m, ET, TSN, ESPN+)
The Union are riding a high for once after a 3-2 win over D.C. United, but it could run into the buzzsaw that is the Toronto attack.
Although they are dealing with numerous injuries, the Reds are deep and could easily put a lineup on the field that’s better than the Union.
TFC has five wins in seven games at BMO Field against the Union, including a 3-0 thumping on August 23.
New England Revolution at Montreal Impact (Saturday, 1 p.m., TVA Sport, ESPN+)
Life without Nguyen officially begins for the Revs Saturday, even though they’ve acted like he wasn’t a part of the squad since the start of the year.
Brad Friedel’s team is fourth in the Eastern Conference ahead of its trip to Montreal against an Impact side that can’t get anything going.
Remi Garde’s side conceded 16 goals in the last four games, including a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Revs.
Vancouver Whitecaps at Minnesota United (Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, CTV, ESPN+)
The Whitecaps halted a three-game losing streak in Week 9 by beating RSL at BC Place.
Now the Whitecaps take to the road to face Minnesota United, who reinforced its defense with the addition of Eric Miller in a trade with the Colorado Rapids.
The blow of the Loons’ injury crisis has been softened a bit by the impact of Darwin Quintero, who has two goals and an assist in three appearances.
Columbus Crew at Seattle Sounders (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
The home team has won each of the last three meetings between the Columbus Crew and Seattle Sounders.
The Crew received an attacking boost from Mike Grella against San Jose, and he should feature in more of a role at CenturyLink Field.
Things are still ugly for the Sounders, and they’re getting close to must-win territory as they languish in the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
LA Galaxy at Houston Dynamo (Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
The Zlatan Ibrahimovic traveling road show enters Houston Saturday, as the two teams trying to work out early-season issues face off.
The LA Galaxy’s defense has been less than stellar and manager Sigi Schmid is still trying to figure out how to use all of his attacking pieces when healthy.
Houston is absolute mess right now with two wins from seven games, one of which came against a weakened TFC team. A win would be a welcome sight for the Dynamo after dropping two games at home already.
Colorado Rapids at Sporting Kansas City (Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Colorado has been Sporting Kansas City’s Achilles’ heel over the last two seasons.
The Rapids enter Children’s Mercy Park with three wins and a draw in their last five games against Peter Vermes and Co.
Sporting KC enter as the favorite to win as the Western Conference leader against a Colorado team on a two-game losing streak.
Portland Timbers at San Jose Earthquakes (Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
This week’s MLS After Dark offering returns to San Jose, where the Earthquakes are in search of their first win since Week 1.
Portland reversed its poor early-season form with two straight wins, but it had a tough time against the Quakes in 2017 giving up five goals over three meetings.