After some great midweek clashes, including another installment of Los Angeles FC vs. Los Angeles Galaxy, nicknamed "El Trafico" by MLS supporters, fans will be treated to another batch of great games coming up this weekend.
Here's all you need to know ahead of matchday 23 in MLS.
How to watch Matchday 23 in the 2023 MLS season
Once again, fans will be in for another action-packed weekend. All the matches will be played on Saturday, July 8th, with kick-offs scheduled for 19.30 EST, 20.30 EST, 21.30 EST, and 22.30 EST (16.30 PST, 17.30 PST, 18.30 PST, and 19.30 PST).
In the Eastern Conference, key games include Charlotte vs Cincinnati, with the hosts hoping to become the latest team to nick points off a Cincinnati side who have stumbled recently. Although Cincinnati still have a relatively comfortable lead on top of the table, with six points separating them from Nashville, there will still be some concerns as to whether this minor slump is just a slight bump or the sign of something more worrying.
Nashville, for their part, could close the gap to three points if Charlotte beat Cincinnati and they pick up a vital victory over struggling Chicago Fire, whose mini-revival has now come to an end with their latest loss. Unfortunately for Toronto FC, the sacking of coach Bob Bradley hasn't appeared to help them reverse their miserable fortunes, as they come into their upcoming match against St. Louis, who are the Western Conference leaders, having lost four matches in a row.
Last-placed Inter Miami, who picked up another draw in their most recent fixture, could finally move out of last spot if they are able to get a good result against DC United, but that might be easier said than done as the Herons have won just five times this season and none of those victories have been recently.
As for proceedings in the Western Conference, league leaders St. Louis are expected to pick up all three points against a floundering Toronto FC, while second-placed Seattle Sounders, who ended their four match winless streak with a gritty 1-0 win over Houston Dynamo on Independence day, will aim to make it two wins on the spin when they travel to take on Vancouver Whitecaps. The latest iteration of "El Trafico" left one set of fans celebrating while the others were left feeling bitterly disappointed - and it's not what many would have anticipated.
Indeed, Los Angeles FC might be in third spot, but they now have lost three in a row, including a 2-1 reversal to Los Angeles Galaxy on Independence day. They'll hope to rebound as they take on San Jose Earthquakes in another Californian derby, while the Galaxy, who ended a frustrating four game winless streak with a vital win midweek, will host Philadelphia Union, who are in fifth spot in the Eastern Conference.
Some fans, especially those in the USA and Canada, will be able to follow some of these games on TV. However, for those who can't access MLS games via TV or prefer a more flexible option, MLS Season Pass offers live streaming of MLS matches in over 100 countries worldwide.
Here is the full list of games for this upcoming round.
Top news of the week in Major League Soccer
More big name players for Inter Miami?
Although Inter Miami are currently langushing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, that hasn't prevented the Herons from still making headlines around the world. The team, who are co-owned by Manchester United icon David Beckham, among others, arguably pulled off the biggest transfer in franchise history when they announced the signature of none other than Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi, who had been linked with moves to Saudi Arabia and Barcelona.
In addition, Inter Miami followed that up with announcing that highly skilled midfielder Sergio Busquets will also be re-uniting with Messi in MLS. And now, another big name player has been linked with a move from Europe to Miami, with Sergio Ramos, who played with both Busquets and Messi at international and club level, being a reported target for the ambitions club.
Independence Day Derby sets matchday attendance record
On Tuesday, July 4th (or Independence Day as it's known in the USA), the 20th edition of the Los Angeles derby got underway at California's famed Rose Bowl stadium. Nicknamed El Trafico by MLS fans, the derby certainly did not disappoint, with viewers being entertained from start to finish. By the time the dust settled, the Galaxy had picked up a 2-1 victory to make it six games sans defeat, while Los Angeles FC slumped to their third straight win in the league (and eighth overall in their last 11 across comps).
And the match, which was initially scheduled for March but was rescheduled due to bad weather, set a massive record. Over 80,000 (82,110 to be precise) were in attendance, smashing the previous record of 74,479 that was set in March 2022 when Charlotte took on the Galaxy.
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